Are you constantly putting out fires, handling every small task, and feeling like your business would collapse without you? If so, you’re not truly running your business — it’s running you. The difference between success and burnout lies in learning how to step back, focus on the big picture, and let your business work for you, not the other way around. It’s time to reclaim your role as a visionary leader and stop being trapped in the daily grind. Here’s how to take back control and guide your business toward sustainable growth and freedom.

1. Delegate More Effectively

One of the biggest challenges for entrepreneurs is the inability to delegate. It’s easy to think that no one can do things as well as you can, but this mindset keeps you stuck in low-impact activities. To truly grow, you need to trust your team. Start by identifying tasks that can be delegated and empower your employees to take ownership. Hiring the right people and giving them the autonomy to make decisions will free up your time and allow you to focus on strategic initiatives.

• Create a list of tasks only you can do (e.g., high-level strategy, business development).
• Then, make a list of tasks you can delegate (e.g., administrative work, customer support, or project management).
• Begin delegating these tasks and set clear expectations for your team.

2. Build Systems and Automate

Your business should not rely on you for every decision. To avoid this, create systems that allow your business to function smoothly, even in your absence. This could involve documenting processes, automating repetitive tasks, and using tools like project management software, CRM systems, or marketing automation. Well-defined systems will save you time and ensure that your team can follow clear guidelines without needing constant supervision.

• Start documenting key processes in your business — like how new leads are handled or how customer service issues are resolved.
• Identify areas where automation tools can replace manual work, such as automated email campaigns or inventory management software.

3. Shift from Operator to Strategist

Working in your business means you’re bogged down by day-to-day operations. Working on your business means focusing on growth, strategy, and long-term success. Take time each week to step back from operational work and think about the bigger picture. Where is your business headed? What are the opportunities and threats in the market? How can you innovate and stay ahead of the competition?

When you shift to a strategic mindset, you’ll be able to focus on high-impact areas like scaling, partnerships, and market expansion, instead of just daily operations.

• Set aside dedicated time each week for strategic planning and thinking.
• Use this time to analyze your business performance, industry trends, and future opportunities.

4. Focus on High-Value Activities

Many business owners get caught up in “busy work” that doesn’t contribute to long-term growth. Prioritize activities that directly affect your business’s bottom line, such as business development, networking, and innovation. By focusing on these high-value tasks, you can move the needle and ensure that your business is growing in a sustainable, scalable way.

• Use the 80/20 rule (Pareto Principle) to identify the 20% of activities that bring in 80% of your results.
• Eliminate or delegate low-value activities and double down on what drives growth.

5. Invest in Leadership Development

Your business will only grow as fast as you do. Investing in your leadership skills will enable you to guide your team more effectively and make smarter decisions. Whether it’s through mentorship, leadership courses, or reading, personal growth is essential to becoming the visionary leader your business needs.

• Identify areas where you need to grow as a leader — whether it’s team management, financial acumen, or strategic thinking.
• Seek out resources like books, courses, or mentors that can help you develop these skills.

6. Create a Clear Vision and Communicate It

Your team looks to you for guidance and direction. A clear and compelling vision will not only inspire your employees but also help align their efforts with your company’s goals. This vision should be more than just financial targets — it should reflect the mission and values of your business. When your team understands the bigger purpose, they’ll be more motivated and empowered to help you achieve it.

• Define a clear vision for where you want your business to be in the next 5–10 years.
• Regularly communicate this vision to your team and ensure that their goals are aligned with it.

7. Monitor Key Metrics, Not Every Detail

As a business owner, it’s easy to get stuck monitoring every detail, but it’s more effective to focus on the key performance indicators (KPIs) that truly matter. These could include sales growth, customer satisfaction, profit margins, or employee engagement. By focusing on the right metrics, you can quickly assess the health of your business without micromanaging every aspect.

Action Step:

• Identify the top 3–5 KPIs that are critical to your business’s success.
• Set up regular reporting systems to monitor these KPIs and make data-driven decisions.

Take Control of Your Business

By making these changes, you can transform your role from a business operator to a strategic leader. It’s time to let go of the tasks that drain your energy and focus on the ones that move the business forward. When you run your business, instead of letting it run you, you’ll find more time to innovate, grow, and achieve your vision of success.

Are you ready to take the reins and lead your business to new heights? The journey starts with working on your business, not just in it.

We’ve all heard the mantra, “Work hard and success will follow.” But what if I told you that hard work alone is not the golden ticket to wealth? Look around — the wealthiest people on the planet aren’t necessarily the ones grinding 18-hour days, covered in sweat and exhaustion. Instead, they’ve unlocked a secret that many miss: working smart, leveraging systems, and capitalizing on opportunities make the real difference. If you’re still hustling like your life depends on it but your bank account doesn’t show it, it’s time to rethink the path to becoming a billionaire. Here’s the truth no one wants to tell you — hard work alone won’t make you rich.

I remember a conversation I once had with a multi-billionaire. Let’s call him Mr. X. We were sitting at a posh hotel lounge, overlooking the city skyline, and the conversation drifted towards wealth. As someone who had worked tirelessly for years, the one thing I wanted to know was how he had built his fortune. His response surprised me.

“Hard work?” He chuckled, sipping his drink. “That’s not what got me here.”

“But you must’ve put in some hard hours, right?” I asked, confused. He leaned back in his chair and shook his head.

“Everyone thinks it’s about working the hardest, but let me tell you a secret — it’s about working the smartest.”

Mr. X wasn’t dismissing effort, but he was trying to show me something far more valuable. Hard work is the starting point, but it’s not the engine that drives wealth. Most people focus on the grind, thinking if they push themselves harder, they’ll reach the top. But that’s only part of the equation. Mr. X explained how he built systems, invested wisely, and focused on creating opportunities where money worked for him, rather than trading his time for it.

