Marketing and Giving

Hi folks!! Hope everything is k.
Today I decided to deviate a little bit from the inequality in Nigeria and talk about business.

Watching daytime TV in America has made me realize that Americans can advertise. OMG... This even makes me remember a comment Myne whitman posted. She said that her mother complained about the same thing. Even though it can get tiring, it baffles me that big companies like Walmart, Macys, Cocacola etc, make sure they market their products. Why do they spend millions of dollars on advertisements, when they are one of the strongest brands in the world?

 I think the reason is that they don't want you to ever forget that they are there/around. They want you to know that they will always be around if they can afford it. They try not to let it get into their heads that they are to big to be pulled down. This is a very good lesson for new business owners and vice versa. No matter how big your company is never forget to always be out there. When you get to the top is it very hard to stay there, cos you have a lot of competitors.

Millions of companies and people want to get to where you are. This also goes hand in hand with talents and careers. Not because you were the best in your field last year, there is a garantie that you will remain the best next year. If you don't keep on improving yourself you will never get better, only go stale. I always say this:

Micheal Phelps says no matter the day, the time, the whether, if its a holiday etc, he makes sure that he must swim. Talk about improving oneself. 

My question: why is it that when Nigerian companies stop advertising when they presume they have become the big names in the industry? In fact they actually think that they have arrived and leave the adverts for the smaller companies. Like I am trying to remember the last time a Nigerian product was in my face.

Secondly I will like to talk about giving: " I hear that in America as kids you are taught to give. What a lot of the companies have in common is giving. A lot of them give to society, help the community etc. You hear stories of children getting scholarships to go to schools, or companies rebuilding a community that was just stuck down by fire, hurricane etc.

My question: why is it difficult for companies in Nigeria to give. Will it hurt if 5o children are given scholarships? Will it hurt if a whole community is rebuilt and maintained properly, after all the resources you get, you get it from the community. I remember how long it took, The oil company to give the bonny community 24/7 electricity. Fights between the Nigerians that only wanted to get the money into their pockets, the companies wanting to run away from it.....

Lesson learnt: " no matter how little, one should give, and one should start now. Cos its a circle. Once you give you receive.
It's time Nigerian companies start giving. Its time we forget about our government and work to make our nation better.

I hope I didn't blab today, but passed the message across.

P.S: "please this is not a means to insult any company. We all are guilty of not giving, from our governement-compaines and citizens. And I will like to use this opportunity to say thank you to the Nigerian companies who have started giving back to soceity.

N/B: there is a garage sale on the 15th of September, 2012
Venue: Bibi's cottage, Admiralty way, Lekki Phase 1,
Items for sale: Vintage items clothes, shoes, accessories, books and so much more.
Time: 10 am.
All proceeds go to Bethesda Child support Agency and other Charitable causes.

Please if you are in Lagos and free do go and buy something. Your purchase will help a child.

Ciao

Divorce

Loved all the comment I got, thanks guys you are the best . Even though it is hard I will just continue being there for my friend. Anyways I decided to talk about this topic, maybe cos it comes with alot of controversy, I am not sure

the Word:  "Divorce".

I will like your honest opinions.." what do you think about Divorce?
Should couples divorce if they can't work it out?
And if they do should they remarry, even as christians?


One of the things I do not like though, in Nigeria is this: "the men who get divorced, quickly remarry and have other childrn. While the ladies just remain single for the rest of their lives. In fact society expects them to stay that way. It is almost like a taboo for a woman to remarry, even when she becomes a widow.

I can't wait to read your comments. Thank you

P.S. " Watch Restaurant Stakeout and Restaurant Impossible. I love the show, especially Restaurant Impossible.... But the dirty kitchens can be so irritating...

Do take care and have a lovely day,N I hope you'll had a lovely weekend like I did.

Ciao. 

Bachelor PAD

Hello everyone, whats up? Hope this week has been good to you as it has to me. Anyways been watching bachelor pad with my sister in law and its been so funny, I can't even imagine the twist. I am so praying for Chris to be voted out of the game but like someone said it's like he's got 9 lives as he tries everything possible not to get eliminated. I hope my prayers come to pass.

