Hposh Diaries...... The year 2013

Hposh Diaries.....

When I pinged my mentor yesterday to thank her for her support so far, she was embarrassed. I pinged my best female friend to thank her too, she was shocked. There was one person I did the same to who asked me what I wanted, I told him nothing. He too was amazed. It wasn't a Blackberry broadcast. So this made it kind of creepy.

I also appreciated some of my clients and my team members. It was the least anyone expected. Most of them didn't understand why I did that. It wasn't like I wanted something from them. But once in a while I do some soul search. I've been keeping it for too long but I just felt I should let it out. I love you all. You mean a lot to me. This year has been my best year ever. I don't know how I got here.

2013 started on a very rough note. I resumed school with little or no pocket money. It was so hard keeping my dreams alive. I had bills to pay, materials to buy, a team to lead, a vision to accomplish. 'How would this ever work out?'. I thought. We launched my online magazine in June 2012 and it's been challenging and interesting ever since.

Apart from my parents my friends became my caretakers. They provided accommodation for me, since I spent all my money on starting a brand. They gave me food to eat because I didn't have much to spend on that. They defended me, believed in me and till today still stand by me.

For over 4 months, I was without a smart phone. I couldn't work. My sponsor of life came to my rescue. He has invested so much in me. He's been my pillar of support no matter how challenging finances are for him when I make my requests.

My comedian uncle, his friends and family have always been behind me. My parents and my family too played their role efficiently and effectively.

The turning point came in June 2013 when I met her. She subscribed to our monthly PR plan which we handled to the best of our capabilities. You need to know what #5,000 meant to me. It covered something reasonable.

At last, I heaved a sigh of relief that I was a businessman adding value. For someone to pay us for a service, I felt so good. After the first semester exams, I wasn't planning to go home for our supposedly 2-weeks break.

Things got a new twist when she asked me to work with her. I was to stay with her for the 2 weeks but ASUU in all their majesty turned it to over 5 months. The last few months have been my best ever.

Having someone believe so much in you and not dictating what you should do for you. While I used her internet, car and other resources for free she still paid us for doing PR for her. She referred us to the best clients ever, introduced me into the business world, the challenges, the tactics and the networking.

You are awesome boss.

Did I mention her family? God bless them for me.

I've met so many people this year and they made this year count.

To all of you I say a big thank you.

When I finally get to my promise land, I'll write my autobiography and mention your names including the influences you've had on me.

Oh! How can I forget to mention my godmother of life. She's a newscaster at a popular TV station. I harass her everytime I'm broke. I am always...because I spend money on so many investments. I pray they yield rewarding dividends soon.

Then my uncles...you guys are great.
To those who still think I'm joking. I still hold my dream of being the richest man in the world.

...Emotions, feelings, love, relationships. I've had a lot of them.

Shout out to anyone I've ever dated. I'm sorry I let you go. Despite not giving you so much attention, you still had faith in me.

To those who broke my heart...you've taught me that life is full of shxx...what matters is how we respond to it.

I love you all.

I owe you so much.

If not for anything but for you, I'll make my dreams come true.

#bless

Memoirs of a Lagos City Hustler (LCH) - Part 8 #LCH

This is my chance to post all the backlogs from my hectic week before. Kennedy was on time with submitting this, it was me, all me. No vex abeg.

LCH 8........

Emeka and Nkiru were taking a romantic walk down the beach one cool night. Emeka grabs Nkiru's hands, draws her closer to him, kisses her & says, "Baby! You know I love you. There's no one here. Its just us. Let's do WEEWEECHU. Nkiru looks around and says, "My love, I don't want to do WEEWEECHU please". Let's just hold hands & cuddle."Emeka agrees. After a while, Emeka asks her again, "Oh baby! Please my love! Let's do WEEWEECHU!"Nkiru replies: "Baby, don't rush me. I don't want to do it. I just want to be wrapped in your arms" Emeka calms down.After a longer while, Emeka couldn't hold it any longer. He says, "My heartbeat, its not fair oh! Let's do WEEWEECHU nah! Since last year oh!" Nkiru reluctantly agrees! So Emeka immediately grabs her closer to him, hugs her tight, brings out the guitar strapped to his back & they both start singing: "WEEWEECHU A MERRY CHRISTMAS! WEEWEECHU A MERRY CHRISTMAS! WEEWEECHU A MERRY CHRISTMAS! AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!" See your dirty minds! What were you thinking WEEWEECHU was?

