Quick Maths (1): How to generate income to start a business with FDSH Asset Management
Smart moves early in life can pay BIG long-term….. Now, what’s the point in looking good and slaying when your bank account isn’t smiling back at you? Listen. This is the year to SLAY 100%, and we’re ready to show you how to make money moves the right way. So, are you ready to cash out like Cardi’s got nothing on you? We are partnering with FSDH Asset Management Ltd to share with you a 4 part downloadable guide to enable you to boost your finances. We want to make sure that every Motherland Mogul is prepared to master the money world. [bctt tweet=”Learn how to generate funds to start your business with @FSDHCoralFunds. Click here for more: bit.ly/FsdhGuide1″ via=”no”] Topics this 4 part series will cover: Seed Money: How to generate income (capital) to start a business. Diversifying: Different ways to save and protect savings (for low and high-income earners). Bottom Line: How to use your business net income to your advantage Emergency Funds: Why you must have some investments. Now let’s talk about you. You’re about to start a business but you need capital to begin? Girl, we’ve got you! In this first downloadable guide, we’ve done some Quick Maths for you, highlighting how you can generate capital for your business or launch your new project. First, you need to understand that money does not come for free, as a MotherlandMogul, you have to know what your options are, and work towards them. After reading this first downloadable guide, you’ll understand what moves to make to get closer to your money goals. But what’s next after you get that capital and the bills start rolling in? We have more juice coming your way. To continue learning basic principles that will lead to a happier and healthier financial you, get prepared for our next guide. Because girl, we’re going deeper. FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD – FSDH AM is a wholly owned subsidiary of FSDH Merchant Bank Limited. They are one of Nigeria’s leading asset management and financial advisory firm. FSDH AM is versatile in financial transactions and investment strategies that meet the need of investors in an emerging economy like Nigeria. They recognize that today’s investors need the services of dedicated and expert professionals to provide them with intelligent investment counsel. Therefore, their strategies are dedicated to preserving investors’ wealth while maximizing the value that they receive. Once you’re through with this guide, visit FSDH Asset Management Ltd to know more and get all your pressing questions answered. Getting access to this guide is easy: just fill out the form below to join our community and get access to this guide, remember this is only part 1, there’s more to come – so stay updated. By joining our community, you also get to enjoy our AWESOME weekly content as well.
The Art of Customer Service every business should adopt
As important as branding and advertising are, one of the most important elements of selling a product/service is customer service. Excellent customer service puts your business ahead of the competition as it is something that is often missing from the a lot of countries, especially the Ghanaian business model. Small businesses tend to jump straight to digital marketing or advertising without taking a moment to fully understand their business model and industry and how their product (or service), pricing, place (online store or brick & mortar store) and people (service personnel) intertwine and affect the overall brand and ROI. In case you didn’t know, people are one of the most important aspects of the business, that is service personnel across the production line or yourself if you are running a run man show. Customer service does not begin and end at the point of transaction and as a small business owner, you must consider the pre-purchase experience, purchase experience, and post-purchase experience So what does this mean for your business? Pre-purchase experience This refers to the experience your customer has with your brand before they decide to purchase anything. Is your website appealing? Does it have enough information to allow the customer to make an informed decision – or are your photos outdated? How is your advertising? Are people speaking positively about your brand? Purchase experience This is the actual moment of transaction where you exchange the product (or service) for payment. If you run an online store, you must consider your interface – is your website easy to navigate? How does your customer pay for their purchase – do you have Mobile Money integrated? Can they use a Visa Card? There are many services in Ghana that allow you to develop a website that allows your customers to shop online. A personal favorite is Storefoundry, it works very well for small businesses in Ghana. If you run an actual brick & mortar store, what is the ambiance like? Is it easy for customers to locate the products in your store? Are they on high shelves and do they always need an attendant to help? Is your store so small that your customers can only come in one at a time? Is your shop attendant interactive, willing to help and offer alternatives? Or are they constantly on their phone? Post-purchase experience This covers your follow-ups and interaction with the client after the transaction. Are you bombarding them with irrelevant SMS messages and emails? If you provide a delivery service, was your delivery driver dressed appropriately? Below are practical tips you can put into action to make sure your customer service is top notch. Recruitment & Training – Recruitment and training is the beginning of providing excellent customer service. Even if you are running a run man show, you need to stay up to date on customer relationship trends and train yourself to always put the customer first. If you are hiring others to handle the customer interaction, make sure you hire people who know and understand the vision of the brand and are willing to be brand ambassadors both inside and outside the workplace. Personnel must also be conversant in the industry-speak as well as in the product itself, in order to serve as a salesperson. [bctt tweet=”Hiring the right people will allow you to build the right company culture that is well aligned with the brand” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Go the extra mile – The data you collect from your customers serve many purposes. One of the main ones is to compile a mailing list for your newsletter but another important use would be to study your customer’s purchasing habits and stay a step ahead of them all the time. Group your customers by date of birth and send out a personal message to them via text message or Whatsapp, which has become a popular medium for business communication in Ghana. Get to know your customers personally, are they parents? Do they celebrate religious holidays? Make sure to reach out to them accordingly. [bctt tweet=”Reminding customers that you have them on your mind will make them feel involved with the brand. ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Feedback is key – Receiving feedback from your customers at least once a quarter is important. Simple tools such as Google Forms or Survey Monkey are helpful for designing easy to use surveys which gives you direct feedback from your customers and clients. This way, your clients feel involved with and connected to your brand. Appearance – You and your staff’s appearance is one of the most important elements in building a strong brand. Ensure that staff (and yourself) look the part at all times. Customers appreciate a smile and a helping hand, as difficult as it may be on some occasions. The best way to make sure your customer service is on point is to align the pre-purchase, purchase and post-purchase experience to ensure a smooth transaction! Go forth and provide an excellent service!
10 Reasons Why You Should Get a Job Before Starting a Business
When starting a business, it is important to know that entrepreneurship is a growth process that you ease into, rather than rush in. There are a lot of processes that are often skipped with the hope that things will turn out well. Sometimes they don’t! Because of this, we can’t skip crucial processes and expect success to fall on us like ripe cherries. Success in business naturally comes to people who have paid their dues in full. If you’re experiencing serious issues with your startup and you’re considering quitting altogether and getting a job, I think you should too. Yes! You read that right, QUIT! We have a lot of half-baked, unskilled and rebellious entrepreneurs all over Africa today who are frustrated with their full-time jobs. They escape into entrepreneurship hoping to find some solace for their undisciplined minds. Truth is, if you can’t handle a job successfully, then a business would be harder. A lot of entrepreneurs need to swallow their pride, dust their CVs and go get themselves some more training. A lot of the issues we face as startup business owners can be prevented if we are humble enough to stay somewhere and learn. [bctt tweet=”Before starting your business, take the time to objectively define your true motivation” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] 1. It Will Help You Find Your True Motivation Why are you starting a business? Think about this for a moment before you read on and be sincere with yourself. Are you starting a business because you don’t have a job or because you can’t stand working for someone else? Is it that you want your own work schedule and no instructions? These are wrong motivations for entrepreneurship. So, before starting your business, take the time to objectively define your true motivation. Is there a passion you have that you cannot fulfill your current job? 2. You will Master Your Skill and Hone Your Craft When you’re just starting out in business, you don’t always know everything you need to know about your target market, products and industry. Running a business is not the time for trial and error else you would have ruined your reputation while still trying to gain grounds. But if you take on a job, you will have superiors that can correct you when you make mistakes and they can help you get better. Just make sure you get a job in an industry that can enhance your knowledge and exposure in your field. You will never be able to quantify or pay for the volume of experience you will get from there. 3. You Will Build Confidence Have you ever met the CEO of an organization jittering in the face of a problem or challenge? Entrepreneurs are bold people and their confidence has a way of winning others over to their side and inspiring trust in their employees and clients. This confidence arises from the experience and knowledge they have acquired over the years. That boldness doesn’t just drop on anyone, it is built over time of making mistakes, being corrected and taking to corrections. You need that confidence to run a business successfully and you can get that from your job. 5. You Save For Your Startup Savings is one of the biggest sources of funding your startup. With a job, you can save enough initial funds and deposits to get your business started. If you’re smart and disciplined enough, you can join a co-operative society so your savings accumulate and give you access to more funds. 6. Build your Network A lot of entrepreneurs run a one-man show without external influences and inputs coming from anywhere. While doing your day job, you can start building solid relationships with your superiors and associates. Their inputs will come in handy when you eventually start your own business. [bctt tweet=”Your network is your net worth” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] 7. Learn about your industry Having a skill is not enough reason to start a business which is what most entrepreneurs do nowadays. Once they acquire a skill, they open a business immediately. There are also other key areas you need to put into consideration before launching your business. Those areas include your target market, industry trends and competition. Then a good knowledge of your products and services and other opportunities that might be open in your field. Take your time. You can get it right once and for all 8. Learn how to build a business or how not to. Running a business is an art that must be learned if you are ever going to make it. You need to learn from people that have gone ahead of you and organizations that have achieved what you’re hoping to achieve someday. You will also be able to learn the inside operations, behind the scene activities, financial and people management that goes into running a business. While learning, if you discover any great idea you love, imitate it. But if you come across an uncomfortable experience that opposes how you think things should be done for instance the way the management deals with staff, then at least you would have learnt how not to handle things when you start your own business. [bctt tweet=”Take to corrections and watch out for subtle things that can cause your downfall. ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] 9. You’ll Learn Discipline. Many entrepreneurs are undisciplined in the way they handle their businesses. They see entrepreneurship as an opportunity for less work and to work anytime they like. I wish that is true but it’s not. Entrepreneurship means more work and more discipline than a regular worker. Your 9-5 job is where you get the basics of personal and organizational discipline. 10. Law of Karma Lastly, while doing your job make sure you are faithful. Do it wholeheartedly and give in your all. Don’t reserve your best until when you start your own business. Use your best ideas. Use your creativity. You’re sowing a seed you will reap very soon when you start your own business. Take to corrections and watch out
Side hustle 2.0: Tips for starting a side hustle in South Africa
With the way the economy is (well in South Africa), it is getting tougher to make ends meet. So, much like my last article, some turn to a second income in the form of a side hustle or business, while others, run their side businesses out of passion and enjoyment and not necessarily for the income. For those who do not have businesses up and running yet, it may seem like a daunting task to get started but it honestly isn’t – it just needs one to put on their admin hat and take it one step at a time. In this article, I will discuss how to kick-start your business in the South African context. 1. Register your company In South Africa we use the CIPC, which reserves a company name for you as well register your company, doing both only costs you R175. To register on the CIPC all you need is the amount, your ID number and your company’s name. Once you create a customer account, you then move over to the TRANSACTION tab and click on “REGISTER A COMPANY”. From then on, it’s a walk in the park. 2. Get a logo Others may not design a logo right away and I suppose that it is dependent on what you do, for example, if I am looking for a contractor to remodel my bathroom, I don’t really care for his logo. On the other hand, businesses like clothing brand ’s will require a logo especially when it is needed for labels and packaging. I believe a simple design is always best for logos, it can stay with you for a long time, without having to rebrand. 3. Create Social Media Pages This is easy to do and often helps get your brand out there. Social media is also helpful when you don’t yet have a website, they act as your point of contact when you cannot engage with potential customers face to face. The key rules for social media as I’ve learned are: Create engaging content, make your followers tag a friend, comment, rate or vote on something. Keep things short and simple on twitter and this is a great platform to engage/chat with followers. Instagram is visual, use beautiful and great quality images (also on all your other social media accounts). Facebook allows for more text and longer pieces. ALWAYS direct all social media posts to your website (if you have one) eg: “for more info, follow the link to read more about the other products that we sell” 4. Advertise When you’re getting started, social media and your friends and family will be your advertising. If your budget for paid advertising is low, you could offer your products/service to influential people at a discounted rate. For example, if you want to start a branding company, find a company who you feel could really benefit from your services and offer your services at a lower rate. Another example, as a chef you could start selling your signature dishes at a food market or offer dinner dates for couples. A makeup artist could offer to do school play’s cast to showcase your work. There is a world of ideas and opportunities to advertise and sell your products and services! 5. Create templates for your quotes, invoices etc I cringe when people send their quotes as a text or in a poorly constructed Word document. Some businesses allow you to have a standard price list, so if your prices never change, invest in a well-designed page, that has your logo, all your contact details, social media pages, price list, payment details, lead times and everything people normally ask for. Never mind being neat, it saves you time from having to type out your price list every time. Never make your customers work for your details or to make their purchase/appointment, you have to make it as easy as possible! Chances are, they’re ready to make a purchase, don’t slow down the momentum by having them ask for payment options. The greatest part of invoicing (especially when your customer base grows exponentially) is that the invoice numbers help you keep track of who has paid and who hasn’t, while a quote will explain what they will be paying for and what is and is not included. 6. Keep track of your product or service offering. Returning customers are the best, if they aren’t happy – try to rectify it. The simplest way is a post-purchase survey, where they are not in front of you and have the freedom to critique you honestly. If it can be done anonymously, even better, but the option of leaving their names is useful, especially for those issues that you would like to address afterward. A few questions could be sent out to clients or you could use ratings, I believe Facebook offers this, which also works to your advantage if the ratings are good. Never delete poor ratings, they bring an element of “realness” to the page. Although kick-starting a side hustle may seem like a full-time job, it isn’t at all! If you plan and get used to the flow of things, it becomes clockwork, but if you ever feel overwhelmed or confused, have any ideas you’d like to discuss, questions, or would like advice, please click on my bio and reach out to me. If you’d like to get featured on our Facebook page, click here to share your story with us.
