Strike the Anvil....... Entrepreneurship as it really is

A few years into my entrepreneurship journey, I was really tired, it was as though, nothing was moving, I was stagnant and this close to giving it all up. I sat in front of my computer and started this blog, (I can't believe its been about two years ago now).

I poured out my heart a couple of times and felt better, it strengthened my resolve to keep going. What was even more surprising and encouraging to say the least was the feedback I kept getting! Alas, I was not alone. It struck me then that sharing is caring. The journey of an entrepreneur is a long and lonely one, somewhat. It was then that I decided to start networking, sharing and connecting. I poured myself into it. I have met people and heard stories, some of failure (many I must say, lol) and some of success that is never really a destination by the way but a continuum with more failure along the line. This is why I totally love the quote by Jay Z that I stumbled on recently;

"The genius thing we did was that we did not give up" 

I am telling you! Nothing sums it up better. I have seen the best and the brightest fall, In fact I have come to find that too much education and pre conceived knowledge can be a stumbling block. You have to be hungry and eat humble pie. Nobody has all the answers, we learn and grow everyday. I can't even begin to document all that I have experienced and learnt along the way. But I know someone needs it. I haven't experienced all this for nothing. 

I have been in arguments with people as to whether Entrepreneurship can be taught in a classroom or can only be experienced. I am for the latter, there is no book or classroom that can really capture the essence of entrepreneurship. We can only try and this is what Strike the Anvil seeks to achieve. To spark conversations that matter, to bring to fore the true struggle of an entrepreneur using this blog, the radio show and this TV web series I just launched. Yes! lol. I have failed so many times so I am so not afraid to try. What's the worst that can happen? 

I had this idea in my head forever, even before the radio show debut, but I just couldn't figure out where or how to start. I even met +lanre aina at the google DBM training and thought, yaay this is it, but I have never met anyone busier than this man! hahaha. Anyway, I thought to myself one day, wait a minute, why am I waiting for perfection, it doesn't have to be perfect. I will start where I am with what I have. So during the build up to the elections, I picked up my boys and we went on a road trip to Obafemi Awolowo University to work with some students from the creative arts department and some others who are not students of the department but are passionate about arts. Together we put together our first few episodes of strike the anvil!! Whoop Whoop!!

I'll share my OAU experience in another post, but for now enjoy the first video, like, comment, share and most importantly, subscribe to the +YouTube page.

Thanks Fam!

Banke @bank3h

We also got an amazingly talented duo to do the theme song for the series. Banke and Dayoslides, both students of the Obafemi Awolowo university ... They've got talent in that school though, almost as much as we got in unilag (pun intended, hahaha).

Dayoslides @dayoslides

listen here

or try here if hulkshare is having one of their bad days... free things! sighs.

Join the Strike the Anvil movement.....

Inspiration to write has come! hehe from near frustration actually. Before I start the rant, let me first of all congratulate Nigeria and Nigerians on the peaceful transition. I don't know if this is because I am older and more involved in governance, but since the election season with Abiola, I think this has been the most active one so far. I have a couple of videos up on my instagram page from the accreditation to the voting to the counting! It was so interesting at my polling unit.

So strike the anvil didn't hold today and guess what, it was because of one sound cable that was disconnected!!! Imagine. Who would do that!! Why? Nobody has any business removing the cable. After waking up early and traveling from my village to the studio. I refuse to be mad. Whooosa.....

Imagine!! Why why why...

But we can't be broken, we are winners no matter what!

I joined the enteprise radio team last year and it has been quite  journey. +Trezor Landia  is still my first love though. If you follow @mofolusade on instagram you would see most of the highlights from what I have been up to. I teamed up with Kehinde Adegbulugbe to launch a show called Strike the anvil. The whole idea was to create a show that exposes business as it really is, the process behind the success and failures (yes, there are loads of that along the way). So far, strike the anvil is becoming a movement, we are working on some entrepreneurship skits that would bring the experiences of different entrepreneurs to life, what this space for that.

See our bad ass photo in our mean entrepreneur poses! hahaha photocredit - +Juwon Betiku 

Today's topic was meant to be about support groups. The entrepreneurship journey can be a lonely one. People look at you and wonder if you are just plain stupid or mad to choose to leave certainty for uncertainty. I hung out with some entrepreneurs yesterday, +Tolu Samaiye of melting moments, Tolu Awobiyi of Lord Tanner productions as well as +Olabode Emmanuel of +OYA Magazine and we had a really great time sharing, venting and renewing our resolves. It made me think about how important it is to spend quality time with people who get you, who understand... just understand the daily struggle to hold on to your dream in the face of all the challenges, because you know that someday soon, it will all make sense!

