Feet Gloves!

I found this picture cos my little mademoiselle "daughter" who is forever up to stuff and turning the house upside-down came up to me with her pink princess gloves on her legs that should have been on her hands. I wanted to ask her "what was she thinking". As often as she does i remember her words "i want it that way" i asked myself why haven't i seen feet gloves, has anyone made it? I googled and did see this picture.

I ask myself constantly why do we as Nigerians or Africans at large accept old as norm and do nothing for change? Should we be waiting for the government to give us what to do? or is their job actually to create more problems so that we find solutions to our lives? In the process we shouldn't violate the right of others just cos we want ours to win. Why do we do this to ourselves as people? Why are we so un transformational? Why have we become our own prisons "pre reasoning" lol? If i need to invent a new word to describe or define what i see or think "Who is Webster" to tell me i have no right? Who said Mama Mia cant be done in Pidgin, is it so hard for new concepts to be comprehended? Is babalawo the only guy that rules?

What has happened to the human spirit that sees a bird and says i want to fly like it and invents a plane? Is the spirit of the inventor not in Africa? Why are we not transformational in business, in socials? Why do people seem to attribute one rule to be the law? Are you/we protecting others rights to the market or are we/you unable to see vantage points? Who said hand gloves arn't feet gloves? Who said you can only taste but not eat? Who said you can hold but not have? Have we misunderstood what gluttony and greed is? Would doing for others and keeping 10% for yourself not be considered a giver? Who said the only means for transportation for a rich man is a car? What about a bicycle or a motorbike? Who said only the wealthy or rich should aspire to greater highs? Why do we shut down peoples dreams? Are we threatened or are we doubtful of ourselves and project it on others? Are you sure you haven't been conditioned to think a certain way so you keep being the milked cow? Have you accepted others Victory as your defeat?

Every moment a kid dont spend time in the creative classes we have born another generation of Zombies. Every-time we tell our kids that football is only for riff raffs we have taken their ability to understand strategy and tactics. Every-time we tell kids that music dont pay we have ruled out their ability to understand the basic intuition to branding and social communication. Only those gifted in poetry can move mountains of hearts which is what is needed now to move Nigeria to its feet. We have inherited the past from our parents but the future still belongs to our kids.

Our society is now full of engineers and lawyers, a total bottle neck; where most legal graduates are writing 419 letters and engineers are used in banks to calculate numbers. What a waste of 6years in uni and another 6 years roaming the streets in pursuit of the false illusion their parents and government had given them. Lets be careful about what opinions we spread to our kids cos tomorrow we will have to eat our own words. Professions and industries today established were someones hobbies yesterday.

Seek not what great men have but what they pursued. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What profits a man to gain the world and loose his soul. He may have been 2000 years ago but his words are still need to be decoded and applied to our times.

There is nothing strategic in a parent or society making everyone look like everyone, thats sending their kids to slaughter. We are still living in a world where survival of the fittest rules. America may be a mad house but not for one who can fit himself as a puzzle and change something within it.

When you need to go into business you need money!

I am trying to get to the bottom of why people say "when you need to go into business you need money" hmm what for? What is Money? Stored human Energy! Well if you are a trader i.e. reseller the money you need would be huge because you need a storage place "facilities" as well as money"facilitation" to buy in bulk, apart from that the product needs a level of demand for you to measure the probability of success, not counting the fact that you need to get out of your shell and meet the market, because you cant be expecting your market to dance to the tune of your need more likely you should dance to the tune of yours. So you would need to put some level of cash and mental effort to get what you want.

Lets imagine i am a mountain climber! The money i need is to buy the basic "safety" tools, then i would have to pay a coach to show me the ropes or prior to finding a coach if as a kid i loved to scout the hills this would have measured my strength, so pretty much when i meet a coach he wouldn't have to treat me as a novice as well as it would reduce the initial cost.

