THE ENTREPRENEURIAL CULTURE

Copyright © 2012, Marketplace Strategist. All rights reserved.

It was a sunny day precisely 8th November 2012 on my voyage back to Lagos (aka Eko O ni baje & Lasgidi) from tin city of Jos after facilitating a Business Empowerment Summit that I found myself in an awkward experience. Right from Nasarawa State to Lokoja – the transit stopover I was pressed with stomach upset to the extent of almost defecating on my trouser but that never came to reality and the atmosphere in the Bus was not messed up by my experience… I mean the air was not polluted (according to the Nigeria context). With immediate alacrity I took to my heel to locate a restroom when we eventually got to the stopover point in Lokoja, though there was price tag of a token N50 for customers to make use of the facility. Suddenly relief came my way with just N50, by the way I met scores of customers such as myself.

But something quickly came to my mind, “FOR EVERY PROBLEM YOU SOLVE THERE IS A PRICE TAG”.
Now my problem of stomach upset was solved and there was a fair exchange where I the client was made happier and the service provider was made wealthier. You can imagine multiple of thousands the service provider will earn in a day and God so bless the person that the business is in a central point where all trip to Northern region of the country do have stopover. The primary motive of every business is to solve a problem by adding value through the aid of rendering qualitative services and solutions that will answer the missing link “problems”. It’s the problem you solve that earns you profit which is an exchange for the services you’ve provided…WITHOUT PROBLEMS, NO BUSINESS PROFIT!

Business is being birthed once there is a problem that urgently needs to be fixed and the tool that will fix the problem is the idea you’ve got to solve the problem. Without mincing words, the world is in want of problem solvers that will fix the dilapidated nature of her collapsed economy and political system. Once you have the capability of fixing people’s problem you become their hero. The problem with many is complaining of darkness when all that it need is light that will make “just a noticeable difference”. 


COGITATE: you possess configuration to solve whatever you always complain about. And what makes you angry is indication to the seed which house your business idea because each individual is a potential entrepreneur that carries seed of solutions to problem around them. Every human is a product manufactured to solve a problem in the world, this was the motive behind the big brand we have allover the world; Henry Ford, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and the host of others including Nigerian. Business is disguise in problems you are able to solve.

The price you are able to pay in life qualifies you for the prize. 3-D’s to solving problem: Discover a problem that needs solution, Develop a means of solving it and Deploy your solution to the problem. Don’t ever seek a business rather you seek problem that give birth to business”. The right time for light to dispel its peculiarity by shining is amidst intense darkness. Let standard of your shine go public, dot out every dark spot in your sphere. At what spot is your sight located? problems or solution! Do you just laugh or talk away problems without drawing logical conclusion of solutions to it? Go ahead and score yourself on these questions and you will be shocked at the rate of sincere response you personally get.

Keep being a problem solver just like the restroom facility provider. Play time is over, IT’S SOLUTION TIME!

– Emmanuel  ABIONA,

Brand-Strategist Consultant

      (08099448795) 

Twitter: @emmanuel_abiona

THE UNSWERVING FAITH – Olarubofin Oluwatosin Esther

  
Copyright © 2012, Olarubofin Oluwatosin Esther. All rights reserved.

Let me start by saying faith is putting all your eggs in God’s basket and counting your blessings before they hatch. Living by faith is far better than merely fulfilling rituals and rules; therefore we should challenge ourselves daily to grow in faith and to live in obedience to Christ.

Do you remember how you felt when you were young and your birthday approached, you were excited and anxious. You know you would certainly receive gifts and other special treats! However, some things would come as a surprise too.Birthdays combine assurance and anticipation and so does faith! Faith is the confidence based on past experience that God’s new and fresh surprises will surely be ours.

The beginning point of faith is; believing God’s character: He is who He says he is. The end point is, believing in God’s promises: He will do what He says. When we believe that God will fulfill His promises even though we don’t see those promises materializing yet we demonstrate true faith because by His word the world was framed through faith.

Faith is confident trust in God’s promises and God’s greatest promise is that we can be saved through Jesus. Faith enables believers to face trials; therefore we must strive to inculcate lifestyle of faith because it brings victory in our trials.

Do not pray for easy lives but pray to be stronger men, do not pray for task equal to your power but ask for power equal to your task; remember, there is accumulation of  necessary strength to carry out the God given task. Provision awaits any assignment entrusted to our care by God. After all, Scripture recorded that “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.”

In another instance it was observed in the scripture by Paul the Apostle that “…the just shall live by faith.” Hence, Faith is not trying to believe something regardless of evidence but faith is doing something regardless of the consequence.

