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MadCow1:[url=http://koboheights.page.tl/%23BrainExplosion.htm]Innovation is Mission Critical[/url] ah oga na so you hate the op reach? Make e dey do eye witness so stray bullet to hit am for head abi? Abeg op lay low o |
HOW TO APPROACH WRITERS BLOCK So, some advice: - Decide when you're ready to commit to a particular writing project. Then keep your commitment. On days when you're not inspired, treat your writing as a job. - If ideas for new projects come up while you're in the middle of a manuscript, make a note of the ideas in a separate notebook so that you can come back to them later. - For some (not all) writers, advance planning can help prevent a project from losing steam in the middle. If you're working with an outline or detailed notes, then even when you don't feel inspired, you'll always know what you can write next. - Keep in mind the reward waiting for you at the end of the process. "Success is a finished book, a stack of pages each of which is filled with words. |
QUESTION:HOW TO APPROACH WRITERS BLOCK I New ideas are exciting. When that newness is gone, the ideas lose some of their glamour. The bright, shiny surface wears off, and it's easier to see the imperfections underneath. That's just what happens to ideas over time. So, as a writer, how do you stay inspired long enough to finish something like a screenplay or a novel? The most important thing to remember is that *you don't have to stay inspired*. It's not necessary to feel inspired all the time. You can write anyway. If you have a job, you probably don't always feel inspired to go to work, but you do it anyway. If you are raising children, you probably don't always feel inspired in your parenting, but you do it anyway. You do it because you've made a commitment. You do it because the rewards are worth it. Inspiration is wonderful. Inspiration is fun. Inspiration makes writing easier. There are techniques you can learn to help keep that fire burning. But you don't need the fire. Knowing that is liberating. It puts you in control. Do you want to finish that novel? Then you'll sit down every day and work on it until it's finished. Some days, you may feel inspired. Other days, you may not. But you keep working anyway. If you keep working, the inspiration tends to come back. You nurture what's left of the fire, that tiny flickering flame, and one day, it blazes back up. But you don't need it. With or without it, you're going to finish what you've started. And what you'll have at the end of this process is a poem or a story, a screenplay or a novel! That's a reward that's well worth the effort. To be continued |
QUESTION:Restaurant Marketing 6 Ways To Promote Your Restaurant On Social Media Promote Restaurant Social Media Social media is the key to reaching large numbers of people at a minimal cost. Social media greatly increases awareness about your restaurant. Adding social media to your marketing mix can generate more engagement with your restaurant and get more customers in your door. In this post, we’re going to show you six ways to promote your restaurant on social media. We encourage you to create a social media planning calendar so it becomes an integrated daily task. If you are already taking advantage of social media platforms, it’s time to step up your interactions. If you haven’t taken the social media leap, we’ll give you some examples. 52% of online adults now use two or more social media sites, showing a significant increase in the last two years. This statistic shows that social media is key to reaching large numbers of people at once, and generally at a low cost to your bottom line. It’s important to understand the relevant social media platforms for promoting your restaurants. Let’s talk about the platforms and ways to promote your restaurant using them. 1. Create a Facebook Fan Page You absolutely need a Facebook page for your restaurant. A recent study found that Facebook continues to be the most popular social media platform. Create your Facebook business page carefully. You have 851×351 pixels to market your restaurant for free in your timeline image. Carry your brand identity through all of your social media so you are easily recognizable to users. When posting on Facebook, include either a video or image with your text. Images and video grab their attention. Become familiar with the different options for posting. Feel free to create your posts for the week using the schedule tool. Most important for your restaurant on Facebook is consistency. Listen to what your users want. Be careful with too much self-promotion. Give your fans useful information, share tips and offer discounts and special promotions. 2. Tweet, Tweet, Tweet Twitter, the second most popular platform, is basically a micro-blogging site. You are limited to 140-character tweets. Twitter is great for short messages such as daily meal deals, promotions, last minute menu additions and changes, fun facts and photos, and more. Include links to your website’s menu items. If you craft messages that your Twitter followers like, they can re-tweet them enabling you to reach an even broader audience. Add hashtags to your posts; this is good to remember for other social media platforms, too. Here’s an example of a hashtag: #lovesemolina. 3.Blog About It It can be daunting to step into the world of blogging, but it has many great benefits for your restaurant. Search engines like fresh website content, and your blog provides the perfect avenue for this. Blog about anything that has to do with your restaurant. Share facts, recipes, photos, staff favorites and more. Link your posts to all of your social media networks. When blogging, find your niche and your voice. What makes you unique? Tailor your blog posts. Depending on your audience, write your content for them. Listen to your social media users. Learn what they want, and then give it to them on your blog. Consistency is key. Once you’ve established a routine, your blog visitors will come to expect it, so don’t disappoint them. 4.Showcase Videos on YouTube Create a YouTube channel for your business. Make sure you use the same branding for your header photo so it matches your website and other social media. What videos should you share? Here are a few ideas: Recipes – create your own “cooking show.” Interview with guests – the customer video testimonial is widely popular Cooking tips Chef highlights Once you’ve posted your videos on YouTube, they’ll be visible on your Google+ Page. You’ll need to post them on all of your other social media platforms. Post them anywhere you can including your blog. This visual interaction is sure to increase your visibility. 5. Share and Promote on Instagram is the perfect place to share your menu and restaurant photos. It seamlessly integrates with Facebook so your images show on both platforms. High quality photos are a must. Take your menu photos one step further – encourage your customers to upload their favorite items. This helps build your menu of images while increasing engagement. Always use hashtags on Instagram. They are relevant and prevalent. Use trending hashtags. For example, use #amaladay. Be sure to include photos of different dishes. Use niche hashtags. Try photo contests on Instagram. They can generate customer loyalty, as users take and submit photos and come back often to see if they’ve won. 6. Nairaland Arguably one of africa's largest social forum and definitely a good idea to reach africans if especially if they are your target demographic, to set up shop log on to www.nairaland.com and follow the sign up instructions. You have the option of promoting your restaurant by opening threads or by using paid adverts option. |
