Articles Archives - Page 2 of 17

Jemimah Iwok published in Articles September 27, 2020

Eclectic 21 Releases 2D Animation of Poetry Masterpiece, “Motherland”

Ahead of Nigeria’s Independence day celebration (October 1st), Eclectic 21 Productions has released a 2D Animation of Poetry masterpiece titled “Motherland”

Unveiled on the 20th of September, Motherland is a three minute long performance showcasing the vast cultural heritage/ icons, and mineral resources that abound in our great Nation- Nigeria. Put together by Thespian (Oluchi Odii), an Illustrator (Kenny Da Vinci), and a renowned Poet (Ayo Ogundipe), it combines the talents of theatre, animation and Poetry. A stunning masterpiece if you ask me.

Here’s what Eclectic 21 says about “Motherland”:

“The Motherland animation tells a story – capturing the experience of a corper (Ayo Ogundipe) during his NYSC service year who had a moment of epiphany while questioning the subject of National identity, pride and patriotism and what all these meant to him.

During this soul-searching mission while doing research on the political and cultural history of Nigeria, he came to the realisation of how blessed the land he called home is – His Motherland – famed with cult heroes of legendary status like Sango, Queen Idia, Fela – royalties in their own rights. Also, the human capital potential of its citizenry, the songs of patriotism that ring true of notable Nigerian women who have served the nation with distinction in civil service and private practice – not to mention the abundance of mineral resources and that have been largely under-utilised.

The use of Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) gives room for imagination and talent to recreate this experience – that moment of epiphany – in a colourful storytelling imagery. One that teleports the viewer into this virtual world of animation, with compelling graphics and musical score.

Motherland is an ode to a nation – A befitting tribute to the story of Nigeria’s greatness. A charge to the sleeping giant of Africa to awake and live up to its true potential as we commemorate the 60th Independence anniversary of our great nation – Nigeria”

Check out a video of the Performance below:

Jemimah Iwok published in Articles, News August 27, 2020

Bellafricana Launches Free Listing for Creative, African-Owned Businesses

Free Listing Alert!

Hello there! I am excited to announce to you, that Bellafricana has opened up the opportunity for creative business owners to list their African-owned products on the Bellafricana website for FREE. Oh yes! You read that quite correctly!

In other words, Bellafricana says, you as a business owner can set up an online shop on the website.

Prior to this time, only Bellafricana members could get their creative products listed on the website.

However, Bellafricana is always thinking of how they can impact as many business owners as possible especially this Covid-19 period. We’re very much invested in the easing the business journey of creatives (as much as possible) because we understand how daunting doing business alone can be.

That’s why we decided that business owners can have their creative products listed on the website at zero cost.

You might wonder:

What will a free listing on the Bellafricana website do for you?

You get your products in the eyes of a global audience: Our well-ranked website puts your products right in the faces of those who search for them. We aren’t just content with making your product locally available, but are ensuring that it is globally accessible as well. We have gotten a number of feedback from existing members, who have secured partnership deals, gotten patronage from international audiences and lots more. See one of such testimonials below:

2. Get Easily Found on Google: The truth is that brands are less likely to be trusted if a potential customer can’t find enough information about them online. That right there (not enough info), is a red flag for some. Just what if you can’t afford to get a website just yet? A listing page would be a great place to start.

Once your listing is set up on the Bellafricana website, it will become much more easier for your brand name to come up, when it is searched for.

3. Drive traffic to your website, and social media

Now, that is not to say that having a website cancels out the functionality of a listing page. Infact, the Bellafricana listing page can also help drive traffic to your website, and even your other social media handles. How? When setting up your listing page, you can insert the links to as many as 30 social media handles/ website links. Let me show you what the outcome looks like:

All these and more are the benefits of setting up your listing page.

So, what makes you eligible to setting up your listing page?

Your products need to be:

Top quality
Creative, and
African-owned

As an African-owned business, you don’t have to reside in Nigeria (or Africa) to be eligible. The important part is for the brand to be owned BY an African.

Check out this video that puts it all together:

How do you get started?

Just click on this link to begin setting up your free listing page, and start gaining the visibility your brand needs to grow and scale.

Watch out for a tutorial on how to list your products for free.

Till then, kindly spread the word to as many creative business owners as you can so they can all benefit from this immense opportunity.

Jemimah Iwok published in Articles, Events July 24, 2020

Bukky Asehinde to speak at The Bridge Leadership Foundation Career Day 2020 Conference

Bukky Asehinde, founder of Bellafricana will be speaking at this year’s edition of The Bridge Leadership Foundation Career Day Conference.

