Ibe Nnamdi

WE ARE HIRING.

As part of our work with multiple clients, we are recruiting to fill different roles, in different locations for these clients in Lagos.

There are multiple roles, and multiple people are required in the different locations.

If you are interested, click the link in the comments section.

Share this post.

You can also tag someone who needs this to see this.

Thesurgeon

Live session with March 2024 Batch of the Organized Small Business Academy, day 22.

We discussed ORGANIZED CONTENT CREATION AND DISTRIBUTION.

BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT BUILDING AND MAINTAINING RELATIONSHIPS

Do you have who can stand in for you when you have problems?

If you have an emergency, can you call someone and the person shows up physically or financially without you explaining your destiny to the person?

If you are one of those who remembers your schoolmates only when you have problems, STOP IT.

Start now to rebuild the relationships.

Talk to them.

Be useful to others.

When you need help, an army will rally around you.

THERE ARE PEOPLE YOU CAN'T FIX

If you are going to build a legacy business and live a fulfilling life, you need to accept this truth.

There are people you can't fix.

When you identify them, leave them quickly.

There are some STAFF you can never make better.

FIRE them QUICKLY.

There are BOYFRIENDS or GIRLFRIENDS you know are not ready to change.

If you can't live with the mess, LEAVE QUICKLY.

There are CLIENTS you will never be able to SATISFY or convince.

If you are a coach, consultant, expert etc, there are clients YOU WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO CHANGE THEIR MIND, so your work will be easier.

AVOID these CLIENTS and know PEACE.

There are some FAMILY MEMBERS who will consistently be leeches and will never do anything to improve themselves or get better.

LOVE THEM from FAR.

GIVE when you can, but love them from far.

You can't fix them.



PS: If you think about it, you can't really fix anybody.

You can only help, but eventually, it's the people who fix themselves, just like you have been fixing yourself.

WE ARE HIRING!!!

Position Title: Business Manager

Job Field: Advertising

Qualification: Bachelor Degree, HND

Employment Type: full-time

Location: Ikeja Lagos

Experience: 5 - 10

Salary: 500,000 – 600,000

Job Description:
Oversee daily operations of the business
Coordinate and oversee all technical activities ranging from design to installation and maintenance of outdoor advertisement projects.
Analyze problematic situations and occurrences and provide solutions to ensure the company’s survival and growth.
Develop and execute the company’s business strategies in order to attain business goals.
Design and oversee business development activities of the business
Assess and identify new opportunities for growth in current and prospective markets.
Manage and motivate staff through excellent leadership skills
Receive and review reports from subordinates and prepare summary reports for top management.

Requirements
Minimum of HND from reputable institution
Minimum of 5 years of proven managerial experience (Experience in advertising is an added advantage)
Excellent organizational and leadership skills
Outstanding communication and interpersonal abilities
Proficiency with MS Office and Google Office packages
Must be result oriented.
Demonstrated experience in working with tight deadlines.
Ability to take initiative
Ability to work independently and with a team


Method of Application:
Interested and qualified candidates should forward their cover letter and CV to [email protected] with Business Manager Ikeja as the subject of the mail.

Excel and Grace Consulting

FEMI OTEDOLA IS SOMEONE WE ADMIRE BECAUSE HIS BUSINESS JOURNEY ISN’T HIDDEN

He shares his story, failures, and mistakes, and allows others to learn from him.

In 2008, a shipment containing one million tons of diesel set sail, heading for the shores of Nigeria on a vessel owned by Otedola, who was Chairman of Forte Oil, a petroleum and power generation company.

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Then disaster struck.

“I had about 93 percent of the diesel market at my fingertips. All of a sudden, oil prices collapsed, and I had over one million tons of diesel on the high seas, and the price dropped from $146 to $34,” says Otedola.

Otedola was now $1.2 billion in debt.

The banks had to shave off about $400 million from the debt, leaving Otedola with $800 million in the red. AMCON offered him a restructuring deal, which Otedola declined. He opted instead to repay what he owed and start all over again.

“So we got a reputable firm to value my assets. I had about 184 flats, which I gave up.

I was the largest investor in the Nigerian banking sector, which I gave up; I was also a major shareholder of Africa Finance Corporation; and I was the Chairman of Transcorp Hilton.