QUESTION:Tips For Marketing Your Stand-Up Comedy Get good. Then get seen Job #1 is to get to the point where you can consistently go out and get laughs on stage. If you’re hit-or-miss with your performances, you’re not ready to market yourself. Take the time to develop a solid set and get some stage time under your belt. Don’t burn bridges by performing on shows that are above your experience level. Doing badly at an open mic is no big deal. Doing bad at a show that people paid money to see (i.e. a showcase) is a big deal. You can be sure that your booker/client isn’t going to want anything to do with you again… even if you’ve gotten better since. Be remarkable It doesn’t matter what medium you use to market yourself, if you’re not worth talking about you’re not going to get the YouTube views, the Twitter followers, or whatever. It goes back to “Get good". Then get seen.” But being remarkable isn’t simply about having high enough quality material. Just because you get the audience to laugh doesn’t mean that they’re actually going to remember you long after the show or become a fan of yours. Remarkable is all about becoming “sticky” in the mind of the audience. The number one way of doing this is by being highly creative. Be around the scene. Not an outsider The more often you’re seen by other comedians the more comfortable there are going to be around you. If you’re an "outsider" then they’ll likely give you a slot on their show. However, if they’ve seen you perform several times in the past and like your material, they’ll likely come to you when they have an opportunity. Don’t be too pompous Don’t be too pompous to anyone: fellow comedians, bookers, audience members… anyone. It’ll come back to you every time. The easier you are to work with the more people are going to want to work with you. That means more jobs and more opportunities for your career. |
Agree Next Steps Hopefully after gathering all of the information you will have a few ideas for how you can put the situation right and you can now share these with the attendee to collect their thoughts. Sometimes it may be appropriate to ask the person directly how you can put the situation right for them; “What would be a fair solution?” “What course of action do you want to see?” It is important that you jointly agree what is a fair and suitable next step to be taken. Resolve the Situation Once a course of action is agreed make sure you move swiftly to put things into place. Ideally the person that has heard the complaint will personally take the necessary action and remain the main point of contact. If for any reason the actions taken are not immediate and will take some time, ensure that you keep the unhappy attendee informed or the negative feelings could escalate again. Let the person who voiced the complaint know what changes and measures have been put in place to ensure this doesn’t happen again and to show how seriously you took their concerns. For some it may be enough to be heard and to receive an apology and assurances. Only you can judge the gravity of the situation though and whether compensation should be offered. Apply it in future Make sure that all of the team are aware of the complaint and steps are taken to put things right and avoid the same mistake happening again in the future. Be grateful for the early warning sign and the chance you have been given to rethink and redesign for the future. The most important lesson is to learn from the error. In Conclusion If you deal with a complaint at your event successfully you may secure yourself a customer for life and turn a negative experience into a positive one. Nearly all customers would recommend a company to their friends if a complaint had been resolved efficiently. |
QUESTION:In nigeria, dealing with customer complaints effectively is an important skill, many nigerians ignore this skills or don't have it especially particularly if the feedback comes in the middle of a live event which causes them to lose valued attendees as well as clients forever. People seem to be too emotional when accepting feedback It seems to be distressing when they receive complaints – they expect the guests to realise how hard they worked to avoid For things to go on great or sometimes they feel like everything is going great and "Bad-belle" attendee may still voice a complaint just to cause unnecessary problems. All these are relatable but you need to understand one thing “the customer is always right.” Whatever the circumstance of the complaint you should struggle to respond to complaints and feedbacks, so how can you turn a negative situation into a positive? Think Positively Perhaps this sounds strange but try to think of the complaint as a gift. The attendee has taken time to feed back to you so that you have the opportunity to rectify it for the complainant but also potentially for others before the situation escalates. In essence you have been given a valuable second chance to put this right. Moreover if they didn’t bring this to your attention they could have just disappeared without saying a word, which would have left you no opportunity to put the situation right and probably having lost a customer forever, without ever being any the wiser about their dissatisfaction. Stop Everything This is a tricky one but the person complaining wants to have their say right away, they need you to stop everything and take note. Anger will rise if you try to dismiss or delay someone who is primed to have their say. Try to ensure that all workers know how to handle complaints and that any junior workers know how important it is to pass it over to a Manager promptly and with care. At a live event you do of course need to consider your location and potentially minimise the impact on the rest of the event and other attendees. If you can suggest a suitable and convenient location close by to discuss the scenario in private this may be a wise move. Listen Make sure that you gather the full facts of the situation before jumping in. Give the attendee the opportunity to vent their anger and frustration as this may help them to calm down, as well as filling in the gaps for you as to what has gone wrong and the crux of why the person in front of you is so upset. The information you gather here will help to ensure you can suggest the best possible solution and outcome. Keep Calm Like I said, it is natural to feel defensive when listening to a complaint, particularly if their facts are wrong or unfounded, but try to remember this isn’t a personal attack on yourself and never argue back. If tensions are high you are potentially not going to deal with the situation with a clear head so it may be best to suggest some time out for both parties to simmer down before reconvening? Or perhaps you need to escalate the situation on your workers instead? that's why they are there(just kidding)Put Yourself in Their Shoes Nobody really enjoys complaining and so going back to the first point, appreciate that the individual has taken the time to give their opinion to you and that this probably isn’t easy for them. Look at the whole situation from their point of view and see it through their eyes. Ask Questions Not to discredit the attendees claim but rather to prove that the attendee has your full, undivided attention. Ask questions to be sure that you understand the full facts of the situation and to get them to clarify anything that is unclear. Say Sorry If the complaint is justified ensure you give heartfelt apologies to the attendee and let them know that is not how you like to do business/your events to run. If the complaint isn’t justified in your opinion you should still empathise with them, for example “I am sorry that you feel that way” or “I understand how upset you must feel” or simply “I can see that this must be inconvenient for you.” Inspiration The person complaining truly believes that you have done something wrong so resist the temptation to pass the blame. The person complaining doesn’t want to hear you passing the buck, they want to hear what you are going to do for them and it is unprofessional to accuse others. It is your event and therefore it is your full responsibility if some element has been unsatisfactory. To be continued |