As a youth i was a pilgrim i liked to go into places many didn't venture, for whatever the reasons which could be "mama said No or some unfounded fear or lack of interest" and if all this prevented me now as an adult i find myself facing the need to find myself, do i need to blame anyone for being overly obedient or fearful? This is why i love stubborn kids. They are adventurous and when you go for adventures you definitely would develop a level of self awareness and knowledge of your environment.

It pays no parent to cage their child in the bid to have less hassle for themselves by worrying where their kid is or suiting their kids to be liked by the society because when your kid grows up you will be forced to get them out of the shell you once caged them in, you will now have to coach an adult and this is where many parents start developing a resentment towards the individual they created. So in return you are blaming yourself for the mistake you made in trying to make your life easy as against having a foresight that to push an adult out would be much more harder because of the mental blocks you created as a parent.

I had seen "experienced" a lot and therefore know a lot. Now if you as a person at young age never made mistakes or defiled anyone how would you say you know because one thing for sure you cant see anything behind closed doors.

People say when you open a business you need money, money for what?

Business is different from trading it needs creativity, skills "craft", knowledge. In these basics only the craft needs money, besides your craft may just require soft tools not hard tools; for instance business consultants need just their brain.

Don't create imaginary enemies, climb that mountain from the bottom and as you go you feel the rocks, climb down prepare again for the next step and before you know it you will be ready with all your gears on and no need to pack what you don't need.

Imagine me when i was a new mom, before i had my first child, i had drawn the list of everything i wanted to have around me to make my life easy and show off that my child is all dolled up. I bought every little trinket but what i didn't know is that when you have a baby well wishers will send you gifts that would last you for 9months ahead, apart from that your family continuously sends you stuff for them till they are 5. I had to start sharing off what i bought, garage sales! everyone buys cute stuff even better than the mom and it is the same in business. The money you need comes when the baby incubating stage has ended.

Start exploring businesses that don't need heavy cash, measure your strengths, tap into my brains, and lets find creative ways to reduce the cost/liabilities and make money/returns.  

“Get it Right the First Time” Is Not Your Friend.

“Get it Right the First Time” Is Not Your Friend. I agree with this statement but then what it reads to me is far greater than what meets the ordinary eye.

When they say be expansive about your dream is that, if you are a starting entrepreneur you need to create a vision, ie a variety of services and products and have the knowledge of steps that you need to take to making the business work.

let me use "Pancake Making" as an example to see the perspective i am coming from.

Half the time entrepreneurs have a thirst cos they had tasted the pancake in some ladies kitchen. They say i want to have this for breakfast every day; some decide that they want to marry the lady, some say they want to do it themselves. Ok are you willing to pay the lady to show you the tricks? A smart way is to have friends with benefits and no need to pay lol there are very naughty entrepreneurs out there but if you have the skill why not share? When you teach someone you become even more perfect at what you do.

Most entrepreneurs want what they want but have they asked themselves this question?

"can you really be having pancakes every morning?"

The human mind is such that to remain assertive it needs a variety. What i did is i took 7 businesses and push them all at once, so i call them monday, tuesday,........sunday. in pushing them i will find out what day i am best at and then i sell 4 out of 7 and stay with the menu that i like. Before i sell them off i make sure they are perfect for someone to buy.

So back to my breakfast menu : as an entrepreneur you need to have a menu of businesses but look at the type that has different methods but same ingredients this way you wouldn't need to load up your fridge. An entrepreneur needs to be a good chief, making a good soup out of leather after all all na kpomo.

Lets assume you dont have the time nor money to create a menu. The problem is that most entrepreneurs make a mix enough for one pancake even when they had bought the ingredients enough to feed a whole family.

the recipe states that

1 eggs, 50ml of milk, self raising flower 500g, butter/oil.

They also havnt found out how to mix and how to cook it. Now why wouldnt the first pancake work? Never give up until you get that mix and the baking right. Explain to me, how will our economy work if when the students who go to school dont learn business to either support the employer or support themselves? any way let me get to the pancake making business.

