Skills Entrepreneurs Should Have

Experts say that before starting a business, one should conduct a self-assessment to find out whether one has the basic entrepreneurial skills that are critical for success. The entrepreneur needs to understand and implement some important business skills if his venture must grow as anticipated. Business management consultants say there are many useful business skills available for entrepreneurs.According to them, the entrepreneur must be able to make strict business decisions that will boost his business. He should be able to adopt shrewd business models that will make him competitive, otherwise his business may not thrive. According to experts, below are useful skills you need to know as an entrepreneur. Take calculated risks As a new entrepreneur, you should be willing to put everything on the line to see that your business thrives. There is no way to play it safe and yet be successful at the same time. You should be able to take calculated risks to give you further mileage positively. Be optimistic and visionary The entrepreneur should set goals that will make his dream become a reality. However, you must first have a vision, experts say. They note that the entrepreneur will have to decide what type of a business he wants to own and in what direction he wants his business to go. They say these are important decisions that must be taken so as to prevent business rut. You are going to find yourself needing to constantly redefine or adjust these decisions as your business grows, but the first step is to create a detailed vision for your business. The entrepreneur must be an optimistic thinker. Optimism is truly an asset, and it will help get the entrepreneur through the tough times that many businesses experience as they find a model that works for them. Be passionate The new entrepreneur must make sure he truly loves what he does, as other people will assess the passion which he has for the business. Experts note that once they see your passion, they will be more likely to do business with you. If you are not passionate, according to them, then you will drive potential customers away instead of attracting them to your company. They note that you should have a good initiative and should instinctively start problem-solving or business improvement projects. Demonstrate confidence This is an important factor in any business. You should never look as if you do not know what you are doing. The new entrepreneur must always be firm and decisive, because this will help put those you deal with at ease. Be excited about your business The new entrepreneur must be energised by his business. He needs to be excited about the venture because his energy level, no matter how high or low it is, will rub off on the people around him. The entrepreneur should maintain a high spirit even when things are not going his way. if you possess these characteristics, then you could be a very successful entrepreneur. Instead of wasting these virtues, the entrepreneur should make sure that he puts them to use when and wherever he can. Understand your business environment This entails a lot, experts say. The area where your venture is situated must have some regulations guiding business operations. It is therefore important for the new entrepreneur to understand what is obtainable of that area in order to run smooth business operations.

Debts You Should Avoid

Recognising debts that you can and cannot afford means assessing income and debt repayments now and in the future. Assessing affordable debts There are debts that are repayable without much inconvenience and it should be easy to recognise if they can be afforded. These debts can take the form of new clothes or food shopping paid by a credit card. Other more significant debts are not so easily assessed. These debts can take the form of buying a car using a loan or finance arrangement, or even buying a property. Large debts require careful assessment to gauge whether or not they are affordable. Planning a financially safe future Financial budgets are vital when it comes to future and present finances. It's easy to allow debts to continue for years but it definitely doesn't make financial sense. Setting out a financial budget will help to assess timescales when it comes to debt. A financial budget or plan will help to break down how much purchases will actually cost in total when bought using credit. Present income versus expenditure will be part of the plan but debts that are still being paid in five years time should also be part of the picture. Can you afford large debts? Items purchased on credit, such as a new car, are major debts. Some people will simply go ahead and take on this debt without giving the future much thought. Repaying a large debt over many years will drain money in terms of interest payments; the longer the repayment schedule, the more interest. A good rule of thumb for high price purchase items should be the length of repayment. If an item such as a car cannot be paid for in five years then this debt is really not affordable. Building a financial nest egg into a budget Even when purchasing good debts such as a mortgage there are variables. Financial instability can occur at anytime without notice. Interest rates can increase as can mortgage payments. This is why it is important to build up savings in case income does decrease for any reason. Think of these savings as a safety net, something that can be used to weather any financial storm. Assessing future debts and savings will determine whether a debt can or can't be afforded at the present time. A financial budget is the best way to assess whether or not certain debts can be afforded. The budget should also figure in future purchases that are unavoidable or simply make good financial sense. This is a long term financial forecast. Although there may be some unforeseen financial bumps the budget should be a good guideline to recognising debts you can and cannot afford.

