6 Steps to Planning a Successful Business (Part 1)

Step 1: Start with an examination of who you are What are the skills, abilities and resources you have to start a small business? Pray and ask God to lead you in the process.

Step 2: Decide what type of business YOU WANT TO DO You want to start and what types of products or services you will provide. Decide how much income you will need from that business. Seek God in prayer as to how you can fulfill His purpose for you in business.

Step 3: Do your research Gather the facts about the type of business you want to start. Discover who your customers will be and approach some of them with the idea of starting your business. Find out from them what it is they will expect from your business. Discover who your competitors will be and find out how well they are doing in the type of business you want to start. Also, find out what legal obligations you need to fulfill in the business. Be careful not to make assumptions. Confirm that your assumptions are valid. Ask God to lead you to the right people who have the right information that you need. 

Tips For Making Your Life Count

You’ll know if you are adding value to people when your encounters with them make their eyes shine brightly, make them smile, or make them say “thank you।” On the other hand, you’ll know if you are depleting from people if every day your encounters with them make them frown, make them groan “Oh no, not again!” or make them say “I’m sorry.” Now that you know, make your life count every day in 2017! I love You. Babatunde

The Attributes of a Virtuous Woman (Part 2)

She constantly improves herself She girds herself with strength, and strengthens her arms. vs 17 ¡ She has a good sense of judgement She perceives that her merchandise is good, and her lamp does not go out by night. vs 18 ¡ She is a generously person She extends her hand to the poor, yes; she reaches out her hands to the needy. vs 20 ¡ She takes good care of herself She makes tapestry for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple. vs 22 ¡ She is a woman of dignity Strength and honor are her clothing; she shall rejoice in time to come. vs 25 ¡ She is a gracious and affirmative speaker She opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness. vs 26 ¡ She raises an appreciative family Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: "many daughters have done well, but you excel them all." vs 28-29 ¡ She fears God Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the lord, she shall be praised. vs 30

The Attributes of a Virtuous Woman (Part 1)

¡ She is trustworthy The heart of her husband safely trusts her; so he will have no lack of gain. vs 11 ¡ She adds value to her husband She does him good and not evil all the days of her life. vs 12 Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land. vs 23 ¡ She is enterprising She seeks wool and flax, and willingly works with her hands. She is like the merchant ships, she brings her food from afar. vs 13-14 She considers a field and buys it; from her profits she plants a vineyard. vs 16 She stretches out her hands to the distaff, and her hand holds the spindle. vs 19 She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household is clothed with scarlet. vs 21 She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies sashes for the merchants. vs 24 ¡ She takes care of her household and ensures that it is well run She also rises while it is yet night, and provides food for her household, and a portion for her maidservants. vs 15 She watches over the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. vs 27 ¡ 

Benchmarks for Determining a Virtuous Woman

1. As a Daughter of her Parents

2. As a Wife

3. As a Mother

 4. As a Child of God

5. As a Friend, Associate

6. As a Citizen of her Nation

7. As a Business/Career Person or Professional 

Far Above Rubies: The Proverbs 31 Woman (Part 1)

Reference Scripture Proverbs 31: 10-21 10 

Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies. 11 The heart of her husband safely trusts her; So he will have no lack of gain. 12 She does him good and not evil All the days of her life. 13 She seeks wool and flax, And willingly works with her hands. 14 She is like the merchant ships, She brings her food from afar. 15 She also rises while it is yet night, And provides food for her household, And a portion for her maidservants. 16 She considers a field and buys it; From her profits she plants a vineyard. 17 She girds herself with strength, And strengthens her arms. 18 She perceives that her merchandise is good, And her lamp does not go out by night. 19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff, And her hand holds the spindle. 20 She extends her hand to the poor, Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy. 21 She is not afraid of snow for her household, For all her household is clothed with scarlet. 22 She makes tapestry for herself; Her clothing is fine linen and purple. 23 Her husband is known in the gates, When he sits among the elders of the land. 24 She makes linen garments and sells them, And supplies sashes for the merchants. 25 Strength and honor are her clothing; She shall rejoice in time to come. 26 She opens her mouth with wisdom, And on her tongue is the law of kindness. 27 She watches over the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness. 28 Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her: 29 "Many daughters have done well, But you excel them all." 30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. 31 Give her of the fruit of her hands, And let her own works praise her in the gates. 

Be Free, Manifest and Succeed! (Part 2)

2.   

Reach out: as you go out of your comfort zone or bland level to pursue your dreams and ideals, you also need to reach out to people and resources that will help you to achieve your objectives along the way. Fortune most often does not favour the taciturn. You need to identify the persons or association that can enhance you as a person as well as enable you to accomplish your aim, and then reach out to them. This is not limited to humans alone; as you are “going out” you will also encounter books, events and other resources that will be helpful to you. Reach out to them, subscribe to them, engage them and assimilate them.

3.    Launch out: to the extent that you have gone out and reached out, you also need to launch out with the idea and initiative you have been nursing, or those that occur to you as you become. A popular maxim holds that “people will not celebrate you for your intentions, but your actions.” To succeed, you need to have a sizable action quotient per day. And the key to doing that is making every hour count. Input substance into your hours and you will have a productive day. Never let an hour pass by without a substantial investment of rigorous thinking or effort with short, medium or long-term yield in it. Even the chunk of time you take to rest or spend with your family constitutes a judicious investment of time that will produce positives. So, don’t think it’s all about working alone.

So, dare the odds and discouragements to launch out and start that business, NGO, product/service line, and whatever it is that you have tucked in the recess of your mind for so long. Don’t fall victim of the paralysis that develops from over-analysis. You will never know all there is to know, have all you need to start, nor have a panoramic view of all there is to see about the idea anyway. So start where you are.

I conclude with a saying I heard some years ago, “instead of waiting for a perfect time, make the present time perfect.”