The Entrepreneurial Questions

1. What do I have the resources, ability, interest and contacts to do?

2. Do I have the necessary commitment needed to succeed in a business undertaking?

3. Am I prepared to work extremely hard, to devote long hours of labour to my business?

 4. Do I have the mental stamina and concentration to meet the demands my project will impose on me?

5. Do I accept new ideas easily? Do I treat other people with respect? Am I able to make decisions right away?

6. How do I deal with problem solving: Am I prepared to spend time analyzing a problem and find a solution? Or am I the type who just closes his eyes and hope for the best?

7. Am I ready to commit to the long term, knowing that a company’s success is never an overnight miracle?

8. What back-up resources do I have? Will my family members or friends invest in my company or tide me over during a rough patch?

9. Am I good at concentrating on details?

10. Am I ready to sit down and write a careful analysis of my business prospects?

11. Am I by nature an optimist? Knowing that mistakes and setbacks are bound to occur, am I able to learn from my mistakes without getting derailed or discouraged? 

Becoming and Unbecoming

No man is an Island. We oftentimes feed off other people for our excitement, love, affirmation, survival, and so on. That is why our best moments in life are usually tied to the activities of other people; the same way our worst times can be spin-offs from the doings or undoings of fellow humans. Such is the dynamism of life.

For good or bad, we are all products of our environment, and that includes the residues of our personal/virtual interactions with people in our lives, family, work, associations, communities, and institutions. We are either the best for mingling with these people, or we are the worse for it.

Yes, people bring out the best and the beast in us to various ends. But we can always manage these dynamics and remain true to our ideal self, even though it can be very difficult.

This May, the focus of discussion at Thrive Academy shall be Becoming and Unbecoming: how people bring out the best and the beast in you and how you can hold true to your ideal self.

You simply cannot afford not to be there.

Venue: 1A, African Church Close, off Coker Road, Ilupeju, Lagos.

Date: May 26, 2017

Time: 4:00pm

Attendance is free, but pre-registration is compulsory. To book your seat, please click www.bit.ly/ThrivewithBabs or call: +2348110832280, +2348188708026.

WHO IS A CHRISTIAN ENTREPRENEUR?

A Christian Entrepreneur is a disciple of Jesus Christ who has chosen to “express himself” or fulfil his stewardship by setting up a business venture to provide essential products or services that will meet the need of, as well as add value to, an identified market (people) in the society. 

WHAT ARE THE QUALITIES OF A CHRISTIAN ENTREPRENEUR? ¡ He is a steward 1 Corinthians 4:2: Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful ¡ He is a Non-compromiser ¡ He is a Non-conformist with the popular conventions of business practice ¡ He is a Faithful Servant Matthew 24:45-47: Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, that he shall make him ruler over all his goods. ¡ He is a Treasurer ¡ He is a Minister/Evangelist in the marketplace Acts 1:8: But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. ¡ He personifies Love in his offerings and dealings The integrative principle that must guide Christians in the marketplace is that of love. ¡ Love compels Christians to put their faith into action and to live what they believe. ¡ Love will motivate Christians in the marketplace to follow the example of Christ in the incarnation. ¡ It will move them to identify with those who are lost and alone in a dark world. ¡ It will allow them to share in the sufferings of those they care for and by bringing the presence of Christ into the marketplace also bring transformation and hope. 

Self-Development & Entrepreneurship (Part 2)

The Social State of Man This is the aspect of man that describes his relationship with the outside world. Hargie (1997:10), citing Combs and Slaby, defines social skill as ‘the ability to interact with others in a given social context in specific ways that are socially acceptable or valued and at the same time personally beneficial, mutually beneficial, or beneficial primarily to others’. The Professional/Vocational Aspect of Man This is usually an offshoot of all the other sides of man as they affect his job or career. The professional state of man has to do with his competence and performance at work. In other words, this can be described by his competence and performance in relation to his job or tasks.

