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Culture / Re: 6 Hustles Dominated By Hausa/fulani Tribe In Lagos (pictures) by OBALORLA(m): 8:43pm On Mar 11, 2019
lyriclekidd:
These dirty Hausas neater you say?? People wey fit go months without bathing.
I'm not sure about that but to an extent, they make their wares more appealing.
Culture / Re: 6 Hustles Dominated By Hausa/fulani Tribe In Lagos (pictures) by OBALORLA(m): 8:42pm On Mar 11, 2019
Oluwasaeon:
Nail cutter.
True!
How on earth did I miss that?!
Culture / 6 Hustles Dominated By Hausa/fulani Tribe In Lagos (pictures) by OBALORLA(m): 8:25pm On Mar 11, 2019
Okada

No one can actually point to the exact time the invasion started, but their emergence can easily be tied to the introduction of the Bajaj motorcycles.

Ma-Shai

These mini restaurants which rapidly grew in Lagos like an epidemic have grown to become the breakfast and dinner option for lower class Nigerians, as they are treated to a superbly made tea with bread and eggs in the mornings, while the trio of noodles, eggs, and tea run the nights.

Fried Yam

This used to be formerly dominated by the Togos, Ghanaians and even Yorubas and Igbos. Then Gboom! The amazing folks from the north innovated the trade by making it more appealing with the introduction of toppings like Turkey, Chicken, and Gizzard. Some even go as far as adding sausage. Then there’s a special sauce they sprinkle on the yam which tastes really amazing. It’s called Yaji.

Suya

Point me to a Yoruba or Igbo who sells Suya and I’d show you a Biro with white ink. Since I’ve been born, I’m yet to buy Suya from any other tribe.


Fruits

The same story of innovation which brought about the displacement of Yoruba and Igbo fried yam sellers disrupted the fruits market too. These guys simply were neater and focused on better distribution strategy by selling their wares using wheelbarrows.

Bureau De Change

Just like Suya, The Hausa/Fulani tribe have completely dominated this sphere since I was born.

Source: http://deedeesblog.com/6-hustles-dominated-by-hausa-fulani-tribe-in-lagos/
Jobs/Vacancies / A Smart Dispatch Rider Needed In Lagos by OBALORLA(m): 3:42pm On Feb 17, 2019
Printivo.com currently needs a SMART DISPATCH RIDER in her Head office in Lagos. This individual will play a vital role in helping with the delivering of print items to her customers.



This person has to be Smart, Fluent in English Language and Emotionally intelligent.
The salary is attractive and the job comes with other benefits such as HMO, and Free daily Lunch


Does this look like something YOU CAN DO or DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO CAN?

Please send your CV with the title DISPATCH RIDER to careers@printivo.com right away.
Travel / Re: Nigeria’s Stolen Artifacts May Return, But Not In Our Era by OBALORLA(m): 9:04pm On Feb 13, 2019
This is a well written piece which I'm sure the Nairaland community will find interesting to debate.
Lalasticlala can help do the magic.
Travel / Re: Nigeria’s Stolen Artifacts May Return, But Not In Our Era by OBALORLA(m): 9:02pm On Feb 13, 2019
femmix112:
abeg o it shuld o

We all pray it does, but it's just very unlikely.
Travel / Nigeria’s Stolen Artifacts May Return, But Not In Our Era by OBALORLA(m): 6:24pm On Feb 13, 2019
“Attention, please. Passengers on Air Peace flight P47131 to Lagos will be delayed for 40 minutes due to… ” The familiar barely-audible feminine voice informed us. I sank into my chair at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, and unlocked my phone to catch up with all I’d missed from the news. The first headline my eyes caught was from Quartz Africa, and it read:


After 120 years, Nigeria’s stolen art could be returning home from Britain—but only on loan.


The happiness I felt was quickly subdued after a calm digestion of the clause attached to this headline. My anger reemerged with my mind filled with a torrent of questions, ones whose answers could only be answered by the past.

