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How to start an HR consultancy business

As far as growth goes, Human Resources may have ticked all the boxes and keeps creating more to be ticked. And even when the pandemic came, there was conversation on what to do with that department, especially with the emergence of HR Tech, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, but there is still a big market for new start-up HR consultancies to help employers get the best out of their workforce. 

No doubt, the pandemic changed our work styles and introduced a now-generalised idea of work from home. Even with this change(s), businesses must meet certain requirements as they employ new staff and may need to adhere to certain policies, regulations, and overcome practical challenges. This is where the human resources consultancy business comes in – for companies that do not have in-house HR departments.  

A human resource consultancy may help other businesses with employee handbooks, personnel forms, benefits programs or any other employment-related issue. There are opportunities in all aspects of HR consulting, including generalist HR consulting, recruitment & selection, employee engagement, training, learning & development, employment law, and so on. 

For business-oriented individuals with experience in the human resources field, starting am HR consultancy business can be a promising venture.  

It should not end thinking of the idea and does not end with registering the business. You need to take it to the next steps; this is why we have this piece to guide through starting your own human resources consulting business.  

Note that these steps on how to open an HR consultancy business are for an independent HR consultant or small new HR consultancy to follow, not for large corporations or well-funded HR Tech startups. 

Read also: Affiliate Marketing – How To Get Started, (For Nigerians)

Find Your ‘Why’ – remember Simon Sinek? 

Now that you are ready to do more than just imagine what your idea – an HR consultancy business – can turn into, it is important to reflect on what you want and how you want to achieve it.  

Do you want to build an HR consultancy business that may become a sellable asset in the future, or are you aiming for a freestyle business away from your 9-5 job?  

Do you aim to build a highly systemised, pop-culture dependent business that may expand and eventually become a franchised business model?  

Do you just want to pay bills and keep the lights on while you work on an exciting new HR Tech product or information product on the side? 

Do you want to be a generalist consultant or narrow your focus on a particular skill or industry?  

Take time to think about what you really want, and change the ‘Why’ if you need to at some point.  

Plan your HR consultancy business 

You may not go beyond the first few weeks if there is no plan in place. A plan will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. However, don’t do a plan that becomes a lengthy softcover that quickly gathers dust in the corner of your office. 

Start with your target, their challenges and then work through the solutions. Doing this will take you back to the ‘Why’ as you will begin to consider options like generalist human resources or specialist? Go all in or target a small market? Small projects vs large projects or retainer jobs?  

As you do this, consider the right legal structure for a new human resources consultancy business.  

In summary, think about the name of the business and target market, how to make money as an HR consultancy business, how to charge customers, growth structure, and expenses.  

Build a reliable network 

Like every other item on the list, this is too important to miss, knowing that your income will dip in the first stages before your first payments.  

You need to start building your referral network before you even launch or immediately after you launch.  

Make a list of family, friends, current and former colleagues, clients and suppliers, and acquaintances. LinkedIn is one sure way to go for this.  

Create a startup sales & marketing plan for your HR consulting business 

The Internet has made it so that there are many ways of getting people to your side, who become customers. There are many channels to choose from to acquire new HR consulting clients. These include: 

Getting found in search engines’ organic search results – Search Engine Optimisation (SEO);  

Search Engine Marketing (SEM – such as Google Adwords);  

Content Marketing or storytelling in all/any visual and text form;  

Email Marketing;  

Sponsoring posts on other websites;  

Social Display Ads (such as Facebook or Quora ads); 

Traditional advertising (such as newspapers); 

Business Partnerships with other companies, such as HR software companies; 

Affiliate/Referral Programs; 

Activity on social media platforms; 

Offline Events; 

Speaking Engagements. 

Read also: How to Choose Between Investing and Trading

Define your brand 

As you build an online presence, register your HR consultancy business with Corporate and Affairs Commission (CAC), get your insurance, open a bank account (separate from your personal account), you need to actively define with what your brand stands for, as this will affect how your business will be perceived by the public. 

Entrepreneurs can stand out from the competition and establish themselves as specialised experts.  

Let everyone know where you are  

A website, an address, a social media page are important items on the list of to-dos. If you are going to do virtual HR consultancy, your website and social pages have to stay active. And, if you are going to have a mixture of virtual and physical consultancy, an address is non-negotiable.  

Also have a phone number anyone will call during your defined work hours and be active.  

It is important to note that starting your own business will be one of the most challenging experiences which will surely push you to your limits in every way, one would need to focus, persevere and be very patient. 

High taxes keeps non-oil revenue above oil revenue

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Nigeria generated ₦1.15 trillion as non-oil revenue between January and August 2021, largely driven by the performance recorded in VAT collections in the review period. This is 15.7% above the prorated target of ₦992.62 billion set by the federal government.

Total revenue recorded during the period stood at ₦3.93 trillion, 27% lower than the targeted revenue.

This is according to data from the public presentation of the 2022 FGN budget proposal and 2021 budget implementation report, made by the minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed.

Read also: Affiliate Marketing – How To Get Started, (For Nigerians)

In the period under review, VAT collections stood at ₦235.77 billion, which is ₦76.8 billion higher than ₦158.95 billion prorated revenue target for the period under review.

In terms of company income taxes, a sum of ₦547.54 billion was generated in the same period, which is 20.5% above prorated figures and representing 80.3% achievement rate compared to an annual budget of ₦681.72 billion.

According to the Minister of Finance, oil revenue for the period under review is ₦754.16 billion and was below target. Thus, so far in the year 2021 oil revenue has only managed to account for 19.2% of the total federally collected revenue hugely underperforming by 43.7%.

Read also: Finance Minister says tax on carbonated drinks may increase

Speaking on the performance, the finance minister stated that “Although Nigeria’s total production capacity is 2.5 mbpd, current (year to date) crude production is about 1.4mbpd (slightly short of the OPEC+ production quota), and an additional 300,000bpd of condensates, totaling about 1.6mbpd.”

Meanwhile, as Nigeria continues to spend most of its revenue on debt servicing, spending a whopping 74% of its revenue in 2021, the World Bank President David Malpass on Monday to call for a “comprehensive plan” to deal with the issue.

“Sustainable debt levels are vital for economic recovery and poverty reduction,” he said.

Debt loads in low-income countries surged 12 percent to a record $860 billion in 2020 amid the pandemic.

In this light, to generate more revenue, Nigeria’s Finance Minister has stated that taxes may affect products like carbonated drinks.

Affiliate Marketing in Nigeria – How To Get Started

Affiliate marketing is a type of performance-based marketing in which a business rewards one or more affiliates for each visitor or customer brought by the affiliate’s own marketing efforts. Wikipedia

Affiliate marketing in Nigeria is no different from what it is globally. However, what may be different is the level of opportunities available to Nigerians in the affiliate marketing sector.