Are You In Debt?

Are you facing money problems? The early warning signs are usually very clear and include the following: By Nimi Akinkugbe You are completely broke long before payday; you are regularly having to borrow from friends and relations just to make ends meet; you are missing debt payments; you are coming under pressure from your bankers and other lenders; your money worries are keeping you awake at night How did you get to this point? Is it your lifestyle? Are you extravagant? Do you make poor spending decisions? Do you feel under pressure to try to keep up socially? Perhaps you are just not earning enough to fund your current lifestyle and obligations. There are so many reasons for money problems, but the good news is that by recognizing and acknowledging the fact that there is indeed a problem, you can start to take the deliberate and necessary steps to address it. Your attitude to your debt problems can hinder your financial recovery. If your way of dealing with it is to wish it away, remember that inaction will only make things worse. With interest, late payment penalty charges, and the attendant fees and charges you will find that almost all your money goes towards debt service. It is important to get your debt under control or at least to try to reduce it significantly. It is important to know how much you owe if you are going to get out debt. Who do you owe? How much do you owe? What is the interest rate on your loan? To get a true picture of what you owe, list all your debts - in no particular order at first. You can list them according to amount, due dates, interest rates, your creditors; it doesn't really matter. Be sure that you are current with the minimum payments on all your debt. If you are finding this difficult approach your creditors to discuss the possibilities of restructuring the debt in a way that enables you to repay over an adjusted period and in amounts that you can more easily afford. Failure to make timely payments will only make things worse. Track your expenses for a month to determine exactly what comes in and what you are spending it on. Create a budget and set strict spending limits for food, transport, clothing, school fees, entertainment, and utilities. There is usually some waste lurking in the monthly budget; be realistic and honest with yourself, as you must find a way to cut back. If you can find just that little bit of extra money after budgeting for the entire essential expenses, then you can use this towards reducing your debt. Prioritise your debt and put your bills in the order in which you want to pay them off. Ideally it should be organised according to interest rates. The higher the rate, the more you are paying beyond your actual principal so it makes sense to pay off the debt with the highest interest first. On the other hand, some people prefer to pay off smallest debts first, as this is motivating and quickly gives a sense of achievement as they systematically pay off their debt. As you start to tackle your "priority" debts, determine how much extra you can afford to pay each month over and above the minimum monthly repayments.

3 Useful Tips on How to Get Closer to Your Partner

You can stop feeling sorry for your friends in long-distance relationships: turns out, long-distance couples tend to have stronger relationships, according to a new study published in the Journal of Communication. For the study, researchers from the City University of Hong Kong and Cornell University had 63 couples (30 of which were long-distance) keep track of every single interaction they had during the course of a week. Researchers also asked them how close they felt to their partner after each of these interactions. Sure enough, the long-distance couples reported higher levels of intimacy. While it might be counterintuitive, this doesn't come as a total shock: Previous research published in 2010 shows that long-distance couples tend to report more relationship satisfaction, higher levels of trust, and more stability than their non-long-distance counterparts. So why does absence really seem to make the heart grow fonder? There are likely two things at work, say study authors: First, people in long-distance relationships appear to be better communicators, according to the interactions they recorded. Another factor might be that couples separated by distance in the study were more likely to idealize each other; they viewed their partners as being even more communicative than they actually were - which helped keep positive feelings about them flowing. That's not to say that you have to live several states away from your partner to have a solid relationship. Just follow these tips from study author Crystal Jiang, PhD, an assistant professor in the department of media and communication at the City University of Hong Kong, to steal the same strategies that people in long-distance relationships tend to use: 1. Tell Your Partner How You Feel Sure, long-distance couples tend to express their affection and commitment more often - and it doesn't hurt to say that you love each other on a regular basis (even if it goes without saying). But that's not the only feeling you should be talking about with your S.O. In the study, long-distance couples did more of something researchers call "self-disclosure," which basically means opening up about what you've been thinking, feeling, and doing lately. So the next time you're debating whether to tell your partner about the annoying thing that happened at work recently, start talking. "Self-disclosure is one of the ways people communicate intimacy and caring," says Jiang. 2. Listen Up Whereas you might show your partner some love by picking up dinner for them or offering to go to Ikea with them to make the trip a little more fun, long-distance couples usually don't have that option. What they can offer: their attention. "People in long-distance relationships are often valued for their ability to provide special insight, empathy, or understanding," says Jiang. Follow their lead by really listening to what your partner says to you - even when you're in one of those just-smile-and-nodmoods. What exactly you say in response to your partner isn't nearly as important as clearly addressing what they've just said in a supportive way. "Efforts are really the key thing here," says Jiang. 3. Cut Your Partner Some Slack As we mentioned earlier, one of the big reasons researchers say long-distance relationships are stronger is that people tend to idealize their S.O. when they don't have to see them throwing their dirty socks on the floor or playing video games every day. Totally losing touch with reality obviously isn't a good thing, but keeping mental tabs on the good things about your partner - and even building them up a little bit -is going to be way better for your bond than fuming (silently or otherwise) about his Xbox addiction. "Moderate idealization can help couples stay positive about their partner's traits," says Jiang. So focus on how sweet it was when he refused to let you do the dishes the other night - and maybe look the other way the next time he forgets that hampers exist.