1897, when it all started

In a bid to maintain his independence and seal Benin off from the control of the Europeans, Oba Ovonramwen, who was the last independent king of the 500-year-old kingdom of Benin, imposed customs duties on goods leaving the Benin territory (which at the time was one of the wealthiest territories in terms of human and natural resources in Nigeria). But this fell on the wrong side of the British invaders who in a bid to put a stop to this, sacked the city, burned and killed, before making away with thousands of bronze pieces and other valuable treasures. These stolen valuables were later handed to the British government, who engaged in numerous exchanges and dealings with numerous countries in other continents. These artifacts have mostly ended up in many parts of Europe and America.

This occurrence has since left a dent in the hearts of Nigerians, especially the Benin people, thereby bringing about the many meetings, pleas and relentless persuasions rendered by the Benin Dialogue Group (a multi-lateral collaborative working group that brings together museum representatives from Austria, Germany, The Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom with key representatives from Nigeria).

Like a typical Igbo man hoping for a male heir, the goal was to ensure that some of the most iconic pieces held abroad, especially at the British museum, are returned on a temporary basis to form an exhibition at the new Benin Royal Museum in Edo State within three years.


But what if they aren’t returned?

You see, wars and tribulations have never been strange to Africa (a good example is the Yoruba tribe). Villages and territories waged wars (just and unjust) against one another over and over. Conquerors would go home with slaves and the pricey properties of the vanquished. Life continued. And never had it been heard that the descendants of the defeated clamored for what they lost during the war that happened before they were born.

Other African countries (like Ghana, Ethiopia and Egypt) too had their fair share of this misfortune, but most (if not all) of them shrugged it off by focusing on the portions of their heritage they had control over.

Algeria, in 2017, recorded more than 2 million tourists, an increase of 19% compared to 2015, after the establishment of a national confederation in 2015, the aim of which was to awaken the Algerian tourist industry and attract more foreigners to Algeria. Ethiopia has tripled the size of its main airport as its gets set to be Africa’s gateway hub.


How easy is it for us to catch on?

Somewhat easy!

Just like we did to slavery by focusing on the now (even though the past still hurts), we need to resuscitate our tourism potential by looking into other avenues we haven’t explored.


The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.


Energies channeled into pressuring foreign bodies to return our stolen artifact can alternatively be geared toward pestering the state, local and federal government so that basic amenities such as roads, electricity and proper remuneration for workers in the tourism sectors are made readily available.

We then need to let go of the past.

I’m talking about abolishing unreasonable practices like disallowing the taking of pictures in tourist attractions (especially in museums). I doubt we’d have been this interested in getting our stolen artefacts back if the countries who took them hid them from the media. It’s even more interesting when you realize that one of the highest grossing movies of 2018 had a scene acted inside a museum.

I’m taking about encouraging secondary school and university students to understand our history (especially that of these stolen items) then going a step further by encouraging them produce even better sculptures and carvings with the help of modern technology.


I’m charging you to contribute your quota into reviving Nigeria as a whole. It costs the average of ₦200 to see any museum in Nigeria. Take a day off and go see the remaining of these amazing works of art before they get looted again. In The Lion King, when Rafiki hit Simba in the head with a stick:

Simba: Ow! jeez, what was that for?

Rafiki: It doesn’t matter. It’s in the past

Simba: Yeah, but it still hurts.

Rafiki: Oh yes, the past can hurt. But from the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it.



“Attention, please. Passengers on Air Peace flight p47131 to Lagos should proceed to check in.”

I plugged my earpiece into my ears, joined other commuters destined for Lagos, and hoped never to worry about this again. But a few minutes into the journey, the thoughts, like a bad habit, crept in slowly again.


About Tunde Phillips
Phillips Tunde is a Tourism promoter who (through well-thought-out contents) seeks to redefine the perception of Africans towards travel.
Tunde enjoys playing with cameras and washing plates. He’s available for promoting destinations as well as private consultations. You can reach him via www.nomadicnegro.com



Source: https://www.bellanaija.com/2019/02/phillips-tunde-nigerias-stolen-art/

Travel / Re: Inside Lufasi Nature Park, Lekki-Epe Expressway (Photos) by OBALORLA(m): 12:52pm On Jan 19, 2019
seedsower:


Education is good sha, otherwise why will I leave my village come lagos go pay someone to enter bush?


park noun [ C ] uk ​ /pɑːk/ us ​ /pɑːrk/ i. A1 a large area of land with grass and trees, usually surrounded by fences or walls, and specially arranged so that people can walk in it for pleasure or children can play in it: Central Park.