As a mom that makes pancakes i know that even with the amount of skills that i have that naughty first one will always stick to the pan. I fry it anyway, i eat it but i dont serve it. Actually that first one is often the sweetest and the rest perfect ones that follow still taste the same but cos my palet has tasted the first every other tastes the same the rest is just to give you energy.

Its always in that first taste, once you get that adrenalin rush you will always want more. Success is in the joy that you made your goal come through. The money comes when you become the master of your trade. When you make your family used to it and they can't stop asking for it because you added Jam or the Lemon Sugar mix, or mince meat filling, or syrup..............hmmmmm you get the taste now? Have i made you want pancakes? This is what promotion advertising is, making you hungry for the flavour.

Many marketers dont know what marketing is about, its about finding out what ingredients are available in the market to make your menu work. Sales is about purchasing what you need to make your mix, pr is about presenting the dish and receiving feedback on who wants to join in the kitchen, promotion is about making your market salivate. Business is fun for me, so i play with it and as for the Financial, Legal based type companies they can sit in their own NUT house, strapped in their white restraint jackets and develop hypertension, while i grove and have a life at the same time. They  tell me i wouldn't survive but hey arnt they having financial crises and asking government to loan them?. Have you seen how kindergartens look like? if it looked like hospitals don't you think our kids will say please take me away from that asylum? Who said that businesses should look like a prison yard? Have you been brainwashed out of creativity and uniqueness of what a brand stands for?

I saw a question posted "why are the paediatric centres in hospitals laid with colourful stuff and for the adults its just plain white/gray walls" i said cos no one likes adults? Never grow up or you will be subjected to a confined area. Remain small but expansive cos when everyone looks up to you they will put you in a straight jacket.

I love my first pancakes. they look like this :) a total mess for a write up but did you find something you enjoyed in it?

SEASON’S OF TIMES!

SEASON’S OF TIME

Solomon said, “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven” - Ecclesiastes 3:1

Business just as Nature has seasons! Spring, Autumn, Winter,Summer

SOLUTIONS are a fuelled by nature, there is no way to avoid it.

Each moment in time, each phase of life, must be treated in a manner appropriate to the events - Ecclesiastes3:11

We can not control events, only how we handle the events of times!

Every season has its fruits! Measure expectations! Not every tree bears fruit every season, the same trees have a variety of use in their given periods.

Spring - the Incubator of passions! 

Spring is about getting back up. Exploring new opportunities! Ideas. Find when what ideas are useful for its time. Look at what is in your disposal to achieve it, store the not needed for after, nothing is ever useless it has its appropriate time!

Nourishing and watching as it grows..

Summer is development! Testing to withstand the hot harshness, learning tolerance.  A time of learning the realities. There is a difference between Choice Vs Capabilities that lead you to discovering Opportunities!

Defining reliability of opportunities on short, mid or Long term plans !

Again store what u don't need now "short term" but keeping in mind long term projections! Judge on Hard facts benefits to the project or the end benefactor! Incubation from spring prepares for what must come.

Fall prepare for the coming dormant time of winter its a time of picking up the fruits you sowed in spring, tested in summer and selected what you will use now separating a portion for next sowing in spring . We most times droop our heads wishing to again see the fresh springtime but it doesn't come again in the fall if we eat it all!

best to ask the farmer how he does it and relate it to business. I stand corrected to the process but not the principles.

why do people believe that starting a business is hard?

I read somewhere i cant really remember it said "War used to be business, now business is war" and the tactics of warfare are relevant to explain what needs to be done to achieve order and success. My knowledge of business and its application are derived from the quotes of Sun Tzu.

dream" - what is most important

Using the rule mentioned in the art of war.

It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperilled in a hundred battles; if you do not know your enemies but do know yourself, you will win one and lose one; if you do not know your enemies nor yourself, you will be imperilled in every single battle.