QUESTION:You’ve seen them thousands of times in magazines and newspapers and on billboards and posters — the “real” faces that entice you to buy everything from food to recharge cards. Many of them are trained and skilled actors, but they’re also commercial models. Commercial modeling is a still picture of a commercial. It’s acting without words. Photographers love hiring actors because they can take direction and provide a variety of layers of believable emotions. One of the great aspects of commercial modeling, unlike fashion modeling, is that there are no height, weight, or age restrictions. There are many beautiful women and handsome men who are commercial models. However, you do not need to have the “perfect” look to succeed. They are cast to appear in ads as the doctor, student, teacher, plumber, athlete, banker, farmer, nurse, etc. Open any nigerian newspaper and you will see commercial models working in many different types of ads. Here’s the Trick to Creating Eye-Catching Commercial Photos Deciding on your “image” might be the hardest part of the process of putting together effective commercial shots. You must figure out how people will perceive and cast you. You want to create powerful photos that allow others to see you as those types. Sexy shots can make a great photo, but they won’t necessarily get you commercial model bookings. Do you look right drinking beer , or feeling sick at an office desk – or both? You want to create the right images for yourself, and make the shots look like ads (without any headlines, copy, logos or brand names). To guide you into creating shots that look like ads, peruse existing ads in non-fashion magazines, newspapers, and what’s available on stock photography websites. Planning Your Shot Since your new commercial photos won’t have any words, make sure each photograph itself tells the story. Take your time and be creative in thinking of different scenarios for your shots. The most important thing to keep in mind is to make the photos look like ads. Do not pose for the camera. Show a wide range of believable expression and emotions for the different photos. Having strong commercial photos that look like ads will give you your greatest chance for success. So, here are the steps you want to take to create strong commercial photos: 1. Figure out your type 2. Get ideas of shots that will sell you by looking though non-fashion magazines and stock photography websites. 3. Make a list of the expressions you need to show in the shots you will be creating. 4. Practice creating those emotions in a believable way. 5. Figure out your location for the shoot (if you are not shooting in a studio) 6. Decide if any props are needed to help make the shot look like an ad (no logos or brand names should be visible) 7. Find a number of photographers through Model Mayhem who are also interested in building their commercial portfolio. 8. Interview them to make sure they are a good fit for you. 9. Have a fun time on the shoot and make sure you get copies of the shots. |
QUESTION:It is true that not every famous person has gone to a school or have a degree, but enrolling in fashion Apprenticeship programs is a sure way to perfect your design skills. While it is entirely possible (with hard work and unwavering determination) to become a successful, world renown fashion designer without learning under someone- it is more likely that you will reach the same end by attending fashion design schools or apprenticeship programmes. There are plenty of those that made it big with the help of a these tools. But, in case this is not enough to convince you that you should seek out the benefits of fashion design institutes/apprenticeship programmes, here is a list of reasons to go. 1. Learning will prepare you to reach your big picture career goals; attending fashion design school/apprenticeship programmes will give you the building blocks for the steps to achieving your dreams. Natural talent is one thing, but when combined with formal training, it makes a winning package. Fashion training will help bolster your credentials and build your portfolio. The fashion industry is extremely competitive and you will have time to develop the necessary edge to succeed. Fashion training programs will allow you to explore a full range of possible careers. If you have an eye for business as well as design, perhaps a career in fashion merchandising would suit you; become a textile buyer, a product promoter, or a wholesale merchandiser, among other great options. Fashion design school is an excellent environment to network within the industry. If you are even lucky ,you will be surrounded by aspiring artists as well as established designers who you can not only learn from, but also make connections with. Networking is a huge part of success in the fashion industry |
Hmmm I'm so going to bookmark this thread #TeamAlaroro for life |
QUESTION:Hiring a professional or a conductor or whatever is a good play however its very expensive and being a small time singer it may hurt your finances, your problems are normal, its a lot easier when you play in conductor-led ensembles, but when working in small groups you are required to make shared decisions about what and how you play. Decision-making comes to a head during rehearsals, so, in this post, I offer tips to deal with 4 common rehearsal challenges that collaborating Musical artistes face. 1. Conflicting Interpretations It’s normal for musicians to have differing views about tempo, lyrics and so on. Here are avenues to tap your differences and fuel creativity in the process: Experiment before criticizing. When a group member proposes an interpretive idea that you deem unsuitable, try it before commenting. Use conditional language. Say things like, “What if we tried it this way?” or “How would it sound if…?” Avoid being an agbaya(bossy) and annoying, compromise, Balance your opinions to achieve consensus, contributing and compromising along the way. But when a solo part has the lead, defer to the soloist’s choice " I no go gree I no go gree na so accident take dey happen" be careful 2. Consistent Professionalism Professionalism forms the foundation of an ensemble’s culture, and the following habits will help you maintain healthy cultures: Agree to be punctual, prepared, courteous and honest. Abide by high standards, and apologize if you miss the mark. Use “I” statements to communicate disappointment. If a colleague lets you down, in place of accusing, say something like, “I feel frustrated when we can’t begin on time.” Set up meetings to resolve problems. 3. Repertoire Agreement What music will you program for a concert? Which Songs will you rehearse first? Those and other questions resolve more easily when we live by guidelines such as these: Choose multipurpose, accessible repertoire. Select songs that excite you, support your group’s goals, and you can learn in a reasonable amount of time. Take time to decide. When agreement on a title isn’t immediate, postpone deciding, revisit the music again, and come to a consensus about whether to perform it. Breathe life into your performance. Give yourself over to a piece that your colleagues prefer, regardless of whether it ideally matches your aesthetic. 4. Handling Criticism Critical give and take is essential to collaborative work, and learning to handle criticism is central to our profession: Adopt a cooperative approach to listening and communicating. When you receive critiques, absorb them objectively without taking things personally. Use non-accusing words. When sharing your thoughts, rely on conditional language instead of pointing fingers Admit when you mess up. Take responsibility so that you promote honesty and creativity. |
