Tuesday 30 July 2013

Passion Profit- How to Start and succeed in starting a Business



Despite statistics and research stating that many businesses fail in the first 3 years, it is amazing how many people ignore that and still jump in the deep end.  This is not to scare you from starting a business. It is to sensitize any one desiring to start to be cautious.  If 75% of businesses started are not making it beyond their 3rd birthday, any one starting should be curious to know what they should avoid and what should they embrace.  That is why I am passionate about helping more people start sustainable and successful businesses.  

Following are some more tips for those who are considering starting one.

1. Know yourself and be very true to yourself. 
What is your true motivational level? How much money are you willing to risk to be successful? Sure, we all want to make millions of shilling. But what are you willing to give up reaching that goal? How many hours a week will you work on an ongoing basis? How far out of your comfort zone are you willing to stretch? How far will your family stretch with you? To be successful, keep your business plans in line with your personal and family goals and resources. I have observed that many people fantasize about owning a business.  And in their fantasy, there is lots of money, lots of free time, and very little work and sacrifice.  That fantasy is the end of the story not the beginning.

2. Align your passion with an opportunity. 
The old formula - find a need and fill it, still works. It will always work.  The key to success is finding needs that you can fill, that you want to fill, and that will produce enough income to build a profitable business. Filling a need in an area you have no skills, strengths or interest can end up in drudgery.

3. Be sure there are enough people who are willing and able to buy what you want to sell. 
One of the biggest mistakes start-ups make is to assume a lot of people will want to buy a particular product or service, because the entrepreneur likes the ideas or knows one or two people who want the product or service.  To minimize your risk for loss, never assume there is a market.  Research the idea. Talk to real potential prospects (who aren't family and friends) to find out if what you want to sell is something they'd be interested in buying, and if so, what they'd pay for the product or service. Most people who consult me because they want to quit normally cite lack of clients as their reason to quit.  They say the business in not making enough money.  When I ask how many clients do they have and how do they get them, they say through family and friends.  Your business should be able to service more people than your family and friends if you are ever going to enjoy serious profit.



If you would like to attend a Passion Profit talk that will help you start a business, consider joining us on August 9th at Intercontinental Hotel.  Registration is ongoing.


Tuesday 23 July 2013

Support Entrepreneurs Because

It takes courage to forego the predictability of a corporate job.
It takes courage to sacrifice your nest egg to your startup.
It takes courage to take the risk of failure.
It takes courage to make your dreams into reality.
And it takes courage--lots of it--to hand over the reins when your startup grows beyond your ability to manage it.
That's why entrepreneurs are--rightly--the true heroes of our modern world.

Sunday 14 July 2013

Why You Need to Register for Inspired to Inspire Course by DR. Wale Akinyemi


Testimonials from Past #I2I sessions

Kariuki Kamau (KK)
Team Building Coach & Motivational Speaker
Masai Africa Safaris Ltd
  
He that walks with wise men shall be wise: a friend of fools shall become like to them. I now know that to be wise is a function of my ability and willingness to learn, and putting myself in a position to do so.  Those who I consider wise people are always trying new things and learning, or regularly spending time with those who may have more expertise or experience than them.  
I started attending Coffee with Dr Wale at KICC enjoying and learning something different from every session which I do and will continue doing for total mental transformation. The moment he started the first I2I program which runs for a week I enrolled. The whole course was different from few tips we get at the Coffee session due to time limitation. Day one was on transformative thinking which seriously needed for upgrading my head office and thinking without a box. Day two got hotter after he jogged our mind to reflect on our childhood behavior which I was enlightened to realize it has a connection with my destiny. The winning terrain on day three opened our thinking and I realized why most of the employees in organization endure and not enjoy what they do, for you who have been saying ooh God its Monday and thank you God its Friday, this is your session. Network of Champions day four was just for me I realized a Toyota in the parking lot attracts other Toyotas around. Thanks to Power talk team headed by Dr Wale, I have been following international mentors online but having one who we can dine and share a talk one on one is incomparable. I salute you for breaking the small thinking mentality that was in me truly I have a before and after Wale story, after the session my company staff have triples from 12 to 36. I relocated my office to a four times bigger than the former; we are now attracting big fish in our ponds that could not have fitted in the former shallow flying pan. Keep up the good work and if you have not joined I2I you have not only heard you have seen make a choice to remain as a mumu or a Champion.