In closing, I ask, who are those that make up your support group? At those times when you feel like pulling your hair out, who do you talk to? The same people who said, go and get a job? Maybe not... hahaha.

Want to join the strike the anvil movement?

Send your name, email and number to mofolusadesonaike@gmail.com.

Cheers.

#NigeriaDecides : Support Your Candidate as The “Next for Nigeria” App Launches

It's less that a week to the elections, are you ready? We have had presidential debates, vicious name calling campaigns and massive disfiguring of our highways and environment in general. Trust me, I can't wait for this cup to pass over us! Lol

Before it passes over us however, we will be having our own election special tomorrow on #strikedanvil - there will be no name calling, promise. But hey, I bet entrepreneurs would want to know what plans the two main parties have for entrepreneurs.

I know that some of us have decided based on other criteria that are of interest to them, that's fine. We want to talk to the others who still need that final push based on entrepreneurship. Tune in tomorrow as we host two youth representatives from APC and PDP sharing their parties plans for the SMEs.

We have representing PDP;

Emmanuel Odoemelam is an accomplished editor and publisher with almost a decade experience. He is also a social entrepreneur and an alumnus of the School of Media and Communication PAN-Atlantic University. He is a frequent guest on radio programs. Emmanuel is currently the program director of SME Business Platform on Inspiration fm 92.3. 

He is the best selling co-author of The Land is Green for Entrepreneurs. He also holds a certificate in Developing Innovative Ideas for New Venture from the University of Maryland USA. He is very passionate about people living life with mission, purpose and vision. He is a PDP enthusiast and has consulted on various issues regarding youth enterprise with the current government.

Representing APC;

Bosun Adedokun is an educator, entrepreneur and public policy analyst. His over a decade experience in the school system has seen him worked personally and alongside other professionals with top rated school brands in the area of School Improvement Planning, School Turnaround, Business Process Reengineering, Staff Capacity Audit, Enterprise Development, Performance Management amongst others. He believes in an education system that works for the best interest of the child first and other stakeholders. 

He provides support for a state school and two proprietary schools as an independent board member. He holds a first degree in marketing and postgraduate training in Education Management and Leadership & Organization Development. He is Cambridge Education Representative and also an Education Reforms Fellow at Incubator Africa. He is a community leader and also a card carrying member of the APC.

Meanwhile of all the photoshopped election pictures, this is the funniest I have seen! Nigerians are such interesting people.

Next up is this app...... read about it;

PRESS RELEASE: 

In keeping with the ever increasing use of technology within the Nigerian political landscape, the newly launched "Next For Nigeria" smartphone app is set to further revolutionize digital campaigning. Described as an election app with a twist, clever use of a magic-like technology called Augmented Reality which blends the real-world overlay digital media brings voters face to face with Presidential Candidates via personal video messages which are triggered when a user points their phone camera to a political party logo. The app is sure to sway the minds of undecided voters. The young peoples’ expression and voice regarding their decision for Nigeria’s future will be shared through these apps and distributed through popular social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and others.

Sample : *Note, it is just a coincidence that it is an apc sample we have, the app is for any party!

With the March 28th election date drawing ever closer, the tech-savvy Nigerian electorate are sure to ramp up campaigning efforts, with Next For Nigeria providing a fresh approach to campaigning previously seen.

Simply search "Next for Nigeria" on your Google Play store and download the app. It is free. Start the app and take a selfie from within the app and post on instagram or twitter cc @next4naija and use #Next4NaijaSelfieContest

Strategies for getting your foot in the door.... #srikedanvil

I heard something last week that inspired this post. It is going to be a two week discussion on strike the anvil. We'll start this week with getting your foot in and conclude next week with closing the deal. I was having a discussion with a friend and he told me how a business man chased (and I mean chase!) a corporate company for sponsorship for three years! Three years!! Trust me, this is real life, no kidding.

Getty Images

We went into this long discussion about how many proposals the communications desk officials or corporate affairs desk officials receive in a week. Can you guess? From a reliable source, I hear about 100 to 150 thousand? So what guarantees yours getting read as opposed to getting trashed? Seriously? You can't expect a team of say five people to dutifully study each 3 to 4 page proposal do you? Then some of us now have the 50 page ones! Hahahaha....

Another key point we talked about was the importance of networking. At the end of the day, the best door openers are people you already know and this is why entrepreneurs spend time networking. There is nothing wrong with leveraging relationships with people that you have built trust with over time such as old colleagues, school mates, mentors etc.

