The 5 Rules That Can Help You Become A Millionaire By 40

Posted by: tosin on November 2, 2014

1. Invest Every Windfall

When you receive an unexpected windfall such as an inheritance, cash gift or bonus, don’t spend it. Invest it. If you weren’t expecting the money, you’re not depriving yourself of anything by not spending it.

2. Live Below Your Means

You’ve heard that advice a million times, haven’t you? You keep hearing it because it really works. You can’t build wealth if you spend more than you save.

3. Continually Invest Small Amounts of Money

When you live below your means by not upgrading your lifestyle every time you get a raise or promotion, you have more and more money to invest. The secret to not getting whipsawed by the stock market’s volatility is to invest small amounts of money at regular intervals.

4. Contribute to Retirement Accounts

If your employer offers a retirement plan, participate in it, especially if there is a match. The match is free money, which is essentially a 100 percent return on your investment for just showing up

5. Pay Attention to Your Investments

We’ve all heard the rule, “buy and hold.” I don’t agree with that, because it often turns into “buy and ignore.”

Source: dailyfinance.com

Nigeria’s Richest Comedians that will always make you laugh..

Posted by: Haliwud

I came across this report online and I must confess that I was amazed at how much this men who seem so un serious are raking into their accounts.

Ali Baba, the father of stand-up comedians in Nigeria once said: “comedy is a funny business, a very big business.”

According to Naijabrain, this is the latest list of 8 comedians in Nigeria that tops the earning list.

Ali Baba

Ali Baba is the richest comedian in Nigeria if not the whole of Africa. He once had a two year endorsement deal with a multinational firm worth N100 million. Over the years he has invested in banking, events management, and entertainment/recreation businesses.

Acclaimed as the godfather of Nigerian comedy Ali Baba who is also known as Atunyota Alleluya Akporobomerere (what a mouthful) is credited with starting the revolution that brought in a wave of comedians such as Basket Mouth, Opa Williams, Julius Agwu, Okey Bakassi, Gandoki, Gbenga Adeyinka D 1st etc.

Ali Baba took comedy business to another height in 1998 when he registered his company, “Ali Baba Hiccupurathird.” That same year he erected three billboards in strategic locations in Lagos: Ozumba Mbadiwe Street, Victoria Island; Osborne Road, Ikoyi and in Marina. He paid N150, 000 for each billboard per year for two years. The billboard carried a simple message, “Ali Baba –Being Funny Is Serious Business.”

Bright Okpocha (aka Basketmouth)

Basketmouth is one of Nigeria’s most recognisable faces in comedy. His annual income consists of several endorsement deals, Globacom (He has been the longest serving Glo ambassador) and several more. His‘Basketmouth Uncensored’ sells out annually in locations like South Africa, London and the United States. He has been one of the most consistent comedians in the comedy industry. He has also invested in brick and mortar businesses like night clubs. His annual income (life performances, endorsement deals, TV shows etc) is estimated in the range of N150 – N250 million with his flagship ‘Basketmouth uncensored’showed pulling in over N100 million per annum.

Julius Agwu

The Rivers state born comedian is a vastly talented person combining his comedy talents with acting and occasional song-making. In 2013 he released two singles ‘rejuvenate’ and ‘mama soup’ and took his growing comedy show ‘Crack ya Ribs’ to London. He also organised the ‘Laugh for Christ Sake’ show. He owns real laugh entertainment an event management firm along with choice properties in several states. he is rumoured to be well connected politically and eying a political position in the upcoming elections.

The 40 year old makes his money from live shows, his hosted show ‘Crack Ya Ribs’ and advertisement endorsements. He made around N20 million when he launched his book at age 40 recently. Estimated annual revenue is between N150 – N200 million

Francis Agoda (aka I Go Die)

The comedian I Go Dye is also a businessman extraordinaire. The United Nations Millennium Developmental Goal Ambassador is believed to own a few businesses which include a property and Real Estate Company and a bottling water company nearing completion. The Delta State-born humour merchant acquired N14 million worth White-Diamond Cadillac Escalade Hybrid 2012 Model (Platinum Edition) and a reported N7 million worth Range Rover Evogue.