Problem #4: The Dirty Toilet Although nigerian building structures mostly don't have toilets however imagine a restaurant with a great food, but filthy restrooms. Your mind begins to wander, and as you ponder the dirty toilet you envision the dirty kitchen. Your decision is made – no matter how tasty the food, you will not return due to the lack of cleanliness. If your toilet are ill-equipped – think no toilet(which nigerians are fond of) customers probably won’t be back. Add on sticky floors, dirty toilets and filthy stalls, and you’ve not only lost customers but earned a bad rep Solution: This one’s easy. Clean the bathrooms daily and assign a staff member to monitor them throughout mealtime. Problem #5: Poor Customer Service Not doubting your effort on customer service but just to be clear, if your servers are stressed, too busy, under- appreciated and poorly trained, it will reflect badly on your restaurant resulting in a lack of return customer visits. Customers don’t return to restaurants where they weren’t taken care of in a timely manner and treated with respect. Slow service, cold food, inattentive workers with attitude can turn a popular restaurant with good food into an empty restaurant. Solution: Train staff to go the extra mile. Teach them how to serve customers and emphasize customer service. Encourage your servers to treat each diner like a VIP in your restaurant. A welcoming smile goes a long way towards repeat business. Make sure your staff knows your menu and is well- versed in a customer’s options to change menu items. While all menu deviations aren’t possible, do your best to accommodate special requests. Encourage staff to greet repeat diners personally each time they come in. Instruct them to thank the customer for coming back again. Good customer service helps create an emotional bond to your restaurant. If your customers feel appreciated, and they are treated like guests in your “home,” they’ll certainly come back again and tell all their friends about your great service. Problem #6: Lengthy Menu Yes variety is the spice of life but come on we are in nigeria hustling, bustling Your and probably to impatient to go through your extra-large menu. If you’re trying to offer everything your customers might like, you aren’t giving them more choices and more reasons to come back. You just might be confusing them. They’ll be unsure what your specialties (like mr biggs have their meat pies while KFC has their chicken combo etc) are and what you do well, so they won’t have a reason to return. Another problem with extra-large menus is ordering time. These days, time is at a premium for most diners. Large menus take longer to order from. Subconsciously, your diners are keeping track of how long it takes for them to get their food. For every minute they perceive the service takes too long, the likelihood they’ll return goes down. Solution: I repeat again nothing against variety just create a better menu. Don’t try to be all things to all people. Your customers need to know what your restaurant is about, so keep your menu focused. Emphasize your “greatest hits.” These are the menu items customers order a lot and return for often. Problem #7: Unappetizing Food The final reason your customers aren’t returning to your restaurant could just be they don’t like your menu. Perhaps they’ve even given you a couple of chances and tried several different items. Perhaps the food was cold or ill-plated so that items mixed poorly together. Solution: Feedback short and simple,ask customers how they feel about your food. This will help you discover what’s good and what needs changing. See if they have suggestions for improvement. If your food is the problem, work hard to change it as it won’t only affect your bottom line but your future |
QUESTION:Why Your Customers Aren’t Returning To Your Restaurant There are some common reasons diners don’t return to restaurants. Returning diners are vital to the success of your restaurant. If your customers aren’t returning to your restaurant, it’s time to take a look at why and find solutions. Why is it so important that customers return regularly to dine at your restaurant? According to one source, return customers provide at least 1/3 of your revenue even though they make up a small portion of your customer base. While it’s sometimes difficult to decipher why people don’t return to a restaurant, there are some common reasons for a lack of return diners. To increase visit frequency, it’s helpful to understand why customers aren’t returning. Let’s talk about why your customers aren’t returning to your restaurant and offer some solutions for turning this around. Problem #1: Lack of Consistency First impressions are always important, but they are no guarantee of your future, continued success. In fact, consider the restaurant that makes a terrific first impression. That impression sets expectations for future visits. If you don’t meet those expectations consistently down the road, the first great impression is a fleeting memory in your customer’s mind. You’ve now lost diners who would’ve come back again and again. You’ve also lost their word-of- mouth positive referrals. Solution: Pay special attention to your employees’ customer service. Are they friendly one day and grumpy the next? Do they consistently treat all of their tables the same? Inspect your food quality on a daily basis. If your customers enjoyed a perfect jollof rice on Friday, only to come back the following Friday for jollof rice with too much curry and pepper with no spice( jollof fans you get the idea), you probablywon’t see them again. Take care that your plates consistently look and taste the same no matter who prepares them. Problem #2: Poor Pricing Strategy Price can be a deterrent for many people. Some of your diners may think your prices are affordable only for the special occasions(no be everyday be christmas) but not for the everyday, regular meal. Also, if your prices are much higher than your direct competitors, you’ll miss out on the frequent dining crowd. Solution: If you want to see your customers more often, offer meals at different, accessible price points. Aim for the “everyday low price.” You can include some higher priced menu items with lower pricing on popular meals. Consider offering smaller menu items at lower prices – people can then combine them to create meals that fit the naija man's pocket Problem #3: Meal Occasion Mentality Customers may not return to your restaurant if they view you for only one type of meal occasion. Perhaps they only think of you for the ago-oyin or semovita and egusi joint. Or, as mentioned above, maybe you are only their christmas restaurant. Solution: Use subtle imaging to change the way people perceive your restaurant. Think about the Labourer/bricklayer down the road Stick a flyer in the bag and suggest the customer bring the family for dinner. You could also use the come-back incentive idea. Consider the restaurant that’s open for breakfast and lunch, but most people visit in the morning for Rice and beans to go. Offer them a discount for a lunchtime meal. This exposes your customer to your restaurant at other hours of the day and encourages the return visit. To be continued |
The Downside of Turnkey Investing Now at this point, you are probably thinking to yourself, “ Wow, turnkey sounds heaven sent. Why wouldn’t everyone do this?” There are some potential downsides to turnkey investing you should be aware of before you jump into that kind of investing, so let me walk you through the two big ones: Financial: A turnkey company is a business that needs to make money, and they do this through several methods. First, turnkey companies often buy the property at a discount and sell it to you, for a higher amount, essentially. Then, the turnkey provider makes a monthly income by managing the property for you. Therefore, it would make sense that you will be paying a “premium” for the ease of service you are getting. You generally can’t have your cake and eat it, too! That said, remember that turnkey companies DO have a marketing machine running 24-7, and as such, are generally able to find incredible deals in their market, so even if they do make a profit when they sell to you, you might still be buying “below average” and getting a great deal. Trust Needed: Perhaps the greatest risk when choosing to invest in real estate through a turnkey company is the level of trust you must place in this provider. After all, you are relying on their knowledge and expertise to choose a location, choose a property, choose a tenant, and manage that tenant. That’s a lot of trust you are placing in someone else who gets paid whether or not you make a good investment. It would be fairly easy for a turnkey provider to take advantage of investors by encouraging them to buy bad properties in bad locations. In fact, I’ve heard many horror stories of investors who buy a property through a turnkey provider only to discover soon after that it was a Basket that immediately began costing the investor a lot of money in repairs imagine experiencing that especially now when the country's economy is tensing up. So, should you invest in real estate at a distance through a turnkey company? That’s a decision only you can make after careful investigation into a particular company.. There are both benefits and disadvantages, so I would weigh those against the possibility of investing in your own market. If you live in an expensive area and want to invest in lower-priced properties, turnkey can be a great alternative to being a local landlord. Just be sure to do your research and know what, and who, you are investing in. |