"Know your self, the enemy, and the grounds of battle"

KNOWING YOURSELF

The survey ie feasibility "visibility" you need is evaluation of your knowledge, talent and skill first, which in reference all these 3 are the same thing but are varying tools viewed as different vantage points! Practiced talent becomes a skill or gives you a combination of skills and in practice it creates knowledge. You use knowledge to advocate for the brand and your organised skill to execute the job.

Usually people find who they are or what they can when they face a problem and solve it. talent they say is often found in adversity.

Taking that aside once you know who you are, you need to know what your enemy is ie you need to weigh the problem you see. What battles did you win? Record down how you won it. The battles you have faced are often the indicators of what is happening in the environment. You cant possibly be living in the same area with your neighbour and experience different things but how you both solve it is what makes the difference. Feasibility is about comparing strengths and weaknesses to see what opportunities and threats there are (SWOT). The difference in the SWOT is what your loopholes of opportunities are.

If you see someone battling with something invent a new way of approach and thats what you sell if you want to or give it out. This is actually what i think should be protected. In recording the difficulties and looking for loopholes, ask yourself “are you innovating or renovating”? Innovation usually comes from the renovation process.

You can revive the old to become new again, just as in this quote.

On many long journeys have I gone. And waited, too, for others to return from journeys of their own. Some return; some are broken; some come back so different only their names remain.--YODA, Dark Rendezvous

KNOWING THE GROUNDS

In business there is an additional aspect as KNOWING THE GROUNDS "whats the playing field?". The wheel doesn’t need to be reinvented. Most industries already have a foundation. I am sure every one knows what they call Associations. These are networking grounds as well as development grounds. Unfortunately or fortunately for some there is bad and good competition within these groups. Everyone is fighting for market share. Let me use this analogy; If there is a redhead on the ship all pirates scramble to have her. Now its same with Projects; association’s are supposed to be an environment where a project is handled by all; everyone bakes the cake by bringing their unique ingredients and everyone shares the cake equal to their input share.

If there is no common goal that the association is pursuing then I see it as just a place for chit chat and back biting.

KNOW YOUR ENEMY – this is often the lack of technique in Business rules of engagement and Resource management. Usually this determines your growth prospects. If you know yourself and know the grounds you will be able to know how to tackle the market "device a tactical strategy"

If no mistake have you made, yet losing you are ... a different game you should play. --YODA, Shatterpoint

You cant just approach a babe because you handsome and have money. Whats your Character, are you defined by your wallet or are you defined by your principles? After you woo you can now ask the lady how she wishes to be handled lol, the market is a fine babe with everything and she is very wealthy too so who you are does matter as well as what you do and where you are going.

Your strength vs the markets weaknesses and then use the tool to hit where needed! All this is done in the mind with a pen and paper when you are starting! If you cant put down your model in a drawing then it will be hard for you to translate it into writing. Process or delivery design.

Many entrepreneurs are timid at start, they have little confidence in what they wish to offer and in this respect are not able to communicate it. Timidity also is as a result of being overly perfect. In my case I make deliberate grammatical errors cos I don’t need to speak grammar to be respected, you have to make sense and not to yourself but to your market. You have to come down to their level but with a swag, which is what branding is about, SWAG. Your flaws are actually adorable if you have a reason for bringing them out. It isn’t that your market is cheep and you should give them what ever but you should understand what pricing is. Create 3 class distinctions but let it also meet some quality standard. Cheep don’t mean bad, it means less functionalities. What is your product, service and solution mix? That is the design.

All this is on the shoulders of the FOUNDER, the next phase of knowing your enemy, is meant to be handled in team formation. I call it the Execution “Mapping and Delivery”

"plan" - find what is around"

It is the rule in war, if ten times the enemy's strength, surround them; if five times, attack them; if double, be able to divide them; if equal, engage them; if fewer, be able to evade them; if weaker, be able to avoid them.

