As many successful investors will tell you, “diversification is the key”. A diversified investment portfolio reduces risk and enhances great wins. Having a well-diversified investment portfolio doesn’t necessarily have to do with buying more than one stock from a company; but it does entails branching out into other areas of investment for more viable returns.

Warren Buffett is obviously the most successful investor of all times. He is well known for his investment philosophy: “Rule No. 1: Never lose money. Rule No. 2: Never forget rule No.1”. He built his wealth long-term to over $82 billion (July, 2018), according to Forbes Magazine, making him the third richest man in the world. Warren lives by his certain investments principles that he uses to invest and make other life decisions.

Take a look at these carefully selected inspiring quotes on investing from Warren Buffett.

1. “Never give up searching for the job that you’re passionate about. Try to find the job you’d have if you were independently rich. Forget about the pay. When you’re associating with the people that you love, doing what you love, it doesn’t get any better than that.”

2. “We don’t get paid for activity, just for being right. As to how long we will wait, we’ll wait indefinitely.”

3. “As Warren Buffet said in a speech, “He’s not looking at quarterly earnings projections, he’s not looking at next year’s earnings, he’s not thinking about what day of the week it is, he doesn’t care what investment research from any place says, he’s not interested in price momentum, volume or anything. He’s simply asking: What is the business worth?”

4. “Buy companies with strong histories of profitability and with a dominant business franchise.”

5. “Most people get interested in stocks when everyone else is. The time to get interested is when no one else is. You can’t buy what is popular and do well.”

6. “Our approach is very much profiting from lack of change rather than from change. With Wrigley chewing gum, it’s the lack of change that appeals to me. I don’t think it is going to be hurt by the Internet. That’s the kind of business I like.”

7. “When asked how he became so successful in investing, Buffett answered: ‘we read hundreds and hundreds of annual reports every year.”

8. “When a management team with a reputation for brilliance joins a business with poor fundamental economics, it is the reputation of the business that remains intact.”

9. “I try to buy stock in businesses that are so wonderful that an idiot can run them. Because sooner or later, one will.”

10. “Only those who will be sellers of equities in the near future should be happy at seeing stocks rise. Prospective purchasers should much prefer sinking prices.”

11. “Diversification is a protection against ignorance. It makes very little sense for those who know what they’re doing.”

12. “Wide diversification is only required when investors do not understand what they are doing.”

13. “You’re neither right nor wrong because other people agree with you. You’re right because your facts are right and your reasoning is right – that’s the only thing that makes you right. And if your facts and reasoning are right, you don’t have to worry about anybody else.”

14. “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.”

15. “The first rule is not to lose. The second rule is not to forget the first rule.”

16. “Only buy something that you’d be perfectly happy to hold if the market shut down for 10 years.”

17. “I will tell you how to become rich. Close the doors. Be fearful when others are greedy. Be greedy when others are fearful.”

18. “Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.”

19. “It’s better to hang out with people better than you. Pick out associates whose behavior is better than yours and you’ll drift in that direction.”

20. “Chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken.”

21. “You do things when the opportunities come along. I’ve had periods in my life when I’ve had a bundle of ideas come along, and I’ve had long dry spells. If I get an idea next week, I’ll do something. If not, I won’t do a damn thing.”

22. “I don’t look to jump over 7-foot bars: I look around for 1-foot bars that I can step over.”

23. “In the business world, the rearview mirror is always clearer than the windshield.”

24. “When you combine ignorance and leverage, you get some pretty interesting results.”

25. “Should you find yourself in a chronically leaking boat, energy devoted to changing vessels is likely to be more productive than energy devoted to patching leaks.”

26. “I never attempt to make money on the stock market. I buy on the assumption that they could close the market the next day and not reopen it for five years.”

27. “You only have to do a very few things right in your life so long as you don’t do too many things wrong.”

28. “Managers and investors alike must understand that accounting numbers are the beginning, not the end, of business valuation.”

29. “I would never spend a lot of time valuing declining businesses. The same amount of energy and intelligence brought to other businesses is just going to work out better.”

30. “A public-opinion poll is no substitute for thought.”

https://www.youngleadersarena.com/small-business/quotes/warren-buffett-s-investment-quotes/

Are you looking for e-commerce business you want to start with little capital in Nigeria? Search no more as we have made a complete research and come up with these six that require little capital, minimal or no experience, to build. E-commerce is one of the largest online business in the world today. Many have been successful in the industry and so many more are becoming gurus doing all possible stuffs to build on their ideas. In fact, in an article published by South China Morning Post, Jack Ma, Chairman of Alibaba Group, a $400 billion retail company, predicted the future of e-commerce. In a letter he wrote to Alibaba shareholders, he said; “We anticipate the birth of a re-imagined retail industry driven by the integration of online, offline, logistics and data across a single value chain”.

In the African market, especially Nigeria, it has made a major statement since its mainstream entry in 2012. Tunde Kehinde’s Jumia is one of the best e-commerce store in the country, with over 20 retail shops across Africa and more than 3000 employees.

WHY E-COMMERCE BUSINESS?
For some people, the idea of starting a small business online is a dream. Fortunately, it is a dream that many people have successfully turned into a reality. With the advent of the internet, online businesses have become more popular with smart entrepreneurs reaping the fruits internet has presented to them.

But as Shabbir Nooruddin, puts it; “the single biggest mistake entrepreneurs make when choosing their first e-commerce niche is they don’t do enough research (I know I didn’t!). Often, a niche may look promising from far away, but as you get deeper and deeper in it – usually after launching and investing some money into – more competitors turn up, customers seem a lot more finicky, and it seems a lot more difficult than it actually was.”