Okay, I got you there right?! Its the week of Christmas, decorations everywhere, 'Loooooooong' queues at checkouts in the mall, no where to park on Lagos island, busy shoppers bumping into each other in idumota, answani, trade fair etc, cocks have stopped crowing for fear of being killed for the season, crazy church end-of-the-year revival posters, LASTMA and FRSC having a field time on unsuspecting drivers (I had my fair share of this, by the way), Customs seizing anything and everything, 13th month bonuses, hampers(sade berra send mine too), children crying for Christmas clothes, friends booking a spot at your yearly family party and not to forget a Look back into 2013.

I did a survey on all SMEs on my contacts last week, out of 120 interviewed; 85% believed 2013 wasn't good for business, 55% blamed it on the government, some blamed it on the big malls springing up everywhere, some blamed it on companies training everybody on previously respected crafts (events planning, forex, ankara crafts, soap making etc) others blamed it on lack of funds, a few blamed it on the new start-ups like dealdey, jumia, OLX etc. But I noticed a trend about all those that complained, they have not been able to move with the world and adopt social media as a business tool.

In recent years, social media has become a huge and integral component of how people spend their time online. Between wikis, blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and many others, people are spending enormous amounts of time on websites used to share information and connect with people. Not surprisingly, people are easily connecting with others and sharing information (and complaints) more than ever before.

Many people get their news, gossip, and friendship updates via social network sites, sometimes even before breakfast from the convenience of their mobile phone or laptop.(OK,let's get geeky a bit) Social media can be defined as a website or internet service that allows users to interact with each other and create content instantaneously. Examples include Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Flickr, Twitter, etc. These online media facilitate conversation as opposed to traditional media, which delivers content but doesn't allow readers/viewers/listeners to participate in the creation or development of the content. Social media allows people to share content such as life updates, pictures, videos, quotes, or anything the user creates or finds interesting and wants to share.

This has made companies adopt social media as a business tool to share product information, get feedback, receive and treat complaints and have a real-time review of their products. Let me quickly iterate two of the famous social media platforms you can adopt for your businesses and how to go about it

FACEBOOK

A typical Facebook page consists of the insights (number of likes, percentage likes per week, reach of post etc), contents (posts, pictures, links, etc) and the overall design. As an SME trying to cover more ground, it is only expected that you have a Facebook page and a standby IT team(your team could be yourself and a sibling or spouse) to constantly monitor and reply posts.

The number of page likes shows how popular the company or business is. This can be boosted by promotions on websites, social media PR companies and referrals/promo from known fans, post boost, Facebook adverts. One could also pay PR companies to get likes (it is an average of 10,000 naira for every 1000 Facebook likes they fetch you).

It is one thing to have a popular Facebook page, it is another to keep it popular, that is where unique content creation, quizzes, quotes etc comes handy.(If you need help opening a facebook page, promoting and/or maintaining it, you should be talking to me...just call me 08059848080)

TWITTER

Twitter is a micro blogging site that allows sharing of information, pictures, videos etc in very few concise words. Online shopping sites and multinationals use it for adverts, product review and promotion as well as complaint reviews. A simple problem can soon turn to a trend on social media and bring down any government, company or individual (look what happened to Justine Sacco!)

Twitter pages unlike Facebook, involve followers rather than likes which creates the illusion of a more interactive platform and the need to satisfy your followers and listen to them. Trends and promotions are easier to start on twitter and PR companies can as well help promote the brand and fetch one followers and/or audience.

Okay I think I spilled too much on social media, I'm yet to receive hampers(hehehehehe....izz true na) from my dear readers, either ways I'm glad you all enjoy reading from us. In case you need any help with social media integration with your business, do not hesitate to give us a call....2013 is going out slowly, get ready for a prosperous new year!

OmoAlata - Kasope Badaru #Inthespiritofenterprise

Hi guys! Hope you are having a fantastic holiday. Nanny Mcphee took off on the 23rd, smack in the middle of all my hamper deliveries! I have a friend who insists keeping a nanny and one smallie is the key to sanity, I bet he'll laugh at me if he reads this.  Anyways, I am a survivor and yes, the worst is over. Bless Jesus!!