A problem may be huge and so it is with a business! In this case you can't waste time in tracking every possible resource you need one by one. You need to make a statement to the market! Like I previously mentioned about how the real estate professionals do! They present the architectural design of the vision and show what effects it will have to attract investors, partners, suppliers, staff and government agencies that wish to participate in the building of the design! During this process is where the next step takes place!

"strategy" - fit the puzzles to the picture.

No! Try not. Do, or do not. There is no try. --YODA, Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

Based on what you find you approach each party and ask exactly what took into their fancy and you now have to place all the scattered puzzles to the picture. Imagine you havnt gotten all the puzzles, here you now decide what changes you will have to make to yourself, never change the design, you should change the tools and methods to making it work cos if for instance you twick a poll you may have to pay for the effects it will have on the foundation and that is a waste of time and other resources!

This is why from point one to this stage you need a solid team, who isn't emotional ie willing to transform their mind-set from I won't, I can't to - I can and let's try attitudes! Anyone who at this point are dragging their own relevance should be cut off cos what is important is the design!

Reason why the design should be left untouched is that in the process where you called in parties your market already has a picture of what you are and they will demand answers why you had changed from initial model to new because that is where the market acceptance of you had started. There is no going back you are surrounded by competitors and this is where you will loose out to them cos they will capitalise on what you dropped out on and make a killing, while you will be trying to reconvene your clients why you weren’t perfect from the start!

"tactics" - collect the bricks. 

In collecting the bricks this means your market target! There will be those who want you first; its what they call early adopters and there are also late adopters! You carry the early guys and give them the perks ie the cream of your solutions and to the late adopters throw the freebees left overs to keep them wanting for the next innovation! lol this sounds mean? well late comers always get what is left over or nothing at all.

Personally I don't feel sorry for those who like to drag their feet and waste my time while trying to save their monetary resources while wasting precious time! This is where as a business person I am harsh cos I also aint a fool for taking risks. First come first serve. As a biz person you must have a spine! Your market can't be pacing you! If I give my all I expect all! Lol Its like kids if they sense your weakness they will manipulate you!

Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering. --YODA, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace

When you look at the dark side, careful you must be ... for the dark side looks back. --YODA, Dark Rendezvous

"method" - start building the wall."

Here you have to become market leader, where even your competitors will follow your steps as well as become partners and investors in creating more innovation and expanding through diversification!

All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when we are able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must appear inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.

To answer power with power, the Jedi way this is not. In this war, a danger there is, of losing who we are. --YODA, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, "Lair of Grievous"

To be Jedi is to face the truth, and choose. Give off light, or darkness, Padawan. Be a candle, or the night. --YODA, Dark Rendezvous

Business is not hard for someone who likes to play the game!

Why do people find it easier to build a house rather than build a business?

Why do people find it easier to build a house rather than build a business?

2 friends of mine said:

You can control whether the frame is plum and level, whether the roof leaks... you can't control the fates.

In building a house your brains and active participation are not fully needed your dough yes! But in a business, both your brains, dough and participation are highly and always needed.
Also once the foundation of a house is rock solid, chances are that the house will outlive the owner, stand test of times and weather all storms. But in business. There is no such thing as rock solid foundation, a whole lot of dynamics and factors goes into building a successful business and still no guarantee!.

I argue that: Knowledge, skill, time and foresight are the only nuisance of building a business. Just as any house a business needs a foundation while every entrepreneur is building castles in the sky. If one follows the same principles of building a house for a business then they will succeed.

I went to a site to read on the process of building a house and i will use this to rephrase what is required for business building.

In my experience the most crucial of all need for an entrepreneur is having knowledge of how to read in between the lines i.e the ability to research what was found. When someone sets off to build a house they need to scout what houses have been built, look at how it was designed, take notes of what he likes and what he doesn't, talk to suppliers of raw materials to find costing, so a budget can be done, even if it is rough. This may be the work of the QS, but what if you can cut your costs during negotiations knowing the real cost of the materials?