Running an e-commerce business means you are most likely to work from home, while it is necessary to get an office facility, it isn’t compulsory. And you have to validate your niche before venturing into the business. If you’re looking at getting into the e-commerce industry and becoming a major player in its early stages, then you’re welcome to this post. Here are 6 rated eCommerce business ideas and opportunities in Nigeria you can be a part of:

EVENT PLANNING
Event planning has become one of most lucrative business in Nigeria. Many entrepreneurs right now are diving into the industry. An event whether big or small will always require planning and preparation as families, corporations and organizations involved may not have the time, so they turn to professional event planners to handle everything for them. Individuals seek the help of event planners to turn their events into a memorable and successful one.

Many event planners have home-based businesses, which makes this type of business inexpensive to start. With the wealth of information available online, you should be able to get information on how to start a profitable event planning business.

TRAVEL BOOKING WEBSITE
Heard of Wakanow, Travelstart, and others? They are making wave in the flight booking industry. Travel booking websites sell a range of travel products which include discounted flight and cruise tickets, and also travel packages. People want easy way of getting flight tickets. And it’s your job to do the hard work while you charge them for your efforts. Most often, customers will use your website to search discounted deals on hotels, accommodation and flight.

EBOOK PUBLISHING
Are you good with writing? Do you write just to please yourself? Time to turn your writing skills into money machine. An ebook is a book publication made available in digital form, consisting of text, images, or both, readable on the flat-panel display of computers or other electronic devices. Although sometimes defined as “an electronic version of a printed book”, some e-books exist without a printed equivalent.

eBooks are becoming the more standardized way to gain information on a certain areas of interest. Thousands of people download and sell ebooks daily that address certain niches like programming, social psychology, business, and more, writing a highly valuable eBook to sell through online book publishers like Amazon is a lucrative eCommerce business idea to start up.

WEB DESIGN
Can you count the number of websites being created daily? Of course, no! Everyone of us have lost count. Hey, if you know HTML and have a good eye for design, you can launch a service to create attractive, easy-to-use websites for small businesses. Put your skills to good use for business owners who want to take their online presence to the next level. Build a comprehensive portfolio, and then create your own website to show it off and attract a steady stream of clients.

BLOGGING
Starting a blog is one of the easiest online e-commerce business anyone can start. But if you want to make a mark in your niche, you have to be dedicated. Creating blog contents is tasking. But the best thing about this business, is that you don’t have to post content daily on your blog. With the freedom to create your own blog and style it the way you desire, you can completely personalize your blogging experience and reach millions of people across the world. The larger the audience, the higher the chance you have at creating a successful business out of it.

FREELANCE WRITING
Content is the core aggregator that binds information sharing. Academic writings such as research paper writing, and essay writing will never go out of context. The dynamics of the current market requires professional writers to churn out engaging contents. You can build a platform to connect to prospective clients, or to connect other freelance writers to prospective clients. Heard about fiverr? Is one major platform for freelancers. Many blog owners are looking for freelance writers. Put your talent to work and begin to feed off from it.

https://www.youngleadersarena.com/small-business/e-commerce-business/

"Sweat equity is the most valuable equity there is. Know your business and industry better than anyone else in the world. Love what you do or don’t do it.”– Mark Cuban

Born in July 1958, Mark Cuban is an American businessman, investor, author, television personality, and philanthropist. He owns the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks and he is the co-owner of 2929 Entertainment. He is also the chairman of the AXS TV, and a major investor of the ABC’s reality television series, Shark Tank.

In 2011, Mark Cuban authored an e-book, How to Win at the Sport of Business, in which he chronicles his experiences in business and sports. Here are his 12 rules for business startups:

1. Don’t start a company unless it’s an obsession and something you love.

2. If you have an exit strategy, it’s not an obsession.

3. Hire people who you think will love working there.

4. Sales Cure All. Know how your company will make money and how you will actually make sales.

5. Know your core competencies and focus on being great at them. Pay up for people in your core competencies. Get the best. Outside the core competencies, hire people that fit your culture but aren’t as expensive to pay.

6. An espresso machine? Are you kidding me? Coffee is for closers. Sodas are free. Lunch is a chance to get out of the office and talk. There are 24 hours in a day, and if people like their jobs, they will find ways to use as much of it as possible to do their jobs.

7. No offices. Open offices keep everyone in tune with what is going on and keep the energy up. If an employee is about privacy, show him or her how to use the lock on the bathroom. There is nothing private in a startup. This is also a good way to keep from hiring executives who cannot operate successfully in a startup. My biggest fear was always hiring someone who wanted to build an empire. If the person demands to fly first class or to bring over a personal secretary, run away. If an executive won’t go on sales calls, run away. They are empire builders and will pollute your company.

8. As far as technology, go with what you know. That is always the most inexpensive way. If you know Apple, use it. If you know Vista, ask yourself why, then use it. It’s a startup so there are just a few employees. Let people use what they know.

9. Keep the organization flat. If you have managers reporting to managers in a startup, you will fail. Once you get beyond startup, if you have managers reporting to managers, you will create politics.

10. Never buy swag. A sure sign of failure for a startup is when someone sends me logo-embroidered polo shirts. If your people are at shows and in public, it’s okay to buy for your own employees, but if you really think people are going to wear your branded polo when they’re out and about, you are mistaken and have no idea how to spend your money.