This year’s theme: “Adapting to the New Normal” will “border on the need for a global transformation and mind shift required for nations, businesses and individuals to function sustainably in a Post-COVID-19 world” (The Bridge Leadership Foundation).

The event is scheduled for Saturday, July 25th (by 11am), and will virtual hold virtually due to the covid-19 situation.

Three years ago, Bukky Asehinde was opportuned to be one of the speakers at the 7th annual conference in Calabar, an experience she described as unforgettable, and enriching (Read about it here).

Among the line up of speakers and moderators are: Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli – Founder, LEAP Africa and Managing Partner, Sahel Consulting; Fela Durotoye – CEO, GEMSTONE Group; Peter Obi Former Governor, Anambra State; Mitchell Elegbe Founder/Group Managing Director, Interswitch; Tonye Cole – Cofounder, Sahara Group; Thelma Ekiyor – Managing Partner, SME.NG; Atunyota Alleluya (Alibaba) – CEO, Alibaba Hiccupuray 3rd Ltd; Hamzat Lawal – Founder, Connected Development (CODE); Ubong King – CEO, Protection Plus Services LTD; others include Naadiya Moosajee – Co-founder/CEO, WomEng (Women in Engineering); Yomi Williams – Founder, Gartner Callaway Group of Companies; Saudat Salami – CEO, Easyshop Easycook; and Babajide Ipaye – Founder, KEEXS Services;

Those moderating the event are Arit Okpo Creative Director, Menoword Media and J.J. Omojuwa, Founder/Chief Strategist, The Alpha Reach. ( Source: Tblf and Bella Naija)

You can’t afford to miss this event. To register for this event, simply click on this link.

Jemimah Iwok published in Articles June 17, 2020

Dear Business Owner, Which Of These Business Challenges Do You Want Solved Immediately?

Dear Business Owner,

Which of the following challenges would you want solved immediately?

1. Marketing

You need your products shown to a wider audience, as you’re fully aware that while you may have your marketing figured out right, nothing else beats your products being seen through a new pair of eyes.

2. Resources to Learn

You understand that for your business to grow, scale or evolve, then you need to keep learning, unlearning and relearning. You’re aware that it’s possible to get stuck if you keep doing the same things the same way, and so you need to keep improving.

However, there’s a huge volcano of knowledge out there, and it can feel overwhelming not knowing where to start.

3. Support

You’re thankful for the backing your friends and family give you (infact without them, your business might not have even kicked off). However, as you mature in business, you realize that doing business alone can be daunting. Alone? Yes, without the support of like-minded business owners that can open the way up for collaborations, can be your accountability partners ( to ensure you don’t deviate from your business goals)

4. Reduced Costs

Wouldn’t it be absolutely Marvelous if these business costs could just miraculously disappear? Lol. We all know that it’s not possible at all. To run a business, money has to drop, Right? Branding, Printing costs, logistics, and so on could drill holes in one’s pockets. What if these costs could be slashed so the funds can be diverted to other things?

5. /Exposure/ Being Well Positioned

There are global, continental and national institutions that are charged to recognize and honour and support hard-working and amazing creative indigenous businesses. They can find your brand only when you are well-positioned. For instance, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Bank of Industry, Lioness of Africa, ITC She Trades, Nigerian Export and Import Bank (NEXIM) are always looking for ways to support creatives.

WHAT IF I TOLD YOU THAT BELLAFRICANA HAS ALL THESE PROBLEMS FIGURED OUT AND MORE?

We recently released an E-book Outlining 10 strategies to grow and scale a creative, African-Owned business. And It’s yours to grab.

Just click on this link Sign up, and download yours right away!
Membership:

Get your Free E-book Here!

Jemimah Iwok published in Articles April 21, 2020

Chioma Ogbudimkpa knocks our socks off at this amazing webinar session

Whoop! Whoop!! Last week Thursday, we held a mind-blowing power session with the PITCH QUEEN herself. Chioma Ogbudimkpa.

Can you sense the excitement in my tone? That’s because that session knocked my socks off. Literally!

Before I get into the nitty-gritty, let me give you a little back story, and why I was excited.

This covid-19 period, Bellafricana is not slacking at all. We’re organizing webinar sessions with Industry experts, as well as intra-community webinars as well. These webinar arose as a result of a need to gain some insight into areas that would be of immense benefit to our members post covid-19.