At this point is where many entrepreneurs’ fail themselves, they aren't really interested in business, they want to have it in the box and delivered. First you need to love the art of cost reduction "negotiation", cos this is where management starts. Managing yourself, managing your emotions and managing your savings. This is what builds your negotiation skills, which is tied with ethics and strategy management. You don’t have to attack everyone for bringing you a quotation that is higher. You must realise that everyone is in the market to make a profit, so your job is to beat down the margins, by knocking a number of suppliers heads through bids.

In order to get the right bid, you need to draw up your blue print. Whats the design ie reprocessed checklist of your likes and dislikes of the survey you had done of houses you have seen!

You need an architect and sit with them to discuss what you have seen vs what you know. The architects could be your friend or spouse or a consultant or the competitor “in this case you need to be a spy” an entrepreneur is a James bond. Your image begins to build at the very instance you get in contact with your idea. The easiest things that arnt handled at this moment will be the nuisance you will face when you have set a blue print. What’s your brand. Your brand is your dream + vision, and a brand develops based on the solutions to the problem you have seen. The picture evolves as you go.

Lets take for example how did StartUpSity become what it is.
I had a logo of merged colourful boxes representing 3 types of services that I was strong at. Marketing, Customer service and Organisation development but the boxes didn't speak much to the market. Now over 10 years it has taken a shape of a colourful Umbrella that transforms into a Hot-air balloon and then into a Kite/Hovercraft this represents transformation for the market we am at supporting but still has the same function for our business structure and the services remain the same.

Your logo should have the character of what your market wants to see, not a character that you are found of. People draw first to pictures not just the words or the slogans. Our startup slogan stands for "Igniting dreams", the UP slogan sounds "from grounds up", and Sity stands for "Universal application."

Igniting dreams from grounds up cruising Universal heights.

This speaks of the companies attitude towards business and its customer. This is what motivates both the internal and the external drive. This is what they call culture. Once you have gotten your attitude right, your blue print can be a vision and no longer a dream. Now you need to advocate your position as a company, your market needs to buy into the idea of what you are presenting.

I am sure you have seen what the real-estate companies do, they create a markup of what would be and invite everyone for a presentation, during the presentation they meet their market and the market is made of components, Clients, potential staff, suppliers, partners, investors, sponsors, government agencies. All parties that make a business work, but this blue print will be modified to meet every parties goal and everyone pushes on their side what is needed to get the Vision established, this is how the board of directorship forms. Policies are drawn, a CEO is elected with management competence, the CEO presents a plan of how the resources will be managed, ie supplies needed, staff competences, logistics, location, strategies roll out plans……….customer service unit where feedback is collected on what customers are demanding, or what failed.

This is the planning stage that has been sorted, and all this falls on the shoulders of the founder. Next is the Management operational phase which is responsible for the growth drive of the company.

Reprocessing the raw material (problems) “idea” having the skill to convert it into a workable “Concept” then testing the concept to produce a viable “Prototype” and creating strategies for “roll out” again

The roll out strategies started already during the process of “conceptualising’ the company. Conceptualising in my opinion is the markets acceptance of the idea of what the product would do for them.

If one realises that problems are indicators of opportunities then you already have an indicator that there are opportunities i.e when someone complains of a problem and you find out that a majority agree that the problem exists then all one needs to do is process the census. This is what is called market research, ie method’s of how people solve the problem. It is like a political campaign.

To avoid costly mistakes during the construction process, start with these important steps. As you move from dream house to the real house be sure to ask questions and share your progress. Tell us about your new house.

This is why startups don’t grow, they didn’t start well.
in the film "Gladiator" the slave owner said " win the crowd and you will win your freedom" do what the market wants and you will be the leader"

Half the time entrepreneurs are busy trying to force what they want to do rather than tactfully transcending minds. If you want investors, do what they like! You are a business person, not an investor. As a business person you are the sponsor of your dream, get investors to buy into the vision.

And best start when you are young, this way you will beat the time factor.

Being a woman and daring.