1 Like

Travel / Re: Inside Lufasi Nature Park, Lekki-Epe Expressway (Photos) by OBALORLA(m): 12:45pm On Jan 19, 2019
richiepolymer:
Is this a park truly? I can't see anything worth calling it a park from the pictures seen so far.
Upload more pictures if any. Is it just one monkey in the park? No other animals?

[b]park noun [ C ] uk ​ /pɑːk/ us ​ /pɑːrk/ i. A1 a large area of land with grass and trees, usually surrounded by fences or walls, and specially arranged so that people can walk in it for pleasure or children can play in it: Central Park.[b]

You might want to see a zoo.

1 Like

Travel / Re: Inside Lufasi Nature Park, Lekki-Epe Expressway (Photos) by OBALORLA(m): 10:13am On Jan 18, 2019
Lalasticlala,
I think a couple of people might find this helpful!
There are no snakes though. Just monkeys and horses. grin

20 Likes

Travel / Re: Inside Lufasi Nature Park, Lekki-Epe Expressway (Photos) by OBALORLA(m): 10:10am On Jan 18, 2019
We were 10 in number.
I have 10 tickets in that picture too.

suyamasta:
Beautiful na, I saw it first on spice destination on spice tv,
But what is the 10k for I thought it's 1k Im seeing on the ticket?

9 Likes 3 Shares

Travel / Inside Lufasi Nature Park, Lekki-Epe Expressway (Photos) by OBALORLA(m): 6:02pm On Jan 17, 2019
If You've Never Been To Lufasi Nature Park, Here Is What It Looks Like (pics)

Before diving deeper, here are a few things you should know about Lufasi Nature Park

LUFASI is an urban forest created for people to connect and interact with nature.


LUFASI sits on 20 hectares of land at the Majek area (Km 41) along the Lekki-Epe Express Way. It houses species like the Ekki “Iron Wood” tree (Lophira Alata), the critically endangered Hooded Vulture (Necrosyrtes Monachus) and the African Pied Hornbill (Tockus fasciatus).



The park is opened all year round and the opening times are as follows:

Weekdays & Saturdays (including Public Holidays) – 9:00am to 6:00pm
Sundays – 12:00pm to 6:00pm

Gate Fees:

Children – 500 Naira
Adults – 1000 Naira.



The Journey
Since it was a team of 10, I opted for a taxify cab instead of renting a bus which might cost more. Lufasi is really far from Onipanu (our departure point) so it’s just logical we set out early.

We Left around our converging point some minutes past 1pm and by 3:30, we were already honking at the main gate of the park.



The large smile accompanying the “welcome to Lufasi park” by the gate man gave me the first conviction that I’ve made the right choice.



Beside the car park (which is the first space on the right side of park once you enter) is the reception which was clad in bamboo trees. It reminded me of my adventures at Idanre Hills, only that this reception is smaller and the receptionist seems to be more professional.

I made the required payment of N10,000 in cash even thought there an option of POS. This payment granted us access to the facility and also a dedicated tour guide.



Now the team had to decide which should come first: a tour round the park or their discussion.

Majority went for the tour, so I fetched our assigned guide (a lady who I figured would be in her mid twenties). She wasn’t rude, in fact she went all out to ensure we found a superb space for the team.




In no time, the tour began. While our guide explained calmly all we needed to know about the 4-year-old park while I froze every interesting moment with my 50mm camera lens.



The Anatomy Of Lufasi Nature Park
The park is stylishly divided into 3 and the parts include:



1. The Reception area and car park

As earlier explained, this part is where every visitor gets to first see before accessing other parts of the park. The toilet (a considerably neat one) also belongs to this part.



2. The play area

This portion played host to the Chickens and tortoise spaces. The horse rescue centre and table games section stood on the left, directly opposite the children’s play ground, and a beach sand field for soccer. Far ahead was the cage of the monkeys (with a dedicated guide who explained in dept all the team needed to know about the ever lively mammals).