The Myth of the Hard Worker

The idea that hard work guarantees success is deeply ingrained in our society. We grow up hearing stories of self-made millionaires who started from nothing, and while hard work played a role in their success, it wasn’t the sole reason they became wealthy. If hard work was the ultimate formula, then construction workers, nurses, and farmers would be the wealthiest people on earth. But they’re not.

Instead, you’ll notice that the wealthiest people often have the freedom to think, strategize, and take risks. They’re not tied down by constant work. They’re not the ones burning the midnight oil every single night. Instead, they’re creating systems that allow them to maximize their impact without multiplying their hours.

Let’s take Warren Buffet as an example. While he’s known for his incredible investing acumen, Buffet famously spends 80% of his day reading and thinking, not frantically running around from one task to another. He understands that wealth isn’t about how hard you work — it’s about how smart you work.

The Power of Leverage

So, what makes the difference? In one word: leverage.

Hard workers rely on their time, but time is a limited resource. You only have 24 hours in a day, and there’s only so much you can do in that time. But leverage allows you to amplify your results without increasing your workload. It’s the difference between someone who trades their time for money and someone who lets money work for them. This is what truly separates the wealthy from everyone else.

Take, for instance, Jeff Bezos. When Amazon first started, he didn’t aim to just sell books. He aimed to build an infrastructure that could run itself — a system that would scale and grow even when he wasn’t physically present. Bezos built something bigger than himself. That’s leverage. He multiplied his efforts through technology, people, and processes that continue to work even when he isn’t.

Working Smart, Not Hard

So, how can you apply this to your own life? How do you stop focusing on “hard work” and start thinking like a billionaire?

1. Create Systems: Systems are the key to scaling your efforts. Whether it’s in business or personal finance, systems allow you to automate, delegate, and grow. They free you from doing everything yourself and create the space for growth without being tied to every task.
2. Focus on High-Value Activities: Not all work is created equal. Billionaires spend their time on activities that generate the most value — things like making key decisions, building relationships, and investing in opportunities that have the potential to multiply. They avoid getting bogged down in low-value tasks.
3. Invest Wisely: The wealthy understand that money is a tool. They don’t let it sit idle. They invest in opportunities that give them returns, whether through stocks, businesses, or other assets. They don’t just work for money; they make their money work for them.
4. Learn to Delegate: Many people believe they have to do everything themselves. This mindset is a trap. Learning to delegate frees up your time and allows you to focus on bigger, more strategic tasks. Delegating also means trusting others to handle certain parts of your business or life, so you can focus on what matters most.

The Lazy Billionaire Mindset

To become truly wealthy, you need to shift your mindset from “hard work equals success” to “smart work creates wealth.” This doesn’t mean being lazy in the traditional sense. It means being lazy about the right things — avoiding unnecessary hustle, eliminating distractions, and focusing on what truly matters.

Mr. X, the billionaire I mentioned earlier, left me with a lasting piece of advice: “If you’re the hardest worker in the room, you’re probably in the wrong room.”

It was a wake-up call. Instead of just working harder, we need to work smarter, build systems, and create leverage. That’s the real secret behind the success of lazy billionaires.

So, if you’re ready to leave the grind behind and start building wealth the smart way, remember: hard work won’t make you rich. But leverage, systems, and smart decisions will.

If I plant a tree today and it dies after years of effort, I have failed because my aim of planting was for the tree to thrive not die.

My journey to thriving and not dying began in 2015. I won the Unilever ideatrophy challenge and got the opportunity to represent Nigeria in South Africa. The reason why I won was not because of my academic background and that leads to my first point- Disrupt.

If I ask some of you here what you dislike about being here, I’m certainly going to receive tonnes of complaints, lecturers not teaching well, no electricity, no wifi, and the list goes on and on. But if I had focused on the number of things that were not in place at the time I applied for that competition, I would not be here today. I had to disrupt the system and make a move when the opportunity presented itself. Now to this takes a lot of courage.

The founder of Nike Phil Knight once said “the cowards never started, the weak died along the way-that leaves us”

Returning from the competition, I had amassed knowledge on business and leadership and I wanted to share. It started out as a Whatsapp group of just 8 people, my friends and course-mates and its aim was to help grow businesses. Through collaborating with like-minded people, we eventually started physical meetings and the group started expanding. From meet up of about 20 persons, the numbers increased not magically but consistently.

Entrepreneurship is not something you start and stop, you have to be consistent- show up every day. We held the first business summit last year with over a thousand students in attendance and by the second time it will hold, the numbers doubled and the community now exists in five different campuses. That same community has provided funding of $10,000 directly and $50,000 indirectly for student businesses.

The big question is: why should you become a student entrepreneur? Why start a business on campus?