WHAT IS ENTREPRENEURSHIP? 

Entrepreneurship is the act of mixing and turning personal skills as well as all factors of production into a profitable business venture that will offer goods or services to an identified market in need of it. 

Self-Development & Entrepreneurship (Part 1)

What is Personal Development?

 Personal development is a conscious, disciplined, and sustained series of investment in the self through the acquisition of knowledge, skills, as well as the application of acquired knowledge and skills for enhanced lifestyle. Areas of Self-Development ¡ Spiritual Development ¡ Mental Development ¡ Emotional Development ¡ Social Integration ¡ Physical Development ¡ Professional/Career Development The Spiritual State of Man Man is a tripartite being. He is mainly made up of a spirit, a soul, and a body. The spiritual side of man has to do with the state of his spirit in relation to the Supernatural or God, his Maker. 

In other words, the spiritual aspect of man is that part of him that relates with the supernatural. The Mental State of Man The Mental state of man is one of the two components of his soul. The soul, which is said to be the real man, comprises the mental faculty and the emotions. The mental faculty involves the mind (thoughts bank) as well as the intellectual state of man. The Emotional State of Man The emotion is the second side of man’s soul. The emotion, according to Hargie (1997:38) has three main components; “the direct conscious experiences or feeling of emotion, the physiological processes that accompany emotions, and the observable behavioural actions used to express emotion”. In simple terms, emotion comprises the feelings and desires of man in their expressed and unexpressed form.

15 Steps To Cultivate Lifelong Learning (Part 4)

(11) Start a Project

Set out to do something you don't know how. Forced learning in this way can be fun and challenging. If you don't know anything about computers, try building one. If you consider yourself a horrible artist, try a painting.

(12) Follow Your Intuition

Lifelong learning is like wandering through the wilderness. You can't be sure what to expect and there isn't always an end goal in mind. Letting your intuition guide you can make self-education more enjoyable. Most of our lives have been broken down to completely logical decisions, to the extent that making choices on a whim has almost been stamped out.

(13) The Morning Fifteen

Use the first fifteen minutes of your morning as a period for education. If you find yourself too groggy, you might want to wait a short time. Just don't put it off until later in the day when urgent activities will push it out of the way.

(14) Reap the Rewards

Learn information you can use. Understanding the basics of programming allows me to handle projects that other people would require outside help to accomplish. Meeting a situation that makes use of your educational efforts can be a source of pride.

(15) Make it a Priority

Few external forces are going to persuade you to learn. The desire has to come from within. Once you decide you want to make lifelong learning a habit, it is up to you to make it a priority in your life.

Scott Young is a university student who writes about productivity, habits and self-improvement. http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/

15 Steps To Cultivate Lifelong Learning (Part 3)

(6) Teach Others

You learn what you teach. If you have an outlet for communicating ideas to others, you are more likely to solidify that learning. Start a blog, mentor someone or even discuss ideas with a friend.

(7) Clean Your Input

Some forms of learning are easy to digest, but often lack substance. I make a point of regularly cleaning out my feed reader for blogs I subscribe to. Great blogs can be a powerful source of new ideas. But every few months I realize I'm collecting posts from blogs that I am simply skimming. Every few months, purify your input to save time and focus on what counts.

(8) Learn in Groups

Lifelong learning doesn't mean condemning yourself to a stack of dusty textbooks. Join organizations that teach skills. Workshops and group learning events can make educating yourself a fun, social experience.

(9) Unlearn Assumptions

You can't add water to a full cup. I always try to maintain a distance away from any idea. Too many convictions simply mean too few paths for new ideas. Actively seek out information that contradicts your worldview.

(10) Find Jobs that Encourage Learning

Pick a career that encourages continual learning. If you are in a job that doesn't have much intellectual freedom, consider switching to one that does. Don't spend forty hours of your week in a job that doesn't challenge you.