S*x Secret: The Number One Thing Women Want In Bed

Agreed, we all want different things in our s*xual lives, but research has revealed one common thing women truly want. And that is Emotional Intimacy. During a survey of over 1,000 women, each woman was asked about their bests*x. 96 percent of the women revealed that the best s*x they have ever had waswith someone with whom they are emotionally connected. Other reasons women (and even sometimes men) gave for enjoying s*x include “being with someone I love,” followed by “feeling good about my s*xual abilities” and “when my partner compliments me.” So what are the top three things women crave? The survey reveals that the top three requirements for great s*x are physical attraction, emotional intimacy and feeling secure and loved. This also laid credence to the survey conducted by Durex which revealed that 87 percent of women said the hottest s*x they’d ever had was with someone they knew and trusted, and 95 percent of men said s*x is more fulfilling with an emotional connection. So it seems the best way to get into a woman’s panties is through her heart.

7 Scary But Normal Things That Happen To Women During S*x

Gone are the days when people thought women were inherently squeamish about s*x. And good riddance. It’s so obvious, it seems silly to even say it, but women are every bit as interested in having s*x as men — and just as comfortable with the nitty gritty. But sometimes, things happen during s*xthat can take even the most sexually confident of us aback. There are sounds, and smells and feelings that make us stop and think … “Uh, what just happened?” “Is that normal?” So we asked a team of s*x-health experts to spill: What are some typical things that happen to women during s*x,but that you never really hear people cop to or wonder about? And what, if anything, do they mean? Here’s what they said. 1. You’re Dry: It’s very common for women to become (or stay) dry or irritated during s*x. In fact, roughly one-third of young women say they experience vaginal dryness. But lubrication is one of the keys to a pleasurable, comfortable s*xual encounter. The best way to get there, Good ol’ fashioned foreplay. Vibrators can help too. If dryness is taking a more serious toll onyour s*x life or making you uncomfortable throughout the day (which can be a particular problem as women age), make an appointment with your health care provider. Vaginal dryness affects many women, although they frequently don’t bring up the topic with their doctors. 2. You Have ‘The Moment’ No, not an climax, but that moment — seconds or minutes after s*x begins — when you just somehow know how the rest of the encounter is going to play out for you, good, bad or otherwise. When it comes to s*x, women often startin a state of s*xual neutrality. Sometimes, you start engaging in s*xual activity and right away, you think, ‘This is going to work. Other times, you sense that what’s coming next will be nice, or fun, but that you won’t quite get there. Women are pretty intuitive about whether they’re going to be able to achieve climax. 3. You Feel Like Peeing If during certain s*xual positions, like doggie-style, you [have] a need-to-pee feeling, it’s completely normal. Those sensations are usually from G-spot stimulation, which can lead to female ejaculation. release comes out of the urethra and is clear and odorless. That said, it is entirely possible — and not atypical — for women to pee and climax at the same time. Some women find they pee a little when they laugh, sneeze or climax, particularly after giving birth. It’s also easy to confuse the feeling of an impending climax with the urge to pee. Women who do not experience urinary incontinence at othertimes, but feel the urge to pee when approaching climax, may be getting confusing messages from very sensitive parts of their bodies. If fears about goingto the bathroom during s*x are going to hold you back in any way, simply go before you get started. 4. You Scream Sure, there’s often a performance aspect to screaming during s*x. A small 2011 study found that 66 percent moan durings*x to speed up their partner’s climax, while 87 percent did so to boost their partners’ self-esteem. But making noisescan be a great way to be clear about what you want in bed, and “there are many women who need to be vocal to help themselves achieve climax. There isa difference between faking it like a screamer, and being in the moment and expressing how you’re feeling, which can increase sound. Some women are quiet during s*x, others are loud — it’s assimple as that. 5. You ‘Fart’ Vaginal flatulence is not actually the same thing as passing gas — it’s just air being released through the v**ina — butit does make a very similar sound. Dubbed “queefing,” it occurs when air gets trapped in the v**ina and while there isn’t really any way to prevent it, avoiding certain s*x positions may help, whereas switching positions several times may increase the chances of it happening. Better yet, just don’t sweat it. s*x can be awkward — we queef … bump body parts and miss the mark, It’s completely natural for it not to be seamless, and your best bet is to laugh it off and keep going. 6. You’re Distracted Sometimes when you’re having s*x, you’re totally in the moment –incapable of thinking about anything else. Other times, you’re thinking about approximately 12 million other things. Women report that they’re pretty easily distracted by what is happening in their life. They wonder if something is wrong with them. Why am I thinking about that? Why am I not able to focus? Sometimes, it is what it is. In other words, women shouldn’t beat themselves up if other elements of their lives creep into their bedroom. But if distraction becomes a frequent issue, there are mindfulness interventions women can try — most of which they practice on their own — that can make them feel more connected and focused. 7. You Get A Headache A s*x headache is usually a dull ache in your head or neck that builds as s*xual excitement mounts, or it can be a more sudden pain, often accompanying climax. Most are nothing to worry about, but sudden-onset ones may be a sign of something more serious. In rare situations, some women have a severe headache at the time of intercourse, which is possibly related to changes in blood pressure. If you do have it, you’re not crazy, but do mention it to your healthcare provider.