I was a shareholder in Mobil Oil Nigeria Limited, the second-largest shareholder in Chevron Texaco, Visafone, and several companies that they valued, and I had to give up to repay the debt.”

He paid off his loans and was left with his stake in AP, which he rebranded to Forte Oil, and started to rebuild his business empire.

Otedola was asked recently on Instagram, “Always on vacation, sir; do you even go to work?”.

Otedola replied and said, “As an entrepreneur, my role is to ensure that I hire a competent team to run my business affairs without my physical presence, and of course, one that outlives me. My goal is to nurture the team.”.

While there are many lessons to be learned from his life, one I would like you to think about today is this:.

If something happened and you had to be away from your business for 3 months, would your business be able to run without you?

Are you able to sleep peacefully every night knowing that your business has a life separate from yours?

If your answer is no, then talk to us.

THERE ARE CLIENTS WE WORK WITH WHO DON'T WANT TO BE NAMED

Clients with LONG MONEY.

They know what they want, and go for it.

I was speaking to one sometime ago.

He owns a multi billion naira business (among other investments), but his children are not interested in joining his business.

And so he had been very confused about what will happen to his business and his legacy when he passes.

We restructured his business to run with minimal input from him, and also restructured ownership of his business so that his children will own the business without running it.

The business will eventually be managed by trustees when he passes.

Part of their mandate is to ensure that all his grandchildren will have their school fees paid to whatever level they want to reach, among other things.

His children will also receive dividends and can through appointed representatives, attend board meetings.

His legacy will live on.

That's GENERATIONAL WEALTH.

I don't know where you are in your business now, but if you truly want your business to leave a mark here on our planet, BUILD A COMPANY.

BUILD AN INSTITUTION that can run the business effectively even without you.

Remember, your children don't have the same mindset, skillset and experience that you have, so they most likely will not be qualified to run your business.

BUILD A COMPANY.

.

PS: We can help.
Call us on 08158493030.

A REMINDER TO HIRE FOR TALENTS NOT BLOOD/FAMILY TIES

A few days ago, I ran into a very tall guy—I mean, those guys that remind you that all the hopes you’ve given yourself about being average height are false—and he reminded me of a client of ours who we helped structure his business.

He had his family members in the business; he had a stepbrother, his sister, and his brother in the business; all of them were part and parcel of the business, but they did not contribute anything to the business financially.

During our review, we found out that many of them weren’t qualified to sit in the positions they were given; they were given those positions because they were family members.

We recommended that he either change them or groom them so that they fit into the roles he assigned them.

So, we set up the structure for the company, put together a training plan for them, and after about four months of working with them, we left.

A few months later, he called, and he was shaky.
He’d eventually go on to say,

"I know that your team told me not to do this, but I did it again. I went ahead to listen to my family members, and we let go of those people. The structure and processes you brought into my business are no longer working, and I just realized that I have brought back all the family members who created the problems in the first place."

Here's something you should know:

The fact that somebody is related to you does not mean that the person has the capacity to play a role in your business.

You should hire people based on their qualifications and ability to provide the company with what it needs at the right time.

If you choose to hire a family member, the person should go through your recruitment process. There should be a hiring process, tests, and so on.

If the person passes, then that’s fine.
If the person doesn’t, being related to you is not enough.

Talent and skills build and sustain great businesses, not blood ties.

I hope this makes sense.

STRUCTURE ALWAYS BRINGS GROWTH

Anything you put in order will grow.

When you concentrate on STRUCTURE and ORGANIZE YOUR BUSINESS, growth will find you.

DEAR SCHOOL OWNER,

YOUR LOVE FOR EDUCATION MAY BE KILLING YOUR BUSINESS.

I'll explain.

You're either running your school for profit or for charity.

If it's for profit, then you must understand that teaching and the business of teaching are not the same.

Let me rephrase.

Education and the business of education are not the same.

I understand that you want to touch lives, but when the electricity bill comes, will you pay with impact?

You have two primary responsibilities as a school owner.

1. Structure the operations of the school so administration and teaching happen without you.

(Distill your passion into business processes that deliver your level of excellence.).

