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Change Your Circle of Friends If They Don’t Discuss Money Often. Friends that do not discuss ideas that can help you generate money would either get you broke, or may not be able to bail you out if you get broke. Your friends determine your value, choose them wisely.

I bet you have heard a lot of quotes on money. One of such quotes is – “Money can't buy happiness”. Well, I’ve got an advice for you, if you believe a bit of that, you need to stop reading this article, right now. Who believes such in this age and time anyway?

Of the many money quotes out there, the one that I find to be so hilarious is “Money is the root of all evil”. That statement has so gotten into the heads of the majority of people in our society that it has become a taboo amongst some friends to discuss their success stories.

Most friends now find it easier to let their friends know when they are not doing well financially, but unable to tell them when they are successful and making more money than their peers

What is even worse is that some friends do not want you to talk about your success stories when you are around them. This may sound odd, but did you know that you will eventually get to be affected by the energies given out by your friends? Friends who feel bad about your success would do anything possible to pull you down.

Friendship is an elevator – It is either taking you up, or taking you down. It is therefore imperative to choose the friendships you go into carefully.

Here Are 5 Secrets To Help You Find Productive Friendships:

Define What You Want in A Relationship
Take some time to evaluate your relationships. There is no better way to know what you want than to evaluate yourself and get to truly understand you. By evaluating yourself you would be in a better position to set the right expectations for your relationships, know what you lack, and what you is needed to achieve your expectations.

Most people expect the best from their relationships but only a few define what they truly expect and know what it takes to get what they expect. Learn to define your relationships and you would not be easily disappointed by your friends.

Suggested Reading: The Need To Consciously Unlearn

Take control: Evaluate Your Friendships
Unlike family, you have the power and the right to choose the people you mingle with. Without mincing words, we get affected by the energies of the people closest to us – Our friends.

Studies have suggested that having solid friends can help us live longer and thus by extension, having toxic friendships may affect our life’s expectancy level. It is important to always take a step back and evaluate the friendship you are in.

While evaluating, however, do not forget those good friends may also have their bad moments. What you should look out for is how often those shaky moments come and if you are getting as much as you are putting into the friendship. If you feel that you’re not getting out as much as you’re putting in, and you find yourself thinking hard on this regularly, your friendship could be unhealthy, or even toxic.

No Unnecessary Freebie For Friends
Years back, I went into a business relationship that became a friendship. We met through a mutual friend of ours. I was told that he was having some issues with his staff and he needed to get them trained so I was called in to help train his staff.

Somehow, our business relationship turned into a friendship and he was somehow able to pull me in to fill the void created by his staff, the one whom he sacked after I trained them. It turned out that the said staff lacked the qualities the organization needed to grow.

Long story short, we became friends and I agreed to stay and fill the void while he does everything to get the staff replaced. Unknown to me, my newly acquired friend did nothing to replace his staff and he managed to keep me in a rat race. I received no compensation for my work and all I did was work for a friend, freely.

Do not get caught up in such rat race – friends who would not pay you for your professional services are not real friends. Every true friend should the other to grow. Seriously, Change Your Circle of Friends If They Don’t Discuss Money Often.

Associate With Friends Higher Than You
Some research has suggested that you cannot be richer than the average wealth of 5 of your closest friends, in fact, your net worth tends to mirror that of your closest friends. It, therefore, means that it is better to always associate with people on higher levels than yourself if you ever want to take your career, or business to the next level.

One of the benefits of moving with people higher than you is that they affect your mindset positively and expand your mind to greater possibilities. It is natural to feel most comfortable with people who are like you or below you, and that not so much of a bad thing.

However, no one ever gets rich within a comfort zone, it is good to step outside of your comfort zone once in a while and spend time with people who can expose you to greater things, new friends and useful that you may not have gotten fro mingling with friends on your level.

Give what you expect to get.
If you expect great friends, you first have to be one yourself. If you live by the Golden Rule of treating others as you would want to be treated, then you won’t be disappointed — you will find your friendships fulfilling and rewarding.