8 Innovative Ways to Fund Your Startup
Dear Motherland Mogul, anyone who said starting a business is fun and easy told a fat lie and worst still, have never started a business. One of the biggest hurdles an entrepreneur in Africa (or anywhere in the world) has to cross is the hurdle of financing their business. It’s the reason why many fabulous and potential million dollar ideas die every day or remain mere ideas. Like it or not, money is everything in an entrepreneurs world. Without it, ideas are buried and passions are watered down while frustrations set in, making even the strongest of personalities call it quits and go back to their corporate jobs. I’ve come up with 8 innovative ideas you can use to fund your startup without necessarily borrowing money. Depending on your situation and kind of business, you’ll find at least one or two you can apply immediately to get your business running. 1. Sell your valuables Yes! You saw that right. If you’ve been struggling with acquiring funds to finance your startup and nothing seem to be working, maybe it’s time then to look inwards. Search your house thoroughly for any valuable item that could fetch you a fortune when you sell…that gold wristwatch, expensive jewelry, MacBook, or iPod, whatever. It’s time to let them go for the bigger stuff. If you aren’t ready to get rid of these precious items to make your ideas work, then it doesn’t matter what you say, you are not ready for business! Or better still, you are not convinced about your ideas. Entrepreneurs are people that can give everything including their lives for something they believe in. That is one skill you need to survive in this overcrowded business space. 2. Dip into your savings This is what your savings are meant for: to invest in opportunities and ideas that can transform your life and change your world. Your savings are not meant for spending, fixing urgent situations or paying debts. You can have separate savings for that but primarily we save to invest. Just in case you don’t have any savings, you might want to take some time making some money at first. So try to get a job where you could work for some time and save before starting your business. 3. Your Rich Friends What big money is to you is nothing to some of your rich friends. You know this is true. Instead of dying in silence and wondering if they will be willing to help you, swallow your ego, take the bold step and pitch your ideas to them. You’ll never know if they’ll support you unless you ask. If one rich friend says no, walk up to another until all of them have said no and at that point, you know something else is wrong. Maybe something that has to do with your approach or the feasibility of your ideas. Your friends should be willing to help you make your dreams come true especially when they can. After all, what are friends for? 4. Crowdfunding from family and close relatives Crowdfunding is a good fundraising alternative for entrepreneurs. It involves raising a small amount of money from a large number of people. Crowdfunding can be done through online platforms. The best people to start fundraising from are your family and relatives. You can start by listing down all those who can potentially fund you and write down how much you think they can conveniently donate. Once you’ve located your potential donors, go reach out to them. Pitch your ideas so that they know what you’re capable of doing. For some other family members, you can ask to instead borrow money and then pay as your business yields profits. 5. Leverage on funding opportunities Governments, NGOs and other private and public bodies are providing support to entrepreneurs all over Africa. Since more people are participating in entrepreneurship, these bodies come up with initiatives and CSR projects to provide financial support to budding entrepreneurs. Be sure to leverage these opportunities when they show up. Other funding opportunities include idea-pitching events. For example, the upcoming SLA Accelerator gives entrepreneurs an opportunity to pitch their ideas. Then the top selected ideas get to win large sums of money, partnerships, and mentorship. Such events provide you an opportunity to not just fund your business when you win, but also learn from your mistakes if you lose. In the end, it’s a win-win situation where you get to build on your ideas either way. 6. Partnerships Regardless of the kind business you run, a partnership is a smart way of funding your startup. Strategic partnerships will not only afford you funds, but also help you leverage the experience, expertise, resources, and network of the other party. Just make sure you go about it the right away and involve a legal personnel in all your dealings and agreements. 