His annual income is estimated to be around N200 million

Gbenga Adeyinka

Gbenga as well as being a comedian is a well known event anchor and MC. He has a show Laffmatazz and anchors a very healthy number of political and social events all year round. He has a very lucrative deal with Nigerian Breweries over the past few years. He earns between N100 – N150 million per year.

AY

AY is thought to make N1 – N2 million per show and runs A.Y. Live events which basically is an events organiser and management firm. His AY show won Best TV Comedy show in 2008; his monthly AY’s Open Mic Challenge has also provided an avenue to unearth fresh talents. Linked to owning a club (or at least working on launching one) he pulls in at least N150 million per annum.

Okey Bakassi

The comedian and actor also anchors high level social events as well as held an appointment as a special assistant to the Governor in Imo State which essentially boosted his income enough to place him in this list of highest earning comedians in Nigeria.

Bovi

This dude appears to be the hottest thing in comedy now. He does live events and is believed to also run a couple side businesses along with tours of his comedy show. It’s unclear exactly how much he earns but he does bring in enough to be here.

Turning business challenges into opportunities

NOVEMBER 3, 2014 BY IFE ADEDAPO 

 

 

IFE ADEDAPO writes on how to manage business impediments and turn them into opportunities for growth

S

ome businesses have challenges with sales and marketing of their products and services while others have difficulty in meeting the demand of customers. In most cases, access to finance has been regarded as the greatest obstacle to business success.

Some entrepreneurs may also experience challenges with communication and technology.

Experts say opportunities presented by a change in government policies are being seen by some people in business while others look on. According to them, economic crisis also offers the chance to re-evaluate how you live your life, teaches how to be mindful and strategic about how you spend money and to take stock of your values and priorities.

A layoff due to challenges in a corporate organisation, experts say can provide the opportunity to find a more meaningful job, transiting into a new career, or pursue the dream of starting your own business.

The Managing Consultant, Experiential Consult, Mrs. Aderoju Odunsi says some situations such as the Ebola outbreak which is a health challenge that has crippled some businesses provide opportunity for others to launch or expand their business into other areas.

At the NECA’s Network of Entrepreneurial Women conference, the certified trainer says short code messaging businesses boomed with entrepreneurs keying into it and requesting for subscription for short messages on ways people can protect themselves and information on personal hygiene.

Making a huge loss or losing clients to the competitors can have devastating effects but looking forward there is always a silver lining. When your business is going through tough times, it is a good time to be resolute because your mind is predisposed to finding solutions.

Business consultants have identified ways by which business managers can make success out of adverse situations.

Be committed to your goals

The Chief Executive Officer, Solvere Word Consult, Mr. Remi Dairo says recovering from challenges can be hastened by making a promise to be successful and working towards it.

The life coach says studies have confirmed that verbally committing to something, programmes the mind to hold to that obligation even if it is difficult or dangerous.

“I made a promise to make a success of my life and I am still set on that path. Recovery starts with a promise. Refuse to become a tragic replay of whatever setback interrupted your life. Make a verbal promise to yourself, to someone you respect or love but commit to moving forward,” he says.

Encourage employees to identify problems

Business consultants advise entrepreneurs to be watchful before problems reach them. They say managers must create a safe avenue for employees to reveal problems. According to them, when employees are given a free hand to identify challenges without consequences and proffer plausible solutions to them, many problems would be tackled before they have adverse effect on the business.

Find a mentor

To overcome trauma experienced from business challenges, mentorship with experienced people who have tread the path is important.

Dairo says, “When the student is ready the teacher appears. Good mentors don’t just teach; they inspire. They raise the bar not so you will fail but so you will grow, not so you cause defeat, but so you appreciate gain. They do not change who you are, they change who you believe you can become.”

Be passionate

Dairo says life challenges people in ways they cannot anticipate but in the midst of those experiences, there are secrets that make them not just better in what they do, but also better people.

According to him, when people are faced with adversity, it becomes difficult to dream big but having passion for the venture can help them to overcome the problems.