What is affiliate marketing?

Simply put, affiliate marketing is promoting another brand’s or person’s product while receiving a commission for any resulting sale. 

As an affiliate marketer in Nigeria, all you need do is to join an affiliate program and find reputable products to promote and share those products with your audience. When it comes to making a passive income, affiliate marketing in Nigeria is usually a big catch for bloggers because they have lots of eyes on them- through the internet, of course!

Here’s what I mean: You put up a product on your blog. You get a finder’s fee if it appeals to your reader and they decide to chip in their credit card details.

Sounds good?

I know you can’t wait to jump on it. However, to do so, you need some affiliate networks. 

What are affiliate marketing networks?

Affiliate networks are middlemen who connect companies offering affiliate programs with bloggers or entrepreneurs interested in becoming affiliates. 

In other words, affiliate networks save you the stress of manually searching for products you could promote; they give you access to hundreds of affiliate programs- on a single portal. 

If that sounds good to be true, wait till you hear this.

We would save you the stress of seeking these networks out by presenting you with the best five affiliate networks in Nigeria. 

  • Expertsnnaire
  • Amazon Associates
  • Jumia Affiliates
  • Konga Affiliates
  • Shopify Affiliate Program
  • Clickbank
  • eBay Partners
  • Viglink

Affiliate marketing in Nigeria is one of the most effective ways to make money online and passively these days. It has become an effective marketing strategy for success in the Internet age. Most successful passive moneymakers online are affiliate marketers.

Most bloggers see affiliate marketing as one of the best ways to monetize their content. Blogging, however, isn’t the only way of making money from affiliate marketing. Microsites, email lists, and video marketing are just a few methods that most people use to generate income online.

If you would love to make passive income online with affiliate marketing, this article is an appropriate manual – let it become your go-to guide.

If you are a new blogger, you might be looking for how to turn your blog into a passive income resource. 

Luckily, you can hit this goal through affiliate marketing. 

If you stick with us, we promise this will be one of the best 10 minutes. Not only will we explain the concept of affiliate marketing in Nigeria, but we would also dive into how you can make it become a reality in your blogging career. 

Here, we will go deeper into how you can become an affiliate marketer for top brands like Amazon, Instagram, Pinterest, Clickbank, and Expertnaire. 

How Does Affiliate Marketing in Nigeria Work?

There are 3 parties involved in affiliate marketing.

  1. The Merchant
  2. The Buyer
  3. The Affiliate

If you are a new blogger, you might be looking for how to turn your blog into a passive income resource. 

Luckily, you can hit this goal through affiliate marketing. 

If you stick with us, we promise this will be one of the best 10 minutes. Not only will we explain the concept of affiliate marketing, but we would also dive into how you can make it become a reality in your blogging career. 

The opportunity to earn passive income is a dream chased by many but achieved by very few. Affiliate marketing has proven to be one of the best ways to achieve such feats worldwide.

Affiliate marketing is one of the most effective ways to earn income, even while sleeping, by promoting other businesses’ products and services.

Affiliate marketing is one of the most effective ways to earn income, even while sleeping, by promoting other businesses’ products and services. You get paid a commission for every sale made by other companies as long as such transactions get traced back to your marketing efforts.

The actual process runs at the backend of the application that controls the merchant’s affiliate website.

Here is a quick look at what happens at the website’s backend:

  1. When an affiliate joins the merchant’s system, the affiliate is automatically assigned a unique number and URL by the platform
  2. The affiliate includes the unique URL in their blog post or via their other email marketing campaigns and prompts their readers to click on the link for more details of their offerings.
  3. When a potential buyer clicks on the link to visit the affiliate partner’s site, a cookie identifying the affiliate is placed on the website visitor’s computer. The cookie ensures that the publisher is credited with the referral sale even if it occurs days or even weeks later.
  4. Whenever a buyer completes the sale process, the merchant checks the sales record for a cookie identifying the source of the referral.
  5. If the merchant finds a cookie with an affiliate ID, the affiliate is credited with the sale.
  6. The merchant makes reports available so that the affiliate can see their referrals (clicks) and sales.
  7. The merchant pays the affiliate commission at the end of each payment period (i.e. revenue sharing).

The photo below explains the processes involved with affiliate marketing.

How Affiliate Marketing Works
Image Source: Affiliatemarketertraining

Here, we will go deeper into how you can become an affiliate marketer for top brands like Amazon, Instagram, Pinterest, Clickbank, and Expertnaire. 

So, without further ado…

What is affiliate marketing?

Simply put, affiliate marketing is the act of promoting another brand’s or person’s product while receiving a commission for any resulting sale. 

As an affiliate marketer, all you need do is to join an affiliate program and find reputable/popular products to promote and share those products with your audience. When it comes to making a passive income, affiliate marketing is usually a big catch for bloggers because they have lots of eyes on them- through the internet, of course!

Here’s what I mean: You put up a product on your blog. You get a finder’s fee if it appeals to your reader and they decide to chip in their credit card details.

Sounds good?

I know you can’t wait to jump on it. However, to do so, you need through affiliate networks. 

What are Some Affiliate Marketing Networks Available to Nigerians?

Affiliate networks are middlemen who connect companies offering affiliate programs with bloggers or entrepreneurs interested in becoming affiliates. 

In other words, affiliate networks save you the stress of manually searching for products you could promote and gives you access to hundreds of affiliate programs- on a single portal. 

If that sounds good to be true, wait till you hear this.

We would save you the stress of seeking these networks out, by presenting you with the best five networks in town. 

Let’s cut right to the chase…

Amazon affiliates

Here’s one of the easiest ways to monetize your blog- simply sign up, get immediate approval, and place Amazon affiliate links in your posts.

So, what’s the amazon affiliate program about and what does it offer?

Below is a quick rundown:

  • Having begun in 1996, Amazon’s affiliate program became one of the first Internet marketing tools. 
  • Through the creation of links, you can advertise products displayed on the Amazon site- and bag a referral fee whenever one of your readers clicks on the link and makes a purchase. 
  • Amazon pays your 60 days after the end of the month in which you earned your referral fee.  
  • You can choose from a variety of payment options- including Amazon gift certificate, direct deposit, or checks in mails. 
  • Joining the Amazon affiliate program gives your affiliate marketing campaign a heads up for two major reasons: First, the sheer volume of the Amazon Catalog offers so many physical and digital products available to be promoted on your blog. Secondly, the conversion rates on Amazon tend to be high. 

Amazon could be a great platform to begin your affiliate marketing campaign. However, some rules have also been put in place to ensure that affiliates’ ethical guidelines and do not cheat the system. 