Go to the link below to complete your reading

https://www.youngleadersarena.com/small-business/mark-cuban-rules-for-startups/

How much time do you spend on your business? Are you really focusing on every opportunities you have to grow your business? Wouldn’t it be a perfect thing to spend more or all of your time building your business to succeed in a competitive market? Growth don’t happen overnight and any business that wants to outlive competition and succeed, needs to put in the best and make every opportunity count.

Successful business people didn’t reach the heights they’ve attained based solely on luck and second guessing. They explored many opportunities for business growth.

BE ORIGINAL IN YOUR NICHE

Originality does a great deal of work in business sited in a competitive market. I believe it to be the best tool for a successful start-up. I know you must have had one or two meals of INDOMIE NOODLES. Have you noticed the uniqueness of their taste? Not only do they have a very unique taste, they also have a very unique brand. I am doing a detailed article on Indomie Brand so keep your fingers crossed as it will be published soon on this platform.

Every start-up should be original and unique with the products they are throwing into the market. A start-up owner that needs to succeed have to put himself/herself in his/her customer’s shoes. What type of product would you want your business clients to provide you with?

NEVER TAKE YOUR CUSTOMERS FOR GRANTED

Make your number one priority to always keep yourself on the customer radar. Always listen to and change with customers’ needs and preferences. Never ever take your customers for granted or disregard their feedback. Taking your customers for granted is a surefire way to stop growing, or worse, go out of business. If your services are not even in consideration by your customers, your business will not survive. Focus on doing the right thing, and your customers, employees, and other stakeholders will all have an interest in seeing your company weather whatever unpredictable storm might come your way.

CULTIVATE YOUR REPUTATION FOR EXTREME TRUST

Don’t be afraid to fail because whether you like it or not, success depends on it. However, as long as people trust you and your product, your business will flourish. No industry is perfect, which is why you should always be thinking about improvements.
Do what your competitors are doing, but better. Find out what customers are complaining about, and fix it. If you keep digging, you’re bound to find something to advance within your industry.

Tap the below webpage to view the fourth strategy that guarantees your success even in a competitive market environment. Also, do not forget to leave your footprint so we know you dropped by. Thank You!

https://www.youngleadersarena.com/small-business/competitive-market/

Growing a business past a plateau is not always an easy task. Once you’ve exhausted your leads and your sales are stagnating, scaling your small business is the next logical step. In order to scale, you are growing your business but without doubling your budget. Here are five key ways to scale your small business

THINK BIG

A whopping 90% of startups fail. That means that only 10% of business ideas from entrepreneurs actually gain traction and make money. Failure is always par for the course when you take a risk but enterprising people make the best from it, by learning what they did wrong and not repeating those mistakes in their next venture. The fastest way to success is to fail often and you do this by thinking big. What do you want from your business and where do you want it to go? Rather than thinking in micro-steps, think about the macro. Set goals for one year, five years and even ten years. If you are only focusing on what you can do today, you’ll never get to tomorrow. By taking big risks, you are set to have big gains.

That said, don’t risk your entire business on one growth plan. Scaling your business means continuing to do what you do well, but also taking risks to increase that success in new and different ways. This is where you need to think large. If the data is telling you that your plan isn’t working, find a way to change course or jump ship and move on to the next dream.

LEARN TO SAY NO

Like many entrepreneurs, your great ideas are probably consuming your waking and sleeping hours. You most likely can’t have a shower without thinking about a product modification or a new way of running your business. Your great ideas are what got your startup off the ground and they may also be the way you are going to get your business to scale. But, in the words of Steve Jobs, focus is “saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are”.

Think of a white board, filled with scribbles of ideas, connecting to one another. In the frenzied madness of idea creation, not all of your ideas will be good enough to come to fruition. Learn what to say no to so you don’t invest your business capital haphazardly. By saying no to key ideas that seem amazing, you are leaving room for even better ideas to make waves in your business. The best restaurants have very small menus, because the few things they do, they do incredibly well. Your business should follow this line of thinking, so you shouldn’t just dive into every project that seems appealing.

LET YOUR CUSTOMERS DO THE TALKING

Your customers are the lifeblood of your business. Your ideas, your products, and even your beautifully-designed website mean nothing if you don’t have customers. Your startup may already have a great customer base, but how do you keep them loyal to your brand? Too many companies focus their time and effort on customer acquisition, when in actual fact, it costs 7x the amount of capital to acquire a new customer than it does to retain one.

The most ideal way for you to keep your customers is to find out what they want and give it to them. It really is that simple. Get your customer’s feedback on...

Click on the webpage below to complete the FIVE KEY WAYS TO SCALING YOUR SMALL BUSINESS IN NIGERIA

https://www.youngleadersarena.com/small-business/scaling-your-small-business/

Be ready to achieve your dreams. These business quotes which I refer to as the “Biz Quote ’18”, is carefully picked from great business leaders the world has produced. You have to read through, digest every since quote and make the best out of them.

