If you are interested in learning how to invest in Nigerian stock market, how to research and pick good stocks and the resourceful investment websites that will help you to research and monitor your stocks, drop your email and i will send you a[b] free information[/b] on how to go about it.

It interested me last month to invest across the insurance sector as the stocks there has fallen to its minimum of 0.50k. I researched across the sector and ended up picking NEM insurance stock. I bought this stock at 0.55k for a month now and have made a profit of 40%, as the stock sell for 0.77k now in the market. You can bend your head now and made good picks that can give you over 200% returns before the year runs out.

You are right, since i bought there public offer since 2008, they have not declared any dividend even if it is 1 kobo. All i receive is invitation to AGM usually when the date for the meeting has passed instead of sending me my cheque.

Thanks for the revelation bros

It is not the duty of access bank to label AP a bankrupt company. I think this whole issue is a drama by access bank to get their money back from the AP. What financial evidence do they have to prove this bankrupcy thing apart from their so called unpaid loan.

I read a post on this forum where a member was asking what business to do with his hundreds of thousands. There are so many others who asks this same question and this made me to decide to post this thread on how to discover good business opportunities. It amazes me to see people not knowing what to do when there are countless of opportunities out there waiting to be exploited. What generate business opportunities are our environment and its changes. This is why it is necessary for us to update ourselves with information as this reveals the changes in our environment and gives us the entrepreneurs the chance to make business exploits.

There are factors to consider when searching for a business opportunities and these factors are:

1. Market vacuum: look around you environment properly and you will discover that there are people's need which are not met. This is an opportunity for an entrepreneur to capitalize on and make a living. Like in Nigeria, there are no companies manufacturing some capital goods like washing machine, tractors but people really need them. Some entrepreneurs went to import these goods from the West down to this country.
2. Existence of poor quality product: when there are poor services or products in an industry, it is an opportunity waiting to be tapped. Go ahead and provide a better quality product or service and you will enjoy what you do. Example can be drawn in the poor and slow services that were offered in the postal services which created an opportunity for fast delivery services from companies like DHL.
3. Overpriced product: when a product or service is overpriced in an industry, it creates a room for opportunities provided that you can offer the same quality of service at a cost effective lower price. Like in the telecommunication industry in Nigeria, high charges of MTN have given an opportunity for other telecommunication company to come in promising to give a better service at a lower price.


   , To be continued

The pace of economic development in any country is determined by the development of SMEs. As in the case with Nigeria a lot of challenges has inhibited the growth of SMEs ranging from finance, electricity, illiteracy, insecurity and so on. Nigeria will continue to lack behind in the areas such as economic growth and employment opportunities if the SMEs are not progressing as they are needed in contributing to the provision of job opportunities in the country.

The SME consulting firms must be commended for their work in offering a guide to the small and medium enterprises in this country. This is a move that we need and even more to turn around our economic backwardness.

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTES

“When you decide clearly and definitely what you want, then no sacrifice is too great as you put all of your power into astounding results”. CHARLES L. ALLEN

“You don’t have to be great to start, but you can start to be great”. ZIG ZIGLER

“First, think. Second, believe. Third, dream and finally dare”. WALT DISNEY

Running away from your problem can never be a solution but facing it like a man. This is a lesson for any one not to go into a risky venture such as fore trading with a borrowed fund. You don't invest the money you cannot afford to loose. Fore trading is not a gambling, if you treat it like a biz with a long term returns in mind. Even though you are making small profit at a start, stay with your rules and a proper risk management. DON'T BORROW TO TRADE FOREX BECAUSE THIS WILL AFFECT YOUR EMOTIONS AT TRADE. "yeah! i wanna recover this money fast and pay back my loan syndrome" it doesn't work like that.

To whom it may concern,
This post is an article originally authored by Nnadi Jane
Thanks

The road that leads to success is rough. It is no doubt that you will encounter many obstacles that can stop you from moving forward or some challenges you may feel you can not be able to face. This is where YOU need the  principle of APPLIED FAITH.