3. The fields

Stretching farther into the park is a large expanse of land featuring the artificial lake, a mini football field and the Ekki forest.





How Best to use Lufasi Nature Park
Couples quiet time

Lufasi is one of the cutest places to have a private time with your better half if you are tired of doing eateries and malls. the gentle whistling of the breeze and naturally cool atmosphere will sure blow your mind.

Children’s timeout

The safety of this park is what makes it really cool for Children, as they can get to learn about nature and as well have an amazing time on the playground for as long as they want.



Movie shoot

Not only did we encounter people who came to shoot a scene or two of a music video, we saw Reekado Banks, a popular Nigerian hip hop artist who also was around for a shoot, using another portion of the Park.

Family picnic

At every point in Lufasi Nature Park are stylishly designed sitting areas suitable enough for families to comfortably have a fun time without any disturbance whatsoever form other fun-seekers or the environmental pollution on the streets of Lagos.

Tips On having An Amazing Time

Go with people. It’s fun.
Wear Comfortable (long) clothes so as to prevent the flying insects
Go with Good DSLR camera (a good camera phone will do too)
Hire a cab or bus because you might be too tired after the tour to start jumping buses.
That’s it all for now.


Source: https://nomadicnegro.com/lufasi-nature-park-pictures/

35 Likes 7 Shares

Jobs/Vacancies / Sales Liason Executive In Abuja by OBALORLA(m): 1:22pm On Nov 22, 2018
Printivo.com currently needs a Sales Marketing Executive in her new office in Abuja. This individual will play a vital role in implementing Printivo’s growth strategy through public and private partnerships and also increasing the vibrancy of the company's Abuja office.



Roles and Responsibilities



It will take a creative approach to build the growth pipeline necessary to accelerate Printivo’s impact.



As Liason/Expansion Executive



Work with and report to the Head of Growth & Partnerships and directly report to the Team Lead Marketing by advancing partnership opportunities and execute strategies for engaging governments, bilateral and multilateral organizations, foundations and private entities including Big B2B Companies, SMEs and Startups.



Developing budgets for public and private partnerships around Printivo operations.
Identify and create opportunities for Printivo to raise awareness of its services, products across the Abuja Market.
Establish relationships with public sector stakeholders in Abuja.



As Sales Executive



Manage and optimise Sales process to customer acquisition process including acquiring new customers via following up on leads and developing new leads for both our B2B and B2C Clients.
Produce regular reports tracking the new acquisitions made monthly by sectors.
Proactively manage, support, advice a portfolio of existing SME customers based in Nigeria, predominantly over the phone and via e-mail
Serve as the first point of contact for Printivo, predominantly over the phone, walk-in, meetings and via email.
Deliver an exceptional customer experience and have deep product knowledge to create a seamless customer experience
Grow existing single office accounts into multi-office / multi-country customers.


About you



Organizational skills and follow-through – you enjoy multitasking and have an ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
Self-starter with a demonstrated ability to work on a team, as well as independently in the planning and execution of tasks from start to finish
Excellent written and oral communications skills.
Solid analytical skills with a deep interest in numbers
Open to challenges and solution oriented




Qualifications



Bachelor’s Degree required .
Strong project management and organizational skills, including the ability to manage multiple priorities in a complex environment.


Does this look like something YOU CAN REALLY DO?

If yes send a mail containing your CV and cover letter with the title Sales Liason Executive In Abuja to careers@printivo.com right away.
Investment / Cowrywise Ios App: A Journey To Freedom by OBALORLA(m): 9:00am On Oct 26, 2018
At the start of our journey as an investment platform for African millennials, we set out with a goal to drive financial freedom by democratizing access to wealth management tools, so as to help more people take charge of their personal finance. This goal has been the bedrock of all decisions we have made so far as a firm and has continually kept us focused on providing an inclusive service.

Hence, we considered it a big deal when users of Cowrywise expressed their desire to access our services from the comfort of their phones. With the rising number of smartphone users in Nigeria, we knew we had to put the Cowrywise app on their phones by all means.