Do your friends meet the criteria above? Can you call any of them your purpose partners? If so, then great! If not, then it’s probably time to branch out and start establishing some new relationships. With the secrets above, you can boost the quality of your relationships and your long-term success.

Related: 5 Mentalities Nigerian Youths Must Drop To Succeed

Starting a business in Nigeria is as easy as it can be. However, many entrepreneurs still grapple with different challenges related to this simple act. It is, however, by any means similar to how you would start a business in the United States of America, or anywhere else on earth: it all begins with an idea, an idea most times borne out of a need or lack.

You, however, must learn above any other thing, the act of selling in a crowded market like Nigeria.

The chances of success or failure on the justification to start a business in Nigeria depends on the need that necessitated the generation of the idea the business is developed around. Think about it in of pain removal and keeping fit. They are equally important, but a business developed around pain removal or painkilling would most likely do better than that built around the need to keep fit.

So for an entrepreneur to be to start a business in Nigeria, he or she must be able to identify opportunities where others feel discomfort.</p>

Below is a list of steps any aspiring entrepreneur must take to start a business in Nigeria, These steps were arrived at from careful research, interviewing more than 50 successful Nigerian entrepreneurs.

Below is a list of steps any aspiring entrepreneur must take to start a business in Nigeria, These steps were arrived at from careful research, interviewing more than 50 successful Nigerian entrepreneurs.

1. Understand yourself
2. Scout for opportunities
3. Develop the big idea
4. Conduct market research
5. Write a business plan
6. Get expert on your business plan
7. Get legal covering – your company
8. Open a bank
9. Setup a simple bookkeeping and ing system
10. Seek funding for your business
11. Build a strong team behind your business
12. Grow the business
13. Factors that affect how to start a business in Nigeria
14. Conclusion

How to guide – A step by step guide towards how to effectively start a business in Nigeria.

Understand yourself
The ability to understand yourself as an entrepreneur is one of the very essential attributes entrepreneurs must have to be successful. Understanding yourself has a lot to do with why you would want to become an entrepreneur and not sit behind a desk working a nine to five job. In Nigeria
You need to also understand why you intend to start a business: Are you seeking freedom from the stress of having to work for someone and have more control of your time, or are you trying to make more money and believe that you would be more successful as an entrepreneur?

Scout for opportunities
Opportunity discovery or otherwise known as entrepreneurial discovery – has been defined by many thought leaders as the process of systematically scanning for changes in technology, social, demography, the political and regulatory landscape of a people or place to come up with new products, goods, services or service delivery methods.

As an entrepreneur, you must develop the capability to sniff out opportunities where other none trained eyes may see despair and frustrations. , without pain, there are no entrepreneurial opportunities

Develop the big idea
I cannot stress this enough – At the very heart of a business, is the idea it is anchored on. Once you identify opportunities, the next thing is to develop an idea to seize the opportunities discovered.

Fortunately, like opportunity discovery, idea generation also has a process to it. There are lots of documented articles on developing ideas, please take your time to read up on the one I feel suites Nigeria the most here.

Conduct market research
Most entrepreneurs take the leap from having an idea to set up a business without seeing the need to go through the steps highlighted here. A majority even go-ahead to hire experts to write their business plans without first taking the time to conduct market research.

Click here to continue reading.

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“No man can go beyond his thoughts.” This saying has proven to be true in the lives of many people, especially the Nigerian youth. And no matter how gifted, talented, educated, or skilled a person is, that person can’t progress beyond his or her mentalities.

It is quite sad that youths, because of some of these mentalities, find it harder to survive in Nigeria than they usually would in other developing nations.

Related Post: https://experts.ng/blog/smes-brands-nigeria/

Here is a list of 5 of such mentalities Nigerian youth must drop to succeed:

1. The “Starting small takes too much time.” mentality
I have conversed with a lot of Nigerian youth and the mentality of not wanting to start small is common. Some believe that starting small is time-consuming. These youth see the benefits that starting small can bring, and yearn for the fruits without the growth process. Some will rather dodge meaningful things that take patience to grow.