Being a woman and daring to run a successful business may still sound and seem like a ‘pipeline dream’ for many females who hold such aspirations considering that to a large extent business is still male dominated and to many women this is a discouraging impediment yet only a few dare to dream and persist in pursuit of success and such is Alsu E. Odemwingie…

Alsu, 35, a single mom of 2 .  She is the CEO of a company called StartupSity, An entrepreneurship  coaching business testing incubator. Much of Alsu desire to succeed in life can be traced back to the coaching she received from her father... “My dad had a special skill when it came to coaching us  in order to instill survival instincts in us. I was only 13 years old when he first taught me the art of negotiating and bargaining. On three different attempts, he sent me to purchase groceries and ask me to bring back his change and I had to negotiate and bargain with the vendors in order to achieve that. Later when I was 21 we discussed this experience which allowed me to be more courageous about achieving goals. The natives of the Asian state love to bargain and love a good bargainer because it’s the way they connect mentally. Communication may be daunting for the average person who wants to get things off the shelf but in the Asian and African environment bargaining shows your level of intelligence, she explained boldly.

When asked why she got into business in the first place one would expect a response similar to why some of us are essentially in business. ‘I never got into business with the intention or wanting it to be successful in terms of the myth around making tremendous amount of money; I just wanted to help my friends and mothers to be able to deal with change and showing them how to transition. I was just busy as a kid at 18 trying to find a place for myself and share the good news that everything is possible if only they try. I didn’t realize and probably still don’t the extent of my success. What keeps me going is the need to reach out.

Alsu, a part time blogger and internet surfer says she spends most of her time trying to instill some skills she learnt from her father through her company StartUpsity which provides the following services:

Coaching, counseling, consulting for skill acquisition for students, parents, and physically disabled who need to grow.

She asserts that just because someone has one arm or a leg doesn’t remove away the brain and creativity. Students are very smart. They just need clarification on matters concerning the work world. And mothers are the most loyal but they lose focus when they have a family to manage.

Design, Build & Management for startup businesses. 

She motivates this function of her business by emphasizing that startup companies are predominantly one-man businesses. Some of the startups manufacture products from their kitchen or garage, and sell to the surrounding neighborhood. The products are predominantly of poor quality due to poor manufacturing practices and in some cases, with low quality raw materials. The end result is that the final consumer – be it government department or individual consumer – ends up with a product that is sub-standard, as well as poor revenue because the market knows when they see quality.

As with any other business, one of the biggest challenges faced by small businesses is growth, (rather the lack of it and mismanagement of resources) which she however says is easily averted in her company through the implementation of strategic systems including exploiting social media platforms as means of marketing and growing her business.

‘Social networks are the best for us as our method revolves around intellectual communication; Facebook has been the best option for promotion. We are invited for radio talks on our topics and create educational programs. Our Virtual Incubator www.startupsity.biz also allows us and our community of member’s to explore possibilities before wasting resources on investment. It allows us to reach out to all Africa and the business world for collaborative projects that create jobs’.

To develop a likeable company culture the company create  business events with entertaining speeches that broaden people’s knowledge of the business world. Job fairs, Inventors Expos, Virtual tournaments, debates, social orientated programs, blogs, explore social networks. Generally we are very playful as our operations involve a lot of creativity’, she added.

Startupsity continues to make its mark through various partnerships and sponsors.  It is currently sponsored by SouthernSun who supports their training programs for youth.

How does Alsu define success?

Alsu believes that when you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds: Your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction, and you find yourself in a new, great and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive, and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be. Alsu, non fearing entrepreneur advices  against Stagnation by articulating that ‘Life is dynamic; if there is no change there is no growth. I’d rather crash than burn she says, light  heartedly.