You need to apply faith in pursuing your business goals. A faith is like a driving force, a power that removes all limitations from the mind. Having faith means believing in you. And as a Christian I must add that you must believe God and His word that says, “With God all things are possible to them that believe”. Inspiration comes from the word of God so don’t relent in reading His word everyday.

Again, you need to BELIEVE IN YOUR SELF and you can achieve this by working on your self confidence. Build your self-confidence by controlling your mind. Learn more from http://homeofachievers..com/2009/04/applied-faith-powerful-force-to-success.html.  Self-confidence is a state of the mind that is under the control of the individual, and it is not an inborn trait possessed by some and lacking in others. Your mind is a powerful tool that if you learn to control, you will get to wherever you want to be in life.

Commitment checklist:

Commit to ________:

, understanding that love grows and deepens over a lifetime.

, acknowledging that all relationships go through ups and downs.

, continuously working toward a meaningful relationship that will transcend momentary happiness.

, working through problems with your partner (while resisting the temptation to get your needs met outside of the relationship).

, finding solutions that will keep your relationship moving forward.

, compromising (even when you think you're right).

, yourself and the relationship.

Don't commit to ________:

, anything that feels abusive.

, always sacrificing what's most important to you.

, the idea that if your relationship requires hard work it means your relationship is flawed.

, the mindset that it's acceptable for your needs to continuously go unmet.

One of the greatest challenges to commitment lies in the instant-gratification mindset -- the idea that you deserve to have what you want when you want it. The settings to our pleasure barometer have been altered, and humans are less willing to deal with frustrating circumstances or anything that feels like it stands in the way of immediate happiness. This poses a problem for relationships.

When you make decisions about your relationship based solely on the need to feel happy (all the time), you abandon commitment and the rich opportunities that are essential for your relationship to grow.

I invite you to think about what commitment means to you. What you are committing to in your marriage or relationship?

Anyone who has run a marathon knows about commitment. To compete, the athlete relies on extensive training and physical fitness. But when the initial enthusiasm wanes and the painful, long-distance realities grip the runner's body, it is sheer dedication -- commitment to completing what she started -- that sustains the runner's motivation as she reaches for the finish line.

A relationship is a lot like running a marathon. There are highs and lows, challenges and rewards, and times when you may want to give up -- when it feels too difficult to continue. What will keep you on track and moving forward when your relationship hits the inevitable rough patch? Will love be enough?

Commitment: Your relationship lifeline

Commitment is a belief in relationship permanence and the understanding that at times your union will need a life-jacket to stay afloat.

When you and your partner are committed to the relationship, the union remains more important then your (and your partner's) individual needs. Without mutual commitment, deep trust will never take root and intimacy will wither. When one person's commitment is tenuous, the very fabric of the relationship is weakened. A lack of commitment reduces the buffer that holds relationships together during times of conflict and stress. Imagine living with the fear that periodic slumps in your relationship can cause your partner to bail.

Trust and deep intimacy will only grow in the soil of commitment.

Commitment has a dual role in your relationship. You can view commitment as the vehicle to help deepen your love, and you can also view it as a safety net of sorts, a way to protect your marriage or relationship during the difficult periods that each and every relationship experiences.

Commitment allows love and intimacy to mature over time. Someone who ends a relationship because the excitement of new love has diminished misses out on the opportunities that relationships bring for individual and mutual growth.

Some erroneously believe that a commitment like "till death do us part" means foolishly locking yourself into a lifetime of potential unhappiness. No one should commit to a relationship that cannot meet their needs. Your needs (and your partner's needs) do matter and should be part of the overall commitment equation. But life and relationships are complicated, and there will be stretches of time when your partner does not meet your needs (and you will not meet your partner's needs). Commitment is what will get you through those rough stretches, enabling each of you to get back on track in meeting each other's needs once again.