“The way you think and feel about yourself, including your beliefs and expectations about what is possible for you, determines everything that happens to you. When you change the quality of your thinking, you change the quality of your life, sometimes instantly. Just as positive words can make someone smile or a well-timed humorous quote can make someone laugh, our thoughts react to the world in real-time.”– Brian Tracy

Here are the 23 carfully selected 2018 business quotes that will move you to action:

1. “Every success story is a tale of constant adaption, revision, and change.” —Richard Branson

2. “You wouldn’t worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do.” —Eleanor Roosevelt

3. “Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” —Winston Churchill

4. “It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.” ―John Wooden

5. “Transformation is a process, and as life happens there are tons of ups and downs. It’s a journey of discovery.” —Rick Warren

6. “Begin now to be what you will be hereafter.”– Saint Jerome

7. “We have to do the best we are capable of. This is our sacred human responsibility.”– Albert Einstein

8. “It’s Not Whether You Get Knocked Down, It’s Whether You Get Up.”– Vince Lombardi

9. “If You Are Working On Something That You Really Care About, You Don’t Have To Be Pushed. The Vision Pulls You.”– Steve Jobs

10. “Entrepreneurs Are Great At Dealing With Uncertainty And Also Very Good At Minimizing Risk. That’s The Classic Entrepreneur.”–Mohnish Pabrai

11. “The Man Who Has Confidence In Himself Gains The Confidence Of Others.”– Hasidic Proverb

12. “It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves. “– William Shakespeare

13. “We know what we are, but know not what we may be.”– William Shakespeare

14. “When you have confidence, you can have a lot of fun. And when you have fun, you can do amazing things.”– Joe Namath

15. “The real test is not whether you avoid this failure because you won’t. It’s whether you let it harden or shame you into inaction, or whether you learn from it; whether you choose to persevere.”— Barack Obama

16. “Life is short. Don’t be lazy.”― Sophia Amoruso

17. “You will find poetry nowhere unless you bring some of it with you.”– Joseph Joubert

18. “Breathe, it’s just a bad day, not a bad life.”– Unknown

19. “The Future Belongs To The Competent. Get Good, Get Better, Be The Best!”– Brian Tracy

20. “Things Work Out Best For Those Who Make The Best Of How Things Work Out.”– John Wooden

21. “People who succeed have momentum. The more they succeed, the more they want to succeed, and the more they find a way to succeed. Similarly, when someone is failing, the tendency is to get on a downward spiral that can even become a self-fulfilling prophecy.”— Tony Robbins

22. “You’ll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.”― John C. Maxwell

23. “Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.”― Stephen King

http://www.youngleadersarena.com/leadership/business-quotes/

The champions mindset is one that is well focused, determined and ready for great achievements. According to Sheeper, “physical talent is similar in many athletes at the top level around the world. The mind is the only thing that sets the champion apart — the laser-like focus on winning…”

Positive thoughts ameliorate true success. Your life is what your thoughts make of it. No man has ever been successful without first of all conceiving success in his mind. You reproduce that which you conceive in reality. While thoughts produces success, focus precedes it. Great leadership demands focus. No leader has ever succeeded in his leadership without FOCUS. It is evident in the rags-to-riches business leaders and managers who built business empires and are successful in their leadership.

Positive thoughts comes from within a person not without. It is internally motivated and seems to be the bedrock through which success is achieved. Many young leaders are confused and unsure about life and leadership, so they dub themselves as failures. Know that the moment you begin to crowd your mind with negative and unpalatable thoughts, fear and low self-esteem cribs in and success will be far fetched.

Internal motivation comes from within such as thoughts, sense of achievements, responsibilities, self-confidence, cheerfulness, etc. These brings inner gratification which propels success.

POSITIVE THOUGHTS BOOSTS MORALE

The mind thinks in pictures. Recall from basic physics about the Ohms law, which states that; “The current passing through metallic conductor is directly proportional to the potential difference provided temperature and other physical factors remains constant.” It is illustrated as V ∝ I.

The success of your leadership, business and life is directly proportional to the quality of your thoughts, personality, provided character, attitude and other physical attributes are present.

V ∝ I = R where V= vision, I = imagination and R= reality

Vision motivates, Imagination drives, and success becomes Real.

POSITIVE THINKERS FLOCK TOGETHER

As a young leader you have to have that champions mindset. You have to hang out with people who think the way you do or better than you do, and not less than you. People around you have great impact on your success or your failure, believe or not! We are all products of our environment.

Therefore, be close with positive thinking people whose mindset are that of champions and winners. Trade ideas, share opinions, discuss your dreams and aspirations. Plan and execute. Associate with individuals who aspire success or already succeeding in their various chosen career. Let go of friends who are opposite of who you are and what you want you want to achieve. They will sap your energy and waste your time. They will give you 1000 reasons why you are going to fail in your quest for bight future. But positive thinking friends will show the one reason why you are going to succeed if you decide to pursue your career and fail forward.

POSITIVE THOUGHTS CREATE ACTION

It is not just for you to think, it is your responsibility to take action on your set goals. Your plans no matter how big or positively thought out it may look, it can only be fruitful ones you act on it. All it takes is one step to action and the decision to persevere no matter the challenges. Positive thoughts are propelling force for action that leads to success.

Think! Act!! Refrain from excuses!!! Excuses are symptoms of fear that limits your self-confidence and the desire to get things done.

Source>> http://www.youngleadersarena.com/leadership/champions-mindset/

Creating a successful startup is no easy task, it usually takes a lot of sweat to get it up and running. However, with startup advice from most of the successful leaders in the world who actually started from the scratch, you too can get there. An entrepreneur does not run a business with his or her acute business acumen alone; it takes great leadership skills.

Whether you are about to launch a successful startup or already have an established company, building and maintaining a successful business isn’t easy. Even the most dynamic executives have stumbled and staggered along the way to success. There are no secrets to success. If you are dedicated and determined, you will definitely be successful. You will be able to grow a great business by showing strong leadership.

SEEK FOR MENTORS

As David Karp, Founder and CEO of Tumblr, says: “Seek out mentors who have been through something before that you haven’t — they have some set of experience and travels that can save you from making a lot of those start up mistakes.”