Tomorrow on strike the anvil, we will be examining strategies based on experience and maybe some literature on how to ensure that your proposal at least gets read. Better put, we will be looking at how to get your foot in the door through whatever method you chose, whether its a proposal, cold call, presentation and so on.

Define your target 

Before you start fishing, be sure you know who your ideal customer is. What's their profile? You want to only approach companies or individuals that are a "fit" for the product or service you are trying to sell. Save yourself the stress. Who are you going after and why are they a "fit"? What are their purchasing patterns/history?

Who are the key influencers and decision makers within the company. It will be worth your while to take your time to research and get this right before building your prospect list or going after them.

What's in it for them? Have a benefit statement

Think this through when putting your proposal together or before stepping up to engage your target. At the end of the day nobody has time, so you better be offering value and be able to communicate this value in your first few minutes.

Say you have just five minutes to get your point across, don't waste the first four on gibberish or small talk. Get to the point. Spend time to practice how to clearly articulate why this prospect should spend their time listening to you or reading you proposal in the first place.

Why you? Answer this question before  you make a move

What is your unique selling proposition? Of all the 100 and something thousand proposals they get in a week, why should they consider yours? How are you meeting their need differently? You better be sure you have identified that need and that it exists. You should be able to communicate this unique selling proposition in two or three brief sentences.

I came across something interesting on the content marketing institute site. They call it the wedgepower. They ask the question, how do you get your foot in the door of a prospective client despite these challenges–especially at locations where you don’t have a personal introduction or relationship, and nobody knows you?
their answer: Use a Wedge.™ - http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/

I totally agree with this wedgepower strategy.We would like to hear your experiences and how you got your foot in too. Tune in tomorrow through the enterprise radio app or via the website www.enterpriseradiong.com at 9 am Nigerian time. Call in on the dedicated numbers 09090000061, 09090000062 or interact with us on twitter @eradiong

Looking forward to interacting with you. Cheers!

Start where you are..... It's practice #strikedanvil

Hi everyone, "E kuu valentine" (a yoruba phrase that is used to greet people for almost anything, e kuu subsidy, e kuu j'oko, e kuu dide etc). Hehe. But seriously, how did the day go? Especially for those of you who thought INEC had saved you, only for them to pull the plug on your perfect excuse! hahaha. +Trezorlandia got loads of last minute panic calls a few days to d-day. 

The enterprise radio app has been down for a couple of days and I have been biting my fingernails, waiting and hoping +Abiodun Oyetunji our IT guru gets it sorted before the next show. I checked in on the app this morning and voila! It was working. Glooowray!! (Glory with an attitude) hehe. It can be quite discouraging when you feel like you are just talking into thin air... which brings me to one great meme I saw recently, in fact two;

First one is of Ed Sheeran; 

 You do know +Ed Sheeran and how huge he is now. His song #thinkingoutloud is smoking hot and has been named one of the greatest love songs of all time. If you haven't heard the song, you gotta listen here;

Who would have thought he started out with really humble beginnings.

The second picture below reminds me of something I heard +Asa OfficialMusic say in an interview she gave some time ago. She said, her mentor told her to always perform with all of her heart and might (para-phrased), that even if it was one person in the room, she should perform like she would for a hall filled with people. 

Running my show, knowing the app was down was kind'a close but not as close and I was almost discouraged, so imagine how it would be performing in a large auditorium to a handful of people. The thing though, is to never stop, just keep going, worst case you would have got good practice.

This week on #strikedanvil we will be discussing humble beginnings under the fancy title "start where you are". Many times we don't do anything because we are waiting for the hall to get full, or the money we're saving for that big office to get complete and so on. Guess what, that perfect moment most likely will never come. How about you start now, in your father's backyard.

Joining us in the studio is Kolawole Betiku.

Betiku kolawole a graduate of chemical engineering (best believe when I say engineers are the bestest!! hehe) from the prestigious university of Lagos. He is a certified negotiation specialist, (TNSB, Usa), a partner at Ekinalok Company and also doubles as head of business innovations and strategy development. 

He is a dynamic young man with a positive mindset towards achieving landmarks. A native of Ondo state, a relationship coach and founder of an empowerment scheme called CHANCE. Kolawole has always been an entrepreneur since he graduated from the university. He has successfully developed winning strategies by consulting for international and local brands.

Kola has vast experience working with young students to develop their entrepreneurial skill sets and make a living even while in school. We will be talking about this and his experience with helping students start from where they are.