Here are the reasons why you should start a business on campus:

1. Make Mistakes Early: Starting a business in campus offers you the opportunity to fail at it very early and eventually retrace with very little or no external criticism. You can try out as many small business ideas and marketing strategies, as possible. The trial and error period will teach you a lot about being an entrepreneur, about what works and doesn’t work in the market, and most importantly the true essence of perseverance. Phil Knight wrote in his memoir “My hope was that when I fail, if I failed, I’d fail quickly, so I’d have enough time, enough years, to implement all the hard-won lessons”
2. Accessible market: The campus environment is very ripe for doing business. The market is made up of students who will help test the viability of your ideas. One secret is, if you can get students to pay for something then it’s a good sign your product or service is viable.
3. Cheap Labour: Businesses that require labour can attest to the fact that hiring students is cheaper. The reason labour is cheap on campus is because most students have very little allowances. You can hire your friends, you can even get volunteers and sometimes exchange goods or services by barter
4. Free Resources: Most campuses have free internet at the library, this could be useful for research, and other online activities that require heavy data consumption. You could also take advantage of other facilities such as meeting rooms.
5. Mentoring: As a student, connecting to notable alumni from your school is very easy. There are a lot of networking opportunities in events like this one that connects you to mentors from various fields. Sometimes these mentors could be your fellow students or your seniors. It is easier to get mentors as a student because you are not seen as a threat.
6. Low risk High Reward: As a student you have no kids, houses or other properties you stand to lose. You even have time and energy as well for extracurricular activities.. This does not encourage a laissez-faire attitude towards your business but a reminder that starting a business in school is always a win-win, whether you are successful or not, either ways you learn.
7. Beef up Resume: Whether or not your business was successful, having a business makes your CV more attractive. Starting a business tells an employer that you’re proactive, innovative, and driven. Startup experience can fast track you to leadership opportunities at another company if you decide you’re not ready to be a full-time entrepreneur.
8. Self Employment: You’ve heard it over and over that there are no jobs in Nigeria. Second degree holders even struggle to get jobs let alone first degree holders. A business tackles the possibility of unemployment after school and gives one a sense of responsibility.
9. Financial Security: Starting a business provides students extra cash to supplement their allowances and save them from the endless wait for “end of month” or “mama’’ thank you”
10. Fun: Certainly, starting a business has its highs and lows but the fun is in meeting new people, making new friends/new business partners, travelling to new places, trying new hobbies and so on.

Doing business while in school is not rocket science, it is achievable and we have a long list of people who have proven this to be true. Facebook, Snap chat, Apple, Google, Microsoft, Dell Computer, Wordpress, FedEx, Yahoo, Wordpress.

Bringing it home to Nigeria we have Jobberman, PushCV, Gamsole, ToLet and so on, they all started while in school and they are thriving in billions of dollars.

There is only one thing that can hinder you from being like the examples I mentioned and that is lack of passion. Why did I leave school and sacrifice a whole lot just to win the ideatrophy challenge, why did I start out a business community afterwards? why is my book- Get Set on this same subject? Why did I start up Socialander- a digital marketing agency?

If you watch closely you’d see all the things I have done pointing to one aspect which is first helping people and businesses grow. On people, you have the student business community and on businesses- digital marketing.

Oprah Winfrey once said that Passion is energy.

If you lack passion there will be really no energy to fuel whatever you have started, especially on the days the chips are down. You need Passion to thrive.

If you have disrupted and you have the passion to fuel it, then Shoot. Don’t be afraid to try, be audacious, and watch yourself build a successful venture.

In the next few years, we are going to have a lot of successful businesses emerge from campus, either you watch it happen or be part of it!

I can remember the first thing I spoke to over 100 audiences, it was a terrible experience for me.

It was like the ground should open for me to enter.

Fear of public speaking is real.

What will I say? How will I say it? Will they laugh at me? Am I good enough?

Endless questions running through your head, questioning if you can do it.

Let me assure you that fear of public speaking is normal and even top public speakers face it too.

The only difference between them and you are that they face their fear of public speaking and master it until it’s a walkover.

Here are 5 ways to overcome the fear of public speaking.

1. Relax and Forget About Your Fear of Public Speaking: It’s not an easy thing to do but just forget it. Don’t think about your fear of public speaking. Just relax and be calm.
2. Avoid Talking Too Fast: When you talk too fast you get nervous and forget everything you have in mind to share. Take it one step at a time. Don’t rush it. Be Yourself and allow it to flow like you are having a conversation with your friends.
3. Don’t Overthink Audience Reactions: There is always someone in the audience that will laugh or get bored probably because they are finding it hard to understand what you are saying, or they had a rough day at work. Please don’t take this personal. Just keep going with your talk.
4. Start or End with a Story: Starting with a story helps to reduce the tension in the room and it is a great way for you to start a conversation. If you don’t have a story to tell then ask them a question on the topic.
5. Practice, Practice and Practice: This is everything, you need to practice, jump on any small opportunity you get to speak in public. That way you are overcoming your fear of public speaking little by little.

Please share other public speaking helpful tips for others to learn. Tag someone to see these tips.

Getting a mentor can be a difficult task and fascinating.

I am saying this from personal experience.

Getting a mentor can be as frustrating as trying to get a managerial job in a multinational with a third class grade from the University... Lol

I know you will say “mission impossible!” 😂

But I am telling you that it’s possible because I have grown from that stage, where you send someone a long message on social media or email to mentor you and they don’t even give a reply, to the stage where I get mail or inbox from notable people asking to mentor me.

Unbelievable right.

Let me share the secret of how I did it.

I will share 10 tips to get any mentor you want. So get your pen and paper to put them down.

1. Go straight To The Point — Please I am begging you don’t do this mistake of saying Hi to your potential mentor and be expecting him to say Hello. Let me rant like Lasisi Elenu a little — is he your mate? Are you mad?

Lol... Just kidding but seriously you don’t do that. This guys are busy and don’t have time for cheap chat. So, go straight to the point.

I advice you take you time to type what you want to say in one message and send. I bet you will get a better result from this simple act than when you say Hi and expect them to start chatting with you.

I am not saying that it’s not possible, but you need to get to that level of relationship with them. As for this seeking stage, you need to go straight to the point and precise.

No time to waste time.

2. Value For Value — It’s a all about value for value. Nobody want to be in a relationship that don’t benefit them. So you need to audit yourself first and ask you self this question. What value can I bring to this person?