2. Focus your attention on activities that attract a steady flow of students to your school.

(Let me ask, why don't schools have marketers or business development executives?).

Focus on what is important.

The business of education.

5 TIPS FOR HIRING QUALITY STAFF FOR YOUR BUSINESS.

Dear business owner, do you struggle with getting the right staff?

You aren't alone, and this is a major problem for business owners today.

Let me share some thoughts on what I suggest you do.

1. Prepare your mind to hire people.

There are no angels job hunting, so we all have to accept that we will hire human beings, and all human beings aren't perfect.

We need to accept this and still hire people.

2. Have a salary and benefit plan that is attractive.

I understand that you don't have so much money to throw around and hire people who won't deliver, but remember that those who can deliver aren't cheap.

Instead of having 10 employees who you pay 50k each and they don't make any sales for 3 months, why not hire 3 quality employees who you can pay N150k each and support them.

3. Ensure you have other sources of cash flow that come to you either directly from your business or something else. (I talked about this in a previous post.)

This ensures that no matter what happens, you can pay salaries.

4. Structure your business.

Business structure helps you define
- Who do you need?
- What each person will do
- How they will do it.
- How you measure their performance?
- The company has policies that will govern their behavior.

5. Consistently train your people, especially your marketing and sales people (and this includes your affiliate marketers).

You must sharpen the saw, so they keep getting better and better every month.

I hope this helps.

HOW MY QUEST FOR CONTROL K.I.LL.E.D. MY BUSINESS

I want to share a story without you, and I want to say that without being disrespectful.

Mark Zuckerberg doesn't own 100% of Facebook.

Elon Musk doesn't own 100% of Tesla.

I learned this the hard way, and I've talked about it a lot.

I used to be the managing director of a company called BuyMe.com.

You've never heard of BuyMe.com because it's a dead company, and my partners and I own 100% of it.

We started this business in 2004/2005, many years before Konga and DealDey, and it was revolutionary.

Because internet pe*******on was very low then, we knew we would have to spend money on advertisements, among other things.

So we looked for investors.

We went to the bank.

I went to loan houses.

Went to private individuals.

Nobody wanted to invest in an untried business.

We were looking for 20 million naira.

Eventually, we met someone who loved the idea and was willing to invest.

He offered us 25 million naira (remember, we were looking for 20 million) and asked for 51% of the company.

We turned him down.

Today, we own 100% of the dead business.

I usually don't regret many things in my life, but this is one mistake I regret, and I'm using it to share a lesson.

If you truly want to build an empire, be comfortable owning part of an elephant.

I've seen many business owners make the same mistakes I made, and it hurts because I remember how it feels.

HERE'S WHY YOU CAN'T AVOID THE RESPONSIBILITY of ENSURING THAT YOUR BUSINESS WORKS WELL

In my home, we have two people who help us take care of our kids and make sure our house works efficiently.

They do a great job, and sometimes it feels like they've never communicated.

Until the kids fall sick or mistakenly injure themselves.

Once there's any health issue, they still call me or my wife.

Is homework to be done?

It's still either me or my wife.

No matter how much I try to say somebody else will handle it, the responsibility still falls back on us, and we cannot run away from it.

You cannot run away from the responsibility of making sure your business is effectively managed.

And if you are a small business, you must do it yourself.

You can outsource everything else, but no matter what you try, you cannot run away from that responsibility.

Here are some actions steps you should take:

1. MANAGE YOURSELF. If the business owner isn't functioning well, no amount of strategy will work.

Manage your personal tasks effectively.

Get a diary or use your phone to manage your time effectively.

Make time to rest.

Manage family obligations, etc.

2. List out the three most important things that must happen for your business to make money.

Example
- Manage your inventory well.
- Ensure there is someone (medically inclined) who's available to interact with people.
- Have a steady supply of customers.

3.' Devote your attention to the issues in number 2, and delegate the others to your team.

4. Ensure you get daily, weekly, and monthly updates on the activities you enjoy with others.

I hope this makes sense?

3 IDEAS FOR RETAINING TOP-PERFORMING STAFF IN YOUR BUSINESS

1. Be clear about your expectations even before you hire.

What results do you want from the person in the first 30 days or 90 days?
What outcomes do you want?
What problems do you want solved?

