Lanceslot:
The scam industry that created mouth watering jobs for the citizens and non citizens of this country. Its about time we start appreciating what we have.

what mouth watering jobs? This dude is funny.

When we eventually launch our startup, the first thing most entrepreneurs are worried about is how to go from small to big- how to take over the market and how the business will expand and reach more people.

We know that before investors can take a look at our startup, they need to see some sort of traction and the ability for the business to grow.

So we fall into this trap of worrying too much on expansion- "oh we need to 2X our market share" "we need to reach those on the east coast and not forgetting the west coast".

We get so carried away be this type of growth (expansion) that we eventually run out of business the way home joy did.

Most businesses fail not because the idea wasn't awesome nor because it doesn't resonate with a lot of people, but because the business model is terrible.

Home joy got so carried away with growth that they invested in getting new customers and forgot about retention. They offered discounts, did a lot of promos to get customers. Not only did these promos cost them a lot of money, they weren't able to keep them.

Once a customer, uses their services, they never came back and that was how a startup that had crazy potentials crashed.

Growth is not the most important thing in a business

SO WHAT SHOULD YOU WORRY ABOUT?

Instead of worrying about going big (expansion) worry about staying small (retention), because, small is the new big. Carve out a niche for your startup, tell that niche (or tribe) a good story about your business (it might be the way you answer phone calls or the way you shake their hands or how clean your toilet seats are or anything awesome).

Then the next thing to do is respect your tribe/niche/market. Take your customers seriously. Do all you can to make sure they come back. Focus more on keeping your current customers than pitching new ones. It is easier for you to convince old customers than new ones.

The best kind of growth is RETENTION and not EXPANSION

And you know another reason why Retention is better than expansion as a small biz owner or a startup is that when you tell a great story and you create a platform where people can easily share the story, your customers will tell their friends about you and those ones will in turn tell others until you eventually become big.

Small is the new BIG

BEFORE YOU GO


You have an awesome idea> carve out your own niche > Tell them a great story that resonates with them > Earn their trust by respecting them > Make sure there is a platform where they can easily tell people about you and your story > They tell their friends> Friends tell other friends> Your startup becomes a BRAND

Source: http://sadiqspeaks.com

The Nigerian entertainment industry (especially the music industry) is a scam. My blog is all about challenging the status quo when it comes to marketing, career development and life so I don't normally write about music even though I am passionate about "good" music.

A lot of BS has been going on in the music industry for quite some time now, that I am sick of. So, I have decided to take a leap and write about it. I'm not sure if this article will change anything or if the "cartel" will get to read it but I'm writing it anyways.

The Music Industry Is Killing Talents And Breeding Fools.

Let me make something clear here before I continue, the music industry is made up of;

*The musical artistes, record labels and labels owners
*Organizers of events and award ceremonies
*Entertainment blogs and bloggers
*OAPs and Djs
AND (You and I) the AUDIENCE. So when I say the music industry, we are not exempted.

If you want to hit it big as an upcoming artiste in Nigeria, you don't need to be excellent (mediocrity is enough). These are the things you need to do;

1) Don't sing good music because "good" music don't sell in Nigeria

2) Go to a fucking recording studio, work with a popular producer, he would sure cook up some goddamn beat for you that will rock your shitty music. "The beat is more important that what you are singing".
Note: Getting a popular producer to work on your song is expensive but don't worry you will "blow." Borrow from your friends and family or steal dammit!

3) Get close to the "Cartel"- those that are ready to spend money on your music. Don't worry it is not that hard to wine and dine with the "cartel" if you did no3 (above) successfully.

4) The "Cartel" will in turn do massive publicity on your shitty music. It will be all over the social media - entertainment and music blogs. And they will also bribe OAPs and Djs they know across various radio stations to play your song.

4b) If no 4 doesn't work, they'd create a controversial story around you and your music - like you just signed with Jay-Z or Sony Entertainment and it will damn sell because our shitty gossip blogs will accept it before they even accept Jesus as their lord and savior.
Our gossip blogs will kindly publish it (without confirming the news) because that's what they do. If the Sony Entertainment gist doesn't work they might pull the dumbest PR stunt ever - that you are fucking dead and then you resurrected (God I love Nigeria).