If you can’t answer this question then there is a problem.

Don’t be A Parasite — How do you know parasitic Mentees? They want to call you 24/7 for just no reason, they are just looking for every opportunity to take from you.

Don’t be like that! No one wants a parasite around them and do your best not to be one. Always make sure that you are not overdoing anything. It’s not everything you take to your mentor to help you with. You should learn to put in some work yourself.

I made this mistake while starting out. I want to eat, I run to my mentor to ask ‘how to eat?’, I want to sleep, I run to my mentor to ask ‘how best to sleep?’ If it’s not really - really important, then don’t disturb him.

3. Never Ask For Money — Some people’s definition of Mentorship is creating that relationship that they can ask you for money. I have never asked any of my mentors for money.

4. Don’t Expect Anything In Return — That is where a lot of people fail. They expect so much from their mentor that they get depressed when they get nothing is return.

Don’t do what you do because you want to get something in return for it, but because you want to LEARN & GROW. If this two — Knowledge & Growth — are in the equation then you are good to go.

5. Take It To The Next Level — You have got a mentor, now its time to take it to the next level by solidifying the relationship and building credibility. This can only be done by constant adding of value and building trust.

Many people after getting a mentor they just relax and expect the mentor to do the follow up and pushing.

Let me ask you — Who wants to be mentored? You right?

Then you have to put the work and follow up. Your mentor is not your compliance officer.

6. Show Commitment and Growth — This is what will differentiate you from other mentees of your mentor. You need to keep showing commitment and growth constantly. You need to let him or her know that you are worth the investment both in time and knowledge.

It’s only through this way that you can give your mentor assurance and confidence in you. There is nothing that gives a mentor more joy than seeing his mentee growing from strength to strength.

7. Pay Your Dues — You need to pay your dues forward. what do I mean by paying your dues? Paying your dues doesn't necessarily mean paying his cash for mentorship but looking for creative ways you can pay him for his good work on you.

He won’t tell you, but this simple act helps to grease the relationship just like another relationship.

8. Launch Out — After mentorship what next?

Mentorship might be a life time process depending on your current relationship with your mentor. Even at that, your mentor can’t mentor you for ever.

You need to launch out and start something!

You, not launching out is depriving others the opportunity to be mentored which can be selfish.

9. Mentor Him — Mentor Your Mentor

After you have learnt from him, it is time for you to mentor him. Your mentor don’t know it all. He has at least one or two aspect of his life that he needs help with. It might be teaching him/her how to use new technology, social media, or how to use a tool that is relevant for his/her career.

There must be something you can teach your mentor.

Trust me.

10. Gratitude — Thank You

As simple as it might sound, a lot of people find it difficult to say Thank You, and as little as this act might be it is very vital in building a stronger bond with your mentor.

You can get him a gift as a form of gratitude, it might be as little as getting a book from his favourite author.

I hope you’ll use this tips as fuel for the fire to step up your effort in looking for your desired mentor. After all, the benefits of getting your desired mentor will be well worth the time and effort.

If you have other tips that will help others in getting their desired mentor, please do well to drop a comment below or you have a question on mentorship do well to drop a comment here I will respond to it.

If you truly love me and want me to keep writing. Please clap twenty, clap forty, clap fifty?

By clapping more or less, you are signaling me which stories really stand out.

How To Effortlessly Get Any Mentor Of Your Choice — 10 Incredible Tips was originally published in Bella Victor on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

If you want to know how to get verified on Instagram, you’ve come to the right place. In this guide we’ll tell you how to apply for verification (that’s the easy part) and what you need to qualify (that’s the hard part).

Instagram opens highly-coveted verification form to the public.

What is a verified badge?

A verified badge is a check that appears next to an Instagram account’s name in search and on the profile. It means Instagram has confirmed that an account is the authentic presence of the public figure, celebrity or global brand it represents.

How do I request a verified badge for my profile?

To request a verified badge, you must be a public figure, celebrity or brand and meet certain account and eligibility requirements.

To request a verified badge:

1. Make sure you’re logged in to the account you’re requesting a verified badge for.
2. Go to your profile and tap .
3. Tap Settings > Request Verification.
4. Enter your full name and provide the required form of identification (example: government issued photo ID).

Keep in mind that even if your account is eligible for verification, submitting a request doesn’t guarantee that your account will be verified. Learn what happens after you apply for verification.

Ah, the coveted blue check mark, distinguishing the most elite and influential Instagram users from the plebeians. The process for getting one has largely been a mystery to the general public — but for the most part, you needed to know someone.

Until now. This week, Instagram has decided to open their application form for verified status to the public. The process is fairly straightforward — head into your Instagram app, navigate to Settings, and click on Request Verification.

What are the requirements to apply for a verified badge?

We look at a number of factors when evaluating Instagram accounts to determine if they’re in the public interest and meet our verification criteria.

In addition to following Instagram’s Terms of Service and Community Guidelines, your account also needs to be:

1. Authentic: Your account must represent a real person, registered business or entity.
2. Unique: Your account must be the unique presence of the person or business it represents. Only one account per person or business may be verified, with exceptions for language-specific accounts. We don’t verify general interest accounts (example: @puppymemes).
3. Complete: Your account must be public and have a bio, profile photo and at least one post. Your profile can’t contain “add me” links to other social media services.
4. Notable: Your account must represent a well-known, highly searched for person, brand or entity. We review accounts that are featured in multiple news sources, and we don’t consider paid or promotional content as sources for review.

Keep in mind that if you provide false or misleading information during the verification process, we will remove your verified badge and may take additional action to delete your account.

What happens after I apply for a verified badge?

Instagram will never request payment for verification or reach out to ask you to confirm your verification.