BE VISIONARY

Russell Kommer of ExcelHelp.com, says, “Vision is the most important trait of a start-up leader. The ultimate test, though, is instilling the dream: encouraging the people around you to believe in your vision and quest. A consistent message and constantly renewed energy will help others to live your passion.”

BE VULNERABLE

Marcus Lemonis once said, “The truth in life is about connecting to people through vulnerability. Life is not—and business is not—just about business. It’s really about people. It’s about establishing relationships.” Establishing a good relationship and a strong connection with people — employees and customers, will not only make you have a more successful business leader but also give you a more fulfilling life. People will see you as an honest and open leader in return.

CREATE A GREAT BRAND AND PRODUCTS

Ragy Thomas, Founder and CEO of Sprinklr said: “Create something that your customers are going to love and something that is going to create value for them everyday. Strive to do that across all touch-points and all moments of interactions which are the moments of truth for you and your brand.”

HAVE ENOUGH PATIENCE

Jonathan Tang, Founder and CEO of Vastrm “Ideas and businesses are not created overnight. Things will tend to take longer than expected, whether it’s fundraising, product development cycles, customer acquisition, etc. In Silicon Valley, this is tough, because the whole culture here is built around a short-term focus of how quickly you can grow. Have resilience and don’t give up so quickly. Survive another day and keep at it. Those who have patience and resilience will eventually find success.”

ACT MORE. THINK LESS

Rob Bellenfant, Founder and CEO of Technology Advice said; “I believe that many entrepreneurs can suffer from “analysis paralysis” and overthink themselves to inaction, which lets valuable opportunities slip through their fingers. I encourage my employees to be proactive in their roles and learn from their experiences — good and bad. Failure isn’t a negative, as long as you learn from what you did!”

BE SELF-AWARE

Charles Bogoian, of Kenai Sports said; “The best leaders have an acute sense of self-awareness; they know their strengths, and more importantly, their weaknesses. A great start-up leader is confident enough to be honest about areas for growth. Knowing areas you need the most assistance with allows you to identify the right people to join your team, as well as the best potential strategic partners for your business.”

SPREAD STRENGTH NOT PANIC

For a successful startup to truly be successful, there will be unexpected bad news, failures, and hits. As the founder and leader, you might end up completely questioning your judgment, lose confidence and well, panic! But, you are not just a startup founder, you are a leader and for your team’s sake, however you are feeling – you must always put your best foot forward.

Here’s a story from Atmanco.com, “Nelson Mandela was on a trip when mid-flight the engine failed and they had to do an emergency landing. The pilot traveling with Mandela said that he didn’t show the slightest sign of panic or fear and instead calmly continued reading the newspaper. When Mandela was later questioned about this event he admitted that he indeed felt frightened, but he just refused to show it. If they sense fear in you, your team will most certainly panic too. But if you are confident and show some confidence in them, they will tackle even the toughest of setbacks.”

Source>> http://www.youngleadersarena.com/leadership/successful-startup-leaders/

Many wannabe entrepreneurs are afraid of what might become of them. That can be a pointer to many dreams and ideas being lost by so many individuals. You must overcome your fears if you’re going to be successful. If you are going to put your ideas to work. But note, this is not another article that is meant to force you to become an entrepreneur. To be an entrepreneur is a calling and a personal decision. It’s more of an innate desire. So do not think you are being forced to start a career you probably do not want.

This is an article meant for would-be entrepreneurs. Those who desire to be one but are still not convinced in their mind how and why they should begin. Those who see obstacle as withdrawal to getting their ideas to the world. So stay with me as I point out the fear and proffer solutions to help you overcome them.

Entrepreneurship is unpredictable. It demands lots of sacrifice! You have to know things about entrepreneurship. There’s a lot of upside if you can power through those. What are the biggest fears you have when you think about having to put your product, service, or idea out to the world? Some of the fears are listed below. You can add others you think in the comment section and let’s discuss it together.

#1 FEAR: I AM NOT READY

The truth is you will never be ready. There’s no special time or day to launch your idea. What’s the difference between today and tomorrow? Do you know? Well I don’t! I know I’ve only got today. Therefore, whatever the plan in my mind is I execute. As Babe Ruth puts it; “Never let the fear of striking out get in your way.” It’s understood, you might not feel like it’s the perfect time to take action yet. But you should know that perfect moment doesn’t exist. You must take the moment and make it perfect by taking action.

#2 FEAR: PERFECTING MY IDEA

This is what many wannabe entrepreneurs tell themselves. At least to hide under the excuse that they’re not afraid to put their ideas to action. Let me ask you, what’s the perfect idea? I believe that when Dangote began his business, he never knew that small idea of his will skyrocket into a great empire. The point here is, you have to start where you are and with the small idea you have. Gradually, you might end up turning that small idea into a big empire as you go along your business path.

#3 FEAR: TAKING RISKS

Well no risk, no reward! You have to take risks sometimes in order to be successful and continually move your business to the next level. You can never know if your idea is going to be successful if you do not go out and take the risk of launching. But you have to be smart. Taking risks entails being calculative — weighing the pros and cons of risks involved. According to Aaron Agius, on entrepreneur.com, he said: “When it comes down to risk, there’s never really is any certainty in life; everything we do is a calculated risk.”

#4 FEAR: WHAT IF I AM WRONG

Enough of the what if’s. Get into action! Every successful entrepreneur have been wrong about their ideas. That’s the more reason they all started small. Undergoing the trial period and devising strategies for growth and expansion. Unless you inherited a family fortune, you can disprove this. Starting small gives you opportunity to hear feedback from your costumers. Their feedback is how you improve and enables you to understand what they really want.