7. Microloans and peer-to-peer lending While I always discourage small businesses from starting up with loans, at times, that might appear to be the wisest step to take. Microloans are small business loans offered by microlenders to help small or relatively new businesses finance their business. As a new business, you might not qualify for a bank loan because of the collateral requirements and others. But with microloans, you can get your business started without acquiring too many debts or paying high-interest charges. Similarly, peer-to-peer lending is a new debt financing method that provides a platform where lenders are connected to borrowers. You don’t need a financial institution for a p2p lending. The interest rates are also at an all-time low and less risky and safer than other methods. 8. Angel and seed investors Angel/seed investors are wealthy and affluent individuals who provide a business startup with capital or funds usually for a convertible debt or ownership equity in return. Most small business owners don’t buy into this idea of business funding. This is because it involves sharing their business ownership with another business even if it’s a small percentage. However, you
How to Create a Slaying Social Media Strategy
Social media has become the next big thing. One can’t deny the relevance of social media marketing in driving website traffic, creating brand awareness and generating leads. Statistics show around 90 percent of adults aged 18-29 are on social media. Most people mention social media as their preferred source of communication with businesses. After reading this, you may consider creating a social media strategy and want to start straight away. However, there are a few things to consider before creating a social media strategy. These pointers ensure you don’t mess up your campaign. Define Goals and Objectives The first thing you want to do before coming up with a social media strategy is to have a clearly defined set of goals. You need to ask yourself, ‘what do you want to achieve out of your efforts?’. Social media marketing isn’t about flipping a switch and calling it a day. So to start, it is important to set SMART goals. These are goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bound. Your goals will not only determine how much effort you put but also what type of resources you will need to invest in to get certain results. Some social media goals you can consider include: Increase brand awareness Higher quality of sales Improve ROI (return on investment) Create a loyal fan base Target Audience Where are your customers likely to be found? Approximately 70 percent of adults use Facebook but that doesn’t mean your customers are actively engaging with your brand there. When you target your audience, you get to understand things like who buys your products, their age groups, and income level. It’s important you understand demographics such as age, location, job title, and income level. What are their pain points? Their challenges and needs? All these are necessary as they inform the type of content to use. But more so, you also need to determine what social media channel will be most effective towards achieving your goals. You can learn more about this through researching essential demographic data for each social media platform. This will help you determine what tactics to employ. Track, Measure and Improve Remember those goals you set out to achieve? You will need to find a way of measuring your work to ensure that you are meeting your goals. Metrics are important in social media marketing as they help you understand how your business is doing out in the public. To select metrics, you ask yourself, ‘what social media metrics are associated with my overall goals?’ Vanity metrics such as likes and followers will not be enough to tell the full story of how well your brand is doing on social media. There are 4 main ways you can measure metrics – reach, engagement, clicks and hashtag performance. Finally, it is important to often and always check up on how your social media strategy is doing. Change is constant. Platforms such as Facebook change their algorithms all the time. Therefore, there is a need for you to continuously track and measure your online activities to see which areas need improvement. Investigate your competitors This is an important step to an effective social media strategy. It’s important you investigate your competitors to see what they’re doing. In doing this, you learn from their failures and successes. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not telling you to copy exactly what they’re doing. No! Researching your competitors lets you know what’s working for them so you can adjust and incorporate it into yours. Before creating content, it’s good you investigate what others are doing. You often find new ways to look at the content by analyzing what’s making your competitors successful. Create engaging content No one maintains interest in content that is not engaging. Therefore, it is very important to always try and create content that is engaging, but that it also aligned with your brand’s identity. So you need to ask questions such as what type of content should be posted? What about time and frequency? In doing all these things, you will be able to have a successful social media strategy.