5) After they have successful forced themselves on us, they become popular, they become brand ambassadors and graced shitty awards ceremonies and they become super stars that are too busy to Retweet your mentions on twitter or lecture you on how they worked their ass off to get where they are.

That is the summary of the day-to-day shit that goes down in the Nigerian music industry. And they have successfully brainwashed us with this shit, that we actually think the shit is the real stuff.

We need to come out of our slumber, wake up and challenge this shit. This shit kills talents. Talents are now scared of going to the studio to record good music because they feel good music no longer sells in Nigeria.

And even if they do, they'd never get airplays (because they do not have money to bribe OAPs and DJs).

The award ceremonies are even worse. It is all part of the scam. You get awards based on how popular your song is and not how good it is. It is all about the money and how close you are to the "cartel."

These guys have no regards for us and that is why you'd hear them say "omo naija people no dey hear good music, na wetin dem like be dis... Na em dey sell". They dictate what we listen to, instead of the other way round.

It is high time we put and end to this shit and re-build the music industry. We have the power to dictate what we want to listen to (and that is not mediocre music). You guys (OAPs and DJs) have the power to create work that matters by promoting good music.

And this is to the talents out there, the ones that are passionate about what you do, keep creating work that matters. Keep doing good music and don't stop connecting with people. There are still reasonable and credible OAPs and DJs that are ready to help and you never can tell until reach out.

Let us start breeding talents and stop breeding fools.

Source: http://sadiqspeaks.com

I tell you. And she wouldn't just lol.

This was the conversation that ensued between I and my mother couple of years ago;

Mum: "I want to get that thing, what is that thing called?"
Me: "Oh that thing, it is called an iPad. What do you need it for ma?" I answered grudgingly as I continued chatting with my friend via BBM.
Mum: "I said I want it and you are asking what I need it for?" "Those that are using it, do they have two heads?" (She had already started raising her voice the way our Afrikan mothers do when they ask us to do something and we'd prefer to do it at our own time).

I was perplexed. She already had an android phone which I even think she doesn't even need (she won't stop stalking me on facebook and whatsapp). The quest to get an iPad is like version 2.0 of what I don't even understand.

Or has my mother secretly learned to write programs or build websites that she desperately needs an iPad to help her work while she is on the move?

Flash forwards to 2015, my mother got an iPad. Yay! *pops champagne* and the iPad has been a "useful" tool to her.

Ever since my mother got an iPad, she hasn't stop taking pictures with it... She became a Photographer that covers weddings of families and friends (free of charge). She would even go as far as record videos (if she is excited).

But the thing is, she (my mother) is not the only one that under utilizes the ipad this way. And nothing irks me more when I see people turn useful (and expensive) gadgets like these into devices used for taking pictures.

This article is not even about my mother because there is nothing in this world I'd tell my her about her under-utilization of the iPad that will change anything.

Instead this article is for entrepreneurs that will just launch their idea without a business model. So many SMEs and Entrepreneurs think that a business model is for only Mega and big businesses. This is soooo wrong! Apart from the fact the business model tracks your revenue and the channels it comes from, it helps you maximize the potential of your business.

A business without a business model is like an iPad that is used as a camera - it will be under-utilized.

Without a business model, you won't know if you can actually get more cash flow and make more from your business.

Without a business model, you won't know the areas/department to strengthen.

Without a business model, you will find it very hard to get investors for your business.

I'd post an article (if I get up to 15 emails from people that want me to) on how to go about writing an awesome business model for your business.

Source: http://sadiqspeaks.com

Are you an upcoming artiste (or you know someone) that is interested in radio airplay at a top radio station in Lagos. I can guarantee you minimum of 5 airplays per week for a month at an unbelievable price (in as much as your song is good). Contact me via BBM: 27621DB4 or Whatsapp: 09097554101

PS: Serious peeps only thanks.

mrsage:


Single N20,000. Couple N35,000 ( package includes Hotel Accommodation, Transportation, Feeding, tour guide and entry fees).