For the first time ever, I shipped the boys off day before yesterday to spend some time with my sister in law (she's a life saver). Funny thing is, I miss all their "wahala" and can't wait to pick them up, lol!! Imagine. But while they're away, let me share the very last #inthespiritofenterprise story for the year! Sounds unbelievable that the year is over already. It's been a great year and it can only get better. Yes!

Let's meet Kasope Badaru, Omoalata herself.

Enjoy.....

1. Tell us about yourself

My name is Kasope Badaru, I am an IT person by profession. I graduated in 2006 and I worked on an 8 - 5 but quit my job 2 years ago to venture into entrepreneurship.

2. Tell us about your business

Omoalata as the name implies is "the child/son of a pepper seller or a pepper seller". What our business does for now is to package blended peppers. We plan to do other products later on, all centered around pepper, soups and stews. Basically we blend tomatoes, onions, tatase and rodo into a puree or paste, boil and pack and sell to end users or supermarkets.

3. How did you get the name Omoalata and how do people receive it?

To be honest, I can't really remember exactly how the name omoalata came about. I just remember it was a name that my partner and I just had in mind for a very long time, even though it wasn't really clear what we wanted to do with the name, we just knew it was food related. Over the years, travelling, going around, we got some exposure and saw the need for some partial processing of pepper to make food easy and faster to cook, considering that most Nigerians use pepper in some form or the other during their cooking. We wanted a way to make cooking easier since we are in a world where things are faster and easier.



We get mixed reactions to the name "omoalata". Some people are wowed by it, while others ridicule the name and make fun of it. But because we are confident in it and proud of our heritage we are not moved. I am sure if we translated it in some other language for instance, people would think it cool, but because it's in our native Yoruba language that some people take the name for granted.

4. What will you say is unique about omoalata?

One of the main things about our product is that we are trying to replicate the exact thing that you do in your house. We are not trying to do a processed tomato paste, we are simply trying to cut your cooking time and make the process easier. We want to do exactly what you would have done yourself if you went to the market to buy your tomato and pepper. So because of that we decided from day one never to add any form of preservatives. We keep getting suggestions and pressure from people about preservatives e.g. "why don't you just add preservatives so you can sell in stores that have no freezers?". Especially because we are a growing business, we are expected to want to jump on these recommendations. However, we know that's not who we are nor is that what we are offering. Ours is an organic product and we intend to stay that way.

5. What are the main challenges you face and how have you overcome them.

The number one challenge is what everyone complains about in this country, POWER! Our business relies a lot on electricity supply. We grind, we boil and then we freeze. The freezing process is a lot of power and it means that we always have to have constant electricity. It also means that our grinding machines have to be run on petrol. Which is a lot more expensive than if we had constant power.

Another challenge we have is manpower. The casuals who work in the factory; ensuring they come at the right time, ensuring they follow laid down procedures. Especially for small, growing businesses like us who can't afford to employ them full-time yet, getting the right commitment is not easy. It's really been difficult but I know that as we go along though, it will get better and we will be able to balance it.

Acceptance from people is also one of the challenges we face. It's a new type of product and Nigerians are generally slow to adapt to change. So we have to do a lot of marketing and convincing, but the good thing about it is that for the people who have used it, their referrals go a long way. We are still in the process of getting all our certifications, so we have not done a lot of advertisements. I would say that we are gradually conquering that challenge of getting the word out there and convincing people to try the product. People are still stuck with the tradition of "oh I go to the market myself and I blend my own pepper mix myself", "how are you sure it is fresh, not too spicy or not spicy enough?" We know that over time we will get more and more loyal customers as they try it out.

6. How will you summarize your journey so far?

The journey so far has been interesting, tedious, frustrating, Lol!. But I am sure that is normal for any small start-up business anywhere in the world. I mean, we have the peculiarities of running a business in Nigeria, but when you remove the challenges of Infrastructure like electricity, I am sure that every other small business anywhere in the world goes through the struggles the frustrations and all that. But to be honest, it's been interesting.

There are days when you think oh I have made a mistake and there are days when you are so excited, especially when you get just one positive feedback. This makes you feel that it's all worth it because you are making someone's life easier somewhere. The feedback just gives you a lot of joy that someone somewhere needs what you're offering.

7. Given another chance, will you do this again?

Oh yes definitely, I mean without a question. I don't regret in anyway, going into this. If I were to rewind time, I would definitely go into it again!

Want to know where to find Mcpeppers? Well here's a list below, plus you can follow them on twitter, like their facebook page and follow their blog.