Once we review your request, you’ll receive a notification letting you know if your account has been verified or not. If your request is denied, you can submit a new request after 30 days.

Keep in mind that Instagram can remove verified badges at any time, and may take away your badge or disable your account if you:

1. Advertise, transfer or sell your verified badge.
2. Use your profile picture, bio or name section to promote other services.
3. Attempt to verify your account through a third party.

If your account doesn’t have a verified badge, there are other ways to let people know you’re authentic. For example, you can link to your Instagram account from your official website, Facebook Page, YouTube or Twitter account.

I have a verified badge on Facebook, why don’t I have one on Instagram?

Only some public figures, celebrities and brands have verified badges on Instagram. Not all Facebook Pages with verified badges have verified badges on their Instagram accounts. Currently, only Instagram accounts that have a high likelihood of being impersonated have verified badges.

If you don’t have a verified badge on Instagram, you can link to your Instagram profile from your official Facebook page to help let people know that you’re authentic.

Unlike the previously-public Twitter verification form, Instagram doesn’t give you any room to explain yourself or plead why you oh so desperately need those few blue pixels on your screen. The form only contains three fields: your username (which is autofilled), full name, and a spot to upload a photo of your passport or other official documents.

Instagram also announced a host of other tools and updates, including an “About this Account” section within the app that lets a user know when they joined, previous usernames, bios, and some tweaks in regards to ad transparency. Additionally, users can now use third-party two-factor authentication apps like Google Authenticator or Authy to secure their accounts.

Users that apply for verification will receive a notification once their app has been reviewed, though Instagram doesn’t provide an estimated or guaranteed timeframe, nor does it specify whether the notification will be sent in-app or through email. Users that are denied can reapply after 30 days.

Resubmit your application

If at first you’re denied verification, take the time to follow the advice above to improve your profile and grow your audience. Once you’ve made the necessary changes and further establish yourself on the platform, there’s no harm in trying again.

Originally Post: https://socialander.com/how-to-get-instagram-verification-without-long-stories/

How To Get Instagram Verification Without Long Stories (Simple Steps) was originally published in Bella Victor on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Dear 30 year old me,

I’m writing to you from the past. You’re now 30-years-old, and while you’ve lived a happy and healthy life with no regrets, I have some advice for you.

First, how is San Diego, California? So, I heard that is where Socialander HQ is now. I saw this coming but I never knew it will be happening this fast. I must confess that I am proud of you.

Congratulations on your recent achievement as Forbes 30 Under 30, I must confess that this is huge. I know you’re still trying to find your feet and working out the ins and outs of business but stick with it. I can guarantee the best is yet to come.

Giving Back — Student Business Club

It’s also wonderful to see how far we’ve come in advancing and promoting STUDENT ENTREPRENEURSHIP. 30 year old me, can you believe that small club that started in 2016 with less than 5 members, that later increased to over 2,000 in 2018, is now a household name for Student Entrepreneurship with over 300 hubs across the world? It’s shocking, isn’t it?

While I don’t want to spoil the mystery and fantasy of the unknown, I can tell you there will be so many wonderfully rewarding moments and the most incredible people in your future. Yes, many of your wildest dreams will come true. But there’s a clause: you will have to work hard to make them happen.

Please don’t forget, where you are coming from and how much work you have put to be here. Always remember that this is just the beginning. Now everyone is counting on you. So don’t just do it for yourself but for those counting on you. Someone is out there holding up because of you, don’t give up.

30 year old me…

Please don’t forget, where you are coming from and how much work you have put to be here. Always remember that this is just the beginning. Now everyone is counting on you. So don’t just do it for yourself but for those counting on you. Someone is out there holding up because of you, don’t give up.

Business & Investment…

You’ve never gone into business to make money, but instead, you’ve always wanted to make a positive difference in people’s lives. It’s time to step things up and do more impacting.

Family…

Hey, 30 year old me, Family is good.

I am sure you are married now with children. Always remember that everything you do and every risk you take has been for your family. Business shouldn’t take the place of your family,

Faith…

God has been your help all through the years. I know you are still very strong in the faith. Just in case you forgot the gospel you heard and believed before you attained this height, I will leave this passage of the Holy Scripture to remind you.

1 Corinthians 15:1–4 King James Version (KJV)

1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

You believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and how the event bought you salvation from the curse of sin and death.

Conclusion…

Dear 30 year old me, I am so proud to be identified as your past. You’ve achieved your purpose of existence and you are now selflessly helping others achieve theirs too. Nigeria is taking a new look because of what you are doing with her youths. Young African entrepreneurs are also looking up to you as a role model.

I wish you well, dear 30 year old me in all that you do henceforth. Please, extend my regard to 35 year old me, and when you write to 45 year old me, don’t forget to refer to what I have written to you in this letter.

You are forever loved, my dear.

I am your loving past,

Bella Victor 2018

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My Letter To 30 Year Old Me — Bella Victor was originally published in Bella Victor on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

I am Bella Victor and I am jobless.

funny?

Hell No, I am truly jobless.

What is a job?

Job is a paid position of regular employment or a task or piece of work, especially one that is paid.

Getting job in Nigeria is a job.

I never knew how serious the unemployment rate in Nigeria is until I wrote a medium article title “How I worked In over 20 companies before I turned 21” since then I have gotten over 30 mails of people asking for help with their CV or asking for help to get a job.

Truth be told there is no job and there is plenty job.

Two contrading statements right?

Yes, I know….Let me explain myself.

There is no job because people don’t want to hire a liability, they are looking for asset. What I am referring to as liability inexperience people while asset are experience people.

