An opinion poll was conducted recently with the focus on views and preferences about change. The survey sought to knowhow daring people can be, in moving from a routine exercise to a completely different one, especially with an uncertain result in view. Though it was conducted randomly, the sample population was carefully chosen to represent different groups of people. The topmost response was the concern of possibly incurring loss or misfortune. People were betrayed by their emotions, fearing some nonspecific danger, they chose to back out, rather than give the new exercise a shot.
As I thought about the anxiety displayed by people in this opinion poll, I was disturbed about how they could be so scared of a mission yet to be embarked on. I asked myself the following questions: Would there have been a faster way to travel if the thought of inventing an aeroplane was horrific? Would communication be this easy across great distances if the telephone and internet were so much dreaded that we stuck to the traditional means of sending human or bird messengers? Also, would there be salvation and eternal hope, if Jesus was not willing to die for the world, because He considered the possibility of not having a single person accept him as Saviour, a risk too great?
In this article, I am highlighting three lessons from the lives of few people who saw some manoeuvrings and identified them as opportunities instead of misfortune. The unique commonality was their approach or first moves. They were spontaneous moves devoid of anxiety or apprehension; they were filled with hope, expectation and high optimism.
1.A momentary setback is not an indication of a wrong move
While you are on course, you may experience a setback, challenge or delay; never mind, it does not suggest that the move was wrong. Paul’s missionary work was punctuated with some prison experiences. Some Bible scholars argue that Paul could have avoided at least one of those prison experiences, if he took heed to the warning of Prophet Agabus that he would be bound in Jerusalem. However, his trials and imprisonment afforded him the opportunity of appearing in major palaces in his time, captivating the attention of world rulers who were then kingdom or empire rulers. He witnessed to them the testimony of the good news. In Philippians 1:12-14(MSG) for example, Paul stated“I want to report to you, friends, that my imprisonment here has had the opposite of its intended effect. Instead of being squelched, the Message has actually prospered. All the soldiers here, and everyone else too, found out that I’m in jail because of this Messiah. That piqued their curiosity, and now they’ve learned all about him. Not only that, but most of the Christians here have become far more sure of themselves in the faith than ever, speaking out fearlessly about God, about the Messiah”.
- Consistently affirm and maintain your Vision
The events that led to Joseph becoming the Prime Minister of Egypt started out very dangerously, and filled with life-threatening activities. In Genesis 37:5,when Joseph shared his dream with his parents and his jealous siblings, his siblings hated him the more. As you may be familiar with the story, after he shared two of such dreams of greatness with them, they got enraged and ganged up to kill him. After he was sold into Egypt, Joseph remained unwavering in his faith, and refrained from sinning against God. He was eventually imprisoned then moved to the palace in Genesis chapter 41.
Joseph never mistook the opportunities ahead for a misfortune waiting to unfold. For some others, it may appear to be too risky sharing and affirming such revelations. Even if we are bold to share our vision with others, we may be intimidated to continually affirm what God has revealed to us, especially if we are scolded the first time. But in Joseph, we see a fearless and focused individual who was ready to follow as the Lord leads.
- God will manifest His will when you move (act) in obedience.
In Acts 16: 9-40 (GW), Paul’s obedience to God’s instruction led to an unprecedented move of the spirit with signs and wonders. People gave their lives to Jesus, and the demon possessed was let loose. Though they were thrown into prison after being openly beaten and humiliated, this led to massive conversion of souls through the earthquake experience in the prison where Paul and Silas were jailed. When Paul set out to obey the instruction in the vision at night, he never had the inclination that events were going to turn out such that they will stand before magistrates to witness Christ and convert a soldier with his family.