Our response to this was to build a friendly mobile app for users to enjoy the best investment experience. We launched the Android app first and it enjoyed massive acceptance from existing and new users. Despite the successful launch of our Android app, we knew the journey was not complete as we still had iOS users to serve.


Not investing yet? Start Here
To improve flexible access to our services, the product team dedicated quality time to designing a beautiful experience boxed in an app for our iOS users. So, we are glad to announce to you that everyone can finally save and invest from anyWARE (yes, we typed that on purpose). You can download the app here, or invite an iOS friend to try it out, and also share what you love about the app using #CowrywiseFam on any social media platform.


How to start your investment journey?
The launch of the iOS app is more than just putting an app out there to us, it is about sustaining the progress of an inclusive journey that will see to the building of Africa’s New Money. Now that we are done with this stage of the journey, we look forward to churning out more product features that will assist with your individual quests to build wealth.

Travel / Re: 20 Unbelievable Ways Cotonou Is Different From Lagos (Pictures) by OBALORLA(m): 12:33pm On Oct 09, 2018
Azeola:
I like this man's @ nomadicnegro / obalola adventures and the way he presents/shares them....being following your post for long time
Thanks for the kind words fam.
Travel / Re: 20 Unbelievable Ways Cotonou Is Different From Lagos (Pictures) by OBALORLA(m): 8:34pm On Oct 07, 2018
Lalasticlala help tame this snake
Travel / Re: 20 Unbelievable Ways Cotonou Is Different From Lagos (Pictures) by OBALORLA(m): 12:33pm On Oct 07, 2018
DebTem:
I'm proud of my country.








grin
You from Benin Republic?

12 Likes 1 Share

Travel / 20 Unbelievable Ways Cotonou Is Different From Lagos (Pictures) by OBALORLA(m): 11:55am On Oct 07, 2018

Benin Republic (Originally ruled by the kingdom of Dahomey) through a treaty signed by Glele during his rule in May 19, 1868 was ceded to France before the French Navy occupied the city in 1883 to prevent the British from conquering the area.

58 years after gaining independence, a lot of things have obviously changed as Benin republic has had to undergo rapid phases of development largely due to the invasion by the French.

I paid a very close attention to the City of Cotonou during my weekend getaway and did a mental comparison between its fascinating peculiarities and that of Lagos- Nigeria’s most popular city.

Here are 10 Unbelievable ways Cotonou is different from Lagos.


Transport
1. Bikes (popularly called Taxi-Moto) is the most popular means of transportation in Cotonou. Though there are private cars, tricycles, buses and taxis, but the volume of Taxi-motos far outnumbers them.

A typical Taxi-moto parked beside a typical public bus in Benin republic.

2. The official uniform for bikers is either green or yellow. This contributed immensely to the appeal it brought to the highways in general. And more ladies ride bikes compared to Lagos. Though I didn’t encounter any commercial female biker, I saw tons of ladies ride bikes comfortably and as good as their male counterparts.

3. The use of helmets is common. In Lagos, riders use helmets to evade arrest and pull it off once they away from traffic authorities, but in Cotonou, bike riders seemed to know the importance of using helmets every time they are on the road.



4. The number plate of vehicles and motorcycles in Cotonou have just 6 characters, making it very appealing and easier to memorize. Compared to that of Lagos with as much as 8 characters.



Currency
5. The CFA is the standard monetary unit in Benin republic. This colourful bank notes and coins Popularly pronounced as ‘sefar’ are weaker to the Naira at the rate of 1.50 CFA to 1 Naira.




6. Coins are still very much in use and the highest denomination of coins is 500 CFA and the lowest coin being 50 CFA. 20,000 CFA is the highest bank-note in Benin Republic.

7. Unlike what is a major practice in tons of countries around the world, There are no images of any national hero on any of the currencies in Benin Republic. This I suspect is due to the fact that the CFA is jointly spent by 14 countries formerly ruled by the French.



Language
8. The official language is french Fon, Egun and Yoruba are popular indigenous languages used in Cotonou. It was a bitter-sweet experience for me to cope with buying things and asking for directions as a large fraction of the people speak French.