Rennies Supermarket
VGC Shopping Complex,
VGC Lekki Epe Expressway Ajah,
Lagos.

Rennies Supermarket
32A, Admiralty Way (near Tantalizers)
Lekki Phase 1 Lekki, Lagos

Petadis Place

0-5C, Close 7A, Opp. NICON Hotel

VGC Lekki Ajah,

Lagos.

Gravitas Supermarket

17, Emma Abimbola Cole street,

Off Fola Osibo Lekki Phase 1 Lekki,

Lagos.

Best Choice Mart

Shop K111, Road 5,

Ikota Shopping Complex,

Ajah Lagos.

Nazareth Supermarket

Babatunde street, Off Ogunlana Drive,

Surulere, Lagos.

Spendless Mart 

2, Association Avenue (right turn before magodo estate)

Magodo, Lagos.

CCD Superstores 

116, Ogudu-Ojota Road (Near GTBank)

Ogudu, Lagos

Royalmart Limited

Carlton-Gate Estate

Chevron drive, Lagos

Royalmart Limited

Crown Estate Shopping Mall,

Crown Estate, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos.

Egole Shopping Mall 

http://www.egoleshopping.com/

Cheers guys! Their other details are below, do the needful....

http://www.omoalata.com/
http://omoalata.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/OmoAlata
https://twitter.com/omoalata

+234 (0) 802 8736 502, 01-8544436

Memoirs of a Lagos City Hustler (LCH) - Part 7 #LCH

Part 7......

Let me take you all back memory lane, I was kind of a bully in primary school, I'd always play the thief in "police and thief" and the "police" were scared to catch me. My school bag weighed nothing less than 30kg with stitches that served as war scars, my understanding maths 1-6, brighter grammar, queen's premier, 

Macmillan English, all my notes from primary 1-5 were always in my bag and I would cry anytime my mum asked me to remove them. I remember taking at least 15 sharpened pencils to common entrance. I had my brown bata cortina and my Wednesday canvas.

This must be Kennedy and his cronies from way back! hahaha

I remember agbo, edet, wakama and odion, ada, ali and simbi etc, playing that game of opening pages and counting the number of people on the pages, table soccer, baba dudu, sisi pupa, plucking 'fruint', mangoes and apples, inventing things out of nothing, renting bicycles, nicking coins from our parents(we all did that, chai)! I had fun spending holidays with cousins or at the village, going on excursions, watching kiddie vision, waiting for 4pm for TV to come on; clapperboard was the best movie station, telematch, gboro miro, Sunday rendezvous. Such fun memories from the days of parlie soda, limca, tandi, dr pepper, ginger ale, Christmas clothes, cupboard TVs, daewoo racer, spin dial telephones etc

All these were just primary school experiences, some of us had more fun than others but we all had fun......what happened to all that?! Guess we got too busy growing up. Now I flip News channels and all I see is some bad news in Syria, Egypt or turkey or some train and plane crash. The environment is not friendly let alone subtle for we entrepreneurs. They say we(entrepreneurs) contribute mostly to the GDP of the country yet the dividends are hardly visible. We invest so much money, time, driving, bus jumping, backaches and headaches just to break even. Most of our '9-5' colleagues that envy the amount of time that we have to ourselves are the same that mock us when we ask them for loans. The Government isn't doing much about loans and incentives(how would they when they are busy stockpiling for the next election). Just a week back, I was pissed at Mofolusade (what! is Kennedy taking a shot at me, on my own platform?!) for spanking her boys because they refused to sleep, then I thought to myself; if I was out hustling all day and came home deadbeat and some 'fingerlings'(Na you go born fingerlings!) were running round the study while I was trying to calculate my daily expenditure, I'd probably kick them with a timberland boot.

But the honest truth is; we had fun in Primary(and some till university days) and now we decided to work our 'donkeys' off by ourselves while slowly gathering clients and a network of friends in order to build an empire for ourselves. When we all retire(ourselves and our 9-5 colleagues), they would be living off pensions and begging to invest in our businesses while we are on vacation with our laptops split between bloomberg and skype sessions with our staff and the accounts manager on speed dial to confirm cheques. If you are an entrepreneur struggling now, all you have to do is believe in your struggle and see it through. This we will do! No giving up. No sob stories about government and the environment to hold us back.

