Guest blogging means many things to different categories of people. To internet marketers and bloggers, it is a powerful way of helping boost internet rankings and generate traffic/leads. To organisations, it is the opportunity to create a platform to engage site visitors, it also to provide that personal connections that static websites have not achieved. Guest blogging will soon be well pronounced with more organisations creating blogs and platforms to engage fans and customers alike. Most reality shows have engage tdhe services of a independent bloggers in managing communication on their platforms.

Meet Mr. Dele Onilabusi, a 18-year old blogger born on December 22, 1993. he presently makes about $3,000 monthly blogging about guest blogging, affiliate marketing,buying and selling online. He succeeds in smiling to the bank making about $3,000 monthly doing this.

Excerpts:

1. How long have you been blogging?
   I have been blogging for 18 months now, but my main blog, YoungPrePro.com is only 14 months.
2. How many blogs/forums do your manage presently?
   I presently own and manage only one blog, the blog can be found at YoungPrePro.com.
3. How long does it take for you to write a post?
   That depends on the type of post I want to write but most of my posts take me an average of 2-3 hours.
4. 4. Do you ever get stuck when writing an entry?  What do you do then?
   I get stuck sometimes, but if I get stuck I simply don’t write because I know my readers won’t enjoy the post
5. How did you get into blogging? Did you start with the purpose of making income?
   I started blogging after reading a blog post by Steve Pavlina on how to make money blogging. I started my blog because I wanted to help people, I wasn’t motivated by the money.
6. You are fast becoming an authority in guest blogging, in simple terms, what is guest blogging and how did you get to land in this niche?
   Guest blogging is the process of writing for another blog and in return you can get a link back to your blog. I started guest blogging around 3 months of me starting blogging when I read that it can be very effective and it has since never disappointed me.
7. Plug-ins have been used to enhance weblogs and its functionality. Which are your favourite ones?
   I have no favorite plugin, sincerely; I’m okay as long as my blog is perfectly running!
8. 8. The money it is said is in the list. How important is a mailing list to any organization that wants to succeed on the internet?
   Your mailing list is as important as your internet marketing career. Focus on it!
9. Do you make money directly from your blog and how do you promote it?
   Yep, I make money from affiliate marketing and I just launched my guest blogging consulting service which will be supplementing my income.

10.  What is your advice to someone who wants to start a blog?
Get started with what you think you’re best at and always live by the principle of giving value first before expecting results.

11.  What do you think are the Key Measurements for a site to measure success?
There are  no specific results because success depends on the achiever but to me a successful blog is a blog with an active community and that is making the owner more money than is needed to maintain it.

12.  Google and Facebook may soon be slugging it out offline for the Nigerian market? What does that portend for internet entrepreneurs?
Google? Facebook? It comes to advertising revenue. I think if Google and youtube still rank among the first 3 in terms of search in the world, Face book has a lot to do. But then tou have to consider the amount of specific details that Facebook has, it makes them a potential superpower….

13. Kindly share your favourites;

Color: Blue

Movie: Supernatural

TV Show: None

Book: The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene

Time of day: Saturday

Tweeting or blogging … which is cooler? Blogging by all means

Thank you so much Mr. Dele it’s been nice having you on my blog.

It’s my pleasure.

The effect of the Global Economic Crises is closing in on Nigeria gradually. A recent report predicted that 18 percent of Nigerians would further be classified as being poor in 2009. That mean the gap between the poor and the rich will get wider still. But then, it is said that if the riches of the world were shared between the rich and the poor, in 30 years, those rich would still be rich and the poor would have returned to their normal position. Apparently, the poor and the rich seem to have habits that consistently make them remain in the same position. These habits would be analysed based on assets and liabilities. What is an asset? An asset is whatever you acquire that gives you money to maintain you and your purpose on earth, while liabilities are things you have that require more money to maintain them.

Those called rich are the people whose assets are more than their liabilities, while poor people have more liabilities than assets. What do the poor do so exceptionally well?

1. Value liabilities more than assets.

If you value liabilities more than assets, it is likely you would be poor if you are not already. If all you seek or aspire to have are all liabilities instead of assets, you are most likely poor. It is notable that more students and poor people use more good looking phones than rich people. Cars, clothes, phones are all liabilities and these are things most poor people aspire to have as a status of being rich.

2. Acquire liabilities with income.

Supposing you use your hard earned cash to purchase a car, don’t doubt it- a car is a liability, if we follow our previous definition above- except if you have a mobile shop. If income is directed at obtaining liabilities which requires more money to maintain them, then you have just bought a pipe through which all your hard-earned income would be drained. The issue with rich people is that they earn faster than they spend.