One of such areas is funding. There are lots of events, funding opportunities, and so on to take advantage of. But one hindrance is usually when it’s time to PITCH your product, or idea. We realized that this is a big issue for a lot of business owners, and that was why we invited Chioma Ogbudimkpa.

Why was Chioma Ogbudimkpa just totally perfect?

For a start, Chioma owns the famous ‘REDBUTTON’ fashion label with a strong focus on sustainability. She has won notable grants from the Tony Elumelu Foundation, She Leads Africa Accelerator and the recent ‘Friends of the Vice President’ award.

Chioma has been featured on CNN Africa, The United Nations Sustainability & Innovation Expo, Spice TV Africa and the Young African Leaders’ Initiative.

It is also noteworthy to mention that she is a winner of the African Prize of the Global Creative Business Cup and Nigeria Creative Enterprise (NICE) program 2019 -powered by the British Council.

She has showcased her fashion pieces at many international and continental fashion engagements.

Can you see why she was the right person to shower us with this knowledge?

Anyway, the D-day came, and so many participants signed up and the session kicked off. I learnt so much, but I will share just a little of these with you:

Research

One word that resonated throughout that webinar was Research like never before. Research your Industry. Whilst you’re doing that, ensure that your research isn’t restricted. You want your brand to be seen on a global scale, then you broaden your research. Find out what is been done (or not ) and see how you can use that do develop a strong USP (Unique Selling Proposition). Research the organisation you want to pitch to. Research, Research, Research!

2. Articulate your Brand story Properly

Story telling and Pitching are two peas in a pod. To give a successful pitch, you must be a great story teller. That means you have to be able to tell your brands story as flawlessly as possible. You may ask:”What if I don’t have a Brand Story?” Well you HAVE TO HAVE one. Whether you started because you were passionate about your craft, because you needed to make money, or because you needed to do something to pass the time, you have to reach deep and think about the “WHY”. There will definitely be a story hidden there somewhere. That story is one thing your potential investor looks forward to hearing. S, you have to work on it.

3. Pitch From a Place of Value

This point can never be overemphasized. You can’t tell your audience that you’re pitching because you need money (even though in reality, that’s what you need). But let them know what your product or idea will solve, and how you’re helping them. Sustainability is the new gold, so find a way to attach your brand to one of the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals). It gives your brand more credibility.

I could keep writing, but I’ll Just stop here. How were the responses we got from the webinar?

I’ll let you see for yourself :

Comments like these give us the needed encouragement to stop at nothing to bring our audience more than their money’s worth of membership. That’s exactly what we do at Bellafricana. To enjoy more these and many more benefits that come with being a member of our amazing community, click on this link

You can connect with Chioma here.

That’s a wrap on the amazing webinar series we had. Say tuned for more gist. Bye!

Jemimah Iwok published in Articles, Uncategorized March 26, 2020

Does your Business have a workflow?

Everything called “business” existing today still has its crux hinged around the exchanging of goods(products) or services for paymnt, and no matter how small or big these products and services to be offered are, there is a process which involves several techniques, rules and procedures that simply cannot be overlooked that goes behind.

For example: Have you noticed how your tailor converts those yards of uncut fabric into beautifully crafted dress designs? And to your specifications too?

The whole transformation process starts from obtaining your body measurements and desired style. She then carefully cuts the fabric into different shaped pieces before she then starts sewing it together to form your dress.

Another designer goes behind to work on the embellishments and finishing touches, putting careful detail into every flow of tasks that’s needed to make a perfect dress.

What do these processes indicate? A system. Workflow, if you will.

What really is a workflow?

A workflow refers to any action or series of actions which are automated by other means e.g. tools, digital methods that can be triggered to occur by human actions. Thus, making all the tasks, information and data (carried out by staff and employees) streamlined to the achievement of the business/company’s goals.

Workflows essentially help reduce the stress of dealing with each step of the process manually and also cuts down precious time being wasted in achieving set targets and ultimately business goals.

Does your business need a workflow? Absolutely! Working hard is great, but working smart helps you get the job done quickly while you still retain your edge in the game.

Why your Business Should Have a workflow

Adopting a well-tailored workflow in your business can bring about a very sporadic change to your business management methods, optimize your business processes and ultimately its overall growth-rate.
Below are some noteworthy reasons why you should consider creating a workflow for your business today.

1. Improved Time Management

Almost all businesses are deadline driven and most of the time, they all usually end up wasting so much precious time getting manually involved with every stage of the process.

They eventually do not have time to bring in more creativity and by so doing jeopardizing quality. With the help of a good process automation software, you can automate several tasks such as project reminders, sending company mails out, setting up meetings, document reviews etc, and cut down on some wasted time.