The life coach says, “Being passionate about something – anything – gives clarity to dreams, lifts our spirit, sharpens our focus and creates a vision of better times ahead. Look for something that keeps you energised. To be passionate is to be tireless, relentless and committed; passion starts where your energy fails.

“Dreams are a chassis but sweat is the fuel. A sedan car without fuel sits idle in the driveway. Success is earned by tuning out the noise and leaning on the wall,” he adds.

Build businesses around environmental problem

One of the major infrastructural problems affecting the success of businesses is electricity. However, experts say businesses can be built around such challenges.

A sustainability expert, Mr. Gbenga Adebiyi says the opportunity presented by epileptic power supply in the country is being taken up by entrepreneurs to make money for themselves.

He says if Small and Medium Enterprises can switch from the incandescent bulbs to energy saving ones, their operating costs on electricity bills would be reduced and this would enable them to save more.

In addition, he says the energy saving bulbs have a longer lifespan compared to incandescent bulb and may not require any change for several months.

According to him, managing waste materials which cause pollution in the environment are also creating jobs for people. He says recycled paper and packaging materials have been discovered to reduce production cost for manufacturing companies.

Adebiyi adds that proffering environmental friendly solutions like recycling and eco-design have a great potential to become drivers of economic growth and job creation while, at the same time, making a significant contribution to addressing environmental challenges.

If You Don’t Know What To Do Next In Your Life, Read These 5 Strategies

COMMUNICATION MOTIVATION BY KATHRYN SANDFORDSAVE POST

“It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing. It doesn’t interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive”. - Oriah Mountain Dreamer

There have been many times in my life where I have been stuck and not known what to do next. I have agonised over what I should do or not do and whether I was making the right choices.

This state of not knowing what to do next applies to all of us, at any age and at different stages of our lives. Whether we are heading off to university, graduating, choosing our career path, recovering from heart break, being made redundant, or entering into retirement, we all have a point in our lives where we don’t know what to do next.

The answers or solutions we seek vary according to where we are at in our lives. A young graduate will  focus on answering this question in relation to their future and choosing the right career. A person entering into retirement will ask the question in the hope of solving the issue of doing something that has value in their life and a young mother recently divorced will be asking this question in the hope that she can find an answer that will enable her to survive another day.

Personally, I have discovered that following 5 steps will help you to find out what to do next in your life.

1. Put Your Running Shoes On and Clear Your Mind

“Not knowing what you want is a lot better than knowing exactly what you want but not being able to get it, at least you have hope.” - Unknown

At one time in my life, that was very challenging and emotional,  all I could do was think about what I needed to do to get to the next day. There were no thoughts of what I wanted to do in the future nor were there any thoughts of how I wanted my life to be. It was just a matter of surviving from one day to the next.

If you are in this situation don’t panic, just focus on what you need to do to get through the day. For me, during this challenging time, exercise was the solution to helping me get through my day. Every morning my alarm would go off at 6am. I would have my running gear ready by the bed, I would get dressed, walk out the door and start running for 45 minutes. I would come back from my run, have a shower and my protein shake, then wait for the kids to wake up and my day would begin.

For a long time it was hard to get out of bed and go for my run because I just wanted to hide away. After a few months (yes it took that long) I began to realise that when I started my run I would feel terrible and then when I got to the end of my street I would start feeling better and the sick feeling in my stomach would disappear. Over time I began to look forward to my morning run as I felt more energised and I was sleeping better.

Recently I was talking to a healer about how I survived my life challenges and she said that exercise was one of the best ways to dissipate the emotional pain that we feel and hold in our bodies. She said that I was lucky to have found a solution that worked well for me, in that it enabled me to manage  my emotional pain, so that I could move to the next stage of sorting out what I wanted to do next with my life.

It took me 12 months to reach a point where I was ready to look at my future. It was then, that my next phase of my journey began and I am happy to share with you how I discovered what I wanted to do with my life.

2. Take Action To Wake Up Your Conscious Mind

“Nobody is going to do your life for you. You have to do it yourself, whether you’re rich or poor, out of money or making it, the beneficiary of ridiculous fortune or terrible injustice. And you have to do it no matter what is true. No matter what is hard. No matter what is unjust, sad, sucky things befall you. Self pity is a dead end road. You can make the choice to drive down it. It’s up to you to decide to stay parked there or to turn around and drive out” - Cheryl Stryed.