QUESTION:You see, many people want to invest in real estate, but they also want to live in a great location where rental properties don’t make a lot of sense. e.g: banana island where basically everyone is a landlord and its crazy expensive for tenants. So Instead they end up just enjoying the sun, the city, the lights — with no want cash flow from the rental property, bad business. You see people who want to own rental properties but don’t want to actively manage anything. They want their "cake… and they want to eat it, too" Is this possible? Well, in recent years a number of Service providers have emerged that claim they can help investors do just this. They are called turnkey providers/care takers ,but is turnkey real estate investing really all it’s cracked up to be? Let’s find out. What is Turnkey Real Estate Investing? Turnkey real estate investing is a loosely defined investment strategy in which the investor buys, redecorate, and owns a property managed through a third-party, usually from a long distance away. Their goal is to make the entire real estate investment process as simple as possible, so all you need to do it turn the key There are hundreds of turnkey real estate providers in Nigeria (and across the world), and no two companies are exactly alike. Some will buy, build, rent and then sell a property to you, the investor. Others will simply help you find the property and let you do most of the heavy lifting on the rehab/building side (if there is any to do), then manage the property for you . Again, each company runs their operation a little differently, so if you decide to go with a turnkey company, it’s important that you do some in-depth research on exactly what that turnkey company will and will not do. Benefits of Turnkey Investing Turnkey investing has several distinct advantages over doing it all yourself: Service at a Distance: The first (and most obvious) benefit to turnkey real estate investing is the ability to invest in a good real estate market without you needing to live there. Being a landlord is not always easy, and trying to be one from thousands of miles away can be even more tough. Many people who live on the East or West of the Country e.g: lagos from benin, as well as many who live outside the country, rely on turnkey companies (mostly in the commercial and highly populated states like lagos, where cash flow tends to be higher) to invest in great markets. Market Insight: A good turnkey company knows their market with far more precision than an outsider would. You might be able to do some research on a particular area and check out the Cool shawarma or chilling spots, crime reports, and price ranges, but a turnkey provider will know the heart of an area. They will know why people prefer one area over another. They’ll know why this street is worse than that street. They’ll know the reputations behind certain neighborhoods, properties, and businesses. They’ll have an ear to the ground about societal changes that could affect the local economy. It is very difficult for an outside to gain this perspective, as it is normally reserved only for long time locals, which a good turnkey provider should be. Professional Staff: Turnkey providers, because they are property management companies, will generally have either in-house staff or work closely with vendors to make sure your property is taken care of. When you invest on your own, you either have to do all these roles yourself, OR you’ll need to find them in a market you may not know. Marketing Machine: Many turnkey providers buy, sell, and rent dozens or even hundreds of homes per month. For this reason, they are required to consistently drive leads into all the parts of their marketing funnel. They might use billboards, radio ads, newspaper ads, and more to drive both motivated sellers and tenants to their business. For this reason, they may find better deals than you could, as well as get tenants faster. Management Experience: Let’s face it, most people are not good managers. Turnkey providers, on the other hand, are usually experienced in dealing with tenants and contractors. Their experience helps them make the right decision more often. Simplicity: Finally, although each turnkey company operates a little differently, they all have the same goal: to make the investment property easier for you. When you invest in real estate by yourself, you are forced to handle all the moving parts yourself, which can be overwhelming. A turnkey real estate investment company attempts to simplify the process, so you ideally will only need to write and receive checks. To be continued |
These 10 acting tips for beginners includes the realization that being on stage, in the center of attention, is different from being able to hide from people when convenience strikes. The biggest problem for any newbie to overcome is stage fright. Being in the spotlight will not allow a person to do that. Any problems will be dealt with head on by any director. So, being careful and understanding positive criticism is important to growing as an actor or actress. Acting the Part. Anyone can say lines in a play but acting the lines out in a story is different and takes hard work. The person needs to become the character who states the lines within the personality of the character who is speaking. This acting tip remains important for any actor or actress newbie who is trying to act the part of a particular character. Belief in Yourself. Belief in yourself comes with practice and built in confidence. Self help books on confidence are helpful and role modeling with family and other interested actors and actresses will also help in the critiquing process. Find out what you are lacking and need to work on to convince others you are the character you are portraying. Using your Body to Act out the Character. The body and mind need to work together in convincing others about the character. You must be able to use your body to portray the exact attitude and physical mannerisms of the character. The tip is that the actor must be able to use and believe in many of the emotions he feels while acting. Understanding the Script of the Character. Not only must the actor understand the role of the character, but he must also be able to understand the script itself. Talking to the director and gaining insight on what the script is really about will help place the person in the right frame of mind when acting out his part of the character. This is a great tip for a beginner at acting. Knowing the Character Completely. Researching the character to fully understand the character being acted out is important. The actor must fully understand exactly what type of person the character is and what the character believes in as a person. The actress must know the likes and dislikes of the character as if they were her own. Connection to the Character Emotionally. Understanding the character and his life will help the portrayal of the character emotionally. Knowing the emotions within the character and