Now the app is back up, so if you haven't downloaded it, please do - www.enterpriseradiong.com You can also listen in by just going to the website or on tunein - www.tunein.com/enterpriseradiong . Don't stop there, ensure you tune in tomorrow at 9:00am to listen in and interact with us via twitter @eradiong @sonaike or by calling in on any of the dedicated numbers - 09090000061, 09090000062.

Look forward to hearing from you!! 

Cheers guys.

Goal Setting for the new year - SME Version #strikedanvil #2015

Hello Fam!

Here's my amateur instaquote new year greeting pishure.......

and this is the gen gen one, because we ain't playing at all........

It's been a while. I got caught up in Christmas sales and then year end festivities. It's like most members of my family think the world is coming to an end, the way weddings were just coming up ehn! I became a party hopper. Plus, I have gained a few kilos, did I say a few? Scratch that! This girl is in need of gyming tins... like ASAP! But seriously, before some people yab me and say which fat are you talking about; thing is, the way I ate this holiday, the fat will come upon me like a thief in the night, so I better resume exercising now, before I have to buy new clothes.

On strike the anvil tomorrow, we are joining the band wagon (yea yea, whatever) to discuss the main thing on most people's minds, well those who mean business at least. We'll be taking on Goal setting and planning for the new year. I bet this is all many of us have been hearing everywhere since the first of January, with all the prophetic declarations a la "2015, my year of this and my year of that". As if, that will be an automatic fix. You better get off your behind and work.

Like I always say though, we do not have the answers, but we will at least take a look at issues from the lay man's eye with help from some gurus too, hehe. Let's lay it all out and learn a thing or two from one another shall we.

I must confess, as I type this, I haven't taken the time to do my planning for the year, imagine *covers face*  and my excuse is, I can't function without some sanity around me. I only just cleared out my table and house today to get myself back in work mode. The whole place was like a war zone, paper everywhere (I'm like, how and where did all this paper come from). You think you don't need the housekeepers/nannies till they are off for a few days! Whew! So grateful that my nanny Mcphee came back today! Glowraaay to Jesus. Now let's eat that frog!

In other news, have you downloaded the enterprise radio app? Why not? What are you waiting for? Hep a sister and download the tin naa - ww.enterpriseradiong.com. God bless you as you do so...

Joining us on the show tomorrow are Debola Ogundeko and Adeshola Onadipe.

Debola Ogundeko is the principal consultant, Dino Strategies Limited, a tax consulting company in Lagos (If you don't have your taxes sorted, you better call him now!). He has a BSc. in Economics from the Ogun state university as well as an M.A in International Economics from the London Metropolitan University. He is a member of the Chattered institute of taxation of Nigeria (CITN).

He started his career with Bond Bank from where he left for Dixons Group, UK as a credit analyst. Up till recently he was a tax auditor with the Lagos Internal revenue service.

Adeshola Onadipe can best be described as a multi-preneur. She is an extremely passionate business woman who left her full-time career in banking to set up an events programming company known as sholskoncept. One of her many ventures! lol.

A graduate of accounting from the Lagos state University Ojo, she built a career in service management in the banking sector before her passion drove her to resign her position with FCMB and pursue her dreams.

On Goal setting, I have this group of entrepreneur friends - +Gbubemi Atimomo +Erin Magazine and Niyi Sonayon, I miss them. Last year and the year before the last, we would come together to have some sort of retreat to develop our business goals for the year and set targets together. Now everyone is scattered everywhere, it's so hard to get together.

From what we used to do, here are some of the key issues we (when I say "we", I mean it o, you and all of us in the studio) will look at tomorrow;

1. What are the elements of the goal setting? Revenue streams, product lines, bottom-line (profit), workforce count, client base, office or no?

2. In setting your objectives, should money be the starting point? For example, "I plan to hit a bottom-line of 40million naira this year"

3. How do you break the goals down into measurable and achievable steps?

4. How big can you dream? Can you set a 40billion target for example when just the year before you were at 3million? Is that foolhardy

Before we take off tomorrow though, here's my two cents.....

• Focus on what really matters to the growth and sustainability of your business. Don't get carried away with dotting the I's and crossing the T's of your plan.
• “To begin with the end in mind means to start with a clear understanding of your destination. It means to know where you’re going so that you better understand where you are now and so that the steps you take are always in the right direction.” -  +Stephen R Covey    
• Remember to use the SMART test when determining your goals...

S = Specific M = Measurable A = Achievable R = Results Orientated T = Time Framed

Cheers fam!! Don't forget to tune in tomorrow....