“During the night Paul had a vision of a man from Macedonia. The man urged Paul, come to Macedonia to help us. As soon as Paul had seen the vision, we immediately looked for a way to go to Macedonia. We concluded that God had called us to tell the people of Macedonia about the Good News… One day when we were going to the place of prayer, a female servant met us. She was possessed by an evil spirit that told fortunes. She made a lot of money for her owners by telling fortunes… Paul became annoyed, turned to the evil spirit, and said, I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her! As Paul said this, the evil spirit left her. When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them to the authorities in the public square. In front of the Roman officials, they said, these men are stirring up a lot of trouble in our city… The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas. Then the officials tore the clothes off Paul and Silas and ordered the guards to beat them with sticks. After they had hit Paul and Silas many times, they threw them in jail and ordered the jailer to keep them under tight security… Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God. The other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly, a violent earthquake shook the foundations of the jail. All the doors immediately flew open, and all the prisoners’ chains came loose. The jailer woke up and saw the prison doors open. Thinking the prisoners had escaped, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself. But Paul shouted as loudly as he could, “Don’t hurt yourself! We’re all here! The jailer asked for torches and rushed into the jail. He was trembling as he knelt in front of Paul and Silas. Then he took Paul and Silas outside and asked, Sirs, what do I have to do to be saved? They answered, Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you and your family will be saved. They spoke the Lord’s word to the jailer and everyone in his home. At that hour of the night, the jailer washed Paul and Silas’ wounds. The jailer and his entire family were baptized immediately. He took Paul and Silas upstairs into his home and gave them something to eat. He and his family were thrilled to be believers in God…”
When God orchestrates such moves termed ‘risky’ by humans, there is always an expected end, or a future plan; the results are always dumbfounding. Therefore, rather than becloud your mind with the thought of misfortune that may be associated with a nudging by the spirit of God, forcefully advance with the thought of enormous possibilities.
Adeyiga Awomuti
| Based on several requests and questions on how to write a business plan and the benefits of doing it, I have decided to write this article that is more of a Template.Benefits of a Business Plan
If you are starting a new business, your business plan will help you get your idea off the ground. It will give you an opportunity to consider what goals are realistic and achievable and help you indentify what you can do within your budget. Your plan will be a guide to making your idea a reality. If you own an existing business, having a business plan that is regularly reviewed and updated will help you take control of the direction your business is heading. Your business plan will allow you to make the most of new opportunities and identify potential risks and act before problems occur. What is a Business Plan? A business plan is a formal statement of a set of business goals, the reasons they are believed attainable, and the plan for reaching those goals. It may also contain background information about the organization or team attempting to reach those goals. Business plans may also target changes in perception and branding by the customer, client, taxpayer, or larger community. When the existing business is to assume a major change or when planning a new venture, a 3 to 5 year business plan is required, since investors will look for their annual return in that timeframe. Below are some of the components of a business plan. Executive Summary While the business plan’s executive summary is the first thing the readers of your business plan will see, it should be the last part of the business plan you write. You need to have “the feel” for the overall content of the plan before you can begin to summarize it. The purpose of the summary is to provide your readers with an overview of the business plan. Think of it as an introduction to your business. Business Description The business description usually begins with a short description of the industry. When describing the industry, discuss the present outlook as well as future possibilities. You should also provide information on all the various markets within the industry, including new products or developments that will benefit or adversely affect your business. Market Strategies Market strategies are the result of a meticulous market analysis. A market analysis forces the entrepreneur to become familiar with all aspects of the market so that the target market can be defined and the company can be positioned in order to garner its share of sales. Competitive Analysis The purpose of the competitive analysis is to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the competitors within your market, strategies that will provide you with a distinct advantage, the barriers that can be developed in order to prevent competition from entering your market, and any weaknesses that can be exploited within the product development cycle. Design & Development Plan The purpose of the design and development plan section is to provide investors with a description of the product’s design, chart its development within the context of production, marketing and the company itself, and create a development budget that will enable the company to reach its goals. Operations & Management Plan The operations and management plan is designed to describe just how the business functions on a continuing basis. The operations plan will highlight the logistics of the organization such as the various responsibilities of the management team, the tasks assigned to each division within the company, and capital and expense requirements related to the operations of the business. Financial Factors Financial data is always at the back of the business plan, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less important than up-front material such as the business concept and the management team. Work with this guide and you will be able to create a business plan for your existing or new business. You Will Succeed! – Chinedum Azuh is the CEO of Learning Lab Nigeria and an Online Consultant with U.S.A. Learning Annex. MOBILE : +2348032069925 |
Do You Have a Startup Idea? The 10 Questions Below Will Determine its Viability.