Wakanda is closer than you think: Amrote Abdella spotlights the real African innovative tech stories
[bctt tweet=”The real Vibranium of Africa is its people and its potential – @amroteab” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Amrote Abdella spearheads Microsoft’s investments in Africa across 54 countries, working closely with her team to enable and accelerate digital transformation opportunities. She was recently named one of Africa’s Top 100 Young Business Leaders, ranking 12th out of 100 leaders who are playing a major role in the continent’s economic development. Before becoming Regional Director, Amrote was 4Afrika’s Director for VC & Startups, where she worked with start-ups supporting the innovation ecosystem in Africa. Amrote writes about some of 4Afrika’s real-world heroes and amazing tech start-ups in Africa. Since the release of Black Panther, the world has been captivated. The action-packed and fun fantasy movie has been embraced for its representation of black people generally, and Africans specifically. Another key element of the film’s cult-like status is the appeal of the fictional and futuristic African country, Wakanda – full of tech innovations and ultra-modern urban development. But how removed is the world of Wakanda from our own? As a continent, Africa has many advantages that are driving us closer to that aspirational vision: economic growth in many states that is outpacing much of the world, and a youthful population with an entrepreneurial bent. And unlike Wakanda, we aren’t afraid to share our innovations. Microsoft 4Afrika has been playing their part in Africa’s digital transformation. We have been supporting businesses, government projects, startups and young workers through empowering changes in internet access, service delivery enabled by tech and economic development. Launched in 2013, 4Afrika’s approach has seen them partner with projects of high impact that are driving Africa’s technological awakening. The following are some of 4Afrika’s real-world heroes. Music to our ears Damola Taiwo, Dolapo Taiwo, and Tola Ogunsola are three entrepreneurs who have come through the 4Afrika community and are transforming streaming music in Nigeria through their MyMusic digital music platform (MyMusic.com.ng). MyMusic not only gives users access to home-grown music favorites but has a chatbot that helps users discover new songs and download the ones they love. This bot – built on Skype – was showcased at the Microsoft NexTech Africa conference, and is one of the new technologies that has helped MyMusic grow to 700 000 active monthly users. Their success is largely rooted in local knowledge – understanding the peculiarities of the cash-driven market. Given this, their smart use of airtime-as-payment lets users buy songs with a single click. It’s a viable business which creates a powerful ripple effect that supports and monetizes African musicians. Pay it forward Another growing Nigerian start-up supported by 4Afrika is SpacePointe. Sayu Abend and Osato Osayande started this omnichannel platform with the explicit purpose of supporting business owners. They do this by offering an innovative mobile point-of-service application designed for the Nigerian market. This helps thousands of online and offline businesses transact, and streamline their sales, marketing, and payment processing. Theirs is a superhero narrative of financial inclusion and economic growth in action. Creative culture When it comes to creativity and storytelling, Hollywood certainly doesn’t have the market fully covered. Nigerians and other Africans are creating new characters, challenges, and scenarios every day that are engaging local target audiences. 4Afrika grantee Gamsole, for example, has created 50 new mobile games for the Android and iOS platforms in the past two years. Gamsole games have had over 10 million downloads. Most recently, in partnership with Diamond Bank, they created Dreamville on Azure, a digital financial platform that lets youth plan their future, save, chat and develop their financial literacy – all while playing games. Skills for good Our real-life tech heroes are also using their top skills for good. They are also partnering with other heroes of the non-profit sector to contribute to meaningful change in Africa. The MySkills4Afrika project has supported four Nigeria non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in their cloud journey. This has, in turn, helped them automate many administrative processes so they can spend more time on their transformative work. These include Junior Chambers International, United for Education Foundation, the Tony Elumelu Foundation, and Technology for Sustainable Development. In partnering with the essential NGO space, we are amplifying the trans-formative effects for thousands of more people. In the cloud, on the ground Because of Africa’s documented historical infrastructure woes, we have become a continent famous for “leapfrogging” traditional infrastructure. Cloud makes sense everywhere. But this is more so in Africa, as it provides the means to scale up without costly infrastructure development. It overcomes the issues inherent in legacy technology and software. It also reduces the significant barrier that a difficult and broadly distributed supply chain can become. Through strategic use of cloud services, young African entrepreneurs are enjoying the same options as their established global counterparts. The next wave The real Vibranium of Africa is its people and its potential. The next superheroes of trade, purpose-drive entrepreneurship, and technology are waking up today in Lagos, Accra, Johannesburg, Yaoundé, and Cairo. They are already discovering their abilities and nurturing their dreams. Let’s celebrate them and tell their stories. Just as much as we relish a different African narrative on the silver screen. This article was written by Amrote Abdella, Regional Director, Microsoft 4Afrika. If you’d like to get featured on our Facebook page, click here to share your story with us.