The Co-sharing office space trend in Nigeria #strikedanvil

On #strikedanvil this week, we are talking about one of the elements of starting small - office space! I listened to the CEO if an oil servicing company once who said when she started out with her hubby, they invested all the money they had into leasing a fancy office on Victoria Island, by the time they were done paying for the lease and maybe purchasing a table and chair, they had nothing left to actually run the business. I know a few others who have found themselves in this situation too. Many of us start out with so much zest and fire, we have our assumptions which sometimes we haven't tested, we have our start-up capital which should include the working capital for a year or two at least, but does not. Lol!! This is one of the reasons, many businesses grind to a halt or crash even before the second or third year.

The +Lean Startup model has saved many from this trend. The mantra for many these days is "have a big vision but start small". Even better now the is trend of co-shared spaces for start-ups where they can test their ideas and run a pilot of their ideas without necessarily investing so much money on acquiring office space. We have places like the +CcHub Nigeria in yaba, the Ideashub also in yaba, Venia business Hub, Enterprise Creative center on allen, +CapitalSquare Lagos in Lekki. See more here with full address and features. Someone might need it! This is the way to go for start-ups these days. 

I was in Marina recently and I visited the  +Etisalat Nigeria experience center there! Alas they have facilities for their customers too who are startups. I had a chat with the manager at the center and he'll be on the #strikedanvil show this tuesday to answer questions and share all you need to know about the center. Before the show though, I have a list of some of the features;

1. A dedicated Geek bar strictly for device related issues; 

2. A state of the art vip lounge with a well equipped library; 

3. A vip cafe; 

4. Free wifi for waiting customers; 

5. A game centre where customers can play XBOX;

6. Dedicated helpdesk for specific query types; 

7. A meeting room for 10 pple with projectors and for video conferencing.

They also give best deals on device purchase as we are in partnership with OEMs like Samsung, Apple, Nokia, Huawei, Tecno....etc With fantastic staffs to attend to all customers.

Won't you rather be an etisalat subscriber?! Hehe

Make it a date on the show this week, Tuesday, 9am - 10am, ask your questions via twitter or our dedicated phone lines - 09090000061, 09090000062!

Cheers!

Gentleman's agreement? Thanks but no thanks......

I woke up this morning to find this huge annoying zit close to my forehead, eeek! I wish there was something I could use to blast it away. Mscheew.

In other news, have you downloaded the enterprise radio app? Come on now! My show #strikedanvil is on tomorrow o, from 9am to 10am. I know you can always stream the recorded version later, but I want the discussion to be rich and engaging, so I am humbly begging - Go to www.enterpriseradiong.com and download the app biko!

Here's a brief on what tomorrow's discussion is about;

Scenario 1
A small company gets an LPO to supply goods to a big company after presenting samples and getting selected. In the course of communication by mail, phone and face to face, the goods are delivered as per the LPO but with a few adjustments. However things get awry as the MD is not happy with the final result. Tempers flare and small company ends up with a threat of litigation for breach of contract if the advance is not paid back within a week! yawa

Scenario 2
A hall manager's friend calls him up to contract the hall for a week long program. They discuss discounts and agree prices. A deposit is made and the program sets off. One or two things go wrong with the service and as friends, they trash it out over the phone and the hall manager offers apologies. Oya Ogbeni, pay my balance now! Mr. Friend brings up issues Mr. hall manager thought were resolved and slams them a lawsuit for inconveniences caused, requesting for damages sef!. Lobatan

Scenario 3
NYSC graduate has an idea and approaches a money bag to invest in his idea. After series of rigorous analyses and reviews, he's told the idea cannot fly. A month later who turns up on the radio talking about the next best thing....... you guessed right! Money bag's nephew. Yeepa

Scenario 4
Yemi has an idea and calls up his friend Jackson. They are both excited and run with the idea. After years of sweat and hard work, Jackson gives up and moves on to other things while Yemi sticks with the idea, putting in all he's got. With determination and endurance, Yemi finally gets a big break and guess who shows up demanding for a piece of the pie...... uhuh! But how naaa.

These are real life scenarios that different people trying to make an honest living face every other day. How does one protect his business or himself from such scenarios? How does one deal with such issues when they find themselves in these situations?

+Matilda Otulana is the CEO, Serenpidity Legal Concerns. She is a Lawyer, biker (yes! isn't that just cool) and entrepreneur with experience in banking and corporate legal practice. She will be joining us tomorrow to give practical tips and advice on avoiding or handling issues such as these. Shine your eye! (I couldn't resist throwing that in, hehe)

We are not playing at all! hehe