3. Spend income maintaining liabilities.

Definitely once the money is spent on acquiring liabilities, you would require more money to maintain or continue to use them. Poor people spend a large part of their earning maintaining the liabilities they have. Imagine having four cars, it requires more money to maintain the four cars, while assets make more money for you.

4. Spend and try to save leftover.

The spending pattern of the poor is also evident in the fact that once they earn some money they spend them on liabilities and save the left over. After expending all the money on liabilities, the little money saved would be used to settle the debts or costs incurred on maintaining the liabilities they have bought.

5. Save to expend on liabilities.

Poor people may have excellent saving culture, but they may spend it on liabilities. Imagine spending time and life going to work, and saving only to buy a car to use to go to work. A car may not be bad when you have assets in excess of the money you earn in a year.

When saving towards anything, be sure it is towards an asset that may bring more money into your pocket, rather than a liability that would take more from you.

6. Play today, pay tomorrow.

The mindset of delaying gratification is only found in the dictionary of the rich. A poor man/woman would prefer to enjoy the pleasantries of life as soon as some cash enters into their pocket, only for them to regret those decisions in years to come.

If you find a seventy year old woman begging on the streets, what readily comes to mind is to ask what she has been doing? There are too many cases of “have beens” in the earth, who are worth nothing today.

7. Their children inherit debt.

The thirst to acquire more and more might even drive some people to take loans from banks. Other people love to admire such; flashy cars, houses, glamorous clothes and accessories only for them to die and put their children in line for paying back debts owed or for credit card abuse

This is intended to x-ray our behaviours as we position ourselves on the way to the future. We should look at our habits and choices and have no doubt where we hope to end up.

If you were to ask in a general business meeting, Church, mosque or in any gathering that how many people have ideas, you will be amazed with what you get to see as a response.

One of the things you quickly discover is that you are not the only one with great and sound ideas; neither are you the only one who needs funding. Most people will, rather than developing the idea into a plan and strategy, they jump out looking for funds to finance the business. They then begin to complain that people or banks are not interested in thelping businesses . I once watched a TV programme where people came with ideas for funding and you wonder how they got to the TV. It was obvious that God was doing them a favour by not giving them money for the business in the first place. Today will be dealing with what investors look for, what Banks, funding agencies, partners look out for in your business before committing their funds into your idea or business.

Capital:

How much is required from them? Most times, most of us look out for huge amounts of money TO START the business whereas we do not need that huge amount of money; we only want to start the business from the top. Imagine a man who wants to start business of producing soyamilk in bottles, and needs 3 million naira, but the only experience he’s had has been to prepare the soyamilk for 10 people! Investors will also want to know how much you are willing to put into the business, especially if you do not have a cogent excuse to be indigent. Nobody will invest in an idea you are not willing to invest heavily in yourself.

Condition:

For funding organizations, it is important to know themarket, the competition and the conditions under which your business is being launched. An already saturated market will require a risk-taking investor, if you need someone to fund your organizations. It is generally known that banks are reluctant to fund agriculturally related projects mainly because of the high risk involved in the farming process.

Some other factors include; industry- size; target audience, competitors and players, season- cyclical. The partner or bank will also like to know you are willing to bear the risk associated with going on with the business and the ne essary risk mitigation startegies you have in place.

Capacity to repay:

This is the primary intrest for most institutions that may require interest on your pating back terms. How long it will take for to recoup money invested is also a consideration. Is the commodity one that the money will just be a once time investment and recoup such as supply and delivery of goods amd services, or one such that it will require gradual

Character:

This is most comonly called virtual capital. Your character is the capital that you have that guarantees that you can get cash even on the viability of your word. It is possible to conduct business, collect goods based on this tremendous goodwill you enjoyed or are enjoying. An investor who saw that at one time you borrowed money and have repaid within the specified time, assures the investor that he is safe.

I get money in credit and return within the experience in handling the area/field of work is also part of your character when it comes to looking for finances.

Collateral:

Collateral is one factor that chases people out of banks. a collateral is an asset that you have put down as a guarantee to pay the money. Of course, if the time lapses and the money is not yet paid, after a while, the Investor may beging to look for a way to recoup his money by impounding and selling your assets. I know one way of going around this is to have a guarantor (you character- virtual capital)who can vouch for your  integrity.

It also may be reassuring that most Micro Finanace Banks can  grant up to N500,000 without collateral and after fufilling some minimal  requirements.