2. Enhanced means of Communication

Poor communication between employer and employees and also amidst employees too is one of the biggest hinderance to business growth. This causes a general misunderstanding of company goals and objectives which may lead to poor and inaccurate decisions on anyone’s part.

Having a uniform automated communication channel eliminates the possibilities of human error.It will be ultimately pivotal to the overall team morale.

3. Designation of responsibilities

As a business owner, you want to make sure that responsibilities are properly assigned to all of your employees with regards to the skill and capacity they each possess. This is to ensure that hands and brains are maximized to the fullest towards achieving set business objectives.

Each stage of the workflow helps define the specific responsibilities to be carried by each person more efficiently.

4. Enhanced Creativity & Productivity

The use of workflows overtime enhances creativity and ultimately productivity.

This is due to the fact that the bulk of the time-consuming processes are out of the way and there is now enough room for fresh views, ideas, reviews, criticisms, etc. amongst employees. The business’s growth is hinged to the employees’ creativity while the employee’s career growth is hinged to the company’s overall success.
Workflows make it easier for everyone.

Will you be willing to try this? I would love to hear from you.

Jemimah Iwok published in Articles January 23, 2020

Entering the Export Market: What you should know About Trade Missions

Trade missions are an important indicator of expansion. They are crucial for creative businesses within Africa willing to enter new markets, mainly to facilitate, streamline and optimize the process that must be followed to export to many countries.

How do Trade Missions Work?

Trade missions are pre-arranged working trips that are conducted by organizations, to serve the interest of exporters.

A trade mission brings together suppliers and potential customers in one place for a few days of intensive meet-and-greets and matchmaking.

Generally organized by governments, in conjunction with trade groups, trade missions allow a lot of business to be done within a short period.

Why go on Trade Missions?

The trade mission allows you to gain better market intelligence to expand your markets.

In terms of marketing, a well-organized and properly lead trade mission is a great leveraging tool.

What do Trade Missions offer?

A well-organized trade mission provides expert service and assistance to include the following activities:

Qualify potential customers pertinent to your company’s product.
Identify potential representation partners.
Provide contact with government and public officials.
Offer translation as needed.
Arrange logistics, including local transportation, accommodations, appointments, and meeting facilities.

How do you get the most out of Trade Missions?

First, clearly define your expectations for participating on the trip. (Be sure to write specific, simple and quantifiable objectives).

The second most important criterion to get the most out of a trade mission is to provide your mission leader with a one-page profile. This should be sent as far in advance as possible. One page is preferred as it can be faxed, emailed and handed out in pre-mission recruiting activity.

What should your profile contain?

The first item of your profile should clearly state a one-paragraph description of your company.

Second on the list should be a paragraph explaining, in lay terminology, your product or service.

Next, you should include an explanation of the type of company and person you need to meet with.

The fourth item to include is a brief list of your most important expectations.

This one-page profile makes it easier for the mission leader to understand how to best help you.
It will also be a constant reminder to keep you focused and on track before and during your mission.

In summary, a well-organized and clearly defined trade mission can be one of your best marketing and sales tools to help you grow your creative business internationally.

Did you enjoy reading this? I’d love to hear what you think.

Bellafricana published in Articles November 22, 2019

Aliko Dangote Shares His Top 10 Secret To Success

Aliko Dangote is a Nigerian billionaire, who owns the Dangote Group, his company operates in Nigeria and other African countries. As of January 2015, he had an estimated net worth of US$18.6 billion.

On this blog post, you get to learn some of his top 10 secrets as compiled by Evans Carmicheal. Keep reading to learn;

1. Listen to people; Aliko Dangote said, “to be a good leader, you have to be a good listener. I can remember when I was in primary school, I would go and buy cartons of sweets [sugar boxes] and I would start selling them just to make money. I was so interested in business, even at that time and people saw it too.”

2. Be consistent; The Dangote Group was established as a small trading firm in 1977. Today, it is a multi-trillion naira conglomerate. Every business has a hiccups but that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t succeed.

3. Possess the right informations; You need to have adequate information at your finger tips to make the right decisions. The Dangote Group has moved from being a trading company to being the largest industrial group in Nigeria and includes: Dangote Sugar Refinery, Dangote Cement, and Dangote Flour because of information.

4. Be focused; Dangote Group with its dominance in the sugar market and refinery business is the main supplier (70% of the market) to the country’s soft drinks companies, breweries and confectioners has remained consistency and focused.