Life isn’t predictable and the solutions we seek to answer our life questions don’t always come nicely wrapped. There are no rules to follow and we have to work hard to define our life pathway. Waking our conscious minds to accept our reality, embrace change and the unpredictability of life, is one step toward finding out what we need to do next in our life.

For me I had to deal with my limiting self beliefs which were very much a part of my conscious mind and my road blocks to moving forward. I couldn’t see a future for myself and I didn’t know who I was or what I wanted and making a decision as to what to do with my life was impossible. This was the hardest part for me, figuring out what I wanted, what I loved to do and how to be me or even believe in me.

I remember reading somewhere that if we have to make important decisions or choices in our lives, we can become overwhelmed and so we choose to do nothing – its just too hard. We become paralysed rather than liberated by the power of choice. Because I didn’t know what I wanted, I couldn’t make a decision as to what direction I wanted my life to go, so for a long time I did nothing and just drifted.

Eventually I  became very dissatisfied with the direction my life was taking. I knew I had to take action and fast, because I had very little faith in myself, my confidence was low and my vision for my future was bleak. I was confused, conflicted and I had no hope.

My conscious mind was wanting solutions that were practical and safe, however my heart, well it wanted to follow my dreams. It is hard to follow your heart, to overcome your limiting self beliefs and find your power. However you can do it and it all comes down to taking action to change. Small steps at a time create the momentum for change.

3. Embrace the Power of Taking Small Steps with a 30 Day Challenge

The first step I took to reprogram my conscious mind – was I set myself a 30 Day Challenge. I wrote down 3 goals I wanted to achieve in 1 month that would make my life better than it was now. The 3 goals were:  to lose 2 kg, to sign up and start training to run a marathon in 6 months time and to spend one weekend by myself writing my Life Vision. The first 2 goals were easy to achieve, however the 3rd one took me a lot longer to do but I did get there in the end.

This 30 day challenge gave me the momentum to begin my journey to finding out what I wanted to do with my life. Achieving these 3 goals gave me the confidence and self belief to keep going because I knew that if I did nothing then I would have to accept a life of disquiet, unhappiness, sadness and no hope. There was no way that was going to happen.

4. Seek The Wisdom and Knowledge of Others Who Have Been There Before.

“The more extensive a man’s knowledge of what has been done, the greater will be his power of knowing what to do” – Benjamin Disraeli

I like to read other people’s stories about how they lived their lives, their life philosophies and how they overcame their challenges in life. I find that their stories  inspire and motivate me especially when I am unsure about what to do next in my life. These stories helped me to build my knowledge base so that I could sort out the confusion in my mind and in my heart, as to what I should do next. I have read many books, however for me, the two most inspiring books that I have read that helped me gain clarity and purpose in my life are Nelson Mandela’s book “The Long Walk to Freedom” and Richard Branson’s book  “Screw It Lets Do It – Lessons in Life and Business”. These 2 books are very different but the life lessons that Nelson Mandela and Richard Branson shared are priceless.

5. Do What Ever It Takes To Get To Know YOU.

“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.” – Theodore Roosevelt.

Find out who you are, what your passions are and what you want to do with your life. This strategy is closely aligned to Strategy 2, in that you have to know who you are in order for you to Wake Up Your Conscious Mind.

To move forward you have to let go of your past and embrace change. With change comes reinvention and if you don’t know who you are and what you want, it makes it a lot harder to move forward in your life.

Having a Life Vision, knowing your purpose and how you want to live your life are the foundations to building belief in yourself, your confidence, resilience, courage and accountability. There will be times in your life where you may not know what to do next, or you will make the wrong decision and that is okay. With a purpose and a vision when these situations occur you wont be paralysed by the fear of not knowing what to do, you will seize it as an opportunity to experience life. If it doesn’t work out that’s still okay because you will be empowered to make another choice.