believing in the emotions as if they were his own will benefit the play’s success. This tip is about knowing what the character is feeling and relating the feelings to his own life as well. Practicing the Part of the Character. Practicing the part over and over will help to gain strategies in knowing the personality of the character. Being in the form of the character is important. Concentration. Getting enough sleep and setting time aside to fully concentrate on the character is important and will help the role that is being portrayed to work better and to flow smoothly. An actor’s part in a play or movie must dedicate much time in the concentration of the part to gain depth and full understanding of the project. The tip is that the imagination must seem real and appear real to others. Losing Yourself in the Role of the Character. Being the character is important, as well as modifying some areas within the play to make it seem real. Sometimes, parts may be changed regarding the character, which flow nicer and are more lifelike within the play or movie. Sometimes, mistakes are blessings in disguise. Teamwork and Bonding with Coworkers. Everyone who takes part in a play or movie project have importance. The more the merrier as one might say or suggest. The biggest acting tip is getting along with others on the set and finding a way to letting others know that you appreciate their parts in the project. |
IF YOU WANT TO GET STARTED IN YOUR DREAM CAREER IN 2016, YOU HAVE COME TO THE RIGHT PLACE! Maybe you've always known what your dream career is — you just haven't discovered how to get started. Or maybe you're not yet sure what your dream career is — you just know it isn't what you're doing now. Wherever you are in the pursuit of your dream career, Koboheights guides can help you get there So how does this work 1. Read all the articles on our thread 2. Download our free books and materials 3. Enjoy our antecdotes/testimonials 4. Contact us whenever you have any question And you'll be on your way to achieving your professional dreams We are on: Facebook: k.innovative inc Twitter: @koboheightsnaija BBM: 214BE3F5 Nairaland: #KoboExplosion |
What is Social Entrepreneurship? Social entrepreneurship is About applying practical, innovative and sustainable approaches to benefit society in general, with an emphasis on those who are marginalized and poor. A term that captures a unique approach to economic and social problems, an approach that cuts across sectors and disciplines grounded in certain values and processes that are common to each social entrepreneur, independent of whether his/ her area of focus has been education, health, welfare reform, human rights, workers' rights, environment, economic development, agriculture, etc., or whether the organizations they set up are non-profit or for-profit entities. It is this approach that sets the social entrepreneur apart from the rest of the crowd of well-meaning people and organizations who dedicate their lives to social improvement. About organizational models Leveraged non-profit ventures The entrepreneur sets up a non-profit organization to drive the adoption of an innovation that addresses a market or government failure. In doing so, the entrepreneur engages a cross section of society, including private and public organizations, to drive forward the innovation through a multiplier effect. Leveraged non-profit ventures continuously depend on outside philanthropic funding, but their longer term sustainability is often enhanced given that the partners have a vested interest in the continuation of the venture. Hybrid non-profit ventures The entrepreneur sets up a non-profit organization but the model includes some degree of cost-recovery through the sale of goods and services to a cross section of institutions, public and private, as well as to target population groups. Often, the entrepreneur sets up several legal entities to accommodate the earning of an income and the charitable expenditures in an optimal structure. To be able to sustain the transformation activities in full and address the needs of clients, who are often poor or marginalized from society, the entrepreneur must mobilize other sources of funding from the public and/or philanthropic sectors. Such funds can be in the form of grants or loans, and even quasi-equity. Social business ventures The entrepreneur sets up a for-profit entity or business to provide a social or ecological product or service. While profits are ideally generated, the main aim is not to maximize financial returns for shareholders but to grow the social venture and reach more people in need. Wealth accumulation is not a priority and profits are reinvested in the enterprise to fund expansion. The entrepreneur of a social business venture seeks investors who are interested in combining financial and social returns on their investments. |
If you love gift shopping and are looking for a creative and rewarding retail business to start, then opening a gift shop is for you. About a Career as a Gift Shop Owner When you open a gift shop, you will have a business that lets you get paid to indulge your passion for gift shopping while helping people celebrate some of the happiest moments in life. From birthdays to new babies to just because, gift shop owners have the satisfaction of helping people show they care. While gift sales are highest on holidays such as Valentine's Day, Mother's Day and especially Christmas, spending on gifts for year-round occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries is growing, offering greater opportunity for giftshop owners. It’s not easy to be a gift shop owner in this economy. For many, sales are down while rents are up, and the competition from big-name chain stores is discouraging at best. What’s a sharp sharp gift store to do? As you probably already know, there’s no one simple answer. But there is help! For this guide, we surveyed 19 successful gift shop owners to get their best tips on marketing and branding, and how they gain and maintain customer loyalty. Read on to learn how branding can improve your gift shop’s sales and make for a more enjoyable experience for you and your customers. First, what is retail branding? A brand is the idea or image consumers have when they think of a product or company. Often, branding is associated exclusively with imagery such as company logos, but when it comes to retail, it’s so much more. Your gift shop’s brand is everything that comes to mind for consumers when they think about your shop — think of it as your shop’s personality. branding is extremely important to their business, and is at least somewhat important. The good news is, as a shop owner, you have a lot of control over how customers view your shop’s personality. That helps consumers know what to expect when they shop with you, and ensures that they’ll think of you when looking for a specific type of gift or retail experience. Create a unique, definable retail experience for your customers, and they’ll remember you and return to your shop. Branding is especially important given how much choice consumers have about where to shop. The great reaches of the Internet aside, 79 percent of the retail gift shop owners we spoke with said they have direct competition locally. Properly branding your gift shop is what will make you stand out from the competition and thrive in a time when many retail shops are in trouble. Here are the top tips mentioned over and over by our gift shop owners To be continued...... |
IF YOU WANT TO GET STARTED IN YOUR DREAM CAREER IN 2016, YOU HAVE COME TO THE RIGHT PLACE! Maybe you've always known what your dream career is — you just haven't discovered how to get started. Or maybe you're not yet sure what your dream career is — you just know it isn't what you're doing now. Wherever you are in the pursuit of your dream career, Koboheights guides can help you get started and succeed. So how does this work 1. Read all the articles on our thread 2. Download our free books and materials 3. Enjoy our antecdotes/testimonials 4. Contact us whenever you have any question And you'll be on your way to achieving your professional dreams We are on: Facebook: k.innovative inc Twitter: @koboheightsnaija BBM:214BE3f5 www.koboheights.page.tl |