Be very clear.

Also, underpromise and overdeliver on your conditions of work.

For example, don't tell them all the bonuses and benefits that they will get when they work for you.

You can tell them some of the basics.
When they start and do well, you give them additional incentives.

2. Ensure that they are growing and improving.

Imagine that a new employee joins your business and can see your training outline for them for the next two years.

This allows them to see and understand that there is a plan for their lives.

Don't just have the training outline, though.
Make sure the training happens and that it does so consistently.

Also, try to know what their personal goals are.
Ask them.

If they don't have any, then help them set goals.
Help them also tie their personal goals to what they do in your business.

It will also help if some of the training you give them is tied to their personal goals.

3. Make them feel valued.

Appreciate them when they do well.
Give gifts randomly that show you value them.
Talk to them respectfully, and celebrate them when they have any victories, public or private.

HOW TO BUILD A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS WITH AVERAGE EMPLOYEES

Over the years, I've discovered the reason why most businesses struggle to find great employees for their businesses.

The reason is simple.

You insist on looking for people exactly like you, forgetting that God created only you.

And since you will never find another you, you will most likely not find anyone who will believe in your vision exactly like you or function like you.

Another major reason you won't find that ideal employee is because other businesses with more money than you have hired them, and you can't (or aren't ready) to offer more.

So what are your options?

What you can do is design your business to be PROCESS DEPENDENT rather than PEOPLE-DEPENDENT.

This means that average people can come into your business, follow your business processes, and produce the same results you do.

Quit looking for exceptional people.

1. Build business processes.

2. Find average people and teach them your business processes.

3. Monitor their performance and consistently improve the process.

And the best part? It's actually cheaper.

HOW TO COACH, ENCOURAGE, AND CELEBRATE YOUR TEAM

1. CLARIFY objectives with them consistently. Let them know the exact results you expect and what is important to you.

2. Give them your standard operating processes (business procedures) for ex*****on.

Let them learn how you do it.

(Note: You should have business processes written down, not in your head.).

Business processes make them do things their way (the way that works) with fewer mistakes.

Note: There should be room for adjustments to your processes.

3. Receive weekly reports from them (not daily).

You don't need to know everything; you just need to know what was achieved.

4. Encourage and teach them when they make mistakes. Oh yes, they will make mistakes.

My son makes mistakes, and I never give up on him. I coach him, teach him, groom him, scold him, and encourage him.

That's your job too, with your employees. Be the coach, not their supreme leader.

5. Celebrate them when they excel.

It is so easy to remember what people have done wrong, but we ignore what they do right.

A new sale is done without you; celebrate it.

A problem is solved without you; celebrate it.

When new ideas to improve something are shared, commend the person, even if you don't use them.

6. Be patient. (I won't add anything more to this.).

Thank you for coming to my Tedx Talk.

HOW TO GET DAILY ALERTS IN YOUR REAL ESTATE BUSINESS

One issue that real estate business owners face is cash flow, which simply means that money does not come into the business on a daily basis.

So yes, you rent houses, but do people pay every day?

Yes, you sell land or sell houses, but this doesn't happen every day.

That's why you have some good months and some bad months.

That's why you struggle with paying salaries or hiring the staff your business desperately needs.

Solving this problem is simple.

Create something that ensures you have cash flow daily, and it can be directly or indirectly connected to your real estate business.

Examples.
A. Creating cash flow directly.

1. You collaborate with other real people to rent houses not directly under you and make some money.

2. You can start selling and supplying cement on the side.

3. You can create ebooks, courses, etc. that help people learn about real estate.

4. You can sell books by other real estate people.

B. Creating cash flow indirectly

1. You can invest small amounts of money in someone's business and make some money on a daily or monthly basis.

2. You can start a small trading business.

3. You can get a contract job.

4. You can sell some of your soft skills as a side hustle, e.g., your website skills, your speaking skills, your digital marketing skills, etc.

The objective is simple.

These aren't businesses that should distract you.

They are to give you support, so no matter what happens, you won't have too many periods where no money is coming at all.

Plus, you can afford to hire the quality and quantity of employees your business needs (you have cash flow).

HOW TO BUILD PRODUCTIVE RELATIONSHIPS IN YOUR BUSINESS

I used to drink and smoke heavily.