Noncompliance with these rules could get you banned from the program. So, you should make extra efforts to understand them before jumping on the program:

  • You must not make false claims in your recommendations.
  • Since prices aren’t constant, hesitate from referring to prices. 
  • Don’t use link shorteners on affiliate links. 
  • Amazon frowns on affiliates who use affiliate links for offline promotions- such as emails and eBooks. 
  • You must be transparent in your dealings. This means telling your readers that you are entitled to a commission if they make a purchase through your link. 

If you are comfortable with these rules, visit the Amazon associates homepage to create a FREE account. 

Clickbank

Asides from Amazon, Clickbank is another major player in the affiliate marketing industry. Founded in 1998, Clickbank boasts of about 200 million customers, spreading over 190 countries.  

Here are some other mind-blowing statistics showing Clickbank’s influence in the marketplace:

  • There are over 6 million entrepreneurs on the platform
  • They boast of making about 200 million dollars in sales each year. 
  • They are the 87th largest retailer in North America.

…and on and on and on. 

Enough of the crap- is this for you?

How is Clickbank different from other networks?

  • High Commissions: They offer mouth-watering commissions- commissions of up to 75% or even 100% of the fee. Plus, they make their payment super-fast. 
  • Duality: Again, ClickBank’s duality feature allows you to enter the platform both as a vendor and as an affiliate. This allows you to maximize your earnings. 
  • Simplicity: The sign-up process takes place at lightning speed. Upon getting to their website, you can sign-up and begin trading within minutes. No complex paperwork, no administrative hooks. Easy-peasy.

However, the platform has its downsides as well. For instance, they exert charges on dormant accounts- you are charged $1 every day after 90 days of no sales, $5 per day after 180 days, and a whopping $50 after 360 days of inactivity. 

Pinterest

Pinterest Affiliate marketing involves recommending products to your followers-and as usual, you earn a commission for your excellent work. 

As a blogger who has a viable follower-base on a social network such as Pinterest, consider using it as an affiliate marketing vehicle is nothing but the right choice. 

However, you should keep the following something at the back of your mind. This isn’t a place to just spread links. Just as in any other social platform, how you go about your affiliate marketing campaign must vibe well with other users. 

People do not like to be spammed with links and offers. So, be creative around how you integrate your links into your posts. 

How do you go about affiliate marketing on Pinterest?

Link a Pinterest pin to an actual, relatable product. Yeah! This is the most obvious way, isn’t it? To use direct linking, simply create a pin that is similar to an actual product- let say, a mattress. Once you create a pin titled ‘Best mattresses in town’, link that pin directly to your Amazon using your affiliate link. 

Expertnaire 

Like any other affiliate marketing platform, Expertnaire is a Nigeria-based platform that pays affiliates (you) for recommending high-quality digital products from top vendors to buyers.

A major downside to this platform is that, compared to its counterparts, registration is not free. After paying a one-time fee of 10,000 Naira, you are licensed to promote products. However, since the commission for some products could be up to 15,000 Naira, you could regain your registration fee after a single person purchases a product through your link. 

Since you are a newbie, here are two strategies that could assist in your affiliate marketing campaign on Expertnaire:

  • As usual, you could carry out an SEO-campaign on your blog. This would drive organic traffic to the digital products you promote. Although this method is a bit slower, it allows for sustainable growth.
  • Secondly, you could follow a faster route through the use of targeted, promoted Ads- for instance, Facebook Ads. 

Luckily, payment is made every Friday by Expertnaire. 

Instagram 

With over a billion users, turning to Instagram a choice medium for affiliate marketing cannot be a bad idea!

Just as in Pinterest, your goal should be adding value to your followers- and then, introducing your link. Rather than spamming them with links and offers, a value-driven approach tends to yield better results. 

Here, influencer marketing seems to be the right way of promoting your campaign as well. 

Depending on your product, you might want to select influencers to reach a specific audience strategically. 

Also, promoting your link through the Instagram Sponsored post feature could mean more eyes get to behold the products you are promoting, and hence, a higher chance of you earning some bucks!

Wrapping Up 

Affiliate marketing could be a passive income resource for you while you carry out your passion- blogging. Here, we have listed five mediums through which you could take on your campaign. 

Nevertheless, you are not limited to a single option. If more than one catches your attention, go for it. 

However, be sure to follow the tips listed in this article. By doing so, your campaign would be a successful one!

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Finance Minister says tax on carbonated drinks may increase

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The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed has said that the taxation on carbonated drinks may increase, which would, in turn, lead to increase in prices.

She said this at the Public Presentation and Breakdown of the Highlights of the 2022 Appropriation Bill on Friday in Abuja, stating that it will be part of the additions in the 2021 Finance Act which will take effect from January 2022.

She said, “To further enhance independent revenue generation, government aims to optimise the operational efficiencies and revenue generation focus of the government-owned enterprises.

Read also: FG spends 74% of revenue on debt servicing in first 8 months of 2021

“The introduction of new and further increases in existing pro-health taxes for example exercise duties on carbonated drinks- this is work in progress but it will happen in the 2021 Finance Act.”

We would recall how in March 2021, the price of carbonated drinks increased due to an increase in the price of sugar.

Ahmed also noted that there would be penalties for government-owned enterprises that fail to meet the set target in achieving the government’s revenue generation drive.

She said, “Government’s revenue performance and remittances will become enhanced through effective implementation of the performance Management Framework including possible sanctions should there be default on targets that are set for government-owned enterprises.

“The Finance Bill 2021 will contain measures that will further advance the implementation of the Strategic Revenue Growth Initiative (SRGI).”

Meanwhile, the Federal Government has prioritised spending on defence and security, infrastructure and education with the sectors getting a combined ₦5.15 trillion allocation in the 2022 Budget proposal.

From the proposal, defence and security got ₦2.41 trillion (15%); infrastructure ₦1.45 trillion (8.9%); education ₦1.29 trillion (7.9%); health ₦820 billion (5%) and Social Development and Poverty Eradication ₦863 billion (5.3%) of the entire allocation.

The Finance Minister also moved to allay fears over Nigeria’s rising debt profile, saying generating more revenue rather than debt level was the country’s biggest challenge.

According to her, Nigeria’s budget deficit to GDP (-4.7%) and debt to GDP (21.6%) ratios were the lowest among African countries.

“However, Nigeria’s Debt Service/GDP ratio (73% as at August 2021) is the highest among same African top economies; This is proof that what we have is not a classic debt sustainability problem, but a revenue challenge”, she said.

She stressed that more Nigerians needed to pay tax to boost government’s revenue, saying just 41 million people are currently paying tax in Nigeria.

“It is now critical to fix our revenue challenge, because cutting expenditure is not currently a viable option, as our Public Expenditure/GDP ratio is also the lowest among same Africa’s leading economies.

“We must, however, continue to rationalise our expenditures as we cannot afford waste; In reality, our largest expenditure items are currently personnel cost, debt service and capital expenditure, which between them account for 85% of the 2022 budget; There is very little scope for cut in any of these over the medium term.