The Importance Of Feedback When Job hunting Asking others for feedback is one of the easiest ways to immediately improve your performance and happiness on the job. Simply ask those you work most closely with, "How am I doing?" and you’ll gain insight into steps you could be taking right now to work smarter not harder. Why More People Don’t Ask for Feedback What if you hear from others that you’re not doing such a great job? What if you are asked to change the way you do things? What if you have to own up to your weaknesses in front of others? What if asking the question highlights for your boss (or staff) that you’re not really that useful afterall? You’re Better Off Knowing The truth is, you’re better off knowing what your boss, coworkers and subordinates think of your performance even if you don’t like the answers. Why? Because what you don’t know can hurt you. I worked with one executive who’s "direct" style at a new employer was taken as aggressiveness by the staff. He thought his team was working well. So he was shocked that HR had received several complaints. With coaching (and feedback), this executive was able to adjust his communication style to one his staff could better appreciate and immediately his working relationships improved. An Easy Formula For Asking For Feedback Stop. Start. Continue. Ask for one item you might start doing, another you might stop doing and another you might continue doing when it comes to working together. We often used this format when I was a management consultant at phillips consulting- Arthur A. It was very effective in getting to specific items to improve and further build our client relationships as well as deliver quality work to them. Don’t let fear keep you from asking for feedback. "How am I doing?" is a simple yet powerful question that can improve the quality of all of your relationships, not just work-related ones. Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen. |
The Anatomy Of Fashion Industry ashion designing is a creative arts industry. Fashion design is the creative force of the fashion industry, job growth for fashion designing is expected to grow exponentially over the 10 year period from 2014 to 2024. Typically design companies look to hire individuals with the flair for fashion and designing Even though advancement opportunities exist, few employment opportunities are expected outside of mass-market clothing design companies. 1. Design Assistant Design Assistant is an entry level fashion design opportunity that is more administrative than creative, with duties including assisting the design team with fashion illustration and storyboard layout. Many new comers start at this level. Typically after six months working as a design assistant the next advancement opportunity is an assistant designer position. 2. Assistant Designer Assistant designers are similar to design assistants, however the assistant designer gets more hands on production experience with pattern making and assisting with sample garment construction. Typically after spending three or more years as an assistant designer you can advance to an associate designer or technical designer position. 3. Associate Designer The associate designer participates in designing garments for the seasonal collections and works closely with the head designer for creative input and design approval. With five or more years experience as an associate designer, you can seek out a position as a head designer. 4. Technical Designer Technical designers are responsible for making sure the fashion designer's sketch can be made into a wearable garment by overseeing the production side of creating a fashion line. As with the associate designer you will need at least five years experience as a technical designer to advance to head designer. 5. Head Designer The head designer is responsible for the fashion collections produced each season regardless if the collections are failures or successes. Typically a minimum of five years work experience as an associate designer or technical designer is needed to progress to this level; however, it is common for a design firm to require seven to 10 years experience. 6. Salary The years of experience you have, job location and employer are the main factors which determine what salary you make at each level. |
The Power Of Feedback To Event planners the importance of obtaining feedback from customers was discussed. It is a crucial tool for event planners especially, because it helps plan for future events. It helps you know what to do next time, what you did right this time, and what the attendees really think of your events. After reading "Ask For Feedback at Every Event", and now that you know the right questions to ask, what exactly do you do with all of that data? It's certainly no use if you collected valuable information, and don't bother to analyze it, so here's a few ideas. 1. Sort the data by who gave it to you. While feedback should be mostly anonymous, try gathering data that allows you to sort by certain types of customers. Perhaps you can do this based on how long they've been a customer, if it was their first time attending the event. Sorting this way may help you gain more insight to the feedback they provided. 2. Don't get offended. Nigerians can be comics sometimes and deliberately make degrading comments on your form which can easily turn you off , but don't get discouraged don't write off any negative comments as "trolls" or "bad belle". Remember that this information is very useful to you in the long run. 3. Don't just pay attention to what went wrong. Be sure to include a section that gathers positive feedback too, so you know what you're doing right. You may be thinking of changing some aspect of the event, but you may not realize that it's something your attendees appreciate. Ask a question "what was the best part of the event?", or "what makes you want to attend each year?" 4. Look for trends. Use social media nairaland and co then pay close attention to what everyone is saying and "obey", if everyone says the event shouldn't be held on a Monday, listen to them. 5. Use the data right away. Nigerians react to trends too so don't just take what you've learned about this one event and save the changes for next year. Apply it immediately to your next event, or event your own job. You may find out something in the way you plan, and may want to change something. Remember that feedback is a great tool, so be sure to use it wisely, and as often as you can (knowing that not everyone will fill out the feedback survey) It can immensely help your customer service experience at your company, and make for a more positive impact at your events. Last but not least, be sure to thank your attendees for taking the time to give you feedback. |