Its a Monday after-all, I'm outta here....the street is calling my native name. You can always follow and check out my favorite tweets on @4Qhen(I can't assure you sanity, maturity or responsibility though) like they say, I'm responsible for what I say not what you understand.

Roar...... Katy Perry #fridaymusic

Hi guys. I respected myself and tried to keep all my 'waka' to the barest minimum today. I live off the express and our 'overflow' family and friends will definitely make sure that axis is on a lock down today. I have a lot to say about this, but I'll bite my tongue and save it for another day. Just know though, that not every church going Nigerian is truly Christian, and boy do we have a lot of church goers..... the end!

Eheen, so I have some energy today since I didn't have to endure five hours in Lagos traffic. It's been a while since I took my time to share anything from the heart here, so I'll try to make it up with my song of the day!! It's not a 90s song by the way; at this rate, I am beginning to think maybe I need to change this Friday segment to #songoftheday or #musicfriday maybe, what do you think? We'll see. Today will be #musicfriday though, because there's no way I can pass this one off as #90smusic.

If you follow me on twitter @sonaike, you would know that I am a huge fan of +Katy Perry and that her current hit #Roar is my motivational song of the moment. I even couldn't resist sharing it in my recent interview with connectnigeria.

Read the interview here

By the way +Chibuike Wogu was so gracious to send me a copy of the secret DVD I talked about in the interview, which I am about to watch! If you haven't taken advantage of the offer to download your business plan template from http://www.mybizhubstore.com/ the offer is still on till the end of the year. That's my own little way of saying thank you. 

Back to the song. Whenever this song comes up on the radio, I turn up the volume of my radio to the very end and sing along like my life depends on it! haha! Every single line of that song speaks to my soul, no kidding!! Gosh.

If you haven't heard the song please just listen by following the link below, if you can't see the embedded video that is;

Enjoy......

Katy Perry Roar

If you thought I was joking when I said every line of the song speaks to me, you would believe me when you see my fingerprints in red all over the lyrics below. I have comments everywhere. lol!

I used to bite my tongue and hold my breath
Scared to rock the boat and make a mess

(I see you sitting there, you know you want a change, but your too prim and proper to cause a stir! What would people think yea? Guess what? Nobody really cares)
So I sat quietly, agreed politely
I guess that I forgot I had a choice  

(many of us are here! You do have a choice, refuse to accept less than you know you deserve)

I let you push me past the breaking point
I stood for nothing, so I fell for everything 

(what can I say! What do you stand for?)
You held me down, but I got up (HEY!) (Yesssir!!)
Already brushing off the dust

  (I literally jump up and do the brush off moves when the song gets here)
You hear my voice, you hear that sound
Like thunder gonna shake the ground 

(Gen Gen!! The world hasn't seen nothing yet)
You held me down, but I got up (HEY!)
Get ready 'cause I’ve had enough

  (You have to get to that point where you've had enough! As long as you continue to endure that situation, you haven't had enough, no sir!)
I see it all, I see it now

[Chorus]
I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire

(dance, dance, dance, cos you're a fighter, people will wonder)
'Cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me roar
Louder, louder than a lion (oh yes!!)
'Cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me roar
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
You’re gonna hear me roar

Now I’m floating like a butterfly
Stinging like a bee I earned my stripes
I went from zero, to my own hero (Notice she says "my own hero", I hope you hear this?)
You held me down, but I got up (HEY!)
Already brushing off the dust
You hear my voice, you hear that sound
Like thunder gonna shake the ground
You held me down, but I got up (HEY!)
Get ready ’cause I’ve had enough
I see it all, I see it now

[Chorus]
I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire
‘Cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me roar
Louder, louder than a lion
‘Cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me roar
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
You’re gonna hear me roar
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
You'll hear me roar
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
You're gonna hear me roar...

Ro-oar, ro-oar, ro-oar, ro-oar, ro-oar

I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire
‘Cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me roar
Louder, louder than a lion
‘Cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me roar
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
You’re gonna hear me roar
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
You'll hear me roar
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
You're gonna hear me roar...

P.S. 

Sales Sales Sales!!!!!

1. Remember Revamp definition, the ex-banker turned crafts woman, yea? Well she's having a sales event tomorrow with 50% off ankara bags, jewelry and all. So if you're around Surulere, swing by;

Venue - Car park of Atara shopping plaza, opposite Mobil filling station, Aguda
Time - 10 to 6pm

2. It's also Oja-ara tomorrow and Sunday. This time, they've got a play area for the kids, so take your kids along;

Venue - Muri Okunola park by Nigerian law school.