Another thing I have learnt about this reality show is that when there is money involved there is no trust.The fighting in the house has become more intense, leading me to think that everybody came in there, first of all for the money and then to have a lovely time.

K before I say ciao I want to say thank you to all my friends that read my blog and do not comment or aren't followers...
I just chatted with a friend on facebook, who actually reads my blog, He is Ivorien. He reads it even though he can't speak or understand english. He reads it through. he  google translation. He says its very tiring but he still manages to read my blog.
I am so touched and happy about this. Hearing stories like this encourages one to continue blogging and writing.

Question of the week: "what do you do to a friend that doesn't listen to advice, and always makes a mistake. Do you stop being that person's friend or continue talking. Cos it actually hurts when you watch the person, again and again make mistakes."


Do take care and have a lovely weekend .

Jerry Bruckheimer

Hello everyone, I was all set and ready to publish what I had posted when everything disappeared, just like that. You know when I told you that my laptop crashed, my brother in law found an abandoned laptop for my use. The only problem with this laptop is that it is old and has issues. In fact the key pads have a mind of their own. Well a beggar has no choice I am stuck with this till I get a new lappy or fix my old one.

Anyways today I decided to talk about my HERO after watching an episode of  CSI. I have always loved Jerry Bruckhiemer's work, but never taken the time to check him out. Well I did that today and I was amazed. let me fill you in:

Jerry Bruckheimer born September 21, 1945, son of a German-Jewish immigrant, born in America. Graduated with a degree in psychology from University of Arizona with an algebra minor. In 1970 he started producing films. From 2010, Bruckheimer has produced over 40 feature films and is regarded in the industry as one of the most successful film producer of all time. His production: eleventh hour, CSI Crime Scene Investigation, CSI Miami, CSI:NY, Cold Case etc.

2007 he was ranked number 39 on Forbes Celebrity 100 list As of 2011 his net worth: $850 million...


I can go on and on, about this guy but men I love his work and I love his achievements. He is in entertainment and that is my forte... From Watching Michael Phelps and the American female athletics team in the Olympics I can see determination, focus and strong will....


We all need this in our every day life... what ever we do we should just focus on the light at the end of the tunnel and not the obstacles at the beginning... As I speak this, I know I am not good at this at all, I must confess. I usually give up after the first try, but little by little I have to learn that I must continue no matter how many times I try, till I finally succeed.

I hope this all makes sense and we can put it to work. Do take care of yourselves and have a lovely day... Make sure you make a difference always.

Enjoy your weekend.

N/B: For more info on Jerry Bruckheimer: wikipedia... That's where I got my info from.

Ciao.

Working From Home

Okay last time I posted about being your own boss and the challenges. I learnt a lot from your comments and I have decided to put it into practice.
Today I meet a photographer who has her studio in her house. I had a little interview with her:

Me: How did you get into owning your own business?
Donna: I was laid off work and I decided why don't I go and do my own thing. I have a big house and working from home will give me time with my kids, little money for better education and have time to indulge in my fantasties, like playing lawn tennis on a Monday morning instead of slaving myself at work. I also decided to use my house, to save a lot on over-heads.
Me: How are you able to stay on track and stay focused?
Donna: I always think of what I want to accomplish when I am down. I started this to give my kids a better life, be there with them almost at all times. So this keeps me focused and I stay on track, and its also fulfilling doing something that makes you fulfilled. Remember I started off taking pictures for free, before I went professional.
Me: How do you joggle family and business?
Donna: I don't deceive myself that I am superwoman, so I do not do everything. As much as I am over protective of my kids I also teach them to be independent. I have a nanny who helps me around with the little ones, the cleaning of the house etc. This way I am not fagged out when the hubby gets home after work or when the kids want some little attention..if you know what I mean
Me: Thank you Donna really appreciate. Will look at the mark always not back down.

I hope you enjoyed my little interview, please let me know how you stay on track and stay focused.


P.S: "I have been off BB for almost a month now and I haven't died or fallen sick. Good to know I can switch the button on and off. Good to know that I can set my phone aside during work hours and concentrate.

Do take care of yourself and have a lovely week ahead.
Ciao. 