All couples (married and unmarried) face an enormous challenge: How to stay devoted to one another throughout the life of your relationship, even when early enthusiasm and euphoria naturally wane.

Commitment is a very personal process. Unfortunately, for some it will mean blind dedication to a union that rarely meets their needs, while others eschew commitment and impulsively use the ebb and flow of happiness as the gauge whether to stay or leave. Both of these approaches are flawed. Ideally, commitment will remain in place as happiness comes and goes and your relationship finds its footing along life's shifting terrain.

HELLO NAIRALANDER MARKETERS, DON'T COMMIT THESE SINS!!!

SIN NO 1 -Not Standing Out From Your Competitors

You want to be one in a million not one of the million. In the marketing jargon it’s called a Unique Selling Proposition (USP). I call it a HUB – Hot Undeniable Benefit of doing business with you. Your HUB sets you apart from the crowd. It tells your customers why you are special. And it answers the question your customers are asking themselves, which is: "Why should I do business with you versus anyone else?"

So how do you go about discovering your HUB? Do you know what makes you different from others offering similar product or service? The more competitive your industry the more important it is to emphasize even the smallest differences. Do you cater to a specific group of people? Are you better than others in addressing a specific issue? Do you guarantee your work?

How about the one thing no one can duplicate - what makes you – you?

If you can’t find anything unique right now, look for unresolved problems in your industry and become an expert in providing a solution to them. Here is good example. You’ve heard of a small parcel delivery company called FEDEX, right? Do you know their USP? It’s: "When you absolutely, positively need it overnight. Guaranteed." Funny thing is they are no longer the only company doing it – but they offered it first.

Discover your HUB, articulate it in all your marketing messages and watch your results soar.


SIN NO 2 -Assuming Your Customers Know As
Much About Your Business As You Do

Small business owners are a very special breed – we walk, talk, breathe, eat and sleep thinking about our business. Listen, just because you think about your business all the time doesn’t mean your customers do the same!

Fact is, I can count on one hand the businesses I became exposed to in the last twelve months that didn’t fail to educate their customers on how they solve their problems and meet their needs and wants.

Your customers don't really buy products and services. They buy SOLUTIONS to their problems. Use articles, presentations and case studies to educate them about WHAT you do, HOW it works and WHY it’s the only logical solution to their problems.

And don’t just do it once. Frankly, if you don’t have a way to consistently and automatically keep in touch with prospects, customers, centers of influence and strategic partners – you are missing the boat!


SIN NO 3 -Wasting Time and Money On Marketing
Strategies That Don’t Work!

Do you know which of your marketing efforts result in new business? Do you ever calculate the time, money and effort it takes to get a new customer from each promotional strategy you use? Why? Because if it is working – you want to do use it more often! And if it isn’t - you need to stop wasting your money!

Case in point; most professionals believe that networking is the best way to get new business. And it can be - but not always and not for everyone. Find out for yourself. Add up the amount of time you spent networking last month. Put a dollar value on it based on your fees. Add the actual price you paid to attend those events. Then divide this total amount by the number of new customers your networking produced. Are you happy with your results? Or is it a shock to see what it actually costs to get new clients by networking?

It doesn’t matter if it’s networking, advertising, referral or joint venture strategies – if you don’t know your ROME (Return On Marketing Efforts) I guarantee you are wasting money doing things that don’t work! Every marketing strategy can be tracked and measured. So figure out what works best for you!

SIN NO 4 -Missing Out On Repeat Business

You’ve heard about the back-end-sales, haven’t you? Are you doing it? It’s astonishing how many small business owners do not develop strong relationships with their customers and have no plan for generating repeat business.

You see, one of your biggest costs of doing business is marketing and getting new customers into your funnel. And once you’ve done a great job for them, and then you nurture the relationship you’ve developed, it’s so easy to ask for more business. But you have to develop different levels of products and services to offer to them.