Time - 10 to 6pm

Hposh Diaries...... Top lessons from Mandela's life

Hposh has done a good job of highlighting some of the key things to note from the life that the man, Mandela lived. Short and sharp, no need for story. Enjoy!

Oh and while you're at it, I'm looking for a funny caption for this picture I stumbled on!! hahaha. Who's going to give it a go and take the prize?

Hposh diaries..... 

I don't want to talk about myself today. I want to pay my own tribute to former South African President and anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela who died at the age of 95 last Thursday 5th December 2013. You all know his history so I won't bore you with any more of it.

To say that Mandela changed the world is an understatement. Madiba came, he saw and he conquered. While speaking with someone recently he said "After Jesus the greatest person on earth is Mandela" (you have the right to your opinion). What kind of man goes to jail for 27 years under those inhuman circumstances without breaking? He suffered emotionally, mentally, financially and healthwise. Never the less, he remained undaunted. After his release, he became South Africa's first democratically elected President. He refused to run for a second term and there was no record of him paying back his former oppressors in their own coins. He not only forgave, he also forgot. What a man!

Just examining Mandela's life, I have discovered some secrets of success in life.

Some of the are:

1) Hold on to your dream, no matter what happens.

2) Be prepared. Everyday you witness the rising of the Sun, make sure you are better than the person you were the day before. Get more skills, read more books, listen to more tapes, build your character, nurture positive relationships. Success is when opportunity meets preparation.

3) Stay focused. Distractions will come but do not give in. Failure comes when we take our eyes off the goal.

4) Make sure your dream is worth dying for. If all you dream about is to make money, you are doomed to fail. Nothing is more important that adding value, making an impact.

5) Never Give Up! Challenges will come. They should make you better not bitter.

6) Your destiny is in your hands. "If you think you can, you can. If you think you can't, you can't. Whichever way, you are right" - Thomas Edison. People will desert you. Resources will fail to come. Those close to you will lose faith in you. When things get rough and tough, remember that you are the master of your fate and the captain of your soul.

7) Be positive! Say only things that are right. Speak life, wealth, hope, happiness! Nothing works better than the power of the mind.

Memoirs of a Lagos City Hustler (LCH) - Part 6 #LCH

Hi.... byeee (that's all I can muster right now). TIRED.COM!!


Part 6......

I was working my ass off on a research paper to submit as draft for my thesis(yes I'm an educated street boy with a MBA), my stupid modem decided to be a draw back and without hesitation, I carried my laptop and biked to the nearest internet Hotspot to continue my research(partly because I was a week due on submission and also wanted to leave my dark evil room that finds a way of keeping me indoors for days). I was minding my own business but couldn't resist noticing this rough guy beside me with an iPad, Blalackberry Q10, iPhone and a car key on his table, also a half bottle of champagne and a Mac Laptop. So much profanity and vanity couldn't let me concentrate besides, his command of English was a laxative to my bowels yet this guy was way richer than me, How?

After like an hour, he asked me if I could mask his IP(for non-geeks, that's when you hide your computer information and it looks like you are browsing from another country), I told him it was easy and did it in a flash and went back to my thesis, he drew his seat beside me and couldn't stop blabbing. He said if anyone else wanted to do it, they would have charged him 10,000 naira and I asked him if he would prefer to pay me rather than shut up to continue whatever he was doing. He begged if he could learn it from me and ordered a bottle of champagne for me, I told the waiter to hold on to it as I put him through. He gave me 30,000 naira after 2-Hours of teaching him.

I found out he was a 'game-boy'(yahoo-yahoo) and when I asked him why he chose that route, he asked me if I would prefer he robbed houses or be a nuisance to the society. I sat him down and gave him a lecture about businesses he could invest in, matured ethics(and not flashing your possessions). He was so intrigued, right there he registered for a course online at the University of Liverpool, we talked about investing in friends and real estate, a frontier business to have and building a house for himself. He was so excited about our discussion that he gave me 20,000 naira extra(don't know why they carry so much cash) and offered to take me out, I turned down his offer nicely and we exchanged numbers,he paid his bill and left.