Though I don’t believe that hiring inexperience people is a liability but see them as an asset if they know how they harnessed them.

I am not here to talk about unemployment bullshit and how to chase jobs that are not there. But I am here to talk about job for the jobless that is always available for jobless.

The job is called ENTREPRENEURSHIP

This is the option I feel every unemployed person need to be exploring but the case is reverse. I feel entrepreneurship is the life guide for unemployment.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, more than 200,000 graduate from Nigerian tertiary institution yearly but only a handful of them secure a job.

Some have given up after a long search for a job in the labour market.

Underemployment is seriously taking its toll as most Nigerian graduates take jobs below their education qualification, just to make out a living. The National Bureau of Statistic as at March, 2016 recorded that the Nigeria unemployment rate for the fourth quarter of 2015 rose to 10.1%.

The rate is higher among women than men. 8.8% of males were unemployed in the fourth quarter of 2015, while another 15.7% of males in the labour force were underemployed. 22.0% of women were underemployed at that period.

More so, many have lost their lives in the long search for a jobs that are not there. This indeed has affected Nigeria’s image negatively. For instance, during the 2014 immigration recruitment exercise into the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIC) at Abuja National Stadium, over 68,000 graduates applied for 4,500 job slots. In the process, there was a stampede in which many applicants lost their lives while over 50 others sustained injuries. Similar thing happened in Port Harcourt, Minna, Kano and Benin.

We can’t keep looking for something that is no longer there, the earlier we start embracing entrepreneurship as the escape route for unemployment the better for us.

According to Joseph Schumpeter (2008), entrepreneurship plays an important role in the capital and output growth of an economy and subsequently economic development.

By embracing entrepreneurship, we are on the quest to defeating youth unemployment.

I know your question now is how do you start this entrepeneurial journey? Don’t worry, I got you covered.

I will be sharing with you 5 steps to follow to not only discover that untapped Idea but how to execute it into a business venture.

Here are 5 steps that are required to start a business successfully. Take one step at a time, and you’ll be on your way to successful small business ownership.

Step 1: Self Audit & Evaluation

This first step is very critical because its the foundation of everything. So be very brutally honest with your answers to the following questions.

1. Why do you want to start a business?
2. What skills do you have?
3. Where does your passion lie?
4. Where is your area of expertise?
5. How much capital do you need?

Step 2: Make A Business Plan

I hate it when I hear people talk about beautiful Ideas and don’t have any written document on it. It makes you look like a joker and I know you are not one. Do you already have a killer business idea? If so, congratulations, you can proceed to the next section.

Which is the Business Plan!!! even though it’s a simple one-page business plan, it will give you clarity about what you hope to achieve and how you plan to do it. In fact, you can even create a business plan on the back of a napkin, and improve it over time. Documenting your idea in writing is always better than nothing.

Step 3: Financing Your Idea

Starting a business doesn't have to require a lot of money, but it will involve some initial investment as well as the ability to cover ongoing expenses before you are turning a profit.

But always have this at the back of your mind

It’s not what you don’t have that limit you but what you have but don’t know how to use it.

So put together a spreadsheet that estimates the one-time start-up costs for your idea ( equipment, business registration, branding, market research, etc.), as well as what you anticipate you will need to keep your business running for at least 12 months (rent, utilities, marketing and advertising, production, supplies, travel expenses, employee salaries, your own salary, etc.).

Those numbers combined is the initial investment you will need.

Step 4: Get A Team

Making money alone is sweet and beautiful but making money together with your team is intoxicating — Talking from experience.

I laugh when I see young entrepreneurs running a sole business and don’t want to get a team because they don’t want to share the profit or gain but unknown to them what they are losing out.

Unless you’re planning to be your only employee, you’re going to need to hire a great team to get your company off the ground. Joe Zawadzki, CEO and founder of MediaMath, said entrepreneurs need to give the “people” element of their businesses the same attention they give their products.

“Your product is built by people,” Zawadski said. “Identifying your founding team, understanding what gaps exist, and [determining] how and when you will address them should be top priority. Figuring out how the team will work together … is equally important. Defining roles and responsibility, division of labor, how to give feedback, or how to work together when not everyone is in the same room will save you a lot of headaches down the line.”

Step 5: Start Making Money

Your launch and first sales are only the beginning of your task as an entrepreneur. In order to make a profit and stay afloat, you always need to be growing your business. It’s going to take time and effort, but you’ll get out of your business what you put into it.

Collaborating with more established brands in your industry is a great way to achieve growth.

Then, once they have a new customer, they understand how to retain them. You’ve probably heard many people state that the easiest customer to sell to is the one you already have.

Your existing customers have already signed up for your email list, added their credit card information to your website and tested what you have to offer. In doing so, they’re starting a relationship with you and your brand. Help them feel as good about that relationship as possible.

Mistakes are going to happen, and how you deal with them and learn from them is really one of the major keys to success, If you can balance limiting your mistakes, learning from them and moving forward as soon as possible, then I think you can truly be dangerous.

Conclusion — Entrepreneurship Is The Remedy to Unemployment

Don’t get me wrong, the reality is entrepreneurship isn't just a way for you to be your own boss. It will improve you as a person because you’ll be learning new skills and growing in confidence. Five years from now you won’t be the same person, and it’s all down to entrepreneurship.

If you want to link up with a jobless fellow do well to shoot me a email at Bella@socialander.com or call the magic number 07052388866 let connect.

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JOB FOR THE JOBLESS — Escape Route From Unemployment. was originally published in Bella Victor on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

This is not a piece where I just want to show off or brag of my little successful corporate career at an early age but It is just me sharing secret tips on how to get any organisation to be begging you to work with them.

Sounds good right!