11 Questions To Ask A Woman Before You Marry Her

So you love her, and you’re starting to see a future. How do you make absolutely sure she would make the right partner? Here are some questions you should ask her before you pop the question. Money Ask her: What would you do if you won N50,000,000 in the lottery? You must find out her financial priorities. One of the biggest problems couples have is money and, specifically, differences in styles of spending and attitudes about their budget. You’ll learnhow she views money, saving, and long-term investing. Will all of it go toward cars and trips, or most toward retirement? It’s not essential that you share the same investment strategies. What’s important is to use the conversation to prompt a discussion about financial behavior: howyou pay bills, invest the year-end bonus, or decide on major purchases. If your attitudes don’t mesh, now’s the time to get the issues on the table and build a consensus. Her Family Ask her: What’s your favorite holiday? How does your family spend it? It’s important to learn about her family roots. Where you spend the holidays can be a huge political issue. The underlying issue is whose family comes first, and that stands for who has the power in therelationship. Religion Ask her: Do you believe in God? This helps you find out how compatible your faiths and religious rituals are. In a study of 120 married couples, those who shared religious holiday rituals reported more marital satisfaction than the pairs who practiced holiday rituals separately. It’s not necessarily the religion itself that’s key—though the particular religion you practice can certainly be a huge issue with her family—it’s all the things that go with it. When you engage in celebrations and rituals, there’s usually a lot of planning involved, something to look forward to that’s meaningful to discuss. Her Work Ask her: What’s your dream job? Where would you most like to live? You need to know her goals, and how far she’s willing to go to reach them. Just asking shows support for her career,an important factor. Those who felt they had more support had greater satisfaction than those who felt unsupported. It’s also a good time to find out how far she’s willing to move away from her family. It’s a very under-appreciated area of stress—where are you going to live, whose family are you going to live near—yours or hers?. Your Work Ask her: What was your dad’s work schedule like? You need to find out whether she’s already lived with a man who had the same work ethic and schedule as yours. Maybe her dad worked a 7-to-3 shift every day of his life, came home and played with the kids until they went to bed, and never worked weekends. Maybe he owned a business and set his own hours so he was always home for dinner. But your job—or your future job—may require late meetings, 60-hour workweeks, and business trips. And that can put stress on a relationship. “Working until 9, 10, sometimes later, night after night, is a constant source of stress with my wife,” a friend of mine in publishing told me. “She still doesn’t understand that this is the nature of the business at deadline time. It’s not the life she was used to.” Interests and Dreams Ask her: How do you envision your life in 5 years? This will help you find out whether she wants to be a career girl or a stay-at-home mom or a mom with a career. You should know whether she expects to live in a big house or an apartment in the city. More and more research shows that the “opposites attract” notion is a myth. Successful couples usually have more similar priorities than not. A couple has to have similar goals and a long-term plan, worked out together, to reach these goals. And, even more important, a similar tolerance for risk and sacrifice. If you don’t share the samevalues, they’ll be a constant source of conflict in terms of how you spend your time and