I went to the bartender and asked how much a bottle of champagne cost and he said 25,000 naira and I politely asked him to refund 20,000 naira for my champagne paid by the dude and keep the extra 5,000 naira. He couldn't stop thanking me(you don't make that much tip in a week) and by the time I left the cafe, I was 70,000 naira richer(that's an average graduate's salary in Lagos) but with an incomplete thesis. I did not mind, I was ready to retry the annoying modem. It was almost closing time for the banks when I rushed in to deposit 65,000 naira into my account.

I do not support scams and frauds, but I see our leaders siphoning the country's wealth, I see no jobs being created, I see a frustrated education system, I see bad roads, I see an environment where entrepreneurs struggle to stay afloat, I see a failing legal and electoral system, I see the social media being used for the wrong reasons, I see petty 'kleptos' being jailed for life while 'politrobbers' ride around with sirens! If sharing knowledge and ideas could fetch me 70,000 naira in 6 hours, I might as well share with the devil himself, what counts at the end is who you impact change and knowledge to and how much money you get.....well I did both and reaped something.

Do have a great week entrepreneurs(and mum-preneurs) and don't forget to impact into someone and make this.......err.......PAPER!!!!

Hposh Diaries...... Part 1

Hi guys, we have a new guest blogger for Wednesdays. Let me introduce to you, Hposh. 

He has dreams to take over the world, to be the world's youngest billionaire. Can he? Will he? Only time will tell..... In the mean time, he shares his thoughts and actions with us as he works everyday towards realizing this huge dream!

Hposh diaries..... Part 1

source - http://www.discoveryfinance.com/millionaire-billionaire-club.html

For a while now, I've been yearning to write. I've stored several poems, proses and articles in my head but refused to pen them down. Sometimes I read other people's articles online and I'm like 'Oh My God! That should be my article.'

My favorite brand slogan is "Just Do It" by Nike. Many a time, we all know what and who we want to be. I want to be an actor. I want to be a writer. I want to be an Engineer. I want to be a business man. I can't imagine how long you've been trying to be what and who you want to be.

Come to think of it, what would have happened if Thomas Edison didn't invent the electricity bulb? How would we have traveled across several oceans and mountains if the Wright Brothers had not built the first airplane. Let's bring it back home. How would Lagos have been if they had not constructed the third mainland bridge? Now you get the point?

Every human being on this planet is blessed with at least one unique talent. It's up to us to discover our potentials, hone our skills, market our products, solve a problem and get enriched by it.

Poverty or wealth is a state of the mind. You see a lot of people nag about the terrible situation of the country, yet others are finding solutions to problems and getting paid for it. Rather than talking about things that are not right, find a way to do the right thing.

My name is Hposh (should I use my real name). I'm a writer, an actor, a creative thinker, and an entrepreneur. Every morning when I wake up, my mind tells me I owe the world a lot. I'm very ambitious and I want to be the richest man on earth one day. I owe the world best selling books, blockbuster movies (because I'll still go into film making), amazing scripts and stories, multinational corporations and many more. I have a dream and I know it will come true. What I don't know is how and when it will be fulfilled. One thing I'm sure of is I will be on FORBES list before I turn 30. It's going to be a bumpy road. Am I ready for it? Only time will tell.

Dreams come true. This is my dream. What is yours? The right time to start is now. Just do it! Join me on this intriguing journey as I share with you my past, my present, my future. An insight into my relationships, my dreams, my projects, my challenges and lots more. This could just be my autobiography.

This is Hposh Dairies...

Top 10 android apps for every entrepreneur

Here's my bonus article for failing to post the entrepreneur showcase for the week. Kennedy to the rescue. Hehe.

P.S - This is not a paid for announcement. lol

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Enough already of your boring Nokia and blackberry smartphones, its time to move with the world. Androids are as cheap as you want it, so get in line and order one this December and here are some suggested apps you should download and use!

#1 SHAZAM
everyone has that moment where they hear a song on the radio or in a mall and can't remember the artist or song title, well shazam got u covered. Just point your phone at the sound and 'shazam' it. It gets better, you can hum the tune or sing the song and it still does its job

#2 BBM
The most popular chat application comes to the android market. Now every one can 'ping'. What's also fun is its multi-platform and cuts across borders

#3 AVG antivirus for droids
It does more than just notify and remove unwanted and intrusive apps, its also a task manager, data counter, battery saver etc

#4 INSTAGRAM
Really, who doesn't have an instagram app and owns an android? We all turned camera geeks n graphic artists with this app.