But then, remember money is not the most important thing you need to start your business. it may be needed to grow it but it is not mandatory you have lots of money. All the best.

Most times, the common complain    with people who have ideas is the problem of finances. Most peoples’ dreams eventually die because they are waiting for and expecting one big money to land on their laps so that they can pursue their passions- that only happens in movies.

There are numerous ways by which you can raise funds for your business, if you are hungry enough to pursue it. But firstly, you need to have a plan; the month of April will be dedicated to developing a business plan.

1. SELF FINANCING:

I call this self financing as a way to raising funds for your business on the premise that you understand you are different from the business. What happens when you bring money out of your savings or save money towards starting your business is that you are borrowing the business some money or investing in the business to start.

To self finance, you could deternmine when you want to leave paid employment, i.e. if you have a job or when you want to start and then begin to save gradually towards it. Self financing is the most common methods, but then lots of people get into trouble when using this system because the feel they own the business and the money and as soon as the first signs of money begins to roll in, they eat it up. But it remains the safest method.

2. INVESTMENT: sales & liabilities

This is like the first where you sell what you have to secure what you want to achieve. There are times when money may not be available but we have investmens or liabilities stored somewhere. If you are truly passionate about your dreams, one of the things that will test your commitment is what you are willing to give up for it. I know people who went into businesses and gave up cars, lands, which could be an asset or a liability depending on the expense and cost. But if you see farther ahead of the present assets and enjoyment, nothing will be too small to give up for the business.

3. PARTNERSHIP :

This occurs when you usually realise the dream may be bigger than your funding which is usually the case. But then a note of warning; sharing your idea exposes it to duplication or poaching, but then if you want your vision to grow, you’ve got to share it. Partnership is the coming together under agreed terms on the various issues; roles and functions, funding and profit sharing.

When your dream is bigger than you, or your interests, partnership might be the next thing on your mind. You might want to engane the services of a stronger company, or some one with a lot more cash than you presently have.

But then like I said, be careful of sharing your ideas with poachers, in further editions we will be discussing protecting your intellectual property.

4. FRIENDS & FAMILY:

Another avenue is to leverage on family leanings and relationships to develop the amount you need to start your business. This is using other people’s money (OPM) to finane your ideas. There are friends and family members who have the cash you need to start your business. if your plan is convinding enough, and very viable, it is sure to receive the amount of resources needed.

5. HIGH NET WORTH INDIVIDUALS

This is using other people’s money (OPM) to finane your ideas. There are high net worth individuals who have the money and are looking for people who have ideas and need funding. These people are willing to look at your ideas and help you fund it, some may seek to partner with you on the business, while some have funding companies as part of their own ways to giving back to their communities.

6. INSTITUTIONAL SPONSORS

This includes investment banks, venture capital companies, SME funding organizations and Microfinance Institutions. There are numerous institutions, even supported by the Federal Government that have been empowered to support growing businesses at reasonable interest rates that even banks will naturally not want to provide. There are lists of microfinance banks and SME companies on the internet and in the press.

In all, the gratrest asset asset for your business is yourself. what you need to do immediately about your business,make your business suceed.  All the best.

This is _______________’s review of ____________ written on the _________________
Deadline: One Year from Today’s Date_________________
1. Look for, or think of all your goals for 2008, and rate yourself over 100%, what did you score?
2. What was your greatest achievement and loss/regret for the year?
3. What other goals did you achieve and which are left untouched?
4. In what ways could you have done better in areas less achieved by you?
5. If you were to think of a word or phrase to call 2008, what would it be?
6. Consider your response to the goals, challenges and opportunities and define yourself by a single word or phrase, what would it be?
7. Now be honest here, what are the things you would have done better, or rather you would have wanted them not to happen?
8. Highlight in numbers, the achievements you would be proud of in 2008, how many do you have?
9. Name the people who made a difference in your life. Why and how did they make a difference? (Make it a point to call, mail or text them to thank them for their impact).
10. How did your relationships grow, change or end? What did you learn? [your wife, children, spouse, friend]
11. Whose lives have you contributed to this year, especially one in which you never expected anything in return?
12. What projects or activities: social, academic, relational, are still in progress? Which ones did you not achieve in the previous year.

It important to write them down somewhere, don’t just answer them in your head. The new year will be turbulent, but for strategic people, it holds a lot of promises and you cannot afford to be a spectator in December 2009, when other people are counting gains.

See you at the other side of the year, but then…
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!