#5 FEAR: BEING UNCOMFORTABLE

If your are not willing to leave your comfort zone and begin to discomfort yourself for the future you seek, then I am sorry to tell you that entrepreneurship isn’t a call you should pick up. Go get a job! The comfort zone has put many wannabe entrepreneurs out of their career. Do not be afraid of being uncomfortable. Embrace it. Think of it like training moment. Know that being uncomfortable will be the spark you need to figure out a solution or come up with strategies for your business. Successful entrepreneurs swim in uncomfortable environments.

To conclude, I leave you with this quote by Douglas Horton: “Action cures fear, inaction creates terror.” Don’t fight your fears. Recognize them. Conquer them.

Source>> http://www.youngleadersarena.com/small-business/entrepreneurs/wannabe-entrepreneurs/

The potential of social media marketing to grow businesses is endless. As you most likely know, social media has become an amazing platform for people when it comes to having quality connections whether it’s with longtime friends or family member. Besides close personal relationships, you can also build amazing new business relationships on social media.

Social media is a powerful place to market, more than ever before. Many businesses and brands are already using social media marketing strategy. But according to Social Media Examiner, 97% of marketers are currently participating in social media—but 85% of participants aren’t sure what social media tools are the best to use. Here are 4 major benefits of social media marketing.

RELATIONSHIP BUILDING

Social media is the big platform where many are building relationships — making casual friends, business related connections. Also, many are meeting their spouses via these platforms. Many marketers, business people, sales reps, are taking advantage of social media to meet potential clients.

PERSONAL BRANDING

Personal branding is essentially the ongoing process of establishing a prescribed image or impression in the mind of others about individuals, groups, or organizations. Personal branding often involves the application of one’s name to various products. Social media marketing helps you to brand yourself personally, professionally and substantially. There’s almost no limit to how much you can strengthen your social media presence if only you know the right tools to apply. It is almost inexpensive. Personal branding plays an incredibly significant role in social media marketing.

CONTENT CREATION MARKETING

Content marketing is a type of marketing that involves the creation and sharing of online material (such as videos, blogs posts, and social media posts) that does not explicitly promote a brand but is intended to stimulate interest in its products or services. And social media forms an integral part of content marketing. As content creators, we should make the best use of our social media presence to maximize the valuable and quality of contents produced.

INCREASES SALES

There’s vast increase in sales by using social media to get targeted customers for your products and/or services. Hence the name, social media marketing. and not simply social media public relations. The ability to target particular audiences is one of the greatest benefits of social media marketing. Social networks know a lot about consumer interests so even though there are hundreds of millions of fans, marketers can accurately target the right people with the right message. On Facebook, you can set up a Facebook store with apps like Ecwid or Beetailer. On Twitter, marketers using Amazon.com pages allow Twitter users to add products to their Amazon checkout straight from their Twitter feed.

Source>> http://www.youngleadersarena.com/small-business/social-media-marketing/

Sometimes, to become successful and become what we hope to become demands a lot. Much more than we’d imagine. But that’s actually what success entails. Something has to be sacrificed in order to achieve the life we dream about daily. It’s not about adding more things  into our life; it’s more about giving up most of the things we are already engaged in.

There are certain universal things which makes us successful if we give up on them, even though each one of us could have a different definition of success. Someone ones declared that “If you want to live life on your terms, in the long run, you might have to give some things up in the short term”.

There’s an opportunity cost to everything worthwhile in life. No matter what you’re trying to accomplish, you’ll have to give up something in order to make it happen. One thing successful people know is that getting ahead is as more about what you do as what you don’t do.

The short video you’re about to watch could change your life. It’s going to teach you more on the things you should let go to achieve more from your dreams.

Post source>> http://www.youngleadersarena.com/small-business/successful/

 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ky669HpS1Hc

This article presents a summary of perspectives gathered from professional blog posts on investments, investors and you (the entrepreneur). Of course whenever you hear about the subject of investing, one name comes to mind – Warren Buffet.

Based on my observations over years I’ve found that many Nigerian bloggers and/or writers seldom write or blog about investors and investments. Well, maybe I haven’t searched enough. Probably! But whenever I type the word “investor” on Google, American articles pop out on search. I am not very surprised though after all many of our Nigerian bloggers are busy sharing gossips and fake news on the net.

Many are busy either talking about, “how a man stole from a small girl going school” or “that you should never answer a call from a certain number that calls people and after few minutes of the call, the victims die or something terrible will happen to them”.

To explore this further, I thought it might be interesting to gather the perspectives of professional investors guide from blogs that have made incredible remarks on meeting the right investors for your new business. Many of the traits I found that entrepreneurs can diligently work on and improve themselves are given below.

Arie Abecassis said; “Some investors look for opportunities where an entrepreneur is trying to solve a personal problem. ‘I like entrepreneurs who decided to solve a pain point that affected them personally’, says Vasu Kulkarni, Courtside Ventures. “The conviction to solve a problem is always stronger when you are passionate about it, and generally that tends to stem from issues that you can relate to personally.

Katherine Barr affirmed; “We invest in entrepreneurs who can see a path to disrupting large markets that most of the rest of the world doesn’t see.” I strongly believe that focus, passion and deep engagement to a vision are critical elements of effective innovation and company building.

CONFIDENCE

Confidence is a crucial building block in a successful career, and embracing it fully will take you places you never thought possible. With proper guidance and hard work, anyone can become more confident. Once you pass a certain point, you’ll feel it from the inside. Entrepreneurs must be unreasonable in order to dismiss the status quo and create novel solutions. However, an irrational lack of reasonableness will sabotage an entrepreneur’s efforts, writes John Greathouse of businessinsider.