It's Hard Being Your Own Boss

I am so grateful, all the comments I got from my last post. I can feel the support and I love it. Thank you so much I really appreciate.
Anyways I have gone on and on about being your own boss, its fulfilling, doing what you love blah blah blah. Sometimes when it comes out of my mouth is sounds as easy as ABC, but it is not. I just realized that it is very difficult to stay focused when you are your own boss especially when you work from home and you have kids. I wonder how women cope with all these? I read a lot of stories about stay at home mums who have become millionaires from doing what they like and being able to take care of their families at the same time. But that has to do with mothers who live in Europe or America. What about the mothers that live in Nigeria where the basic amenities of life are hard to come by. If you are not dealing with the no light situation you are dealing with the tiring traffic or maybe the overbearing in laws who will refuse to leave your house in peace..etc. So tell me how do they do it?
Every woman I have meet has the same story they say once the kids come, your life is out the window. Is this true?
In recent years I have had a couple of friends who had traveled abroad for their masters. Some of them went along with their children, while some of them dropped the kids with their parents. Some have their school fees paid by their husbands, some paid their school fees themselves and some where fortunate enough to earn scholarships.

Seating down with all of them, the career mothers and the entrepreneurs, I have learnt a lot of things: "

1. Children shouldn't stop your dreams, they can and will definitely slow you down but if you take it a little at a time you will be surprised what you will accomplish in time. I have a Friend who started a catering/ baking business a year after her son was born. What she told me today shocked me. She still doesn't have the fancy bakery or restaurant, she still works from home and has a second child, but the proceeds of her business was able to take care of her family, pay the school fees etc for almost a year when it was financially tight in her family. Now I asked her how did you do it with you kids and a home to run? Her reply: "I just learnt to multitask and stop wasting my time gossiping".

2. Especially if you work from home, you have to be able to stay focus. Not because you are home, you think you can wake up any time you want to. One entrepreneur told me that she makes sure that every day by 7am she is in her little office, bathed, dressed up and set for work. She avoids all the social media during work hours unless it has to do with promoting her business. So no facebooking, no twittering, no BB chats, and she doesn't even receive personal calls, until she is off work.

Men that is a lot of focus and discipline. Even when I am writing and researching I am tempted to check my Facebook account to see what it going on, or twitter or even my BB, chatting with someone or looking for someone to gossip with. This has got to stop. I need to be able to take my work seriously and work it.

3. Another mother told me that a lot of Nigerian Christians are lazy. When I asked why she said that we spend all out time praying for financially breakthroughs and never do anything about it. Don't get me wrong I am not saying that praying is bad but I know that God isn't going to drop a million dollars from heaven on your lap, cos He knows that you will mismanage it as you didn't work for it. Now God will bless the fruit of your hands if you work diligently. Read Proverbs. As I learnt a lot of business men and women study the book of Proverbs diligently.


I guess it is time to stop here. I hope you learnt a lot or even something small from this looooong post.
Do stop by Myne whitman's blog post of today, inspiring if you ask me.

Thank you.
keep stopping by as I will try my best to drop business tips as regularly as possible.

Ciao.

I have a Sad Face Today

Hi everyone!!! Can you remember when I told you that my laptop crashed and I was so scared I had lost all my data? I am sure you can. Well I guess I have done that. With no back up plan my hardware has crashed and I am told, to retrieve my data I will have to spend $650 that is #105,300 naira. That's the price  of a new laptop. I am not bothered about the laptop at least I can work without one for a while till I get a new one or just buy a new one if the money is available but: "my work". There are a lot of short stories I had written and decided that I was going to work on them again and put them up for some writers competition. I have three complete books even thought they haven't been professionally edited, I have completely lost the second one which is absolutely so dear to me and actually the one I want published first. I didn't email it to Temi like I always do, or to anybody, so that is it. If I want that book out I have to start writing it all over again, its about 56k words.
I really don't know what to do, I have shed a couple of tears, but oh well I will have to learn to back up my data from now on. I will give myself this week or maybe this month to settle down and start rewriting that story again. I just have to let it out. I guess maybe my plans of coming out with a book this year will not work.

This is my lamentations for today. I am sulking and crying at the same time.
Thank you guys for listening to me.
Do have a lovely day.
Ciao.