5. Think ahead; Never stay comfortable, stay ahead. Dangote Sugar Refinery is the largest refinery in Africa and the third largest in the world, producing 800,000 tonnes of sugar annually.

6. Have a vision; You need to have a vision and a mission to be able to actualize what’s in your mind.

7. Do only things you understand; He has diversified into telecommunications, and has started building 14,000 kilometres of fibre optic cables to supply the whole of Nigeria. As a result, he was honoured in January 2009 as the leading provider of employment in the Nigerian construction industry.

8. Think Big; Dangote was awarded Nigeria’s second highest honour, the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger. It’s never too late to reach for the top.

9. Form strategic plans; In May 2015 Dangote expressed interest in purchasing the English football team Arsenal. He stated that if he was able to make the purchase he would fire the club’s long-standing manager Arsene Wenger.

10. Your name is your most valuable asset; He’s ranked by Forbes magazine as the 67th richest person in the world, and the richest in Africa.

And that’s it for this blog post, I hope you enjoyed reading this.

Bellafricana published in Articles November 21, 2019

The Rise Of Adire For Fashion Lovers

Fashion lovers in Nigeria are definitely not new to Adire but if you have never heard of the fabric from Nigeria, you have been missing out on all the colorful items you could have in your wardrobe. To help you a better understanding of this, here is some history;

Adire, is a Yoruba (a tribe in Southwestern Nigeria) word for tie and dye. It was first made by Yoruba women of old by using a variety of resist-dyeing techniques.As the translation of the name suggests, the earliest pieces of Adire were probably simple tied designs on cotton cloth handspun and woven locally.

I remember seeing a movie called “Odùduwà“, where the first wife of Oduduwa thought women how to tie and dye clothes. The ideology according to that movie’s story line was that before tie and dye textile came, clothes were only available in white colours. Continue reading here

Now we all are on the same page, let’s talk about the rise in the growth of adire. Gone are the days when there were limited styles for adire, now, you can you can use it for any style in mind. Check out some below;

With these latest styles, tell me who wouldn’t want to rock a piece?

Also, it’s easier to get now. With vendors such as Asologe, Sisi Aladire and more, you can easily place a call to get any of these. Click on pictures to shop any.

With fabric styles like this, do you still wonder why adire fabric is growing in the fashion sphere? Join the train today and shop some adire fabrics from bellafricana marketplace.

Bellafricana published in Articles November 20, 2019

Taraji P. Henson Shares Top Rules For Success In 2019

Taraji P. Henson is not new to most as she is a well known Hollywood actress and has featured in some of our best movies, which Includes Empire, where she plays the role of Cookie Lyon.

This Hollywood favorite, who has gone on to become a big name in the industry winning numerous awards. In 2016, Time named Taraji P. Henson one of the 100 most influential people in the world on the annual Time 100 list. She has also executive produced some of her projects such as her 2014 film No Good Deed.

The beautiful thing about Taraji P. Henson is her journey to success isn’t a smooth one but rather an inspiring one. On this post, we get to learn some of her secrets to success as complied by Evans Carmichael.

Take Risks; Taraji P.Henson says, don’t be afraid to take risks. You only have one life to live and the best way to live a fulfilled life is to go outside of your comfort zone, try things, find those that work and leave behind, this way, you don’t regret anything.
Go For It; You have something on you mind? You don’t know where it will lead but you can’t stop thinking about it? Go for it! What’s the worst that would happen? Life really does go on after all?
Overcome Your Ego; The greatest enemy to your success is your ego. Taraji advises to never let ego get in the way of taking corrections and getting help when you need it.
Ignore Your Fear; First, remember that everyone deals with fear, even with the greatest person you know. So look beyond your fears because they will always be there and just do what you need to do.
Focus On Your Passion; Search within you for what makes you happy, what drives you, discover these things, and focus on it.
Be A Fighter; No one said the road to success would be easy, but it would be worth it. In other to achieve success, you should be ready to fight your way through.
Take Control Of Your Life; Remember, it’s your life, your decisions to make. So, take control on your life decision.
Embrace Your Challenges; Again, challenges are part of the journey, so embrace it. Don’t try to neglect them, accept them, work on them and get better.
Surround Yourself With Good Energy; No one achieves anything without the help of others. Ensure to have yourself surrounded with people who care and support you.
Chase Your Dreams; Your dreams are valid! Regardless of what they are, if you can conceive it in your mind, you can achieve it, so go for it.

So many amazing things to learn from Taraji P. Henson, but this is where we draw the curtain. I do hope that you learnt and enjoyed reading this.

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