If you have an idea already, it’s important to know if the idea is viable before you dedicate time and resources to something that may possibly not work. Thousands of startups are launched every week, but few survive to tell their story. You don’t want your business to be another statistics of failed businesses. Get the numbers right, find out what can work and what will not work, invest some time to do research about your idea and start it right. These are 10 of the important questions you have to answer to determine if your idea is worth pursuing.
Will Your Idea Solve a Problem Or Meet a Need?
The number one key to success in life and business is to find a need and fill it. If you can identify the problem that your idea can solve, then you have found a viable business idea.
Is Your Target Market Big Enough To Create a Real Business?
To last in business, you need to find out if your idea has a large target market. You need consistent flow of patronage to last in business.
Can You Execute The Idea
Your capacity to execute the idea is of great importance. Do not go into a business because others are doing it. Find out, if you have what it takes to launch the business.
What Is The Simplest version Of Your Idea?
The easiest way to start a business is to make it simple. “And the LORD answered me, and said, write the vision, and make it plain on tables, that he may run that reads it”. Habakkuk 2:2
What Makes Your Product Different?
Accentuating what makes your business idea different or unique may be just what you need to jumpstart your marketing.
How Much Money Do You Need To Launch Your Idea?
Can you bootstrap your company? Or are you going to need a small business loan? Might an entrepreneur in the family be able to invest, or should you look for venture capital or an angel investor? Money is a big topic for entrepreneurs, and you’ll want to know your options early on.
Is This a New Idea?
There is nothing new under the sun but you can create a new idea from existing ideas. Is your idea new or unique? You must answer this question.
What Opportunities And Risks Do You Face?
The path to success is to identify the opportunities in your business idea and maximize them. Another important factor is to identify the risks involved and evaluate them. You should be able to know if you can handle the risks.
Have You Identified The Success Factors?
Every enterprise has the requirements for success. If you are able to identify these success buttons, you cannot fail.
How Will Your Business Survive And Grow In The Next Five Years?
So many businesses close within the first 5 years. If you can come up with a strategy that can help you last beyond this period, you are ready for business.
Work with these ideas, and your success in launching a new business will be inevitable.
You Will Succeed!
– Chinedum Azuh is the CEO of Learning Lab Nigeria and an Online Consultant with U.S.A. Learning Annex.
EMAIL : learninglab4@gmail.com
WEBSITE: www.learninglabnigeria.com
FACEBOOK PAGE: www.facebook.com/learninglabnigeria
MOBILE : +2348032069925
One of the greatest mistakes you can make is to launch a new idea without testing it. Many people lose thousands and millions of Naira every year on products they did not test before introducing them to the market. It’s true that the life of an entrepreneur is full of risky adventures but what we shall be discussing is how to take calculated risks.
How do you test an idea? How do you find out if people will buy it or patronize it? We shall be looking at several steps you can take before you invest too much time, money, emotion and other resources.
Be Your Own Devil’s Advocate
The easiest way to go about this is to attempt to disprove the idea that there exists a profitable demand for the product or service. If you cannot disprove this preposition, then by default you have reason to bring the product or service to the marketplace.
Seek Out People in the Same Business
A very important strategy in testing your idea is to seek out people who are already doing the same business and ask their opinions of the product or service. In the multitude of counselors there is safety. Share your idea with them and ask for their honest opinions. Don’t be afraid that someone will steal your idea. There are a thousand and one ideas out there for anyone to use. So be perfectly open.
Confirm the Demand
Before you introduce a new product or service to the marketplace, you need to make sure that there is or there will be a solid demand for it. During my speaking tour in Nairobi, I applied this technique. I produced a copy of the Audio CD of my speeches. The following day, I had an early morning program where I told the audience that the CD will be sold based on the demand and it will be available by tomorrow. Almost everyone paid. It was clear that the product will sell.
Check With Family & Friends
Family and friends are very good targets for market research. Ask your family and friends if they would buy the product or patronize the service. How much would they be willing to pay for it? Listen to their questions, criticisms and concerns. If you can’t answer their questions and concerns in a logical and convincing way, it could be that there is something wrong with your idea.