You can also sign up via dealdey.com

Ok that's cool

igwemoagbo:
dont just waste your time going there, its nothing to talk about...too far and bad roads...and the place itself is a shadow of its self

When last were u there?

mrsage:


I have more interesting idea. Go for a Packaged tour of Erin ijesha waterfalls.
Theres one coming up from june 27th to 28

Its a trip from Lagos to Erin Ijesha plus feeding, transport, tour guide, hotel etc

Its also affordable

How much is it?

semanose:
It is more interesting if one goes as a group. In my last visit 2 weeks ago, we were 100 in number. For two people the place is a bore. Forget the zoo: Only a baboon. Swimming pool okay. Water side cool. Boat riding is like 2k for four people (no one wanted a ride because we were not sure of the boats). Museum deserted. There are faciliies for activities such as badminton, volley ball and football. There's is a bar too.

Hmm... Thanks a lot for this review. But how much is the gate fee?

sherrylo:


What locals?

@Op its a nice place but if you are coming from a very far place den it's not worth it.

The last time I was there the gate fee was I think 2k for the two of us in the car and that's been some years ago and the single room in case you want to pass the night starts from 15k then.

The distance from the express way to Ilado-Imeke-Iworo down to Epee was the Whispering palms is is very long and the road to the place is not very good.

Hmm. Thanks for the info. And I guess the 2k you paid does not cover all activities like the boat ride, the mini zoo amongst others? My budget is like 10k for the two of us. Do you think that'd be enough to have fun there? Thanks.

motherheart:
heard the place is so beautiful

I heard so too.

waleyp:
i ve an artist he would talk to you and add u up

Alright then... No Problem.

waleyp:
your pin nt correct

Here: 27621DB4. I'm sorry

GogetterMD:
It's a great recreation facility. Serene also. They have a pool, a mini Zoo, the blue ocean, boat ride, a bar, chalets for rent, etc. Gatefee is what I can't remember.
La campagne Tropicana is another great resort on the other end of Lagos, though a tat more expensive

Yeah I've been to La Campagne, its darn too expensive. How much is the gate fee at Whispering Palms and does the gate fee cover all these activities you listed above? Thanks

Hi if you are an upcoming artiste and you need radio airplay. Hit me up on BBM: 27621DB4. You may also send me an email from my NL profile... Only serious guys please.

Hi if you are an upcoming artistes and you need radio airplay. Hit me up on BBM: 27621DB4. You may also send me an email from my NL profile... Only serious guys please.

Pls is there anyone in the house that has been to whispering palms in badagry? I really want to go there with my girlfriend and their website is not really helping matters. I would like for you to share your experiences. The gate fee and other hidden charges, what to expect from the place amongst others. Thanks a lot guys.[/quote]

Pls is there anyone in the house that has been to whispering palms in badagry? I really want to go there with my girlfriend and their website is not really helping matters. I would like for you to share your experiences. The gate fee and other hidden charges, what to expect from the place amongst others. Thanks a lot guys.

E be like na Kings dey mumu now adays oo... 2 weeks ago na Oba of Lagos... Now na dis guy. *smh*

bl33d:
dropping odss courtesy of www.betshoot,com, feel free to modify to suit your green PLEASE
1. 11.04.15 15:00
Budapest Honved FC - Diosgyori Vtk (Away Team Clean Sheet)
Customer type: No @ 1.25
Result:

2. 11.04.15 15:00
West Bromwich Albion - Leicester City (Under/Over 1,5 goals)
Customer type: Over @ 1.30
Result:

3. 11.04.15 15:00
Crewe Alexandra FC - Leyton Orient (First Team Clean Sheet)
Customer type: No @ 1.20
Result:

4. 11.04.15 15:00
Dartford FC - Nuneaton Town FC (First Team Clean Sheet)
Customer type: No @ 1.30
Result:

5. 11.04.15 15:00
Newport County AFC - Bury FC (First Team Clean Sheet)
Customer type: No @ 1.30
Result:

6. 11.04.15 15:00
York City - Hartlepool United (Away Team Clean Sheet)
Customer type: No @ 1.25
Result:

7. 11.04.15 15:00
Morecambe FC - Portsmouth FC (First Team Clean Sheet)
Customer type: No @ 1.30
Result:

8. 11.04.15 15:00
Alloa Athletic - Dumbarton FC (Away Team Clean Sheet)
Customer type: No @ 1.22
Result:

9. 11.04.15 15:00
Brechin City - Stirling Albion (Under/Over 2,5 goals)
Customer type: Over @ 1.50
Result:

Congrats bro

sagebiz:


i think you lost this,it is their number 1 trap and the first law of all betting companies worldwide.I pray God touch their heart & they pay you.