money. Discipline Style Ask her: What do you think of spanking as punishment? You need to hear her thoughts on disciplining kids. We assume you’ve worked out whether you both want children, and maybe evenhow many. (You have done this, right?) But how you’ll discipline them is a topic that’s often overlooked. Bring it up the next time you see an stubborn, unruly child at a restaurant. Ask her how she’d handle it and how she was disciplined asa child. Either we tend to follow the way we were raised, or, if something was objectionable about the way we were raised, we do the opposite. Different parenting styles can cause the most strain on a marriage because they can be a daily, even hourly, source of conflict. Genetics Ask her: What do your parents like to drink? It’s important to know if there’s a historyof alcoholism in her family. Health problems like depression and alcoholism have a strong genetic component. If her mother had depression or her father was a chronic alcoholic, there’s a good chance it could creep up and become a problem.” It’s not a relationship killer, but talking about hereditary health risks early will make it easier to discuss the same conflicts should they pop up in your relationship. Your Potential In-Laws Ask her: How have your parents reacted to your previous boyfriends? You should find out whether they’ll thinkthe current boyfriend is good enough for their little princess (and whether they’ll pay big bucks for the wedding). If her parents don’t approve, there’s a potential problem,. Not that that’s necessarily a deal breaker. Who are you marrying, her or them? What’s more important is to learn something about your girlfriend by how she responds. Is she the kind of girl who wants to please Mommy and Daddy? Or is she secure enough with herself to make her own life decisions? Her Father Ask her: What was your relationship with your father like? This helps you find out her attitude toward men. Especially toward the one who matteredmost (before you). If her father was distant and cold, she may seek male approval. If her father was abusive or a cheat, she may have trouble trusting men. If there’s any unfinished business in her relationship with her father, it could manifest itself in your relationship. When people get into serious relationships, they tend to look to their mate to give them everything they need.Couples get into trouble when they don’tlook closely at these tendencies early on. You also should consider her relationship with her mother, which could have the very same implications. Ifshe can’t pee without calling her mother to tell her all the details, that’s not goingto change after you walk down the aisle. And the Ultimate Question . . . Finally, you need to ask yourself this: “Can I ask these questions and have an honest, intelligent conversation with this woman when we disagree?” Because if you can’t, none of her answers really matter.

Ezinne Akuda wins Miss Nigeria 2013

http://dvsl3w2q45hb8.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/aku1-195x300.jpg Beauty and brains rained down in Lagos on Saturday, July 6, at the Intercontinental hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos whereThe Miss Nigeria Beauty pageant was held and we have a winner! Ezinne Akudo, 22, clinched the crown; beating 32 other contestants to take home the star prize of a brand new car, a trip to California and three millionnaira.

Ezinne Akuda wins Miss Nigeria 2013

http://dvsl3w2q45hb8.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/aku1-195x300.jpg Beauty and brains rained down in Lagos on Saturday, July 6, at the Intercontinental hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos whereThe Miss Nigeria Beauty pageant was held and we have a winner! Ezinne Akudo, 22, clinched the crown; beating 32 other contestants to take home the star prize of a brand new car, a trip to California and three millionnaira.