This mentality is why a lot of these youth celebrate and boldly defend cyber fraudsters who choose to cut corners when these fraudsters are apprehended by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC).

The be honest, Nigerian youth know what they want, they know the price to pay to reach their goal, but the issue with the majority is that they are unwilling to start from square one and go the whole nine yards.

Hey, if you feel three years is too long to dedicate to grow a business or career at twenty-seven, that you will still be thirty years in three years’ time with little or nothing to show for it. So it is better to be thirty and have a three-year-old business or career than to be thirty wishing you had taken that bold step three years earlier.

The start of anything is not always easy because the start (foundation) is where the strength lies. The foundation of any building takes time and resources, and the more time and resources put into the foundation, the stronger the structure.

2. The “If you’re not talking money be brief.” mentality
A lot of Nigerian youth are not succeeding yet due to this mindset. It is the reason behind their nonchalant attitude towards training, seminars, boot camps and conferences. They think attending these events is a waste of time.

Money doesn’t grow on trees. It comes when we have the right mentalities and consciously make the right efforts towards success. There is a need to look beyond money to see the greater opportunities that lie ahead. But Nigerian youth see any job, discussion or activity that its immediate reward isn’t money as “invalid.”

If I had focused on the money when I started as writing some years ago, I am sure I won’t have had a writing career now. I did a lot of free jobs to hone my writing skills, and I always looked for opportunities to learn and grow. I was rejected by so many editors despite the fact that I offered to write for free.

As a rookie writer, I understood the concept of seedtime and harvest, so I didn’t lose focus of the bigger picture I had in mind. Am I still writing for free today? No, because I have paid my dues, and I’m reaping the harvest now.

The ‘money-love’ is seriously stagnating a lot of vibrant youth.

3. “Tech is for men” Mindset
Many young Nigerian ladies aspire to become young entrepreneurs in the youth-dominated tech industry in Nigeria but decided to let go of their dreams because of the mentality that the tech industry is male-dominated.

The thought of what family and friends might say about their supposed career choice kept them from living a life they are ionate about.

Some years ago, I approached a glazier to teach me glaziery, but he refused my apprenticeship because he believed glaziery was for men.

Click here to read number 4... https://experts.ng/blog/nigerian-mentalities/

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Nigeria is blessed with many entrepreneurs operating in the SME sector. With the many factors militating against entrepreneurship, there are some Nigerians that have braved it against all odds and are very successful today. They are considered Leading Small And Medium Size Enterprise (SME) Brands In Nigeria.

We have compiled a list of some of these Nigerians that have made names for themselves with the hope that Nigerians like yourself can learn a thing or two from these entrepreneurs who have found ways to excel above all odds.

Events Planning Business

A. Eventful Nigeria Ltd
Website: http://www.eventfulnigeria.com/

Eventful Nigeria Ltd was established in 2002 by Yewande Zacchaeus. Yewande is a Lawyer, Banker, and Entrepreneur. She started Eventful Nigeria Limited after a successful banking career. She retired from banking from Ecobank Nigeria Plc.
She had a degree in Law from the University of Lagos and a Master’s degree from Cambridge University. She also attended an Advanced Management Program at IESE Business School, Barcelona.
Yewande is the pioneer in the event planning industry in Nigeria. She is an active member of the Women in Management and Business and Public Service – (WIMBIZ) and a mentor to many female professionals.


B. Zapphaire Events
Website: http://zapphaireevents.com/

Funke Bucknor Obruthe is the founder of Zapphaire Events. She is a Lawyer and Entrepreneur. She graduated from the University of Lagos. She worked briefly in an advertising agency before she founded Zapphaire Events in 2003.