Elom Ayayee: Photography for me was a fortunate accident
Elom Ayayee never thought photography would be a part of her life. Her career path was in international relations, policy, linguistics, and publishing. But her love for beautiful images in magazines ignited her desire to pursue a career in photography. She wanted to recreate these looks which seemed limited to only models for the everyday woman who could be a wife, mother, entrepreneur / employee, believer, citizen and role model. Elom started with no knowledge of photography. She didn’t know how to take photos and had no clients. But with time, constant practice and determination, she opened her photo studio Elom Ayayee Portraiture where she takes magazine-worthy images of women to remember for the rest of their lives. How did you start your photography career? Photography was a very fortunate accident and I fall in love with it more and more every day. It’s all about meeting someone for the first time and finally creating a timeless piece of art that speaks to the essence of who they are or who they want to be in the moment it was created. To me, that is the amazing power of portraiture. Photography for me is the power to exist in time. It’s a way to say “I was here. I lived, I loved, I hurt, I suffered, I rejoiced, I was silent, I was loud. I held this space”. Why do you focus on women? I started photographing family and friends and before I knew it I had a client base. My move to photograph women was not just a great business plan. But, it was also a way to highlight these women who are sometimes invisible in the roles they play. Women often get lost in their responsibilities and forget to appreciate themselves. My initial desire was to give women just one day off. A day to get pampered and remember and document who she is outside of all the hustle. To get her hair and makeup done and the most beautiful images of herself that would be loved and cherished and appreciated for all time. What were some of the hurdles you encountered and how did you solve them? Marketing has been the biggest hurdle. I’m naturally a very private person and 90% of my client base is from referrals. Putting myself out there is still a very uncomfortable experience for me. That being said, my target market is small and very specific so that tends to minimize the effort I would otherwise have to make in marketing myself. It’s a lazy way of marketing I guess; give great service and let happy clients do the talking for you. How do you get your photographs to spread your messages? I don’t create my photographs for the general public. I create images for my clients to hang on their walls in their homes – this is very intimate and private. Images that hopefully their great great great grandchildren will see and talk about. My images are about time, legacy and emotion. All of my images say different things in the different homes they live in. I can usually tell by spending enough time with a woman who she wants to see when she looks at an image of herself. I pull on every resource within me during a shoot to be able to give her that. [bctt tweet=”From photographing family and friends, I started to have a client base”- @elom_ayayee” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] How do you improve your photography and get inspired? I do this every way that I can. I enjoy constructive criticism from people I look up to in the industry and my clients. I’m always on the internet trying to figure out how to get what I see in my head right. My clients are all the inspiration I need. I’ve met such incredible people. Every woman has a story, every child has incredible potential. One day what I create for this person will be a timeless treasure to someone else. Are you working on anything exciting at the moment? Yes! I’m doing a series for women that I’m very excited about. It’s easy to promise to take the most amazing picture a woman has ever seen of herself when she’s been pampered and dolled up and looks like the jackpot. Can I take the most beautiful picture of a woman make-up free? This is my challenge to myself and all my clients. So far, it’s been amazing. Women are so deep and they carry so much behind their eyes. Each of my clients who have trusted me enough to put themselves in this vulnerable place has been won over. It’s literally the most powerful image you could ever take. What photography gear do you use to keep focused on what you do best? I started with a Nikon D3300 and I’ve always used natural light. My first studio was robbed and all my gear was stolen, that’s when I switched to Canon. I’m now shooting on a 5DMark iii. I own a 50mm lens which I shoot 80% of my shots with and a 70-200 for my outdoor portraits. I use Adobe Photoshop for my editing. What advice would you give young photographers who want to make it in this industry? I really don’t feel like I’m qualified to speak for the whole industry, but I would say you need solid people skills and know the basic fundamentals of how to run a business. There’s a huge difference between a business and a hustle. Also, advise often depends on what area of photography you venture in. So, the first thing I would say is, find your niche, and contrary to popular belief, the smaller your niche the better. Too many photographers are doing too many things. You can’t have it all. Give great service. Master your craft. If you’d like to get featured on our Facebook page, click here to share your story with us.