Create a Selling Promotion
A selling promotion is like an advertisement for a publication, a series of sales letters or emails. In the promotion, you would announce the product or service, and also tell people the particular time it will be available. Then you would give prospective customers the opportunity to pre-purchase at a discounted price with 100 percent money back guarantee. The key here is not to make money but to see if your customers or your marketplace will respond to your product.
Use The Seminar Approach
Organizing a seminar for your potential customers could be a great opportunity to test your idea. It will help you to have first hand information on the needs and concerns of the people. Before I published my bestselling book “There is Money in Your House” I had series of seminars with Churches on the topic. And the response from people was amazing. In fact most people were thrilled by just hearing the title. I didn’t need a seer to tell me that the book will be a market success.
Follow these steps to test your idea before you invest too many resources on it.
You will succeed!
– Chinedum Azuh
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FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/motivationtoprosper
EMAIL: learninglab4@gmail.com
WEBSITE: www.motivationtoprosper.org
| How do you pitch your idea to investors without giving away too much?
It is not a secret that entrepreneurs jealously guard their business ideas. But today’s innovators are under pressure to open up about their secrets. When you first start talking to investors, you tend to be protective of your new business ideas, but knowing that you need their money you have to sell the idea.You need to do a lot of due diligence on a potential investor before showing up and laying out something that you consider to be confidential. Understand that any investor that’s been around for any extended period of time, generally speaking, has done so because of their integrity in dealing with entrepreneurs.” How Business Ideas Get Stolen Sharing ideas is one of the ways a business owner presents future growth potential to investors and lenders when they are trying to secure financing. It is also not uncommon for business owners to discuss their ideas with employees and other business professionals for a myriad of reasons. In some cases, whether intentional or accidental, the information finds its way to wrong people or those that want make use of the idea. Now, let’s look at how to protect your cherished business idea. Disclose Your Idea In Phases Disclose information in increasing amounts as the deal progresses. Be sure that the balance of power in the deal remains relatively even in terms of oral commitments, commitments through information disclosure, money or contracts. The information disclosure should start with general concepts and progress to detail at the contract stage. Be sure to keep careful notes on what, when and where information was disclosed and who else was present at the meetings. These records can be extremely helpful if you ever end up in court. Always disclose the minimum necessary to close the deal, without being fraudulent or misleading. This allows you maintain the most control over your product or idea, as well as protecting your options for changing the timeline or details later if needed. Once the deal is closed and the contract is signed, both parties should be more committed to the process and protecting information. Confidentiality Agreements Confidentiality agreements can help protect the parties both receiving and disclosing information. A solid confidentiality agreement needs to indicate what information being disclosed is to remain confidential and for how long. While some companies place indefinite time restrictions, it is universally better if you give the third party signers a time frame that they have to honor with their silence in an effort to lessen their burden. Other confidentiality agreement options can include:
Always remember – no business relationship is considered confidential unless a confidentiality agreement is signed by the parties. This is the only way to legally secure your business ideas from theft. I want to encourage you with a statement by Frank Nneji of ABC Transport to MBA Students at PAN African University. He said “The Most Important Part of an Idea is The Execution Power” and this power lies with you (the initiator). With this in mind, go ahead and share your business idea with investors armed with the information you have received from this article. You Will Succeed! – Chinedum Azuh Connect With The Author On FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/motivationtoprosper EMAIL: learninglab4@gmail.com WEBSITE: www.motivationtoprosper.org |
In the beginning of this year, I felt uncomfortable with the level of success I had in business, so I decided to take some practical steps towards moving it to an enviable level. Below are the keys that have worked for me to achieve this goal of building a great enterprise.
Form Partnerships
Participating in alliances has increased my revenues as much as 500 percent this year. I hope more businesses learn strategically to collaborate more because it cuts down on overhead expenses and increases productive resources. This is the way to great success in business.
Stay Current with Technology
A Chinese Business Mogul once said “When You Simply Apply Technology to the Resources Around You, Money will Flow”. Technology plays a role in every business, so all small business owners can benefit from not only having an understanding of the technology that impacts them directly, but also keeping track of how it changes.
It can help you make better decisions; and it can help save money, time and other resources.