Housing
9. If you’ve been used to the 1 minimum year down-payment style of house letting in Lagos (a style I think adds to the accommodation problems in the city), it’s kind of different in Cotonou as landlords popularly let houses for as short as 1 month like what’s obtainable in Europe. Most of these houses too are already furnished, needing you to only bring in few personal belongings.

10. Almost all the buildings in Cotonou are roofless (let me put it at 9 out of every 10), unlike in Nigeria where roofing is popular. Most houses use these roofless tops creatively for stuffs like gym, mini swimming pools, laundry lines etc.

11. In Cotonou, you’d get taxed if you paint your building. Everyone is advised to use tiles instead. So stop wondering why the best tilers in west Africa are from Benin. This is kind of funny but it’s true.



Environment
12. Compared to Lagos, the streets are generally wider and mostly untarred. hardly will you also find streets with Gutters.


A typical Street in Benin Republic

13. The electric socket in Benin Repubic according to world standards is of the type C / E which is of 220V, 50 Hz compared to that of Nigeria which is type C / E of 230V, 50 Hz. I had to spend 200 CFA in getting a multi socket plug to enable me use my laptop.


Costs 200 CFA


14. There’s as many churches as there are mosques and shrines. The funny thing is that there is s huge catholic church right in front of the popular Snake Temple in Ouidah.

15. Pubs and strip clubs are almost available in every corner. I was at one of the clubs on my first night and unlike the shanawole and casket lifestyle of the Lagos club houses, things are far more calm and serene in Cotounou. I wasn’t too surprised when more than half of the songs played are from Nigeria, same thing in Accra.

16. Ankara is the official wear. there’s no such thing as preserving it till Fridays and Owambes.

Economy
17. It’s obvious the country isn’t rich but have managed to remain modest.

18. The most popular bank is Bank of Africa while The most popular mobile telecommunication network is Moove, closely followed by MTN and far behind is Glo.


A zoom sim card I bought for 1,000 CFA,. That’s approximately N650


19. Suya sellers are neater, but might need to ask for tasting before you’re being spared a slice. and instead of newspapers, thick brown papers are used instead.

20. popular street foods include:

Acheke: A combo of cassava grains, Fish, vegetable and beans.


Costs 300 CFA per plate. That’s like N200

Adepe: smoked tiny snails
Baguette: the most popular of them is a long bread without sugar you must have seen in some parts of Lagos.

Did you find this insightful or interesting? Please I’d love to read your opinion through the comment box below.

Source: https://nomadicnegro.com/facts-about-benin-republic/

143 Likes 6 Shares

Business / Ten Smart Ways To Market Your Small Business This Month by OBALORLA(m): 11:21am On Sep 15, 2018
1. Have a Brand

Your business needs a face and an identity. This is very crucial and obviously the first thing you need to do once you know you’re in business. Work extensively on how you want to be seen and perceived. Have a professional logo tailored for your brand.

2. Go Social

Many small business today still don’t have presence on social media. If you are building a business today without social media presence, you are doing it wrong. Get on the platform that is relevant to your business. For example, if you are into food, fashion, design or any other image driven business, you can’t afford not to be on Instagram.

3. Get a Website

It’s cheaper today to get website than it was three years ago. Get a website right as soon as possible. This will help your business get found on the internet. The internet today is loaded with cheap ways to get great looking website.

4. Use Flyers and Brochures

People believe what they can touch and feel. This is one reason you must never play with the power of print marketing. Create stunning flyers and brochures for your business and hand them out using every opportunity you find. Flyers and brochures help had tangibility to your brand.

5. Attend Networking Events

Connect with other business owners at events, this is very important but usually overlooked. The larger your network, the more opportunity you create for your business.

6. Make Your Customers Your Best Evangelists

If your service is good, customers will tell other potential customer, if it’s exceptional, they will shout and sing about it. Ensure you delivery the very best and then encourage your customers to share and tell friends about your company. The best form of marketing is the one your customers are doing for you.


7. The Business Cards is Still A Magical Tool.

The business card remains a relevant tool in marketing. Every time you hand out your business cards, you telling people “This is what I do and I am very serious about it”. Beyond adding tangibility to your brand. It is a great form of communication. Ensure you have relevant information on your business cards to drive more engagement.