The reason why so little is accomplished generally is because so little is attempted. Take note; never say never; for you to be big in life, you have to think big. What is “the impossible”? The impossible is what nobody can do until someone does it. You cannot tap the resources of God until you attempt the impossible because faith releases the miraculous.

Living faith makes a difference, make sure your faith is more than just a statement; it should also result in action. Seek ways of putting your faith to work.

Risk is part of God’s plan, progress in life always involves risk, and he who does not dare will never get his share. Faith is the incentive for great achievements, when you dare nothing, you should hope for nothing.

GOD WANTS US TO BITE OFF MORE THAN WE CAN CHEW, TO LIVE BY FAITH AND NOT BY SIGHT.

***Olarubofin Oluwatosin Esther is a writer and poet that have many spoken and print works to her credit. She can be contacted via this link www.facebook.com/olarubofinoluwatosin.esther

THE WAITING EXPERIENCE (part 2)

Copyright © 2012, Marketplace Strategist. All rights reserved.

Lets continue with our series on this thoughtline, you can CLICK Here to read series 1. We live in dispensation where our strength and power will fail us, but we can count on His power to strengthen our fallible strength. In Him alone, we find new strength. When is the qualifying time for this new release of strength?  The appropriate time is if there’s acknowledgement of weakness, weariness in the spirit realm, when you feel you amount to nothing without Him. That is the crucial moment of God’s Kairos time to energizes a tired you and give fresh strength to a dropout you. It’s easier for God to fill an empty you than a filled you.

And what happened if strength has come, you begin to soar high and run in sphere of influence. Scripture said “But those who wait for the Lord shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up  as eagles; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.” Isaiah 40:31 amp.

How is the experience like while still waiting!

1.  There is a rub-off (transfer) of God’s strength to revive you the patient that has worn out strength in form of exhaustion and weakness. You know how you feel when you get alert of money transfer not laundering from one’s account to your own bank account.

2.  God will demand whatever is in your hand which’s seed He’ll multiple. Seed here is not that of  monetary but your gifting, callings and purpose. Every seed has potentiality of multiplying to become forest. Just look at the vastness of a forest, you begin to reproduce in kinds. It implies that every of your endeavours becomes productive thereby yielding dividends and returns.

3.  Your feeble kneel possess ability to rise above difficulties like an eagle that soar into the sky. 

4.  Your spirit-man is active and sensitive to receive signal for direction and instruction from the source terminal HOLY SPIRIT. Stop coming to His presence rather dwell (live) constantly in His presence. Don’t join folks that sing “there is something that makes me coming into your presence my helper…” He seek for those who will daily (24/7) pitch their tent in His presence to mediate, inquiry and behold His glory.

5. While still waiting the breath of the Almighty is giving you access to ‘Sophia’ (Greek word for wisdom) that makes insight into reality possible. The inner mind is being energized and reinforced to acquire knowledge and skill by studying, meditating and getting the necessary training that keeps it growing younger in wisdom. Humn, I heard someone said but I don’t have resources to finance this. The truth is that provision will divinely be supplied to facilitate those aspects ‘cause there is a willingness in your inner mind to grow by understanding the books as Daniel did.

6.  There’s accumulation of strength, a walking feet/life becomes a running feet/life that can move beyond the fainting level. Energy is boosted up. Simply put: fainting is losing expectation of a desirable change. 

7. You are being yielded to His control and influence…the weaker you get, the stronger you become via release of His power. Creflo Dollars once observed: Every move of God is borne of His spirit and power. What a strong and profound statement!

8. Active mode is activated for there is a transition from “sleeping mode to active mode” where response ability is harnessed. 

9. Capacity to contain God’s spirit, His increase and expansion in sphere of influence is released. God now becomes a secret not to be kept; doors of opportunities are opened for you to go places with realities of His truth and kingdom.

10. Tenacity to persist continually in the Labour (or groaning) room – prayer is divinely endowed to you. A fainting, weak prayer life now soar to make tremendous power dynamic in its working available “Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans.” Romans 8:26 Msg

11. Unlike the pregnant woman who got diminished during pregnancy, we get enlarged in our waiting room. The longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy is.

12. Our difficult moment of pain now yields strength in us ‘cause His Spirit is daily arousing us to the process of adaptation with light affliction that is just for a moment.

God’s power is made available at our disposal to divinely empower us to run the race apportioned to us. GOD IS WILLING TO EMPOWER YOU THAN YOU ARE WILLING TO BE DIVINELY EMPOWERED!

– Emmanuel  ABIONA,

Brand-Strategist Consultant

      (08183461491)

*** Culled from TEACHING SESSION facilitated by EMMANUEL ABIONA in February 2012 Monthly CROSSOVER NIGHT of Anglican Corpers Fellowship of Nigeria (ACFON) Akwa Ibom State Chapter.