“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” George Bernard Shaw

CURIOSITY

Matt Hartman, says “we invest in people building products that are fundamentally about new consumer behaviors. In these types of products, it’s critical to be curious about how and why new behaviors emerge.” Success will mean different things to different people. Some entrepreneurs want to build a lifestyle or a self-sustaining business without ever raising money, some are happy with smaller outcomes, and others want to really swing for the fences and aim to build a business that grows relatively quickly. There is nothing wrong with any of these possible paths says Katherine Barr, but know which one best suits you and only raise venture capital if you are truly going to swing for the fences against a large market opportunity.

An important part of being innovative is thinking about the “what ifs” of a business. Being reactive and responsive is important but it should be blended with a proactive approach to identifying and solving problems. This requires a level of curiosity which can save time and money. It is no coincidence that as businesses evolve and go from one stage to the next, so does the development of their founders and leadership team.

CONVICTION

“A man of conviction is often more to be desired than a man of experience.”
Curt Siodmak

Entrepreneurs invariably face a variety of Dream Killers. Unreasonable entrepreneurs make enemies, cause waves and generally disrupt conventional norms. Such behavior disturbs most people, especially those who have something to lose. Be fully convinced about your business, your brand and in your capabilities to grow the business. What you are not convinced about, you cannot build. Investors engage with entrepreneurs who are convinced their business is rock solid.

Source>> http://www.youngleadersarena.com/leadership/investors/

Small business growth isn’t just about goals. I am sure that before you started your business you did lots of research on your business. And probably sought advice from individuals who are either in the business area or have been there before. And now you have invested a lot in terms of money, time and sweat to get your business running. At this time I’m pretty sure that growing your business is the number one thing on your mind. Well you are in luck as I have compiled a well research principles of successful business leaders.

BRAND YOUR BUSINESS

Branding is just as important for small businesses as it is for big names. It’s one of the most important aspects of any business growth. Your brand tells potential customers what to expect and it also tells them more about you. Simply put, your brand is your promise to your customer.

EXPAND YOUR BUSINESS

There are several ways of growing your business, by making your product or service available to a new pool of customers. In simple words; “Expand your Business”. Open branches in new locations. This method allows you to reach other customers who live far from your business location. Another approach is to extend your reach through advertising or social media platforms.

MONITOR YOUR SALES

Your business growth directly correlates with the success of your sales. Creating a unique product and a unique brand isn’t enough. It takes repeatable sales processes to monitor your business. It is your job to keep your eye on ensuring that your business excel. It is one thing to sign up a few customers; it is another thing entirely to identify, design, and implement repeatable sales and customer delivery processes.

USE THE INTERNET

Bill Gates in 2002 predicted that there will be only two kinds of businesses: those with an Internet presence, and those with no business at all.

Source>> http://www.youngleadersarena.com/small-business/small-business-growth/

First of all, this isn’t an article about you. It is about the person you want to meet. That business leader you have set an appointment date with to discuss about your business. That investor you want to meet invest in your business. That individual you want to partner with in a business. That beautiful lady/handsome man you want to meet for a relationship. That bank manager you want to meet for loan for your business start-up. Whoever you are going to meet for the first time, it is necessary you go with a sense of enthusiasm and cheerfulness. The saying “You only have one chance to make a first impression” holds true in all of the case mentioned.

First impressions have a significant effect on the future of a relationship. In a first impression, the person you are meeting is trying to answer in his mind two basic question about you: “are your intentions good?” and “are you competent?” Some people seem to have a natural charisma that leaves no doubt about these questions.

First impressions matter so much because they happen fast, and they are stubborn, says Whitney Johnson, the author of “Disrupt Yourself: Putting the Power of Disruptive Innovation to Work”. “We make judgments (about other people) in a nanosecond.” And once that impression is formed, it’s “very, very hard to change it.” That is, your relationships and interactions will be more easier if you’re able to immediately start off strong. So here are a few ways you can make sure people’s first impression of you is a good one:

SMILE

People like to think that we make our first impression once we start talking and that’s why we spend so much effort on introductions. Unfortunately, your first impression happens the moment someone sets his/her eyes on you. So whatever you are doing, do it with purpose and a smile.

Leo Buscaglia said; “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around”. People judge smiling faces as trustworthy, and angry-looking faces as untrustworthy.

SET AN INTENTION

This is also one of the most important thing you are to do for giving a good impression. This is especially important before any kind of big event where you would be meeting a lot of people — i.e. conferences, networking events or friend’s parties. Know why you are going for the meeting? When you have a clear goal about your meeting and the person you are going to meet, you are more likely to be perceived as someone who is mature and competent.

GIVE A GOOD BODY LANGUAGE

Body language is a crucial part of first impressions. Everything from your posture to how you carry yourself to the way you’re angling your body. When meeting someone new, it’s normal to be nervous but you don’t have to show it so the best thing is to try to curtail. Your body language should be confident and comfortable (Sit up straight and walk with your chest held high).

ENGAGE YOURSELF

Be as fascinating and bold in your conversation as good as you can be. Do not be intimidated by the person you are meeting with. You do not need to make an impression with a vast knowledge. Just be grounded in your area of expertise. Try as much as you can to answer the questions thrown to you confidently and be mindful to create a conversation that’s memorable” and engaging. The better you make the person feel, the more he/she will be inclined to have a positive impression of you.

Keep in mind also that people love to talk about themselves as well so ask thoughtful, open-ended questions while you give them a chance to be heard.