Make Your Customer the King
There is an old adage that the customer is the king. Along with providing your clients with an exceptional product or service, you can encourage repeat business by being customer service-focused. This means asking for and acting on feedback, addressing issues and complaints quickly and thoroughly, and being consistently accessible and accountable.
Commit to Continuous Learning
It is no longer a secret that readers are leaders. You should understand that no matter how much you achieve, there will always be more to be learned and applied for even greater success.
Know When to Delegate
Whether you have paid workers, subcontractors or family pitching in, learning to delegate effectively can be the difference between reaching new heights and burning out.
Many small business owners are accustomed to doing a variety of things themselves, so it can be challenging to identify the tasks you don’t need to do yourself and assign the work to someone else. Once you overcome the challenge, though, you will have more time to dedicate to what you do best — grow your business.
Increase Your Productivity
Some of what you do as a small business owner will be routine; there are a variety of daily tasks that will need to be accomplished to keep your business running smoothly.
The more effective you are when it comes to completing the day-to-day business management tasks, the more potential your small business has for greater success. You can boost your productivity by developing systems to streamline these processes.
Step Up Your Marketing
The most successful small businesses are willing to explore new outlets of online marketing — in combination with their offline marketing activities — to see what produces the most interest.
Consistently changing, testing and mixing my marketing activities have helped me to see what works, what doesn’t and what type of result it produces.
While you do not need to do all of these activities at once, most successful small business owners find a way to work them in over time. To gain momentum, start with one or two that are already aligned with the way you run your business, and then start to make changes to incorporate the others gradually.
Use Goal-Setting to Push Boundaries
Goals can be a great way to clarify your focus, measure progress and track achievements. And for the most successful among us, goals also present an opportunity to push the lines of your comfort zone and take calculated risks.
Work with these ideas and you will enjoy limitless success in business.
You Will Succeed!
– Chinedum Azuh
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FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/motivationtoprosper
EMAIL: learninglab4@gmail.com
WEBSITE: www.motivationtoprosper.org
The Sixteenth-century philosopher Sir Francis Bacon is credited with coining the phrase “knowledge is power”. I enthusiastically support his viewpoint, as I believe that the pursuit of knowledge is an important ingredient in the pursuit of success in every endeavor in life.
Knowledge in business provides you with guidance for judgments, formulate decisions and to run your business effectively. Business knowledge provides context. It helps us to understand when to act, what should be done, when it should happen, where work should be conducted, why it is important, and how to do it so that we can optimize our effectiveness. From this perspective, knowledge is not simply a higher level of information. It is the guide, which helps us use or process data and information to deliver optimum results. Let’s look at several ways to access this knowledge.
Market Research
Researching on your business idea to acquire the required knowledge before you start a business is critical. All the drive and determination in the world isn’t going to help you if you don’t have the knowledge to actually run a successful business and don’t bother to research and plan for your success appropriately. A friend of mine had long dreamed of opening a Garri Processing Factory. So he did. Unfortunately, he hadn’t bothered to study the competition or the demographics of the market in the area. It took less than a year for his Garri Processing Factory to fail. He had the desire and the drive, but didn’t have the knowledge he needed to apply them.
Purpose Driven Reading
One of the major keys to my success in business is reading. I am sure you have heard the word, “Readers are Leaders”. When I say reading, I am not talking about just reading every book that comes your way. The kind of reading that produces result has to do with materials in line with your business venture. My expertise and exploits in E-Publishing today is as a result of the materials I studied.
Learn From The Big Companies
Identify a company who is doing what you want to be doing but on a big scale and copy their best ideas. This is a strategy that every successful company or individual applies. You can subscribe to the company’s services, if they are service providers or become a distributor to learn how they run their business. You many also become a vendor in the company so as to be close to them and learn whatever you can.
Find a Mentor
Get a mentor who can provide you with long term support. But choose someone who’s been there, with actual relevant experience, as opposed to someone simply being paid to offer advice they once read in a book. You need a relevant practitioner, not a generic advisor.
Most importantly, your lack of knowledge should never stop you from starting. There is never a day when I don’t come across something I don’t know, that could help improve my business. I guess now I just admit it a lot quicker and work smarter, harder and faster at filling in the gaps in my knowledge.
You Will Succeed!
– Chinedum Azuh