You need to create an account at the bank with the name you registered with.

lygn19:
Gej is a hero... not just an ordinary hero, a very Big one, look at how peaceful d election was despite all d prophecy that there will be wars, interim govt, military take over etc... look at how he congratulated Buhari after his defeat... but look at 2011 and tell us wat happened after Buhari lost, d bloodshed was much....

Why we all acting as if he did us some sort of favor. Was he supposed to start a war or something? Fine he did well by conceding defeat in a calm manner but that doesn't make him no HERO....

Jokay07:
Honestly, I expected nothing less than what Gej did, you lose and you pack out. It's the normal thing to do, this is a gentle man agreement moreso they have signed the agreement which is enough to use against him if he doesn't want to step down. Even if Gej swallows Devil, he wouldn't make any attempt to tamper with peace of the nation when U.S is in position to shove up his ass off the seat and use the chance to invade Nigeria. To me, I think Pdp members are only using it console themselves. Shall we call Governor Alao Akala a Hero because he conceded defeat against Governor Ajimobi in 2011 govesnorship election? If we are to go by what Gej did, then even politician that concedes defeat is a Hero and deserve Noble prize because absence of peace in a state can spread to the entire nation.

Your head is correct. This is not only limited to GEJ. This same thing happens when new roads constructed and Infrastructures are being put in place... then we begin to worship these people using phrases such as "He tried, He built good roads">>> Like is that not his responsibility? Is that why we voted them in?

prettydiva89:
Not for calling Buhari,but by calling Buhari,he averted what would had been bloodshed.
And I guess you understand Heroes are also people who saves life. SO HE IS ONE.


Well if he is not a hero to you,keep it to yourself and stop posting irritative posts here on NL

THANKS

Y'all Know what i just heard? The Chibok girls are back... The people that ‪#‎BokoHaram‬ killed came back to life.... Nigeria's Economy is now stable.... Over 10 million Youths just got great jobs...... All this because GEJ called GMB to congratulate him and conceded defeat in a calm manner. GEJ is a HERO! GEJ deserves a Nobel prize.....

crazysaint:
Sorry i can't waste time to read nonsense. the topic alone tells me its something written by newly mad person.

You are right... I wrote it and I am insane. Glad you read what a mad man wrote (and you understood his words) anyways.

25 years ago, a certain woman traveled to Zimbabwe on a research trip to investigate why girls' school enrollment in rural areas was very low. She discovered that poverty was the road block as opposed to cultural reasons. Families could not afford to buy books or pay school fees for all their children. Instead they sent their male children to school because they stood a better chance of getting a paid job after graduation.

This woman understood how this poverty and exclusion theory affects these girls psychologically and economically, and if girls could be educated, supported by their communities and empowered to shape their own destinies, they could change their communities and nations forever.

She really wanted to help and change the status-quo but she had no money. She struggled and launched grassroots fund-raising campaigns single-handedly, such as selling baked foods and was able to send 32 girls to school successfully. And in the space of 20 years she was able to send over 400,000 children to school.

This woman's name is Ann Cotton and I'm sure you are inspired by her story. Yes, that is the effect heroes or someone that did something heroic has on us.

Heroes are people that go the extra length to create something that matters even when they are not obliged to. Most times they don't get paid for it. They see it as a service to humanity.

We have many other heroes too like Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther king Jr, Mary Slessor e.t.c

And it will only be demeaning and unfair to what heroes stands for if we call every Dick and Harry a Hero.