There's a bond that exists between people who smoke, I can't explain it but it's there.

A key part of that bond is that anyone who smokes will easily give a cigarette to another person who smokes even without knowing who the person is.

I remember building great friendships that have lasted till now simply because I offered someone "a stick of Benson".

That giving spirit is the secret.

If you are interested in building relationships, you MUST be intentional about giving value and being useful to other people, without even expecting something in return.

I've connected with certain people online and sent goats to their spouses.

I've connected with certain people who I haven't even met and sponsored people to attend their programs.

Someone who is a good friend of mine now, wanted to buy something from Port Harcourt some year ago. I reached out to him, bought the thing and sent to him. He asked for my account details and I declined.

I've volunteered at people programs.

I've attended people's programs just to support them, people I've never met.

Sometimes ago, I was in Abakiliki and I asked Ruth Morris-Utulu to come to see me at the event I was speaking at. When we eventually met, I answered a few questions to problems she was having for free. I gave.

Do you see how it works?

Focus on how you can be valuable to others first.

Focus on how you can give to others first.

And even if your don't get anything in return from that person remember this.

YOU MAY NOT REAP WHERE YOU SOW, BUT YOU WILL REAP WHAT YOU SOW.

BUSINESS STRUCTURE FOR MOTHERS [MARRIED AND SINGLE MUMS] WHO OWN BUSINESSES

To every mom who owns a business, I truly cannot imagine what it's like to be YOU.

The truth is, I can never be you, so I probably won't be able to fully understand it.

I also know you have dreams and ambitions, and it sometimes feels like family life is an obstacle.

Here's how you can setup some structure in your business and get the best of both worlds.

1. Define your vision. If your kids were effectively managed, what kind of business would you build?
Write it down.

Set actual targets, and don’t speak big English in your vision. Plan 3–5 years ahead.

2. Plan the home front.

Create a schedule for the kids.

Set up a support structure. It could include people like siblings, friends, neighbors, hired help like nannies and maids, etc.

Please take time to select and set this up. Don’t be in a hurry.

Create a work plan that allows you to spend time with your kids, your husband, or your man and to have some alone time.

3. Define the functions you will need in your business.

Examples include marketing, content creation, content distribution, administration, secretarial, coordination, and buying from the market. Hiring staff, etc.

Please note that function isn’t the same thing as a job title.

Accounting as a function isn’t the same as being an accountant.

Your business needs accounting, but does it need a full-time accountant? Make sense? Great.
List out as many as you can identify.

4. From the functions, create roles and job descriptions.

Assign these roles to the staff you already have, or hire new staff to take up some roles.

It is okay to combine certain roles until your business can afford to separate them.

5. For all the tasks to be done in your business, write out the steps you follow to execute them.

These will be the steps your staff will follow to do their jobs.

For example: Receiving money from customers: Step 1, Step 2, Step 3, Step 4].

Bonus thoughts: Ensure that your staff have the documentation (employment letters, guarantor's form, employees handbook, etc.) before they take on these roles.

Join our Team at Excel and Grace Consulting !!!

Position: Head of Marketing and Sales
Industry: Business Consulting
Location: Rumuigbo Port Harcourt - Rivers
Salary: N130,000 - N150,000 [Plus Commision]

JOB DESCRIPTION
· Develop and implement comprehensive marketing and sales strategies aligned with the firm's over all business objectives.
· Conduct market research to stay abreast of industry trends, competitor activities and client needs.
· Oversee the development and maintenance of a strong and cohesive brand identity.
· Build and lead a high-performing marketing and sales team.
· Collaborate with the sale steam to convert leads into clients through strategic sales initiatives.
· Develop and execute effective lead generation campaigns to attract prospective clients.
· Implement and optimize marketing automation tools and CRM systems to streamline the lead management process
· Use data-driven insights to make informed decisions and optimize strategies for continuous improvement.

REQUIREMENTS
· B.Sc / HND from reputable institution
· Minimum of 2 years’ experience in sales in any service providing Industry
· Excellent communication and negotiation skills.
· Proven sales track record with evidence
· Proficiency in MS Office and CRM software
· Ability to deliver engaging presentations
· Hands-on experience with multiple sales techniques
· Excellent interpersonal and people management skills.