Jennifer Musyoki
Dr. Wale has been instrumental to the mental transformation that I have undergone last year. Listening to him and reading his articles introduced a different perspective of life as I knew it. It made me question my potential and made me realize that I may not be living my best life now.  Until September last year I was working as a Water and Sanitation Engineer in one of the leading engineering consultancy firms. I started out very passionate in my trade. I loved the idea of being one of the lead consultants in my trade and I wanted to develop my skills in the trade. However I developed a growing discontentment in being an engineer as I did not quite enjoy the technical bit of the work and I felt imprisoned to a predictable life of employment where people and external factors defined the limits of your success. We often complain about our life and we sometimes feel helpless to change it. We feel like we are victims of the economy and the opportunities that are available; and so we fit into the status quo. But one of Dr Wale’s famous sayings is that the best way to predict your life is to create it.  So instead of mourning about my present reality I decided to create the future I wanted.  I did not quite know what I wanted to do but I knew what I did not want to do; so I resigned my job to redefine my life.  I went through the I2I program which happened to be at a very opportune time when I had just resigned. It was an induction course to the next form of my life. The sessions validated my decisions and enlightened me on the way forward. The program enables you to see that it is not enough to think big but we must also develop our skills/gifts as well as our networks in order for us to maximize our potential. Dr Wale’s insightful wisdom as well as real life experience inspires a person to action. I don’t regret my decision at all to resign my job as unpredictable opportunities have come my way as a result and I look forward to the possibilities of living a life of impact by pursuing my true passion and calling by living authentically. I highly recommend the program for individuals who desire a life bigger than their present reality and who want to become agents of transformation. I2I is not an ordinary program; it is an opportunity for people to be enlisted into a power network of like-minded individuals who will stir the waters of national and continental transformation in all spheres of life.
  
Riungu Nicholas
Mechanical Engineer
Co-founder of Rimuco group of companies.

I was searching for a mentor who shared my vision to change Africa. In my searching I would read local dairies and magazine on leadership and management. A few years ago, I came across one of Dr. Wale column in the local diaries. I became a staunch follow of the column. In mid 2012 in one of the business meeting a friend of mine invited me to Coffee with Dr. Wale, this where I met the man himself face to face. And I was introduced to I 2 I program. I enrolled for the November class, during which I learnt about; original living, the winning terrain critical thinking, living beyond expectation and the network of champions. As a business owner below captured my attention; I must never die a photocopy, I must always prepare for the next form of my life, every idea has a self life, and most important for business is developing a strategic mind. But with Dr. Wale’s keen insight on leadership and management, I pressed on with confidence eventually birthing Rimuco group of companies. During second week of January 2012 we signed an agreement with one supplier to sell generators in Kenya! With his tips and coaching he could help you unlock your potential too. You can read more about the #I2I transformation stories here

Follow DR. @waleakinyemi on Twitter and join the conversation using #I2I

Tuesday 9 July 2013

Lessons From Wale Akinyemi at KCB Sports Club


During a football match, when the players are playing the most noise ids from the fans and spectators, and just before someone scores a goal and a spectator shouts something bad or an insult , the player does not stop to argue with the, he keeps working on winning. Do not be moved by the spectators making a lot of noise in your life, let them watch as you are getting more point and going up the standings getting complete 3 points in every game.

Wednesday 3 July 2013

Effective Thinking with Dr Wale Akinyemi on July 4th


As a man thinks so is he. One of the daily tragedies I see is the tragedy of people thinking that they are thinking when in actual fact all they are doing is recycling blocks of ignorance around their heads. Another category people are those who think accidentally. They think only when prompted by happenings on the outside. Where we want to be is the place of deliberate and focused result oriented thinking. It is a place where we discipline our minds to focus like laser beams. It is the place where we move from hope to certainty.
Join us for Coffee with Dr Wale on Thursday 4th July at the KICC 6pm-8pm and grow some real feathers that will take you to your next level.



Coffee with Dr Wale
A monthly event that creates an environment where one gets to LEARN – INTERACT- NETWORK & GROW together with other like minded professionals. Register for the next one happening on 13th June 2013. Here are picture’s from Coffee with Dr. Wale Nairobi 4th April 2013.

Monday 1 July 2013

You know you're no longer a boy when;


1. The handshakes change from some fist thing to a firm handshake.

2. When people start giving you suggestive looks and nods everytime you are seen with a girl of a marriageable age.

3. When people stop looking at you with anticipation and start looking up to you with expectation.

4. When every choice you make suddenly has heavy consequences and implications.

5. When you find the 'funky' things of yesterday suddenly shallow and purposeless!

6. When you start asking yourself what do you really live for... and the man in the mirror has a moustache!

7. When your Facebook status update has no fancy abbreviations.

8. When the line between right and wrong, good and evil, noble and naught... gets thicker by the day.

9. When you look behind and find a whole lot of young ones, walking in your footsteps.

10. When conversations get heavy with undertones as you take your place beside old men, and you are let in on the secrets that were hitherto unknown. When your opinion too suddenly matters.

Suddenly you realize, you're no longer a boy. o_O