President Jonathan (A.K.A GEJ) lost the presidential elections to the opposition party and he conceded defeat in a reasonable and calm manner. The elections was free and fair (to some extent) and the country was not in any sort of chaos as many pastors prophesied Nigerians feared.

But all of that doesn't make him a hero and there was nothing heroic about what he did. That was just a normal thing to do. Many even went ahead to say he deserves a Nobel Prize... In what I ask? Some even said he should be immortalized.

I actually thought people were just trying to play pranks or crack crazy jokes as that is synonymous with Nigerians - We tend to create humor around everything, no matter how terrible.

But no, People were darn serious about this hero and super-hero talk. They even went as far as creating hashtags such as #GEJourHero... I think they're are plainly sentimental. Calling GEJ and Hero because he conceded defeat in a calm way is crazy. Is that not the normal and sensible thing to do?

This is just sad and this explains we scream "UP NEPA" when NEPA supplies our houses electricity we are paying for.

If GEJ is a hero for calling Buhari... Then I guess I am a hero too because I just called my pastor and I think I deserve a Nobel prize too.

Source: http://sadiqdaniel..com

Amara25god:
very true, dats d effect of the civil war...my Igbo brothers wakeUp , let's fight for our place...






meanwhile.









we support Uncle Jona for now.....

GEJ till Igbo's produce the next presido

What place are you fighting for? We are all Nigerians. No one is denying nobody nothing. Trying Creating something that matters and I'm sure people will support you regardless of where you are from.

olrotimi:
Saw the title of the article before I got to the main text and....... straight to comments. Total BS.

exact thing i did.... This is sad!

So I stumbled on an article on Facebook yesterday and I was taken aback by the content of the article.

With the advent of technology, it is now very easy to spread news and share ideas without stress... Every Dick and Harry has a blog and they spread news with no restrictions.

But amidst "all of that" I think the standard of genuine journalism should be on a pedestal. I never expected such an article from Vanguard- a respected media house in Nigeria. What was their editor thinking? Perhaps he/she was busy eating fufu while they published the article.

The title of the article is When Will The Igbo Presidency Be? The title of the article alone, let off reading it, triggers and instigates terrible ideas that can bring about war and separation. This kind of article is not meant to be published. Was the Editor naive or did he/she publish this article on purpose?....Articles like this shows the alarming increase in the level of mediocrity in Nigeria journalism.

Below are excerpts from the article;

[b] "Igbo nation needs to re-invent itself, it needs holistic reorientation and strategic repositioning. The Igbo people need political pragmatism to enable them take their authentic political position after the tenure of Ebele Jonathan or Buhari, which is the producing of the Executive President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria."

"Specifically, it is their turn to produce the next President of Nigeria. It was a great disservice to the Igbo course and it is tantamount to cowardice and judgmental fallacy for Igbo leaders to have called and supported the then Third Term Agenda and political escapades of the then President Obasanjo. Indeed, the Pan-Igbo socio-cultural and political organization the Ohaneze Ndigbo, their Governors, Legislators and Igbo leaders were consummately indictable."

"The Igbo people will continue to stew in the political slavery in Nigeria because they cannot take the bull by the horn and drive it out of their political china shop. What a shame! They should however, note that, if they fail to produce the next President after Ebele Jonathan or Buhari, they will continue to dwell in the epicenter of political limbo in Nigeria."[/b]

And considering the fact that we are so gullible in Nigeria, war of words had already started in the comment section long before I finished reading the article.

This is saddening because it is the insane articles like this one that divides and kill the nation, not Ebola nor the #BokoHaram bombs. We need to watch our utterances, think before you say anything or write anything on social media because words are very powerful and they can go a long way in making or breaking people around us.

I believe we can make things work if we connect with each other and put aside our cultural differences.

Source:http://sadiqdaniel..com

PS: You may check out that vanguard's article here http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/03/when-will-the-igbo-presidency-be/

missprecious:
Plz I need corner tips on today match

Napoli vs Atlanta over 8.5 corners @ 1.25
Juventus vs Genoa over 8.5 corners @ 1.45

Those are the only two corner games I can advise you play if you want to play corner