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Copied: I hope this will be applicable in Nigeria. Being business-minded... __It can become a national culture. Many years ago, I was on holiday on the tiny island nation of Mauritius. Not long after I arrived, I set out to understand how its economy ticks and its key drivers. I do this all the time, wherever I go. First of all, I had a good look at its economic data: Very impressive... Wow! It's in the top five African countries when measured in terms of GDP per capita. Currently, it's measured at about $9100 (per citizen). Not distorted by a major mineral like oil or diamonds, this is a very meaningful measure in their case. I don't want to get into a major economic or political debate because that's not the purpose of this platform. I know the population at 1.26m might seem very small for a case analysis but I want to share with you one anecdotal story that's relevant regardless. One day, I asked the hotel to give me a car and driver as I wanted to tour the island on my own. For an entire week, a young Mauritian driver would pitch up at my hotel and take me around. Having realized what I was interested in, he began to make suggestions... "Today, Mr Masiyiwa, I want to show you our diamond industry," he said excitedly. "You have a diamond industry?" I asked surprised. "My studies show that you have no minerals in this country?" "We don't mine; we cut and polish. Here we are like the Japanese. We don't have minerals, so we buy raw diamonds, cut them and polish. You make more money that way," he said. "Can you take me there?" I asked quietly. On another occasion, I asked him for a place I could stop to eat and he drove me to a very expensive restaurant. I asked him why he had taken me to the most expensive place! "Our economy, sir, is tourism. We need you to spend as much money as possible when you're here. If I take you to a cheap restaurant, it's not as good for Mauritius." Then he added apologetically, "I can take you somewhere cheaper, if you like?" "No, it's ok, let's help Mauritius." "After lunch, I will take you to Cybercity, sir." Back at the hotel, the hotel manager said to me, "Did your driver show you Cybercity? That's our future, sir. We want to go into IT, as a country," he said proudly. "I have seen Cybercity. It's an amazing vision." "Will you invest, sir? If you like, I can arrange someone from our Ministry of Industry to come and see you? Should I arrange?" As soon as that holiday was over, I sent a team to begin the process of setting up a big office in Mauritius. We went to Cybercity. Soon we were joined there by some of the largest companies in the world. Years later, I shared the story with a friend who was also a businessman, and a huge investor in Mauritius. "So, they did that to you as well?" he asked. "They are absolutely obsessive about getting investment into their country. That's how they turned a nation that was essentially a sugarcane plantation into one of the wealthiest African nations." Here the cab driver knew and had been drilled that they must encourage tourists to spend money. The hotel manager was also at work encouraging investment. And they had pitched to the right guy... Have I mentioned before that I'm an entrepreneurial tourist? # I look at needs in that community that an entrepreneur could help solve. # I look at solutions being used there that could work somewhere else... Imagine if every taxi driver and hotel manager in Africa met visitors with such business-minded vision for their countries... Let's be smart. A mindset doesn't cost a cent to change! End.

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#Deep

What is your mindset when you see a challenge? __Always look for the "game changer" (Part 2). Remember what I've written before about the importance of having the right mindset? Always looking for the game changer... that's a mindset, too! When we were planning to set up Kwesé TV, I asked an expert what he thought would be one of our biggest challenges. "Getting licenses to operate in all these countries," he said. "Maybe we have to go to court again?" "No, we're not going to court on this one. No need," I said emphatically. "We will operate where we have licenses and use the YouTube solution elsewhere." "YouTube solution?" he asked. "Does YouTube need a license for their TV services on the Internet?" "No." "So you mean if we offered the service, through an App, we won't need a license?" This sounded interesting. "Well, if it's like YouTube, the only way they can stop us is to shut down the whole Internet." "I see. Can we develop an App like WhatsApp?" "How many people in Africa watch YouTube?" I asked my team. "Almost 20m." "I wouldn't mind a TV service across Africa, with 20m customers," I retorted. "This might be the game changer we need. Let's offer our service using an App, and let people download like YouTube." # What is your mindset when you see a challenge? Immediately, I got a team to start developing the Kwesé App. You download it just like WhatsApp, and you can watch anything, just like on YouTube! The Kwesé App has been downloaded in almost every African country. Every day, thousands are downloading this App. Now I know some of you will say to me, "But data is so expensive!" "Don't worry, when we started cell phones it used to be $3/minute. It will always come down." But if I were to answer you as an entrepreneur, rather than as a customer, I would say: "What an opportunity for you!" # What is your mindset when you see a challenge? Some young guys came to see me from a West African country, and told me they want to build WIFI hotspots to enable people to watch Kwesé TV, using the Kwesé App! "Do you have a business model for it?" I asked. "Yes, sir!" "Wow!" "Can I invest?!" Mobile operators are now lowering their data tariffs so they can cash in on the Kwesé App. It has happened in Rwanda after just one month. Watch what will happen over the next two years across Africa! People will forget that they ever watched TV on a big screen. # What is your mindset when you see a challenge? A friend of mine called me to say he was watching Kwesé TV in Nigeria, on a big screen in his house! "How?!" I asked surprised. We are not yet in Nigeria. "Some guy bought decoders in Ghana and sold me one," he laughed. "This is Nigeria, my friend. People are already making money on this Kwesé of yours!" I laughed, too. Our decoders are probably selling at Ikeja Market, and many other markets across this beautiful continent of ours. Be smart but don't break the law! # We are a continent of entrepreneurs! About my $10,000 competition a few weeks ago, you will find the winner in the Kwese.Com website. (Shhh, let everyone discover for themselves!) And if you didn't win, study what I said and wait for the next competition. Thanks for participating. Enjoy! To be continued. . .