8. Use Email Marketing Like A Boss

The guys at Café Neo is obviously the only food brand doing it right for now. Café Neo take your email the first time you place an order and then every time you walk into their outlet, your email is used for your receipt and not just that, they will send you great information on how you can make the best out of your coffee. Now that’s how to keep your customers close

9. List Your Business on Directories

You want to be ensure every time people search for our or services related to what you do, they find you first before finding your competition. This is why listing your business everywhere is a no-brainer.


10. Think Globally.

Today’s business environment is beyond your geographical territory. The internet presents great ways to market your services to people currently within your physical reach. Use every means possible and position your business to receive sales from everywhere.

Source: https://printivo.com/blog/ten-smart-ways-to-market-your-small-business-this-month/
Business / Seven Simple Marketing Tips Often Overlooked By Small Business by OBALORLA(m): 9:48am On Sep 12, 2018
Over the years, we’ve had had the opportunity of printing marketing materials for small business owners. During these interactions, we’ve come to understand that the hardest thing for them is attracting their first set of customers.

We of course know how hard this can be, and this was what prompted us into putting together these seven tips every small business (irrespective of the market) will find really helpful when religiously adhered to.



1. Sell Value, Avoid Comparison
Clients need to know what your business brings to the table and why they need to switch from current source to you. Convince them by focusing on your value propositions, this can be done through simple items like snapper frame (if you run a physical office), or even your business cards and social media and web pages.

2. Listen To Your Customer
This famous saying is not just a normal business slogan but the only way to survive, do surveys, call clients, visit them and get feedback. This is how you improve to serve them better. Always remember that it’s not by what you want but what they need. Just so you know, Apple coasted to a $1 Trillion company using this tactic.

3. Market Product Before Launch
Best way to get customers ready and raise awareness of your brand is to begin promotional activities and get customers psyched up before the launch of a new product launch. Hollywood has mastered this act with perfection, if you can get customers waiting in line for your product you can literally set the price.

4. Test fast. Fail fast.
Marketing that you can’t measure is failed marketing. Test EVERYTHING and MEASURE EVERYTHING, that way you can quickly understand your traction channels and steps taken to achieve that traction, analyse and repeat.

5. Advertise using online marketing channels
It’s good to test multiple marketing channels and ideas to see what works best. Marketing is part time science and analytics, you conduct experiments daily via A/B Testing to ensure the right words, colours, pictures, messages, fonts, ideas, strategy are communicated to different multi-faceted customer segments and database and see what works and what doesn’t, and repeat.

6. PR is Gold
When you do PR, it’s brand building and endorsement, it’s good to get heard in the news especially from credible sources which lends credibility , this days it is easy to get in the news, just do something newsworthy.

7. Get customers talking about you
Good or bad, you want to know what your customers are saying. If you don’t provide your customers with a place to complain or praise you, it makes it look like their thoughts and opinions don’t matter, you learn from bad issues and get better with the positives, everything is geared to improve your business. Though you can’t control what people say about you, you can control what you want people to know about you. Ever heard about the blind men and the elephant?

8. Reward Loyalty
Word-of-mouth testimonials and customers who are brand advocates are better than any sales team you could put together so ensure you can at every time know your most loyal customers, ensure you build customer segmentation from Day 1 and reward your best and longest time customers continually, they will sell you.



As earlier stated, these tips will cost you little to nothing to start implementing. Remember, no matter how beautiful the product or service you produce is, it won’t attain the desired height without proper marketing strategies.

https://printivo.com/blog/seven-simple-marketing-tips-often-overlooked-by-small-businesses/
Events / These Are The Most Popular Printing Materials Nigerians Use For Events by OBALORLA(m): 6:31pm On Sep 07, 2018
Do you know that on average, most B2B companies spend roughly 5-8 weeks planning an event? Well, Planning and successfully executing an event (no matter how small), can really make heads ache.



But as arduous as planning a successful event is, some organisers have come to understand the tweaks, tricks and hacks, strong enough to enable them execute event planning as seamless as possible. One major observation about this set of organisers is that they’ve mastered the act of using effectively prints items prior to, during and after every event.