METHOD OF APPLICATION:
Interested candidates should forward their CV to [email protected] with job title and location as subject of the mail.Example- Head of Marketing and Sales Port Harcourt

EVERYTHING YOU SAY OR DO IS PERCEIVED BY 3 KINDS OF PEOPLE.

In almost two decades of building and serving thousands of businesses and business owners, I've learned that everything you do is perceived by three kinds of people. They include:

a. Those who like what you do.

b. Those who don't like what you do.

c. Those who are indifferent about what you do.

What you do with each category determines your life outcome. So, I suggest you:

— Pay special attention to the first group, especially if you run a business. These are your customers, your fans, and your believers. Don't joke with them.

— The second group makes a lot of noise, but they are mostly few in number. Do your best not to ignore them.

— The third group will either come around or not. Don't worry too much about them, but do your best to be visible to them at regular intervals.

You will live longer.

5 THINGS GOD WON'T DO FOR YOU IN YOUR BUSINESS

No matter how much you teach your child and help your child with his/her school work, eventually, he/she will have to write their exams by themselves.

You won't sit in the exam hall for them.

When you start your business, God will teach you so many things if you open up to Him, but there are things he won't do for you.

Here are a few of them.

1. GOD WON'T HELP YOU KEEP RECORDS.

He's not going to help you keep details of your customers, your staff, your raw materials, your sales, your expenses, etc.

He won't.

2. GOD WON'T HELP YOU TREAT YOUR CUSTOMERS EXCEPTIONALLY.

He won't leave heaven to come serve your customers effectively or show your staff how to treat your customers exceptionally.

3. GOD WON'T HELP YOU MAINTAIN AND IMPROVE ON THE QUALITY OF YOUR PRODUCTS.

You are using Facebook. I don't think God has come down to write one line of code for Mark Zuckerberg, yet Facebook is always improving.

Are you improving your products or services?

4. GOD WON'T COME DOWN FROM HEAVEN TO MARKET YOUR PRODUCTS.

You see this one, if you like, pray from now till Twenty Twenty Million, He's not coming.

Oga of I know I'm your mentor, stop admiring me and answer please. Do you think He will come down to do shameless marketing for us?

5. GOD WON'T FORCE YOUR EMPLOYEES TO STAY

If you have a bad attitude as a boss, or if you treat your staff like slaves.

In fact, He may even provide better jobs for them so they will leave you.

God will play His part, as long as you play your part.

He said He will bless the WORK of YOUR HANDS.

You will do the WORK.

He will BLESS IT.

Be honest, are you really doing YOUR PART?

HOW TO MAKE YOUR EMPLOYEES FEEL INDEPENDENT

1. Make sure the person understands the role.

For the person to understand the role, it means you have taken time to define what the person will do and what the person is responsible for.

You've also taken time to explain this to the person when you hire them.

2. Make sure the person understands the expectations you have.

You know how we have expectations of our spouses, but we don't tell them, and when those expectations are not met, we get frustrated.

Do not let this happen to your employees.

Make sure the expectations are spelled out and you take time to explain them to the person.

Things like, in the first 30 days of you sitting in this role, I expect this; in the first three months, I expect this.

Do not keep it in your head.

3. Measure their work and the results they get.

Make sure you can also measure their work and the results.

You need to have KPIs or parameters to measure their performance.

There is a difference between baking from morning until night and baking seven cakes today.

You need to be able to measure their work and the results they get from it.

4. Make sure they have the right tools for WORM.

If the person requires a laptop and what you've given them is a phone, if you're expecting them to perform at optimum, I don't think that's realistic.

Give them the tools they need to do their job.

If the person needs internet, give them internet.

If the person needs transportation, provide it.

5. Get out of the way.

Yes, they will make mistakes. When they report to you the mistakes, do not yell; correct them.

Let them build confidence. Do not tear the person down when the person makes a mistake.

Build the person's confidence.

Your responsibility is not to be a dictator as a business owner, but to build people.

To create other leaders that can handle things in your absence, and it's one of the amazing things that happens when you structure your business.

And the size of your business doesn't matter.

You need structure at whatever level you are at.