As a person who loves sharing empowering information she can’t hold back at dispensing some things  she learned over the years: ‘I learnt long ago if you don’t push you will be pushed, so I might as well not let change catch me unawares. I have moments but as soon as that fear kicks in it reminds me that maybe I did something wrong, I retrace myself and soon find that loophole. Motivation plays a great role, as an entrepreneur you shouldn’t avoid contact, in fact contact is the very essence of finding opportunities. We live in a world where people are walking on tiptoe with each other; personally I don’t understand why sometimes you have to be naughty and step on a few toes but not to forget to make an apology. Business is like a relationship it needs a spark. If you are not naughty by nature you are not an entrepreneur.

It would seem  Alsu is not the kind of a person who believes in a standard formula for business successbut to first time entrepreneurs her advice is:Follow your pain and joy it’s  what they call the “heart”, these are the biggest motivators behind any solution you find today. Ask questions, accept opinions and reanalyze them, never take things personal, never act subjectively when it comes to managing people. But if you must react manage the after effects. Don’t follow every rule in the book because it is for general consumption. Build a base but see the peak first.’

She continues to inspire young people and aspiring entrepreneurs by saying: Dreams are acheavable. Know yourself; put yourself through everything so that events don’t scare you, undue expectations create the problems because you have developed preconseived ideas about the world. If you venture into things see it for what it is and don’t cloud yourself with emotions. Collaborate with your peers and those older and younger than you while in university and out of it, because those are your future partners, staff, suppliers, future political leaders. Get yourself known. Start a project before you leave school so that when an employer asks about you, you will have something to say other than you wasted your time. As that would reflect on how seriously you took your life, don’t forget that your hobbies also develop skills that will give you additional pay, such as having a voice would mean you can record a company sountrack, dancing makes you a good team leader / HR speaker, sports give you skills in strategic thinking and develops dicipline focus towards achieving a goal.’

Alsu dreads being interpreted as an ‘Invincible Miss Perfect’ as she admits to coming across  moments where she has to deal with her own failures,  however it is the positive attitude she employs in dealing with faults that help her triumph: ‘I am still quite young, but I also have a frame of mind that as soon as I make an error I rectify it. I would also state that a great deal of time I trust, and people take it as being a weakness, yet I have learnt and gained a lot of skills through it. Being in the business of coaching people and helping people succeed means I have to be hard on myself and set an example. If you can’t help yourself how you can help others?

Alsu draws inspiration from people she looks up to, leaders such as United States president Barrack Obama and former South African president Nelson Mandelawho she says help ignite her passion.She says they had the Audacity to hope. ‘Our girls need women to hold as examples. If we have no leaders we will all be puppets under rulers for misguided heads.’

When it comes to family one would expect Alsu to be completely off balance seeing her business interest seem to take centre stage. She admits it is hard to jugle 10 hats at the same time. When you have a vision like mine you can’t devote much time family however my kids are happy because my business revolves around adventure and exploration they are at the age where discovery is of great pleasure to them, she says.

She continues to share her dreams and intents to be in all African countries.’ For now her goal is to help 400,000 people and integrate 3000 small business projects as a ripple effect to startup the economy in Africa. ‘Our kids need a safer region where girls wouldn’t be turning into prostitutes and boys into gangsters to survive.’

This year 2013 I set a goal to reach out to many and have so far accumulated over 460,000 hits on YouTube. Startupsity is well known and I am being approached by media and publishing industries for publications, which I believe is a sign of recognition in the Services Industry.’

In conclusion Alsu shares with us five key elements for starting and running a successful business:

"Dream" - Look at what is most important to you! 

"Plan" - Find what is around you, 

"Strategy" - Picture how all u see and know fits the puzzle,

"Tactics" - Head on collecting the bricks,

"Method" - Start building the wall."

Alsu underpins her story by stating that: ‘the world of business is not used to women, besides Africa isn’t business based but trade based, everyone is reselling other nations products rather than being producers of their own. This makes us defendant and dependent, independence requires not being beggars but doers. To the men that fight against women who are willing to go into business I would say remember this when a woman is a maid, sons become servants. Kids are growing directly under the influence of mothers, if she isn’t smart, what then will the kids inherit?

WB

By Otto Tshilenge