5 things you can learn from Talaya Waller’s Ted Talk on personal branding
Dr. Talaya Waller is an internationally known, award-winning personal branding consultant, speaker, and marketing scholar who works with thought leaders from a variety of industries. She combines professional experiences with years of marketing research to build awareness, influence, and credibility for personal and organizational brands. Her mission is to help leaders share their stories and leverage their expertise to make a positive impact on society. Dr. Talaya earned a Doctorate of Business Administration in 2015 and is currently conducting independent research on personal branding. In 2011, she completed an Executive Education at Harvard. She also holds a BSc and an MBA in Managerial Sciences focused on Entrepreneurship. With an online presence of over 35,000 followers and haven being published in Forbes, Fast Company, and The Chronicle of Higher Education, Dr.Talaya gave a TEDx Talk where she shares her insight on personal branding. [bctt tweet=”The future of branding is personal – Talaya Waller” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Watch the Ted Talk here: Here are 5 things you can learn from this TED Talk 1. Technology has caused a major shift in influence. Today, one employee can have more influence, and also consumer trust than their entire organization. 2. People are tired of being sold. In business marketing, we have moved away from humanizing objects to influencing people with other people who they know, like, and trust. Individuals who want to build an influential personal brand can use the know-like-trust formula. 3. Everyone has a brand, but most people don’t manage it strategically, effectively, or consistently. Individuals who have a well-defined personal brand usually generate increased value for their company, whether they work for themselves or someone else. 4. Your personal brand is the most powerful tool you have to accomplish your goals. A branding strategy is essential to success in fundraising, growing a business, or changing careers. 5. Branding is no longer about companies trying to manage our perception. Today, it’s about people creating and sharing human experiences. The future of branding is personal. If you’d like to be featured on the SLA Facebook page? Click here to share your story.
How to Invest Collaboratively with Friends: Tomie Balogun
[bctt tweet=”When you invest with others, you take advantage of the power of many – @tomie_balogun” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] As a certified financial educator and Instructor, Tomie Balogun has a lot of experience in investing with friends. While pursuing her MBA, she and a few classmates started an investment club. Their passion to achieve financial freedom and make an impact on society saw them successfully invest in various small businesses and assets. However, investing with friends hasn’t always been that easy. Like Tomie, many people have had bad experiences either loaning money to a friend or requesting for a loan. The conclusion: money and friends are a horrible mix! However, the question many ask, is it still worth investing with friends or anybody else?. Tomie gives us tips on how to make this work. The Power of Many Think about the way you ask more people to contribute money to a party, so everyone can have more food options. Investing with other people helps increase the number of resources you raise and strengthens your financial future. Investing in Bigger Things Co-investing in an investment club gives you the opportunity to invest in bigger opportunities, share risks and share higher returns as well. For instance, while real estate is a great asset class that always appreciates, not a lot of young people can invest in it. However, if 5 or more people decide to come together and invest, they will have more cash. Over time, they can earn returns from their initial investment and continue to flip multiple real estate deals. That’s a better option than waiting till your 40’s to eventually own real estate. Choosing the Right Team You might be thinking, co-investing or starting an investment club is great but what about the emotional issues that come with investing with friends or colleagues at work? This can be tricky! The first thing you need to do while selecting partners is to avoid sentiments. You need to make sure that you choose your partners with clarity and objectivity. When identifying people, choose partners who are disciplined with spending money and more importantly, have a strong sense of integrity. Shared values are very important when co-investing. Details, Details, Details! First, you need a legal structure in place to protect everyone’s interest. When this happens, you limit liabilities in investment deals. You can register your club as a limited liability company or a limited partnership. What’s important is to make sure you have the papers to support your words if things go wrong. Secondly, they say the devil is in the details. In creating your legal documents and other admin paperwork, make sure you don’t skim through anything. Practice good financial bookkeeping, assign roles to manage tasks and create a constitution! Remember all information can be important! Make that Money Work Once you sort your membership and legalities, you can then start contributing money. Don’t set unachievable contribution rates, but set goals that everyone can work towards. If everyone believes in the goal, they will eventually build it too. At the end of the day, there are many options to invest. However, investment clubs are both great for collaborative investing and also fun! They are a smarter way to take advantage of the power of many to achieve your wealth goals sooner. So as soon as you can, get your motherland moguls into formation and start co-investing together towards your financial freedom.