“The most viable solution to our fiscal challenge therefore remains to grow our revenues and plug all leakages.

“Our target over the medium term is to grow our Revenue-to-GDP ratio from about 8 – 9 percent currently to 15 percent by 2025. At that level of revenues, the Debt-Service-to-Revenue ratio will cease to be a critical concern”, she stated.

FG spends 74% of revenue on debt servicing in first 8 months of 2021

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Nigeria’s Federal Government has stated that it spent ₦2.89 trillion, out of ₦3.93 trillion total revenue generated, on debt servicing between January and August 2021.

This was disclosed by the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, during the public presentation and breakdown of the highlights of the 2022 appropriation bill held in Abuja on Friday, aa reported by Punch.

Giving a further breakdown of the expenditure made within the first 8 months of 2021, Ahmed said out of the total expenditure of ₦8.14 trillion, the sum of ₦2.89 trillion had been spent on debt service, ₦2.75 trillion for personnel cost, including pensions, while ₦1.75 trillion had been expended on capital projects.

Ahmed said, “For the 2021 performance, between January and August, revenue generated was ₦3.93 trillion which was 73 percent of the prorated target. Out of this amount, CIT and VAT collections were ₦547.5 billion and ₦235.7 billion respectively representing 121 percent in the case of CIT and 148 percent in the case of VAT of the prorated target.

Read also: How to Choose Between Investing and Trading

“Custom collections of ₦338.6 billion represents 99 percent of prorated target. Other revenues amounting to ₦1.7 trillion of which the federal government independent revenue of ₦691.36 billion while GEOs revenue was ₦873.5 billion.

“On the expenditure side, ₦8.14 trillion representing 84 percent of the ₦9.71 trillion prorated expenditure from January to August has been spent. This performance includes expenditure estimates of Government Owned Enterprises (GEOs) but doesn’t include project tied loans

“Of the expenditure, ₦2.89 trillion was utilised for debt servicing, while ₦2.57 trillion was utilised for personnel cost including pension and gratuities. As at the end of August, ₦1.75 trillion has been expended for capital projects, of this amount, ₦1.723 trillion represents 81 percent of the aggregate provision for Ministries Department Agencies’ capital prorated, while ₦36.01 billion is expenditure from GEOs.

“So the story here is that the revenue performance aggregate is 73 percent but the fact is that the non-oil revenue performing very well above the target, while the oil and gas revenue is lagging.’’

She noted that the government borrowed ₦3.65 trillion between January and August to finance its ₦4.3 trillion fiscal deficit.

Read also: Top Fashion Designers in Nigeria

Ahmed also stated that the outstanding deficit was made up with proceeds from the sales of government assets through the privatisation process and a drawdown of bilateral and multilateral tied loans.

“As at August we had a fiscal deficit of ₦4.29 trillion, this is against the prorated target of ₦4.61 trillion and we financed this deficit by utilisation of ₦136.77 billion from proceeds of the sales of government assets through the privatisation process, also by drawdown of bilateral and multilateral tied loans in the sum of ₦473.12 billion and new borrowings of ₦3.65 trillion from both domestic and foreign sources.’’ She said.

How to Choose Between Investing and Trading

We often interchangeably use the terms ‘trading’ and ‘investing’. However, they are quite different from one another. In general, investing aims to build wealth over the long run. Trading, on the other hand, is focused on making short-term profits. 

The purpose of this guide is to examine investment and trading opportunities and to explain how they differ and how you can decide the one to put your money in per time.

What is investing?

Investing is a long-term strategy that involves buyiyng and holding. Investors’ goals are often to generate substantial profits from rising asset prices over the long-term and any income generated from assets held, sometimes for decades.

Investors’ exact time horizon (the expected duration of their investment) depends on their financial objectives. Investing for retirement, for example, may have a time horizon of 20 years or more. On the other hand, someone who invests to build up a deposit for a house may have a shorter time horizon.

Investment fundamentally relies on the principle that higher potential returns of a particular investment are accompanied by higher risks. This is referred to as the ‘risk-return tradeoff.’ The risk involves the possibility that the actual returns of an investment will be different from expectations.

A longer-term investor has more room to focus on investments with higher growth and higher risk. In other words, volatility in the markets is less of a concern to them because they have enough time to ride out of it. Alternatively, an investor with a shorter time horizon should choose more conservative investments. Otherwise, they could end up losing money.

See how you can invest in stocks here

Are there any investing styles?

Investing can be categorized into two main styles. They are:

Active investing

An investor who uses this strategy actively buys and sells securities for their portfolio to outperform an investment benchmark index over time. Accordingly, an investor with an active stock portfolio might invest in 30 stocks with the aim of outperforming the S&P 500 index (an index of stocks that includes 500 large US companies).

Passive investing

Investing passively is simply a matter of matching the performance of an index or market over time. This method does not require the investor to pick individual stocks. Instead, they put their money in benchmark-based funds, for example, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and index funds, which track market performance.

What is trading?  

In contrast to investing, trading is a more active approach that focuses more on short-term objectives.

The goal of traders is to profit from short-term price movements, not to hold assets for long periods. They typically buy and sell securities within weeks, days, and even hours.

Traders earn profits not only from rising but also from falling asset prices, unlike investors who only make profits when their assets rise. In contrast to investors, traders look at what direction an asset’s price will likely go in next and try to profit from that price movement rather than the long-term growth prospects of the asset.

Investors often persevere through periods of underperformance, whereas traders frequently close out losing trades through ‘stop-loss’ orders. These orders help traders manage their capital.

A lot more time is required for trading compared to investing. Investors can purchase stocks or funds and forget about them; traders, on the other hand, must keep track of market developments constantly.

Get started in forex trading with this comprehensive guide

Trading styles 

Traders follow a variety of trading styles which include:

Scalping

It is a trading strategy aimed at capturing consistent small profits. In this trading style, positions are held for very brief periods, sometimes just a few minutes.

Day trading

This trading approach involves opening and closing positions in one day. By closing your position before the market closes, you minimize the risk of receiving negative news the next day.

Position trading

Position trading allows traders to take advantage of dominant price trends. A trend occurs when the price of an asset moves in one direction for a prolonged time.

Swing trading

Instead of identifying the start and end of a trend as in position trading, swing traders seek to identify more significant price movements. A swing trader may hold positions for several days or weeks.

Also Read: How to Succeed with Binary Options Trading

More differences between trading and investing

Investments and trading are two genres of wealth creation in the equity market. Trading and investing, however, are very different approaches to creating wealth or making profits in the financial market. 

Let’s imagine you and your friend each bought the same amount of seeds to sow in your fields today, but you sold some of the seeds the next day to make a profit. But your friend, on the other hand, decides to plant and grow their seeds for a few years. The planted seeds grew new seeds which were still planted to produce more seeds.