The Comedian And The Butterfly If you’re a perfectionist like me, you’ve probably struggled with this fear of failure on far-too-many occasions. Most people think fear of failure only applies to stage fright, but this isn’t the case. It affects your writing, performing, and marketing efforts. In this article, I’m going to address how the fear of failure takes us out of a creative flow. How does worry of failure affect your writing? If you’ve read any of my articles on the importance of creativity in stand- up comedy, you’ve been introduced to the idea of “differentiation.” That is, the ability to be different from all the other comedians working today. Without it, you’re set blends into the 20 other sets that an audience saw the same night. But once you differentiate yourself, fans start seeking YOU out. If differentiating yourself is important, what does that imply? It implies that you must be unique and different. In short, you need to try new ideas out that other comedians aren’t doing. If you have a fear of failure, you’re simply not going to take this action. Unfortunately, the best way to break through a fear of failure is by blending into the crowd and doing what everyone else is doing. If you don’t stand out, there’s very little chance of doing something “dumb” or “embarrassing.” But there’s also ZERO chance of doing something amazing, which is exactly what the audience remembers at the end of a show. This same principle applies to your actual performances . Are you scared of moving off-script? I’ll tell you from experience, the times I’ve improvised on stage have been some of the most memorable moments of my performances. But how does having a fear of failure take you out of flow? First, you continually destroy your momentum . Would you be an effective stand- up comedy writer if someone busted into your room every 2 minutes and asked “bros how far?” Of course not. But most comedians do this to themselves constantly. Every time you break your momentum it takes time to get back into it. When there’s fear of failure (specifically, when you continually ask yourself questions due to fear) you interrupt your momentum. In fact, it becomes almost impossible to build momentum because every time you think of a new joke/line/etc. it instantly gives you something new to worry about, which stops your momentum yet again. If creativity is 5 gear in your car then asking yourself “worry questions” is like jamming it into 1 gear on the highway. Second, these questions continually distract yourself from your work. If you’re asking yourself “worry questions” than you’re not actually thinking about comedy… you’re thinking about fear. If you spend an hour writing comedy and 45 minutes of it worrying and analyzing yourself then you didn’t spend an hour working on comedy… you spent 15 minutes (actually, it’s lower because you interrupted your momentum and had to keep rebuilding it). Last, fear of failure makes the process of writing NO FUN! If a comedian doesn’t have fun writing their comedy, what’s the chances that the audience will actually enjoy it? It’s extremely low. Isn’t it true that the jokes and bits that you had the most fun writing were also the ones that the audience enjoys the most? It’s not a coincidence. How can you have fun while you’re continually second- guessing yourself? Is there any activity that you enjoy where you do continually worry about failure? Probably not. That’s because it’s impossible to get into flow when you’re worried about failure. |
How to Write Broadcast Scripts For Radio How to Write Broadcast Scripts. Broadcast scripts are meant to be heard and should be easy to read. As a writer, it is your duty to make your script friendly to both the listening audience and the people reading the script out loud. Follow these basic guidelines for writing a broadcast script. Instructions (1)The writing should be casual and conversational. Broadcast writing is aimed toward the listener. (2) Create an outline, listing the highlights and main points of the story. (3) Write the introduction. This should introduce the story to the listener in an entertaining way, to "hook" them into listening to the rest of the story. (4) Write the body. Include all necessary facts and figures and touch on all highlights. Broadcast stories are typically 100 to 300 words, based on the amount of time dedicated to the story. 100 words equates to approximately 30 seconds of air time. (5.) Write a conclusion. This will wrap up the story in a clear manner. (6.) Format your script in accordance with basic broadcast script guidelines which are available online or at the library. (7.) Edit the script for grammatical and factual errors. Present to a copy-editor that can find mistakes you overlooked. |
How To Appraise A restaurant How do you make money from a restaurant? You can make money from opening 3 road side restaurants,selling them when they have bumped up in value and target inputing your flavour into an existing franchise, its not rocket science there are many illiterates and low scale SMEs that have benefitted from such exercises, mama cass and calabar kitchen are a few examples off the top of my head. however, a restaurant may be appraised by a prospective buyer. There are several reasons for appraising a restaurant, along with many nuances to the appraisal itself. Let's review how a prospective buyer can appraise a restaurant for purchase. There are three general ways that restaurants' sale prices are established: based on profits, assets, or "key costs," referring to its location and value. The buyer should be aware of whether the restaurant is making a profit and what furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E) are included in the sale. If a restaurant is profitable, a buyer can take a financial approach to the appraisal. If the restaurant is not turning a profit, it still has value in its equipment. In some cases, a restaurant is sold for key costs: its location, property etc Keys to appraising your restaurant FOR PROFITABLE RESTAURANTS Dust up on your book keeping Thoroughly review all books and records. Review all the financial data available. This includes a minimum of the past three years' returns (after tax and levies especially in lagos), profit and loss statements, and any additional records of cash sales ,cost of goods sold (COG) is usually around 20 to 40 percent of revenues depending on the type of restaurant. Gather the Pakos Obtain a list of all furniture and equipment that will be included in the sale price. Although the value depends on the annual profits, the restaurant however loses value when customers stand to eat or seat on the window or wash their hands with the same water you just used to soak a pot of rice, no way not even if you are iya basira Settle the arrears Knowing about real estate in nigeria especially lagos, you have to review the entire lease thoroughly before signing it. Understand the annual rate and any common area maintenance (CAM) fees, along with any other charges and fees. Also, review the term and option to extend. Check out your annual profits Use a multiplier of the annual profits to determine the restaurant's value. In a good economy, the rule of thumb for profitable restaurant value is two to three times the restaurant's annual profits (or discretionary earnings) plus inventory. In a bad economy, it is more likely a 1.5 to 2 multiple of discretionary earnings plus inventory don't worryits more of a hands on approach exercise it won't be a problem to learn when the time comes. FOR UNPROFITABLE RESTAURANTS Examine the hood, floor drains, three-part sink and permitted refrigerator units to make sure they are functioning. The restaurant industry is probably one of the few industries where you can sell a business that isn't making a profit, as the biggest barrier to entry is the initial build-out cost. A restaurant will sell for its permitted and functioning equipment or sometimes for its location and entitlement to operate at that location. Restaurant staff is an asset too. Don't overlook the employees; they are often an important asset to consider too. Get a good understanding of their salary and benefit structure. Make a thorough review of the lease or the real estate purchase agreement. Make sure all licenses are in order, before you sign any binding agreements. |
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naijaspice:[url=http://koboheights.page.tl/%23BrainExplosion.htm]#BrainExplosion[/url] I think that will be a very good business choice |
[url=http://koboheights.page.tl/%23BrainExplosion.htm]#BrainExplosion[/url] @peter my guy no mind them jo na why I bought an aston martin instead
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[url=http://koboheights.page.tl/%23BrainExplosion.htm]#BrainExplosion[/url] I concur with mr.president how you go make am no.6 when no.1 dey there make una take una time o |
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ah oga na so you hate the op reach? Make e dey do eye witness so stray bullet to hit am for head abi? Abeg op lay low o
that's why they are there(just kidding)
@peter my guy no mind them jo na why I bought an aston martin instead