My first step toward knowing what I wanted in life was to commit to my 30 day challenge  - setting and achieving 3 goals in 1 month. Once I did that, then I started to organise my world and I researched for ways where I could get to know me, my purpose, my passions and how I wanted to live my life. It took some time (2-3 years) but I did get there. I’ve read books, I’ve searched the web, I’ve talked to people and I’ve attended personal development workshops until I found a programme that I thought was right for me. I didn’t have my Life Plan perfectly worked out, but when my next life challenge presented itself to me I was far more prepared, informed and resilient to dealing with challenge. It still hurt and it was very emotional but through it all I knew what I needed to do next to move forward in my life.

If you don’t know what to do next in your life consider these strategies I have shared. It is a tough journey but it is also rewarding, in that you will discover your life purpose and your passion. You will know what you need to do in your life and the actions you need to take to get there!

 “Look back upon your life and ask: What up to now have you truly loved, what has raised your soul, what ruled it and at the same time made you happy? Line up these objects of reverence before you, and see how they form a ladder on which you have so far climbed up toward your true self.” - Friedrich Nietzsche

Featured photo credit: me_on_flickr via flickr.c

Are you an aspiring billionaire? You better read this.

MONEY BY SEBASTIAN KIPMANSAVE POST

Do you want to become a billionaire? Then quit your job and forget your own path. That’s the advice of the second annual Billionaire Census.

According to the census, “Entrepreneurialism and private wealth are key to becoming a billionaire.”

There’s no mention of a lifetime of frugality, 401K, nor working the way up the corporate ladder.

If you didn’t already have the motivation to quit your job and pursue that idea that’s been rattling around in your head, you might have it after reading the report (or watching the video about it).

The census, conducted by Singapore-based ultra high net worth firm Wealth X, reveals that 81 percent of the world’s billionaires made the majority of their fortunes themselves.

Broken down further, it’s seen that 55 percent made all their wealth themselves, and 26 percent inherited a portion of their wealth and converted it into billions.

The other biologically blessed 19 percent of billionaires inherited their entire fortune (You’re the best, mom and dad!).

One-hundred and fifty five folks joined the illustrious billionaire ranks over the past year, swelling numbers to 2,325.

Wealth X predicts that by 2020 there will be 3,873.

So get crackin’, that’s 1,548 spots waiting to be filled!

Like a mirror of an Olympic medals table, the USA sits atop the list of billionaires with 571, well clear of China in second place.

The census comes with no specific directives about which industry to deploy your plan in to reach that elusive billion.

It suggests that there are billions to be made in most areas; though there is a predisposition for the finance, banking and investment industries.

What is clear is that working for “The Man” for a lifetime is almost guaranteed not to reward you with billionaire-scale riches.

It shows that entrepreneurial grinding and hustling is the best road to a billion dollars. A little startup cash doesn’t go astray, either, as 26% of billionaires will attest.

Combined, the world’s billionaires are worth $7.3 trillion. The top four are each worth more than $50 billion.

That’s a hell of a lot of money even they couldn’t afford to complete construction of the Death Star.

On average, the members of the Billionaire’s Club keep $600 million of their assets in cash. You know, just in case.

Shaking the newfound perception of youthful tech billionaires, the census shows the average age of billionaires is 63, and it typically took around 45 years for each of them to reach a billion dollars.

So don’t be so down on yourself if you’ve reached 30 without making your first billion.

A college degree isn’t mandatory to reach the billionaire level, according to the census, but it does help.

Thirty-five percent have no degree, compared to 65% who completed their studies.

Just over one-fifth of the world’s billionaires hold an MBA.

The University of Pennsylvania (Go Quakers!) is responsible for the most billionaires, making their founder Benjamin Franklin proud and further justifying his place on the $100 bill, by churning out 25 billionaires.

The super wealthy have a tendency to give, on average they each donate $100 million to charity over the course of their lifetime.

A billion dollars is a long way off for most entrepreneurs, especially those starting out.

It is a goal that sneakily creeps into the mind of any budding business owner. But be careful not to become to enamoured with this distant monetary halo.

Focus on providing value now, that can bring the fortunes later.