At the end of the day, your friend will make a lot of profit in the long run than you who sold your seeds. However, you two can decide to buy more seeds from the profit you made from your first sale.

Based on this analogy, your friend is an investor while you are a trader.

That said, here are the five significant differences between trading and investing:

Time/Period/Duration

Trading involves holding stocks for a short period. The time frame could range from one week to one day, or even less. 

Traders hold stocks to make money in the short term, whereas investing employs a buy-and-hold approach. Money is often invested for months, years, or even decades.

Capital Growth

In the stock market, traders look at the price movements of stocks. If the prices go up, traders may sell. Trading is simply the art of timing the market, whereas investing is the art of creating wealth through compound interest and dividends by holding quality stocks over the long run.

Risk

Investing and trading both involve risk to your capital. Trading, however, involves a higher level of risk and higher potential returns because the price may spike or plummet in a short period. 

It takes time for an investment to develop. Compared to trading, it involves lower risks and lower returns, but over time it may deliver higher returns, thanks to compound interest and dividends. Investing in quality stocks over the long term is not affected much by daily market cycles.

Also Read: 6 Awesome Ways To Make Money Online in Nigeria | 2021

Which is better between trading and investing?

Investing and trading are entirely different activities despite both involving financial markets and assets. Therefore, generalizing or comparing them can be challenging.

In general, though, trading is riskier due to two factors:

  • The process involves speculation, which is as quick decisions and educated guesses as just plain gambling.
  • It requires minimal (or no) diversification because it’s challenging to monitor multiple trades simultaneously. By its very nature, diversification evens out both increases and decreases, and traders seek maximum gains.

There is, however, also the possibility of higher profits when trading. On average, investors may expect to earn 8% to 10% on their portfolios. However, a trader likely earns that much or more per month. It is possible to earn up to 60% of your capital’s value in an uncompounded year by making “just” 5% a month.

In light of these factors, it is hard to call either strategy the “best” way to invest in stocks. Investing is the way to go if you want to avoid volatility and have a low tolerance for risk. But trading could be appealing if you like taking risks and can earn significant returns quickly.

It is essential to realize that trading and investing needn’t be mutually exclusive. As an example, you might choose to invest 90% of your money in a diversified portfolio that’s intended to be held for the long run and reserve 10% of your funds for speculative, short-term trading.

In Conclusion

You can make quick money through trading. Nevertheless, as with gambling, it can quickly result in considerable losses as well. On the other hand, the short-term gains from investing tend to be small, but the losses are usually less severe.

Trading part of your money can be enjoyable, especially if you’re comfortable with the risks involved. Long-term investing is the best option if you are primarily interested in reducing risk and exposure to volatility. However, if you hope to reach a specific goal by a particular date, investing slowly and steadily is usually the best approach.

How To Embody Inner Peace – ExpertsNG

Inner peace is what we all crave, but sometimes we do not find peace with ourselves mainly because of our past actions, or the guilt that we have wrapped around our minds. But the truth is, when your inner peace is in jeopardy, your mental health will automatically be in jeopardy and when that happens, your entire being will not function as it should.

Regardless of all that you must have done in your lifetime, you need to be able to forgive yourself and you need to let go of the challenges and deeds that you may have undergone to be able to live a guiltless and healthy life.

How can you achieve this? You have only one place to start your inner peace journey from. Your mind. You need to be able to structure your mind to be very peaceful and tranquil regardless of what may come up. You need to be able to tell your mind that you are in control by not allowing anything that would jeopardize your inner peace to creep in.

Follow these tips to embrace YOUR inner peace.

1. Be A Content Fellow

The first attitude that goes against the law of Inner peace is DISCONTENT. The moment you do not value the little things you have is the moment you will never be at peace with yourself. The moment you see someone’s success and tell yourself that they don’t deserve it and that you deserve it more, is the moment your mind will start going haywire. From discontent, your mind-triggered by your emotions will breed jealousy, from jealousy you will hate the person, and then you will not want anything good to come to that person, and that is wickedness. For every wicked soul, there is no peace because you will always be on the alert to stop anything good that is coming to the person you hate and that messes up with your mind really badly.

2. Learn From Your Challenges

We face challenges everyday, and some of the challenges you face might have a firmer impact on you when compared to the regular challenges others face everyday. But the way to embracing Inner Peace, is to let yourself know that challenges are absolutely normal and that there is nothing wrong with you. You need to tell yourself that you will not allow your challenges mar you. You need to bring out a graph board literally in your mind, analyze what you may have done wrong and what you should have done to make it right. It is when you have analyzed your challenges, dissected them and portrayed your ability to handle difficult situations, that your mind will always be settled and embrace peace. Remember, challenges are something that makes us stronger, and we must learn from it.

Suggested: The Need To Consciously Unlearn

3. Let Go Of Your Ugly Past.

So many individuals are still traumatized by past experiences, and that has greatly affected the overall well-being of their inner peace even till this present time. To discover inner peace, it is important to let go of the things that hurt you in the past. Focus on the good things that the present time has to offer you, and flow with it.

4. Stay Away From Anything That Would Affect Your Mental Health.

Mental health is something everyone should seek for at all times, because you totally need to be mentally balanced and relaxed to function well. When you subdue yourself to something that is not promoting your mental aspirations, you are always likely to fall into depression which may cause death or dementia. So it is important to surround yourself with people/things that make you happy, things that won’t put your mental health in jeopardy.

5. Find A Relaxation Technique That Works For You.

Sometimes you may  feel melancholic, depressed, and lost within yourself. In some cases you may find it difficult to place a finger on the main cause of your sadness. Whenever you find yourself in this type of situation and you want to maintain your inner peace, just discover a relaxation technique or something that would serve as a therapy to ease your stress and pain. It can be music, swimming, baking, taking a walk, doing yoga, etc.

Suggested: 5 Mentalities Nigerian Youths Must Drop To Succeed

6.  Forgive Yourself And Those Who Wronged You.

You need to forgive yourself of your mistakes and ignorance from your past, because if you knew as much as you know now you wouldn’t have made some terrible mistakes, and some bad decisions you took in the past. Also, you need to free your heart and forgive those who wronged you, that way you will be at peace with yourself and people around you.

7. Embrace Gratitude.

To be at peace within yourself, it is important to appreciate your little accomplishments because most of the things you have as basic in your disposal are not basic to most people. You should be grateful for the things you have, while you strive to attain greater heights.

8. Don’t Expect Too Much From People.

It’s usually difficult to get the same vibes you give to people, and if you are someone who does a lot of good to people, keep being good anyway but save your inner peace by not expecting to get back the same amount of good you do for people.