It’s a secret I have used over and over again both for unpaid and paid opportunities. You might want to explore it too.

I have worked with the following companies / organisations directly or indirectly: KPMG, Unilever, Andela, Enactus, Young Africa Leadership Initiative, Ringier Africa (The Owns of PulseTV), Hexavia, Tony Elumelu Foundation, UBA, Q21 Solutions, Lanre Olusola Academy, FUTO Business Club, Socialander, Sterling Bank Plc, The Autism Support Circle Initiative — TASCI, United Nation, Junior Achievement Nigeria, Global Shaper PH, Zolts limited, The Maintenance Institute Africa, Tech Hub Africa, Africa Sales Academy, Agrovation, Project Yahaya and many more!

My Linkedin profile here: >>> https://www.linkedin.com/in/victorbella/

Disclaimer: These secrets works for me. Doesn’t mean it will work 100% for you. Please note that time, situation, background and even location might differ but I am assuring you that with these secrets you should be close to your desired job opportunity.

Therefore, here are 10 secrets I am giving you, “the ASSURANCE, this will eventually get you your desired job/internship opportunity.

Are you ready? Let’s go.

1. Know Their sweetspot

2. Make their life easy

3. Show them, don’t tell

4. Count your lucky STARS

5. “WE” Instead of “I”

6. Body Language

7. Value before Value

8. I am not Hungry and Begging

9. I stand with YOU

10. Thank You and Follow up.

1. Know Their Sweetspot:

It’s my biggest secret before I even submit any application, I will under study them to find every single details about them. I will even go as far as asking people that work there about the organisation corporate culture, work environment and condition.

How well do you know them?

However,these are pointers to question you need to ask.

- What is their corporate culture? — This will help you know how you will fit in.

- What is the company history? — If you know where they are coming from you can know where they are going.

- What are the employees’ background? — This will not only help you bench mark yourself with them but help you understand the people you will work with better.

- What are their values, mission and vision — This is more like their sweet button if you can use it.

People these days apply for job opportunity without relevant experience to it. A good application takes a day or more to complete. Think about whether the job really is a good fit for you.

2. Make Their Life Easy:

From how you sent your application to how you structure your resume, the employer will know if you will be the employee that will give them extra work. Nobody wants a liability but asset. From how you structure your email and resume, a good resume should be relevant, very specific and simplified to them.

Many people do make this mistake, which is very wrong. They would dust the resume that they use 5 year ago to apply for an engineering job and use same to apply for human resource manager or even a bank opportunities.

Don’t get me wrong you might have the skills for them to employ you but you have to make your resume fit into the industry. For engineering opportunity, they are on the look out for technical skills unlike bank opportunities are looking for analytical skills. The difference is clear.

3. Show them, don’t tell them:

I love this, with them you can be be seen as been proud or boastful. Let me use myself as example, rather than saying I have great leadership skills, I will say I discovered that there was no entrepreneurial community that made me to start a student business club and within 1 year we have over 1000 members, still counting and we have helped a lot of them with funding opportunity even the $5000 Tony Elumelu Foundation grant. We are currently setting structure and process in place to make sure that we connect more student entrepreneurs to funding opportunity. I now have a team of 10 students that work with me on this project.

So which sounds better?

I have great leadership skills or the one above? Obviously for you to have done all this you must have a great leadership skills.

So let your ACTION do the TALKING

4. Count Your lucky STARS:

However, the secret of describing the Situation (S), Task (T), your Actions (A) and the Result (R) which altogether makes a STAR — is definitely good practice in application forms, and particularly in interviews. Just don’t spend too long on the situation and task, as I’m most interested in what you actually did.

Be careful while using this secret, just as I said above don’t waste time talking about Situation (S) and Task (T) it is important you talk about them a bit because it will give them understanding what lead to your Actions (A) and the Result (R).

5. “WE” Instead of “I”:

There is no better way to show team work than your choice of word, Its very important. You don’t want to look like a very selfish person or a one man squad but you want to prove to them that you are a great team player because every organisation want a team player.

So use “WE” instead of “I” to portray that you are a team player, I know you want to take all the credit or glory to yourself but calm…lol

6. Body Language:

This applies doing an Interview process, I love using this. I often do this and it works, for example, if you are saying something and the interviewer is responding positively to it then you have to expound on it more but if reverse is the case then move to your next point without wasting time.

7. Value before Value:

So a good resume can do a lot but some employees need more or something light too…Lol

So you need to give them more, so let’s assume that you are applying to be a graphics designer in the company, you can go further and do few designs for the company upcoming events or a nice design concept for them.

This works like magic and doesn’t only apply to technical skills role but you can do it with managerial role, simply by designing a plan or strategy for the company or new concept for them. It work very well.

8. I am not hungry or begging:

So this is where a lot of people get it wrong, you don’t get your desired job by begging for it or making them to pity you {Playing with their emotions}

Just have this at the back of your mind.

No one wants a liability but an asset, which are you?

So people won’t pity you and give you a job opportunity because you eat 1 square meal a day.

It’s about Value, Value and Value.

9. I stand with You:

You need to show them that you know their vision, mission and core values then find a way to pitch it back to them.

For example, if a company is very passionate about the environment’s sustainability and green energy, you can give them instants that you volunteer with a recycling organisation or contributed to keeping the environment clear and how you are passionate about it.

They will prefer you to someone that just come to talk about his professional career only.

10. Thank You and Follow Up:

A lot of people fail to do this simple act of saying THANK YOU and Following Up.

Please do this even if they get back to you or not.

This is the part you let them know that you really want to work with them. Show commitment and persistence here. You might not have the opportunity to do this again.

Give it your all.