#5 PAGES MANAGER
For small business owners who adopt social media as a business tool, this app from facebook allows you to manage your facebook pages well and effectively, upload up to 100 pictures at once,view page insight and statistics and manage likes

#6 TEMPLE RUN
Addictive and innovative game of the year. You can't help but notice people swiping across their phones and tilting their bodies to collect coins when bored. Have a try (at your own risk! lol)

#7 AVIARY PHOTO EDITOR
Turn pictures into HD, multiple filters,memes and more creative Photoshop tools to play with

#8 WORDPRESS
Bloggers would love this app which is easy to use. Blogging has never been easy away from a PC before.

#9 OLX
Those that are fans of start-ups and love to buy/sell anything online, the OLX is just perfect. Searches can be localized to your local government.

#10 PLAY STORE
This is the best app ever. The Robert De Niro of Apps, it allows you preview and download other apps, in fact all aforementioned apps can be found on the Google play-store

Memoirs of a Lagos City Hustler (LCH) - Part 5 #LCH

Hi guys, Welcome to the month of December. Whoop Whoop! It's been an interesting year and I am grateful for life and living! This is a busy season for me, so please bear with me for being so sloppy with my posts. I cannot come and quench abeg! The traffic today alone, can wound somebody.

Meanwhile, Kennedy has gone all serious on us with today's article, lol!! The man has mood swings, I tell you. Today he's all gangster, tomorrow he's an efiko lecturer. You'll enjoy this one though. I know I did.

Enjoy......

Part 5......

There are Laws governing this universe: Law of gravity, Laws of physics, Law of Karma,international Laws, Human right Laws etc whatever law it is, its meant to put us in check, enlighten us on the consequences of breaking the laws and give us reason not to break it(one of the perks of dating a Lawyer), once in a while; extraordinary events, technology, persistence and sheer stupidity break these laws. A Buddhist Priest might levitate over the himalayas, Moses might part a red sea, A politician might steal and get away with it, a genocide might go unnoticed etc but these are rare cases(except for the nigerian politician example of course *takes off*).

There are three main Laws of an entrepreneur, the first is MAXIMISE YOUR PROFIT. The main reason we quit our day jobs, hustle across the streets, call clients to wish them a happy new week and or stay awake all night is to make profit. There is a huge difference between making profit and maximising profit. A tin of milk costs 80 naira at tin can island and you travel across town from Ikorodu to get a carton and spend 1000 naira on transport only to be able to sell each tin at 130, that's profitable but unwise, a real and conscious business minded person would either get the number of the dealer or meet up a driver at the park(well the issue of trust never ceases to come to light in a nigerian business environment) give him the money and he gets it for you...you might not pay more than 250 on transportation and still sell each tin at 130; whatever business you are into, always look to maximise your profit(without cheating anybody).

The second is MINIMISE YOUR COST, the above example applies perfectly to this law too. Every kind of cost should be minimised as much as possible even overhead and opportunity costs. Doesn't mean you should underpay workers or shortchange clients. Seek to use incentives and leverages whenever you can, deliver multiple orders together, go shopping at once, learn to use online tools for your business as all these save your cost considerably and significantly. I cannot but overemphasize the use of social media as a business tool, its an almost free and borderless way of minimising cost and expanding the reach of your business(I'd expanciate this in subsequent posts).

The third which is the most ignored is OPTIMISE YOUR RESOURCES, think of ways to 'manage'  your resources effectively because it speaks directly(or indirectly) on your costs and profit. A tailor would recycle the extras on each fabric to make a patch, a shop owner would resell the cartons, a fruit seller would discount older fruits, a carpenter would make stools from leftover wood, an ibadan polygamist trader would put his wives at the different shop branches(and even make them compete for monthly sales) etc. Resources though an asset, if not properly managed can quickly turn to liabilities(ask those stocking for december sales in january *haha!! I can so relate with this*).

I hope with these few words of mine,I've been able to convince you and not confuse you(laughs intensely)......what?!.....I can be serious sometimes and when these streets need me to show my educational prowess, I do...I'm about to catch a train to yaba(minimising cost and optimising resources), its december afterall, we all need that extra hustle and cash.

Till the next time......God bless our hustle

Did I mention that I am also a farmer? If you haven't seen the light, you need to read my article for businessaim here;

Agribusiness one of the most lucrative businesses in third world countries