She is the author of the popular book: The Essential Bridal Handbook. She has earned several awards and recognitions including being listed in BBC’s 100 Women series.

Zapphaire Events has planned one-of-a-kind events in Nigeria and they are known for their excellence in event planning. Funke is an active member of the Women in Management and Business and Public Service (WIMBIZ) and a mentor to many professionals.

Beauty and Make-Up Business

A. House of Tara International
Website: https://corporate.houseoftara.com/

The House of Tara International was established in 1998 by Tara Fela-Durotoye. Tara is a Lawyer and Beauty Entrepreneur. She is the pioneer in the bridal makeup profession in Nigeria. She created the Tara Orekelewa Beauty Products, Inspired Perfume and H.I.P Beauty range.

She launched the first bridal directory in 1999, set up international standard makeup studios and established the first makeup school in Nigeria.
Tara graduated from Lagos State University and has attended many business-related programs in top business schools. Tara is an active member of WIMBIZ.

B. BM Pro Make-Up
Website: https://bmpromakeup.com/

Banke Meshida Lawal is the founder of BM Pro Make-Up. Banke is a makeup artist and businesswoman. She is a graduate of the University of Lagos, where she studied English. Banke is known for her many awards and achievements in the Nigerian Makeup Industry. BM Pro Make Up is popular among celebrities and executives, including the former first lady of Nigeria, Dame Patience Jonathan.

Banke’s journey started back in her university days, she has since perfected her skills and trade to become the brand that she is today.
Her brand BMPro is a multi-sectorial business, owning a makeup line of over 40 products, a training school, a beauty advisory and, an online magazine, BM| Pro.

Fashion Design Business

A. Mai Atafo
Website: www.maiatafo.com

Ohimai Atafo started Mai Atafo in 2009. He is a fashion entrepreneur and founder of the label: Mai Atafo. Ohimai had a successful career in the corporate world as a brand strategist with British American Tobacco and Guinness Nigeria Plc, before venturing into the fashion business.

He studied at a Savile Row Academy in Leeds before he started his bespoke tailoring and bridal atelier business. When you think of bespoke tailoring in Nigeria, Mai Atafo is the name that comes to mind. In Africa, Mai Atafo’s Tuxedos are possibly the best.

“For the love of the craft Mai Atafo finds time to be an incredible MC/Compere and voiceover artiste having done shows like 2010 Miss Nigeria Pageant alongside Agbani Darego, City People Fashion and Style Award, Face of Sleek Model Competition, Etisalat Masterbrand Re-launch, FCMB Employees Award Night and voiced a Glo advert and Soundcity Video Music Awards live-show.

In his not so spare time he still manages to inspire with is free fashion mentorship initiative called Fashion Conversations.
Mai Atafo is married to Ede-Christine and blessed with a daughter, Aima.” – Mai Atafo


B. Deola Sagoe
Website: www.deolasagoe.co

Ms Deola Ade-Ojo is a Nigerian born fashion designer who is popularly known by her design name, Deola Sagoe. Deola Ade-Ojo expanded her mother’s fashion business to become an international label known as Deola Sagoe. She began deg in 1988 when she ed her mother’s business with a view of expanding the label’s repertoire to encom more contemporary designs for the ever-developing, cosmopolitan high-brow society.

Deola Sagoe has long taken her fashion adventure to the international stage with many awards and trailblazing designs under her name. She holds a master’s degree in Finance and Management. She studied at the University of Lagos and University of Miami. Deola Sagoe is an African owned fashion business that competes well on the global stage.

Other fashion designers are:
David Wej (www.davidwej.com)
Kathy Anthony @kathyanthony on Instagram
Tubo (www.tubo.com.ng)
St Margaret Couture (www.stmargaretcouture.com.ng)
Deji and Kola Bespoke Clothing (https://www.dejiandkola.com/)
Sisiano Paolo @sisiano on Instagram

Continue Reading on ExpertsNG, Click here - https://experts.ng/blog/smes-brands-nigeria

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