9. Meditate When You Are Stressed.

Another essential gift you can use to explore inner peace is ‘meditation’. Meditation is associated with quiet reflection. So if you must do this, find a calm environment; it could be in a quiet room, a peaceful meadow or sitting near a stream in the woods. Remove yourself from the rest of the world if you can. When you want to meditate try not to think of anything else, but inner peace {whatever that may mean to you}.

Life is a journey and having inner peace is paramount to your survival on that journey. This is because inner peace allows you to be calm in the midst of emotional struggles; it gives you the innate ability to adjust your perspectives when needed in life’s situations. There will always be obstacles and experiences that will interfere with your inner peace; amidst that, inner peace can be achieved by practising forgiveness, gratitude, and acceptance of yourself and those around you.

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Top Fashion Designers in Nigeria – ExpertsNG

Fashion designing goes way beyond tailoring. It takes a whole lot of creativity to be a fashion designer. You must have the ability to imagine, think up ideas and bring those ideas into life using your aesthetic skills. Fashion designers design aesthetically pleasing outfits in various patterns, sizes and styles.

Nigeria is not left out when it comes to fashion trends. Nigerian women love trendy outfits while their men love outfits that give them that classy, sophisticated look. Sure, fashion designers earn a decent amount of money. It all depends on the level of creativity and the strength of PR or publicity. 

Fashion designing is attaining more popularity recently. Some Nigerian fashion designers have made names for themselves in the fashion industry. This article explores the top 10 best fashion designers in Nigeria.

List of the top 10 best fashion designers in Nigeria

The top 10 best fashion designers in Nigeria are: 

  1. Deola Sagoe
  2. Lisa Folawiyo
  3. Folake Akindele Coker
  4. Duro Olowu
  5. Frank Oshodi
  6. Mai Atafo
  7. Zizi Cardow
  8. Lola Faturoti
  9. Soares Anthony
  10. Ade Bakare

Now, let’s look into the life and career of these enlisted top 10 best fashion designers in Nigeria. 

Deola Sagoe

Deola Sagoe takes up the number one spot in our list of top 10 best fashion designers in Nigeria. Deola went into the fashion industry in 1989. This top fashion designer has a master’s degree in Finance and Management.

Deola is known for creating powerful, vibrant designs that make statements. She designs dresses, jeans, polo tops, menswear etc. People love her designs! 

Deola’s creativity in the fashion world has earned her multiple awards. One of such awards is the Anglo-Gold African Fashion Design Award which she received in 2000. Her exceptional clothing design skills have been applauded by national and international figures such as Oprah Winfrey and Will Smith.

Deola Sagoe is the founder and owner of the exquisite fashion house, “House of Deola Sagoe”.

Lisa Folawiyo

Lisa Folawiyo is the king of Ankara outfits. Lisa is a talented fashion designer and is undoubtedly one of Nigeria’s top 10 best fashion designers. 

Lisa Folawiyo focuses on styling different Ankara outfits, including accessories like jewellery and purses. She has numerous design outlets in South Africa and even a showroom in New York City. Some of her celebrity fans include Tacha, Beyonce and Eve.

Folawiyo has received many awards, such as the African Fashion award, among others. She owns a fashion line called Jewel by Lisa.

Folake Akindele Coker

Folake Akindele Coker is a top-rated Nigerian fashion designer. She was born in Lagos State, Nigeria. Folake is one of the top 10 best fashion designers in Nigeria. With over 20 years of experience in the fashion industry, Folake’s designs are simply top-notch.

Folake Akindele is a lawyer and holds a master’s degree in petroleum, a sign that she has the brains for books. This celebrated fashionista has created so many awesome designs which have been showcased to the world. 

Some of the awards Folake has won include Arise Magazine Fashion Brand of the Year and 2009 African Fashion Week Designers of the Year. It is believed that she is the first African fashion designer to showcase her talent in the New York Fashion Week for two years in a row. 

Folake Akindele Coker is the founder and owner of the fashion brand Tiffany Amber.

Duro Olowu

Duro Olowu makes it to our list of the top 10 best fashion designers in Nigeria because of his high creativity, fantastic designs and awards. 

This award-winning fashion designer was born and brought up in Lagos state. At the age of 16, Olowu left Nigeria to study. He studied law at the University of Kent. He is currently based in London. 

Olowu focuses on styling women’s wear using rich textures, patterns and vibrant colours. He launched his first design in 2004 and had them sold all over the world. 

Olowu’s rich fashion sense has attracted fans from different parts of the world, including Michael Obama, Solange Kolawole, Apfel, etc. He has won many awards, such as the African Fashion Award as the Best International Designer and 2005 British and American Vogue Dress of the Year. 

Frank Oshodi

Frank Oshodi went into fashion designing in 1989. He is a phenomenal fashion designer and undoubtedly one of the top 10 best fashion designers in Nigeria. He has successfully carved a niche for himself in the fashion world.

Oshodi started with modelling after applied to work at Nikki Africana and Dakora. With over 25 years of experience in the fashion industry, Oshodi has worked with different clients and models, including the former Miss World, Agbani Darego.

Frank Oshodi is the founder and owner of the fashion line, House of Bunor. 

Mai Atafo

Mai Atafo is a renowned Nigerian designer. He focuses on making custom-made male outfits and is rated one of the top 10 best fashion designers in Nigeria. 

Atafo is an IT specialist who later obtained a Master’s Degree in Information and Systems Technology from the United Kingdom. He first worked in corporate organisations until 2010, when he resigned and went into full-time fashion designing. 

It is not hard to discover talents like Atafo as he is good at what he does. He has dressed famous Nigerian personalities/celebrities like Mercy Johnson, Gbenro Ajibade, 2Baba, Stephanie Okereke, I.K. Osakioduwa and even the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria, 2005, Omowunmi Akinnifesi. 

Atafo has received numerous awards, such as the Mode Men Magazine’s Fashion Designer of the Year, LFW Menswear Designer of the Year and Allure’s Most Stylish Man of the Year. 

Mai Atafo is the owner and founder of the fashion brand Mai Atafo.

Zizi Cardow

Zizi Cardow’s sense of fashion appeals to both local and international audiences. She has won the heart of many, even through her mentorship to other designers. She is one of the top 10 best Nigerian designers. 

Zizi Cardow came to the limelight in 2006 after she organised a fashion show titled Jungle Renaissance. Since then, more eyes became on her as she awed people with different styles of Ankara prints. Cardow is an award-winning designer who has some of her works featured in local and international media, including SABC, CNN, FTV and Channel OI. 

Zizi Cardow is the founder and owner of the Zizi Fashion label.