Listen to your clients and develop new offerings to respond to their needs. Create assessments to uncover hidden opportunities for additional projects. If you can’t or don’t want to offer those new solutions – partner up with someone who does. McDonald’s made a fortune on “supersizing” their fries – time for you to start thinking about supersizing your business with each client.

Bottom line is this: when I hear businesses talk about bad economy, clients not having money and overall complaining about how tough it is to make a sale I can always pinpoint their poor performance to at least one of those marketing sins. Frankly, there is no such a thing as a shortage of business – there is a shortage of knowledge how to get that business. IN OTHER WORDS, GET THE 10 RIGHT MINDSET FOR SUCCESSFUL MARKETING HERE www.homeofachievers..com

Thanks to janeob and Man ang for your nice contributions, you guys have great points there.

I will like to share this short story with my fellow Nairalanders; read and get inspired.

There was this guy called Mr. Smart who works with a big company in America. He is a man full of dreams and very intelligent. Due to financial condition of the family he came from, he could not finish his college education but he never allowed that to limit his potentials. He started as an ordinary staff in an accounting department and have always delivered more than his duties. He works as if the Company belongs to his father putting in extra hours at work. His diligence to duty got him the notice of the manager in his department and earned him his trust. But one day, something terrible happened, an important account file needed by the MD of the Company was missing and his manager's job is on the line if the file is not provided under 24 hours.

Mr Smart took it upon him to go through the document source files gathering together all the needed facts and organizing them into a new account file. This is a job that took the account personnels 6 months to do but, Mr Smart worked on it alone under 24 hours. To the surprise of his department manger and all his colleagues, he presented the new file that saved the day.
This extra step he took earned him his first promotion.
Today Mr Smith is the MD of his great company.

CAN YOU GO EXTRA MILE IN YOUR DUTY?

Do you think you worth more than your pay? Then stop lamenting, try this method and prove to others that you worth more than your pay.

Catch you next time!!!

It is not enough to have a career because you need to take extra steps to advance your career. You have been working with this cooperate body for 15 years now but no promotion yet. Do you think your boss is partial?  No; the problem starts from you. My idea of climbing the ladder of career is moving from an ordinary staff to an executive; from executive to a business owner and letting the sky to be your limit. So, if you are comfortable where you are and have no aspirations to move higher, this post is not for you but if not, read this and post your comments.

(1)ASPIRE FOR THE TOP: don't be too comfortable where you are but aspire to move hire and hire. Develop an image of where you want to be and desire to be there. You cannot pursue something earnestly if you don't have a[b] burning[/b] desire to to take actions. Seek and get inspirations from the right sources.

(2)SET YOUR GOAL: Pick up pen and paper and set an achievable goal for your career. This is where you define your image/vision as a real task. You can't aim a target except you have clear view of it in your front.

(3)USE THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING: there will always be obstacles trying to discourage you but you got to disallow it by believing in yourself and been positive about your self. If you believe you can achieve your goal, then you can. But, if you believe you cannot achieve it then you can't. Your mindset has a role to play here.

(4)DEVELOP AN ATTRACTIVE PERSONALITY this will go a long way to bring people to you and you to people. An attractive personality opens a door of success. Any thing you want in life will be giving to you through people; name it cars, fame, wealth, promotions and so on. It will be easier for you to climb the ladder if you have an attractive personality . To learn more on[b] HOW TO CREATE AN ATTRACTIVE PERSONALITY[/b] click
http://homeofachievers..com/2009/02/15-important-characters-to-develop.html

(5)PROMOTE YOUR SELF: if you want to earn hire, start by working hire. You need to be more hardworking. Form the habit of going extra miles in your duties. You will start by convincing yourself that you deserve a higher office through your hard work before you can convince people around to promote you.

@ jane
Thank you for this response cos i have been asking this question whenever i hear people talk about the stock market. I have sent mail to ur email, I want to know more about global stocks pls kindly attend to it.

@Abuja
Bros u don hear am shaaa