Post your New Energy Image and win up to NGN 10,000

Imagine being rewarded for embracing clean energy technology. Would you love to showcase your usage of a renewable source to the whole world and get some cash in the bank for doing that? 

New Energy Africa is on the lookout for users of renewable energy (Solar, Wind, Biogas etc.) in Lagos Nigeria and we are willing to reward the best image/story from users of these technologies. This is part of our civic responsibility to encourage the adoption of renewable energy in Nigeria and Africa as a whole.

To participate, share an image of your installation and the biggest benefit this renewable energy source has brought to your household (not more than 250 words). 

In addition, the winner gets interviewed and (s)he would be showcased on our website as an early adopter of renewable energy in the country.

The search starts now and ends by 20th May. May the best image/story win.

    

What is your Courage Quotient?

Great Question from a blogger I respect very much. I urge you to click on the link below to get a sense of your courage quotient. It might just spur you to take on that action which you have been procrastinating on for a long while.

Courage quotient.

Courage is truly one of those ingredients that helps to change the world.

 

 

Slicing through your interviewees for Real Insights – Are they right for the job?

Hello 9japreneur,

A must read if you handle any form of recruitment/interviewing for your company.

Do you pull your hair trying to find a genuine candidate that shares real passion for your business venture or unit? Do you want someone whom will not only be superb at the interview but on the job?

Then read the insights in this link and apply them during your next interview.

I must note that this is one of the best and bad”ass”est articles I have read on reaching deep into the make up of interviewees. Again, a must read if you get to recruit anyone for your venture or business unit.

 

Link

Managers Manifesto for 9japreneurs

Useful manifesto for all Managers…

Insightful Advice on Building your Business

Below, you will find very short, solid and practical advice on building a business. 

“Figure out if anybody cares about what you are doing first. It can be exciting to start a business but I have wasted a lot of time building businesses around solutions to problems no one else thinks are worth paying for. You should start by saying, I have a hypothesis, and then go out and get feedback. Don’t stop or get paralyzed when you get your first “no,” but listen to the underlying reasons. When I worked in business development at Motorola, I would ask, “If we could create a product with these features for this price, would you be interested?” Let people react to the hypothesis. The true driver then becomes: Are they willing to put their money into it? When? Do they ask how quickly they can have it? You want to see an “I need it now” response versus a “Sure, that would be nice.”

Also, when you are coming from left field with something new, like we did with Springboard — the first venture conference just for women entrepreneurs — a lot of people will tell you ‘that’s a stupid idea’ or ‘that can’t be done.’ You need to surround yourself with orthogonal thinkers who can cross boundaries and are open to new ideas. They are able to see what is possible.”

Please note that this extract is from the full interview with Denise Brosseau originally published here.

Useful Business Lessons can be found everywhere – Most recently from the Horsemeat Scandal

A thorough look at this situation based on available information reveals that there must have been flaws in the supply chain, poor risk management practices and elements of greed. These tendencies must be avoided if you wish to have sustainable growth in business. Note that the suppliers and retailers involved in this chain may end up losing more than they have gained from this scheme.

I am one who strongly believe that lifelong lessons that can be used for improving your business venture can be found in virtually every aspect of life. You just need to be a little more discerning and spot things differently. Sometimes, all you need to do is spot “order” out of a situation that is in complete “disorder”.

Before now, I have written two posts on business lessons from the US Republican Nomination race and the Football Pitch. Now, the Horse-meat scandal across Europe is another area to pick relevant lessons from, especially as the major actors are currently trading blames

The big question for me is:

• What happened to quality assurance checks at the different points of exchange of these meat products?

If samples were tested from the original butchery through the points until they became meatballs, definitely these external elements (horse meat and pork) must have been detected somewhere along the chain. I am really amazed that this can happen in Europe. What happened to risk management practices along the overall chain?

Link

7 Steps for Starting a Social Enterprise

 Have you identified a problem in your community which you can solve using an effective business solution?

Do you have stirrings inside of you that continually push you to start a social enterprise?

Then, read, eat and sleep the seven tips laid out by Devon Ysaguirre on Forbes.

These seven tips are very good pointers towards helping you start your Social Enterprise.

Tell us how it goes.

Business Lessons from the Football Pitch

The 2013 African Nations Cup tournament is underway in South Africa and entered its knockout stages today. Starting today, there is no second chance for any team. The team either wins or loses; progress to the next stage or board the next flight home. You might ask! What has this got to do with my business venture?

To be successful in business, especially for start-ups, you have to appraise your venture like a football game every now and then, constantly looking out for punishable mistakes and devising strategies that will keep you on top at all times. Some of the tips below are not only useful on the football pitch, but can help ensure that your venture stays successful in the market place regardless of the competitive landscape.  

• First and foremost, It’s never over until it is really over. Be it a proposal to win new business, a new project, customer acquisition, new branding etc. Never take your eyes off the goal and ensure that you and your team remain motivated till the very end.
• Understand what fatal mistakes you should never make in business. Certain mistakes can lead to revenue loss, reduction in market share, reputational loss etc; but ensure that everyone on your team understands the type of mistakes than can take the company under. Also, be sure to avoid repetition of these seemingly small mistakes as they can continually erode value and weaken the business. 
• Make good use of open opportunities (counter-attacks)
• Never be comfortable with a 1-0 lead. Ensure that you are fully aware of what the competition is up to. Constantly get feedback from your customers and incorporate the feedback to improve product and service delivery.

There is so much to learn from football games as a business person. Keep that mindset of having only ninety minutes and you will run a much more nimble and responsive business venture.

More tips soon….Comments welcome….

Link

Staying focused is a very essential skill for every one, whether you are a 9-5 worker or an entrepreneur. Usually for entrepreneurs, there is always so much to deal with in the office and in some cases on the home front for those who have a family. The tips in the embedded link can be very useful to help you stay focused when you need it most and achieve your business objectives this fiscal year.

How to Train your Brain to Stay Focused

If your business is currently in the bootstrapping phase, you need to live, eat, drink and sleep these tips as they will form part of the essential ingredient for taking you to the next level.

Have a fruitful and rewarding week ahead.

Bootstrapping 101

Happy 2013…

Have you always wanted to start a business but find yourself unsure of the best way to proceed? Do you currently hold a 9-5 job, but have that burning desire to start out and become your own boss?

I understand how you feel and have always wanted to write a superb blog on “bootstrapping” because that is what you really need if you are in this situation. Trust me, I have been there before. According to the investopedia website, Bootstrapping refers to “a situation in which an entrepreneur starts a company with little personal capital. An individual is said to be boot strapping when he or she attempts to found and build a company from personal finances or from the operating revenues of the new company”. For me, it can also be that phase when you run your business all by yourself while still working at your regular day job.

Though, I am not ready to give the superb “Bootstrapping 101” class yet, I felt I should share useful bootstrapping insights from this link as it is a really helpful article on the topic; written by an accomplished business owner, Matt Barrie, the founder and Chief Executive at Freelancer.com.

Included here also is a very useful article on bootstrapping that gives you tips on How to find the optimal workspace, the right partner, hire sales people and even contractors.

Let me know your thoughts on this and the key challenges you are facing with bootstrapping today.