Alternatively, if you’re not planning to start your own business and don’t have any billionaire relatives nearing the end, there’s always the, ahem, “other” way to make yourself a billion: 3.1 percent of billionaires are single.

source:lifehack

Apple versus Samsung in smartphone stakes

November 2 2014 at 09:00am
By Alan Cooper Comment on this story

EPAThe iPhone 6 Plus

Durban - Notice how it’s been a while since Apple has accused Samsung of copying its once-revolutionary iPhone? There was a time hardly a week would pass without the accusation being made, either in the media or a lawsuit.

What’s changed? For one, the charge simply isn’t true any more. Hasn’t been for years. More significantly, the notoriously snooty Cupertino, California company recently unveiled the iPhone 6 Plus, its entry into the oversized handset market, a category created almost single-handed by, irony of ironies, Samsung, with the launch of its comically huge – by 2011 standards – Galaxy Note.

Too big to be a phone, too small to be a tablet, the Note soon earned the awful, but enduring, nickname, “phablet”. Tech journalists, myself included, scoffed, but the public loved the Note and it went on to sell millions.

As successive generations of the Note sold even better, other phone makers scrambled to produce their own phablets. Apple – so used to others following its lead – was one of the last to do so, conceding eventually that this was a market segment it simply couldn’t afford to look down its nose at any more.

The iPhone 6 Plus is arguably the most beautiful big phone on the market, but after getting to spend some time with Samsung’s new flagship fourth generation Note 4 at its South African launch recently, I believe the Sammy offers a decidedly more compelling value proposition.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4.

Reason 1: The Samsung ecosystem

This has nothing to do with the device itself, but it’s so important I’ve put it first. The cost of data is a common gripe among smartphone users and Samsung has bundled 2GB of free Wi-Fi access at thousands of AlwaysOn hotspots around the country with the Note 4. If you drop your Note 4, and crack the screen, Samsung will collect and repair it free, giving you a loan unit to use while you wait. It’s a disappointing downgrade from the far more generous warranty on the Note 3, that also covered water damage and offered two repairs, but it’s still more than any other phone maker offers. And that’s just two of a long list of value-adds.

Reason 2: It’s got a stylus

Most casual users couldn’t be bothered about the stylus – or S-Pen as Samsung calls theirs – but power users can’t live without it. I grab mine literally every day to scribble longhand notes on my Note 3. On the Note 4 the S-Pen is now twice as responsive and unlocks a wealth of even cooler features including the kind of mouse-like features usually reserved for desktop computers, like selecting, dragging and dropping content between multiple windows.

Reason 3: Stunning screen

The screen on the iPhone 6 Plus is a thing of beauty, but it literally pales beside the Note 4’s 5.7-inch 2 560 x 1 440 – that’s four times HD resolution – Super AMOLED display.

The result is clearer and more vivid images with deep contrast, better viewing angles and response times as fast as a millionth of a second. The generous proportions also make for easier multi-tasking, with users able to choose how they access their applications with full, split or pop-up screens and easily change the size and positioning of apps on the screen with one intuitive swipe.

Reason 4: Practical design

The aluminium-bodied iPhone 6 Plus may just edge it out in the eye candy department, but the Note 4 is a lot more practical in my books. The Note’s metal rim and plush, leather-look back give it an upmarket look and feel, while making it significantly less slippery to grip than the iPhone. And because that back is removable, you can swop out the battery or upgrade the RAM with an SD card. The nifty Fast Charging feature juices your Note 4 from 0 to 50 percent in just 31 minutes, perfect for those pub or coffee shop top-ups.

My verdict

If you’re deeply embedded in the Apple ecosystem and already own several iDevices, the Note 4 probably isn’t for you. The new iPhone’s camera also has a definite edge on the Note 4’s, despite the long-overdue introduction of optical image stabilisation and other nifty features. But for most people in the market for a premium device that combines all the best features of a smartphone, tablet and good old fashioned notebook and pen, the Note 4 is almost certainly what you’ve been looking for.

Price

Between R500 and R600 a month on contract. If you’re going the pre-paid route, don’t expect much change from R12 000.

Got any questions or comments? E-mail alanqcooper@gmail.com or follow @alanqcooper on Twitter.

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