Here are a few of those items and how you can efficiently put them to work for that flawless event you’ve always wanted to organise.

Before Your Event
Prior to your event, the most relevant print tools you need are those most effective in getting the words out there, they include:

Banner
Depending on the style of event, your banner choice has to be carefully chosen. A large backdrop banner will do well outdoor (in an open space such that it can withstand the heat of the sun and won’t falter under the rain). Due to their unique nature and sleekness, either of roll up or tear drop banner will suffice for areas where there aren’t enough room for flex back drop banners.

Flyer
With Banners handling the pleasant job of drawing attention of potential participants, flyers will further convince them by selling the event in a more intimate way. Flyers put the event in their palms.



During Your Event
A lot of organisers go to rest after successfully pulling the desired amount of participants to their event, the smart ones look for ways in ensuring they put to good use the presence of the available participants through tools like:

Backdrop banner
These are large retractable banners which can be used both in or outdoors, depending on the user’s preference.
These banners are best suited for interview or photography backgrounds.

Instagram frame
To keep the conversation going about your event, Instagram frames have turned out to be the best tool, as participants need’nt be told what to do before posing with them and won’t stop until these images are shared.

Roll up banner
Their relevance in events can’t be over emphasised. Roll up banners can further be used in passing messages about your event to the participants

After Your Event

Souvenirs Souvenirs and even more souvenirs !!!

Rewarding participants for gracing events have been a lifelong practice which will not fizzle out (at least not anytime soon). Giving participants souvenirs is one of the smartest ways to earn post-event publicity, items that’d make them (and everyone close to them) long for the next edition.

The most effective ones include, but not limited to:

Branded Aluminium Water bottles
Mouse pad
Custom Notepads
Custom Mugs
Aluminium Water bottles
Flash drive



With all these said, we charge you go forth and organise that’d shake the world.

Source: https://printivo.com/blog/planning-an-event-soon-these-print-products-are-your-allies/#more-884
Travel / Re: I'm Traveling To Cotonou In A Few Weeks. Please I Need Relevant Information by OBALORLA(m): 11:05pm On Sep 04, 2018
Hustlersdiary:



From which part of Lagos.

Get google language translator app cos most people over there don't understand english. They speak French and Egun mostly.

I'm moving from Mile 2.
Travel / Re: I'm Traveling To Cotonou In A Few Weeks. Please I Need Relevant Information by OBALORLA(m): 7:58pm On Sep 04, 2018
Alejoc:
A valid international passport and yellow card for vaccination..... If you don't have that, don't be too bothered... The Benenoise are good at bride taking.... You will have a smooth sail..... Sad but true.... The west African borders corridor is one of the most corrupt you can find anywhere

Thank you.
How best do I get there from Lagos?
Travel / Re: I'm Traveling To Cotonou In A Few Weeks. Please I Need Relevant Information by OBALORLA(m): 7:17pm On Sep 04, 2018
youngest85:
What's your aim and objective of going there?
A weekend get away
Travel / I'm Traveling To Cotonou In A Few Weeks. Please I Need Relevant Information by OBALORLA(m): 7:14pm On Sep 04, 2018
I'd be traveling to Benin republic by the end of the month and I'm in dire need of relevant information. Especially on how to cross the border, accommodation, currency and food.

Thanks in advance for your contribution.
Travel / Re: A Trip With My Girlfriend To Obudu Cattle Ranch (pictures) by OBALORLA(m): 7:45pm On May 17, 2018
pinkgems:
Super informative and an interesting read.

Thank you.


Thanks for bothering to read my narrative pinkgems.
Please subscribe to my blog (www.nomadicnegro.com) for free to always get reports on all my future trips.
Travel / Re: A Trip With My Girlfriend To Obudu Cattle Ranch (pictures) by OBALORLA(m): 1:09pm On May 15, 2018
dnwabz:
Kudos Op for the write up.... It was so beautifully put together(unfortunately most people never noticed it)... Guess you were a good Literature student during your school days.... Honestly the beauty of your writting made it captivating.... Thumbs up

I'm honestly humbled by your admiration.
The last literature class I actuallly took was in Jss3/Ss1 when we read story books.

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