Bonus: If you can prove to them that you can solve their problem, you instantly decommoditize yourself, and none of those things on paper matter as much.

All you have to do is to prove yourself!

Extra Bonus: Employing someone these days is risky business, trust me. Between the costs of on-boarding, salary, benefits, training, recruiting fees, and time, it can be an expensive process. The last thing an employer wants to do is hire a person they have to fire soon after because they couldn’t keep up with the demands of the job.

You can reduce this fear by proposing what I called FREEMIUM. This part you can offer to work with them for FREE for a while to show them how credible you are for the position.

Final Extra Bonus: Be careful while using all these strategies, so that you won’t be blowing your trumpet. Doing this may make your interviewer or employer feel a bit intimidated and Irritated by your action.

Just put the most important things that are relevant to the job out there and leave the rest. I take a lot of things off my resume, why applying for some positions. it’s a wise decision.

I strongly believe that if you use the above principles and strategies you should be able to achieve your desired job/internship in no time.

Need More Help?: I will be dedicating my time to help few people achieve their desired job or internship and also recommend you to companies on my radar even if you feel like you’re “unqualified”, afraid of the unknown, or have no idea what you want to do.

All you have to do is to send INTEREST with your CV to my mail victorbella62@gmail.com and lets get down to work.

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More where this came from

This story is published in Noteworthy, where thousands come every day to learn about the people & ideas shaping the products we love.

Follow our publication to see more product & design stories featured by the Journal team.

Ever wondered why it seems as though the rich remain rich and the poor struggle for the bottom spot. Here’s why;

The average poor person isn’t poor because he’s unlucky or unfortunate. It’s because the mindset have built explosive membranes that fights off everything that contradicts what they know in a world where extravagance and sophistication is sometimes mistaken as wealth and riches.

Please note this “Poverty is a financial condition, being poor is a mental condition”. With Dangote’s daughter’s wedding as case study, it won’t take you too long to get the concept.

1. SPENDING TIME WITH THE WRONG PEOPLE

It was recorded that the wedding guest list was just a spreadsheet of all starts with bill gates in attendance, the power of association. This is one thing the poor has refused to walk with because the real tragedy of the poor is the shallowness of their aspiration. Life don’t work that way, you have to spend time with the right set of people to get the best result in life.

2. PLAYING THE RELIGION GAME

Money and power obviously does not belong to any religion, Its a universal principle. Trying to play religion and ignoring key details that leads to financial freedom is an error. Dangote and most of the other guests at the wedding were Muslims but they were also Christians and other religion at the wedding. However there was no polka dot of penury at the wedding. I think its the poor people that have this stereotype about what religion someone is or not.

3. DRESSING FOR A CHEER

One of the world’s most richest men was seated at the banquet hall of Eko hotels and suites for the wedding ceremony of his friend’s Daughter and there were no bling or excessive glitters in sight. Just a man clad in a suit and a pair of glasses. Wow! However, for some who just have a five figure income, lavish dressing and ostentatiously would have draped the atmosphere. Thank God they are not the richest people, if not we won’t be hearing word by now. It will just be about Pepper Them Gang and Slay Queen Things…Lol

4. CIRCLE OF LIKE-MINDS (SUPPORTIVE NETWORK)

Your network determines your net worth, no joke, it’s very true. You can’t be mingling with lions as a cat and not get to confront hyenas. But, if you choose to mingle with dogs; eating excreta becomes a norm. The photograph of bill Gates and Aliko Dangote clearly screams so much wealth in one picture.

5. NO COMFORT ZONE MENTALITY.

Staying in the comfort zone is amazing but hey! Nothing great happens there. Remember the over $100 billion worth table at the wedding, only those that forget what comfort zones mean sat there. Those whose single thought are greater than a mediocre’s lifetime dream

6. SPEND MORE THAN YOU EARN (THE 80–20 ILLUSION)

Dangote is worth about 13.6 billion USD but guests got a $5000 Rolex wristwatch as souvenir. He did not spend to please anyone because he did not need to please anyone. The moment you begin to live above your means, in no distant time, you’ll have to cry for help.

7. BLAMING SYNDROME

Instead of bracing up, figure out why you are not Dangote’s child or why you were born into a poor family. Life is a dream for the wise, a game for the fools, comedy for the rich and tragedy for the poor. No matter how bad it gets, never blame anyone; just move on!

“If you are born poor, It’s not your mistake”

“But if you are poor, it is your fault”

8. LEAVE BEFORE THE PARTY STARTS (GIVE UP IN DIFFICULT TIMES)

In 2016, Dangote’s Forbes rank dropped as a result of a setback he encountered in his business. But, he did not let that get to him because as at 10th January 2018, he was announced as Africa’s richest man for the seventh time in a row. Give up and relies what being poor really is.

9. NO FINANCIAL DISCIPLINE

You want to own everything, to buy everything even those you don’t need or even imitate the high and mighty with your little income. Keep it investment integrated.

“Don’t invest after you spend, but spend what is left after investing” — Warren Buffet.

10. LACK OF FOCUS

You can’t be everywhere doing everything. Stick to one field and don’t stop until it is a success. Dangote is a business tycoon. He does not meddle in political affairs or sticks his head in the entertainment world. Discover your niche, follow it, preserve it and become it.

Note that, little or nothing was said about his daughter or her husband.

— — — Food for thought.

If you desire such for your children, then, it’s still a good time to start putting dreams into perspective and plans into motion, if you don’t want to remain poor.

If you truly love me and want me to keep writing. Please clap one, clap two, clap three, forty?

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10 Reasons Why You Will Remain Poor — Dangote Daughter’s Wedding (Case Study) was originally published in Bella Victor on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.