Lola Faturoti

Lola Faturoti is from Ondo State, Nigeria. She schooled in London before relocating to New York in the 1990s. Faturoti’s love for fashion started from her childhood. Her grandmother was a designer that designed traditional Nigerian outfits. From then, Faturoti got introduced into the fashion world, and from there, she drew inspiration. Today, Lola Faturoti is rated among the top 10 best fashion designers in Nigeria. 

Faturoti has extensive experience in fashion designing. She worked her way up to fame and came to the limelight when she designed a dress to celebrate former President Barack Obama’s election as the President of the United States of America. On the dress, she inscribed “Oluwa gba President Barack Obama”, which means “God Bless President Barack Obama”.

Faturoti has a profound passion for African fashion. She joined the fashion industry in 2000 when she participated in Ralph Lauren’s fashion show at New York Fashion Week. The President of Charivari Boutique, where she worked, noticed her unique fashion taste and quest for excellence and helped her launch her first fashion collection.

Soares Anthony

Soares Anthony is one of the youngest rising stars in Nigeria’s fashion industry. He is one of the top 10 best Nigerian fashion designers. He is talented in designing unique colourful, eye-catching designs.

Anthony’s love for fashion started when he was a young boy. He was always sketching and drawing. Most of his inspirations come from local Nigerian fabrics and Japanese tailoring designs. Famous politicians and celebrities have worn some of his pieces.

Anthony has been giving back to his society by organising different mentoring programs for young and upcoming Nigerian designers. He aims to have the young designers he mentors excel and compete in the global fashion scene. Some of his works are sold in the US, UK and France. 

Soares Anthony is the founder and owner of the men’s clothing line Soares Anthony.

Ade Bakare

Ade Bakare has been in the fashion scene for a while now. He is an established fashion designer who has made impeccable African designs. Bakare is rated one of the top 10 best fashion designers in Nigeria. 

Bakare was born in the United Kingdom. He also went to school there. He later gained employment in the top fashion houses of Victor Edelstein and Christian Stambolian, after which he established his own fashion brand.

Bakare focuses on making stylish wedding gowns, evening gowns, fragrances and hats. The names of his perfumes are Breeze and Ade Breeze. He has high-end clients from both London and Nigeria. Bakare’s works have gained recognition in Vienna, New York, Paris, Morocco, Mozambique and Cape Town.

Bakare has won several fashion awards, such as the Paris Academy and Conde Nast Publication awards. He was once recognised by the Nigerian Ministry of Youth and Culture for his continuous support of the youths and upcoming fashion designers.

Ade Bakare founded his own fashion line called Ade Bakare Couture in 1991. 

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How To Build A Career in Modelling

So, you want to build a career in modelling… Welcome to the real world.

It takes more sheer determination and hard work than good looks to become a model. First, understand the sector you would want to work in, and then understand its requirements. Next, understand your strength and the uniqueness of your own body. Practice and master your style in front of a camera, take photos and put together a portfolio of beautiful photos showing you in different poses and styles. Finally, if possible, get yourself an agent, and you could be the next big name in modelling.

Many people have asked the question, “how do I become a professional model”. Modelling is a profitable career. It is pretty easy to build a career in modelling if you put in the necessary efforts.

The modelling industry has boomed over the years. Like most other art fields, the modelling industry has something for anyone interested in building a career in modelling, irrespective of size, skin colour, and age. Modelling is one career that is open to minors, including kids (of course, with the consent of their parents or guardians). 

Have you watched the beautiful images of the models on top magazines like Vogue or admired them walk the runway on the TV and wish to be like them?

If your dream is to become a model, this article is a must-read for you. This article provides practical tips on how to build a career in modelling.

What Does It Take To Be A Model

There is a common misconception that modelling is all about good looks and appearance, but modelling goes beyond that. Of course, to be a model, your looks matter, but ‘looks’ is not just about being pretty. There has to be something unique about your look or your physique that makes you stand out. It could be the unique shape of your nose or chin, your dimple etc. 

Whatever unique feature you have, you have to own it, embrace it! Also, be ready to keep fit. 

Height is the most important physical attribute that is always considered in the modelling industry. The general minimum height is considered to be 5’7″ (Even if you are not as tall as this, you might be shocked your case will be an exception if you bring on that model attitude and charisma!). 

Also, the general notion is that a model has to be super-thin, but this article debunks that notion. It is false. There are different types of modelling, and each has its own requirements. One modelling type might attach much importance to height and having a slender frame (e.g. runway modelling). While another modelling type would attach more importance to an engaging personality or a personality that has the ability to speak for a product, acting as the product’s spokesperson (e.g. promotional models).

Recently, even plus-sized people are being used as models. Your look counts and will help you determine the type of modelling best suited for you. Aside from looks, check for strength, resilience, courage/boldness, discipline, excellent communication skills, and time management skills. You should be able to identify your unique point, own it and use it. 

Determine The Type of Model That You Want To Be

You will be shocked to learn that there are different genres available in the model industry. If you are to build a career in modelling, you have to go for the modelling type that best suits your size, look and personality. 

You can build a career in modelling in the following genres:

·      Runway (cat-walk) modelling – This is for fashion models. The age range for this type of modelling is usually between 16-21, height is typically between 5’9″ and 6″, waist is between 22″ and 26″, bust is between 32″ and 36″, and hips is between 33″ and 35″. 

·      Lingerie (or swimsuit) modelling – These models pose to market and sell lingerie, bikinis and swimsuits. Typical measurements are usually 5’7″ to 6″ (for height), 22″ to 26″ (for waist), 32″ to 35″ (for bust) and 33″ to 35″ (for hips).

·      Print (editorial, catalogue) modelling: This is as profitable as fashion modelling; however, it is less restrictive than fashion modelling. Typical measurements for this type of modelling is usually 5’8″ to 5’11” (for height), 33″ to 35″ (for hips), 32″ to 35″ (for bust) and 22″ to 26″ (for waist). 

Other modelling types you might want to consider are; live/product brand modelling, television commercial modelling, fitness and bodybuilding modelling, live showroom modelling, etc. 

Get Adequate Exposure

One of the best tips about starting a career in modelling is that you have to put yourself out there. Go for events, modelling seminars etc. Interact with people in the modelling line. Getting exposed to agents and potential clients increases your chances of being noticed and booked for jobs.

Different ways to expose yourself include:

· Going for social events

· Attending modelling conventions

· Sending out emails to potential clients

· Sending your photos to modelling agencies

· Enrolling in acting workshops (especially for fashion and commercial models)

Create A Strong Modelling Portfolio

This is a must-do for you! It would help if you created a killer modelling portfolio that showcases your strong points using stunning, high-quality pictures. Almost every modelling agency will want to see your portfolio before they sign you. Hence, this is a crucial step when building a career in modelling.

Your portfolio should look professional and should create a good impression. You can easily share your portfolio link to agencies or brands when you reach out to them.