Source>>http://www.youngleadersarena.com/leadership/first-impression/

Microsoft founder, and the number one richest man on Forbes list, Bill Gates share success tips on entrepreneurship. There is no doubt that billionaires are the most financially successful people on earth. At least their fortunes prove that very well. To be on the Forbes list as one of the richest business person or individual, is the dream of every entrepreneur.

Though many successful entrepreneurs frequently undergo series of challenges and mistakes before getting their right idea or business to success. The difference, for many, between giving up and persisting through the tough times can be getting advice from people who have done it before — and being smart enough to listen.

Below are Bill Gates' Success Tips

Read more>> http://www.youngleadersarena.com/leadership/bill-gates-success-tips/

See corrected link here

http://www.youngleadersarena.com/leadership/leadership-misconceptions/

I believe character makes the difference between principled, positive, and influential #leadership. I believe the ability to lead comes from a place of influence, empowering and supporting others in their decisions, and by providing knowledge and guidance.

Leadership can be as small as setting an example for others, or as big as leading an organization to success.

In the past, leadership was often observed as a command and control behavior but leadership has evolved. Those command and control leaders are becoming less and less successful.

Leadership that shows inspiration, hope, support, empowerment etc. are the traits that people are drawn to. What then are the misconceptions about leadership? Click below to find out!!!

http:///2uvfFw8

Two Nigerian music producers have recently called to the attention of the public as they battle about their signature. Young Dee, a renowned producer for fierce club bangers, whose music genre is Hip-Hop and Rap and MAHDHouse, a certified Des entertainment club hit maker from the underworld, majors in Afro pop battles on “beatbox” signature.

Young Dee delivers a superb tune with superkid Ayo Jay on a new song titled “The vibe” (Link below the post) and MAHDHouse with his mastery slams his genuity on the superstar El-Rule “bend over”.

This makes us wonder between the two Nigerian music producers whom the true ” beatbox” signature may actually be!!!

Click here for audio: http://www.youngleadersarena.com/gossips/nigerian-music-producers/

For years entrepreneurship has been widely heralded as the path to fame, fortune, and following your own vision and ideas while avoiding working for “The Boss.” But the thought of going into business and doing your own thing as it is popularly called can be very appealing. This is especially true for most people who want to make the switch from the limited world of employment to the unlimited world of business. But sooner or later, the untold harsh realities will begin to set in and the truth is; a lot of people are unfamiliar with these harsh realities.


Read more>> http://www.youngleadersarena.com/leadership/dark-times-in-every-entrepreneurs-career/

I have discovered that one major secret to successful small business startup is “strong leadership”. When the leadership is rock solid, investors queue up. Starting a business involves thinking of a business concept, writing a winning business plan, understanding the financial aspect of the business, and marketing and launching the business.

If you’re ready to take the bold step to become a start up entrepreneur, then this post is just what you need. If you have any doubt or more clarification, feel free to contact us, we are available to attend to you personally. These steps will help you to plan, manage, and prepare your small business startup:

BUSINESS IDEA

To successfully start a small business, you must have a good business concept. Take your time to determine what you really want, and if you’d be able to put in the work to achieve it. A good business idea should be one that is focused on solving problems or meeting daily needs of people. It doesn’t have to be something new; you can even decide to buy a franchise if you have enough funds for it.

According to My Top Business Ideas, Ajaero Tony Martins, wrote: “A business idea is just another idea. But an idea backed by a strong feasibility, a thorough business plan and a smart business team is no longer an idea. It’s now a solid business opportunity worth pursuing.”

BUSINESS PLAN

The key to a successful small business startup, is to keep things simple. Your business plan will help you determine what key problem your business is going to solve, how it adds value to your target customer, the lifespan of the business, revenue generation both in the short term and long term basis, market penetration, and growth in a competitive environment. A concise-straight-to-the point business plan will keep you focused on the goal and guide you towards achieving what your business has set out to become.

BUSINESS BUDGET

Many start ups are self funded. Therefore, if you fall in this category, be realistic about how your budget should be. Every business goal is to make profit. And with profitability in mind the first 30 to 90 days, which there’s no guarantee, it is necessary for you to have a budget reserve so you can survive if things didn’t go as expected.

BUSINESS WEBSITE/SOCIAL MEDIA

Regardless of whether your business will be online or on the streets, you need a website. Also, you may decide to partner with a website owner. The objective of a website is to allow you to promote your business with the world. Technology is advancing and with a click, your business is seen by the whole world.

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and many other social platform allows you to advertise your business to reach your target market and potential customers faster. It is now one of the surest way to promote your business.

BUSINESS TEAM

Are you going to do the business alone, or are you bringing in one or two trusted friends on board? It has been noted that partnership often create something that is greater than when you do solo business. Think of some of the biggest success stories in recent times, such as John Lennon and Paul McCartney; Bill Gates and Paul Allen; Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak; and Larry Page and Sergey Brin; etc.

Think about the areas that you are either weak in, or have little knowledge of. Finding partners compatible with your personality who can fill in your knowledge or skill gaps is an excellent way to ensure your business has the resources you need to succeed.

BUSINESS PHASE ONE

Since you now have enough foundation you can start off to see how it goes. Try to spread the word in inexpensive and creative ways. Tell people — friends, family, associates, etc; about your business. Promote it the best way you can. Set up simple Facebook Ads to advertise you products and/or services.

You can follow these six steps to test the viability of your small business before throwing all your resources — money and time into your business idea.

See also: http://www.youngleadersarena.com/business-start-up/small-business/