6 Essential Tips for Ads That Get Results By: Kim T. Gordon This story appears in the June 2009 issue of Startups. One of the toughest jobs for any startup is to produce stellar ads without the help of a big-budget ad agency. The key is to engage your target audience, because for advertising to succeed, it has to be remembered. Even on the tightest budget, you can create successful ads by following these six vital tips. Design for the ad environment. There are literally hundreds of forms of advertising-from billboards, websites and taxi-tops to ads on supermarket clocks. And ad environments sometimes differ within a single medium, such as when magazines offer four-color display advertising and small-space shopper ads. Become familiar with the nuances of the media you choose, and design your ads to meet their specific visual and editorial requirements. Address the right audience. How well do you understand your target audience? Your ads should immediately appeal to prospects and speak to them in their own vernacular, including buzzwords. The ads must ring true, without the use of gender or cultural stereotypes, or exaggerated claims, so prospects automatically understand that your offer directly relates to their needs and wants. Have a visual focal point. Unless you're creating a sale ad for a newspaper featuring multiple products, use a single, eye-catching visual to provide the central focus. Competing visuals can make a small-space print ad or online ad appear cluttered. With so much competing advertising, make your ad stand out by virtue of clean, clear design, with an appealing focal point and simple elements. Create an "aha" moment. If you've ever wondered why the word "new" is used so often in advertising, it's because our brains are actually alert for new information. One of the most exciting parts of creating advertising is that great ads have the ability to open minds. Your ad can show your customers a new way to achieve a goal or provide unique insight. The rewards will be greater audience attention and elevated response rates. Make something happen. Any ad worth its salt should move a prospect to take some kind of action. If you highlight a strong benefit in your headline and include details in your body copy, your prospects will be excited to learn how to take advantage of what's promised. It's essential to close by providing a call to action that takes prospects to the next step, whether that means making a purchase or visiting your website to learn more. Great ads build interest, are remembered and get results. Present a powerful benefit. Want to create a headline that pulls in readers? Use it to highlight a desirable benefit or offer. Understand what your customers want that you can provide. Put your promise up front in your headline, then use your ad's body copy to explain how you'll deliver that benefit.

Borrowed: What do you do that is different? __Always look for the "game changer" (Part 1). There is a story told in the legend of modern business about a young man who liked reading books. He would order books by mail order, but being a very avid reader he found that it took too long for the books to arrive. So what did he do? He sat down and designed a new way to get books delivered in the shortest time possible. His process for ordering and delivering books has turned him into one of the richest people in the world. That young man is Jeff Bezos of Amazon, and he's now worth over $50bn. Sometimes the "game changer" comes from the way you deliver your service to the customer! As an entrepreneur, one of the keys to your success is your continuous search for something that sets you apart, even if you're in the same business as others. Some of the things that you do don't have to be technological or highly sophisticated -- just different! And smart! # What do you do that is different? It reminds me of a guy who owned a small butcher shop just out of town from where I grew up. Whenever I drove past his shop I noticed there were always a lot of "men" milling around. So, being curious, I stopped and waited in my car to see what was happening. I soon discovered that this guy used to sell cooked "cows feet," which were considered by local men as an aphrodisiac! People would come from far and wide to buy his "cows feet." I chuckled to myself thinking about what a great entrepreneur he was. Soon he added a little bar and sold cold beer. In no time at all, he was expanding to other parts of the country, strategically adding the "secret source" of his business model! Now, I am not saying go into that same business! No. I just want you to see the principle: Successful entrepreneurship requires you to be constantly looking for a "game changer," even in the most mundane of businesses. # What is your "game changer"? If someone gives me what I consider to be bad service, I try not to complain. I start thinking if there's an opportunity for me! I never made money from complaining, but from dealing with frustrations thrown at me! I find always that I'm at my best, as an entrepreneur, when I'm trying to get over an attempt to frustrate me. Maybe it was because a bank turned me down over a loan, or a regulator refused to give me a license, or a business partner cheated me... It's all the same: It spurred me to buckle down and become tenacious, or it made me find an innovation to get round the problem. It must be the same for you! # A true entrepreneur is never frustrated by anything... This is how some of the greatest businesses in history came about! Is there something that frustrates and irritates you every day? That could be the biggest entrepreneurial opportunity in your life! # A true entrepreneur is never frustrated by anything... It's not that I don't want to complain about some things that are done to me, but sometimes I forget to complain because I'm too busy using the opportunity created for me!!! In life it's not that we're not challenged or even frustrated by others, or by the authorities. If you're going through such a situation yourself, don't let it get you down... Use it to propel you to the next level! To be continued. . . Image credit: Susan Winters Cook

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