Reach Out To Legitimate Modelling Agencies

Finding a legitimate modelling agency can pose a challenge. Some supposed modelling agencies are not legit, but you may not be able to tell.

How do you know that a particular modelling agency is not a scam trying to make money off you by selling unnecessary photoshoots and courses to you? Here are some things you must bear in mind while searching for modelling agencies:

· Legit modelling agencies won’t ask you to pay to secure a modelling job

· Legit modelling agencies won’t ask you to pay for a test shoot

· Beware of an agency rushing you to sign a contract

· Beware of agencies that do not have reviews or proven track record of models that have signed with them

Research agencies before you join. If possible, get the names and contacts of models they claim to have worked with and confirm if the models were indeed signed with the agency. Ensure that everything (including assurances and promises) are put into writing.

Be Professional And Commit To Work.

As a model, you represent yourself and your agency; therefore, you have to work with utmost professionalism. Treat everyone on set with respect and courtesy. Take your phone calls and return all emails and voicemails promptly. Don’t go to meetings or photoshoots late. Keeping to time is a good work ethic. 

Modelling looks glamorous, and it is easy to lose focus and start getting lazy. It will take a lot of commitment on your part to build your modelling career and climb that ladder of success. Be ready to handle every situation that comes your way, both the good and the ugly.

Build An Online Community (Build A Presence Online)

Another thing that will help you create a career in modelling is communication skills and excellent interpersonal relationships. Celebrities don’t gain popularity by keeping to themselves. You have to be open to meeting new people both offline and online. 

Nowadays, social media is an effective tool for driving attention and engagement. Please make no mistake about it; you need that much attention and concentration. It is easier for brands to contact already popular models and pay them vast sums of money to model for them than to reach out to unpopular names. 

Leverage social media to increase your network and build your modelling career. You can hire a social media manager to help you manage your social media accounts.

Conclusion

You can see that building a career in modelling is not as hard as it seems. Like other fields and aspects of life, you need determination and putting in exemplary efforts to succeed. This article will be precious to anyone looking to start a career in modelling, and it would help if you shared this post. You might be helping someone reach their dream just by sharing. 

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HOW TO BE CONFIDENT – ExpertsNG

What Does Confidence Entail?

You may think you know what it takes to be confident, but what is confidence actually? According to psychologists, it’s the belief that you can do anything. Confidence is often what feels different about you. We often reach for confident people to learn how to be confident ourselves. They’re usually the ones who seem most at ease with what they do.

Confidence is an incredibly complex topic. More than just feeling good about yourself, it is about how you think, what you believe, and how you act. Our confidence is an inner state of mind.

What Can You Do To Be Confident?

Embodying confidence as an individual can be challenging most times. Especially when you are/or have been in an abusive relationship.

Or if you are surrounded by people that do not cheer you on. It can be so challenging, and when an individual lacks self-confidence, there is a high probability that that individual will likely fall into depression and have a shallow degree of self-esteem.

To be confident in whatever you do, you should follow these ten tips.

1. Expose Yourself to Knowledgeable Information.

Ignorance brings about a lack of confidence, knowledge, and information breeds confidence. A well-informed person does not feel intimidated whenever they are called upon to address an audience or handle a simple task because they always know what to say or do at any given time.  

For you to boost your confidence, it is imperative to consume helpful information. Read as many books as possible, learn from people who can inspire you to be a better you.

2. Build Your Self-Esteem.

One of the best things you can ever do for yourself is to have high self-esteem. That does not mean to be prideful; it is more like knowing your value and understanding that you are more than your physical looks or your current position in your society. 

You can achieve this by limiting yourself from being vulnerable to people’s negative opinions about you and accepting yourself the way you are. Because you are still a work in progress, you are still developing/evolving, and you are unique and special in your way.

3. Start Acting and Stop Procrastinating.

Opportunities come with challenges, and you will never know how good you can function at something without getting started. 

Don’t worry about making mistakes when handling any task. Develop a plan, ask questions, and get the job done. Such acts build your confidence and can compel you to achieve more.

4. Start Taking Care of Yourself.

A lot of people feel so insecure about their looks; this has hugely affected their self-confidence. As an individual, you need to start taking care of yourself. 

You do not need to have all the money and time in the world to do so, and you must be conscious of the food you consume. 

Eat healthy diets, engage in exercise, wear clean and presentable clothes, especially when going on a momentous occasion, avoid overworking yourself. 

All these and more can help you to feel good about yourself, hence, boosting your confidence.

5. Avoid Undue Comparison. 

One easy way to lose your confidence is by comparing yourself with others. As you strive to upgrade your career, take a step back and recognize those who have succeeded before you. Build relationships with the individuals whom you admire, respect, and want to be like. 

Connect with these people, either in person or online. Ask for their advice and learn from their experiences. Those sets of people will challenge and inspire you to be better than you already are. When you surround yourself with positive and successful people, you will have enough confidence to strive well in life.

6. Have Self-Control

The law of self-control states that “you feel confident and positive about yourself to the degree to which you feel you are in control of your life, and you feel negative and lack confidence about yourself to the degree to which you feel you are not in control of your life”. 

Having self-control can make you confident and sure about your life; it makes you happy and satisfied with what you have. But when you are not in control of yourself, every situation that comes your way affects you hugely. 

Self-control begins with your thoughts. Your thoughts determine your feelings and words, which determines your action. Thus, you must train your mind always to be positive, as it is the guiding mechanism of your life.

7. Be Optimistic

Despite the uncertainty of things in life, it is essential to be optimistic always because optimism fuels your positive energy. It helps you view items from a clearer perspective, which helps build your confidence as you strive in your endeavours.

8. Believe in Yourself and Life’s Possibilities

Whatever you have an intense belief in, tends to reflect in your reality. Not believing in yourself and the possibilities of life can limit you from achieving your ultimate goals. One of your biggest obstacles in life is self-limiting beliefs. This kills confidence and limits one from striving well in life. 

9. Limit Excessive Expectations

You must understand that we live in a world of uncertainty that tends to change our plans in most cases. When you expect too much from things, probably because you invested so much time, resources, and energy into it, you might get disappointed by the outcome, which will tell on your confidence. You will start feeling as though you are not good enough at what you do.

10. Think Positively

You are a living magnet, and you attract into your life the people, resources, ideas, and circumstances that are in harmony with your dominant thoughts. 

The universe exhibits intense energy that connects with our mind’s power in such a way that when we resonate with successful people and their accomplishments, we get attracted and become vulnerable to succeed like them. Such attraction is also the reason why the law of repulsion states that “if you hold a negative thought against someone/thing, you repel anything positive associated with that thing out of your life”. 

What you despise, you will never become, even in your heart. Whatever you respect or love, you attract. 

Show genuine and sincere admiration to successful people by focusing on their strengths and not their flaws. That will help you to be more confident about yourself.

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