CBN to grant 3m loan to Youth Corps members

Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has approved through Heritage Bank as the pilot bank for the Youth Innovative Entrepreneurship Development Programme (YIEDP). The programme is aimed at harnessing the latent entrepreneurial spirit in the teeming youth by providing them timely and affordable loans to implement their business ideas. It further provides a sustainable mechanism to stimulate employment, contribute to the nation’s non-oil Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and address the challenge of youth restiveness.
The following youth, aged 18 – 35, are eligible under this scheme:

I.Serving National Youth Corps members
II.Non-NYSC members (not more than five years post National Youth Service)
Qualified Business Sectors:
1.Agro - Allied
2.Food Processing / Preservation
3.Arts & Crafts
4.Manufacturing / Cottage Industry
5.Information & Communication Technology (ICT)
6.Construction Support
7.Power & Energy
8.Education & Financial Inclusion
9.Film & Photography
10.Automobile
11.Others
Transaction Dynamics:
•Eligible youth can apply for the loan through this portal http://www.yiedp-hbng.com/ using his/her NYSC State Code
•Applications can be made as an individual or as a group of 3-5 applicants with similar business interests
•A single applicant can access up to a facility limit of N3million while group projects jointly owned by 3-5 qualified beneficiaries can access up to a facility limit of N10million
•Applicants can also track application status via the same portal
•Applications will be processed centrally from the Head Office Annex
•Security: Graduate entrepreneurs will use their tertiary institution(s) certificate(s) and their NYSC discharge certificate. Serving Corp members will pledge their NYSC discharge certificate and their tertiary institution(s) certificates(s). Also, legal ownership of assets financed by the bank and 3rd party guarantors will be requested as additional collateral from all entrepreneurs
•Successful candidates will be assigned to ECs close to the intended business locations.
Please refer to the FAQ for further clarification http://www.yiedp-hbng.com/ies/faqs.aspx
Copied! We may have younger ones that need the funds to start their own business.
Thank you.

The programme is believed to boost employment in the country and encourage new young entrepreneurs
Read more: https://www.naij.com/775682-cbn-grant-n3m-loan-youth-corps-member.html?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_group=free

Obama Kicks Up His Heels Dancing Tango in Argentina

President Obama could not resist the chance to tango on his first day in Argentina.

At a State Dinner hosted by Argentine President Mauricio Macri, President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama were coaxed to the dance floor by professional tango dancers.

Hundreds of guests were entertained by an impromptu performance as the president -- after initially resisting -- sauntered across the dance floor with the professional dancer. Moments later, the First Lady also took a turn at the traditional Argentine dance. 

 Shocked guests stood to shoot video of the presidential performance because the world is in confusion but he is in Argentina dancing.

How to Start a Consulting Business

The dictionary defines a consultant as "an expert in a particular field who works as an advisor either to a company or to another individual." Sounds pretty vague, doesn't it? But unless you've been in a coma for the past decade, you probably have a good idea what a consultant is.
Are you an expert in the fund-raising field? Maybe you have worked for nonprofit agencies in the field of fund-raising, marketing, public relations or sales, and over the years you have discovered how to raise money. As someone who has turned a decade of fund-raising successes into a lucrative consulting business, I can tell you that fund-raising consulting is indeed a growing industry.

Things to Consider Before You Become a Consultant

• What certifications and special licensing will I need? Depending upon your profession, you may need special certification or a special license before you can begin operating as a consultant. For example, fund-raising consultants don't need special certification, although you can become certified through the National Society of Fund Raising Executives. And in some states, you may need to register as a professional fund-raising consultant before starting your business.
• Am I qualified to become a consultant? Before you hang out your shingle and hope that clients begin beating your door down to hire you, make sure you have the qualifications necessary to get the job done. If you want to be a computer consultant, for example, make sure you are up to date in the knowledge department with all the trends and changes in the computer industry.
• Am I organized enough to become a consultant? Do I like to plan my day? Am I an expert when it comes to time management? You should have answered "yes" to all three of those questions!
• Do I like to network? Networking is critical to the success of any type of consultant today. Begin building your network of contacts immediately.
• Have I set long-term and short-term goals? And do they allow for me to become a consultant? If your goals do not match up with the time and energy it takes to open and successfully build a consulting business, then reconsider before making any move in this direction!

Although you can be a consultant in just about any field these days, the current top 20 consulting businesses include:
1. Accounting: Accounting is something that every business needs, no matter how large or small. Accounting consultants can help a business with all of its financial needs.
2. Advertising: This type of consultant is normally hired by a business to develop a good strategic advertising campaign.
3. Auditing: From consultants who audit utility bills for small businesses to consultants who handle major work for telecommunications firms, auditing consultants are enjoying the fruits of their labor.
4. Business: Know how to help a business turn a profit? If you have a good business sense, then you'll do well as a business consultant. After computer consulting, people in this field are the next most sought after.
5. Business writing: Everyone knows that most businesspeople have trouble when it comes to writing a report--or even a simple memo. Enter the business writing consultant, and everyone is happy!
6. Career counseling: With more and more people finding themselves victims of a corporate downsizing, career counselors will always be in demand. Career counselors guide their clients into a profession or job that will help them be both happy and productive as an employee.
7. Communications: Communications consultants specialize in helping employees in both large and small businesses better communicate with each other, which ultimately makes the business more efficient and operate smoothly.
8. Computer consulting: From software to hardware, and everything in between, if you know computers, your biggest problem will be not having enough hours in the day to meet your clients' demands!
9. Editorial services: From producing newsletters to corporate annual reports, consultants who are experts in the editorial field will always be appreciated.

10. Human resources: As long as businesses have people problems (and they always will), consultants in this field will enjoy a never-ending supply of corporate clients, both large and small. (People-problem prevention programs could include teaching employees to get along with others, respect and even violence prevention in the workplace.)
11. Insurance: Everyone needs insurance, and everyone needs an insurance consultant to help them find the best plan and pricing for them.
12. Marketing: Can you help a business write a marketing plan? Or do you have ideas that you feel will help promote a business? If so, why not try your hand as a marketing consultant?

Target Market:Your idea may be the best one you have ever thought of, but there needs to be a market for your ideas. Someone must be willing and able to pay you for your expert advice.In other words, who are your potential clients? Will you be marketing your consulting services to large corporations? Or will you offer a specialty that would only be of interest to smaller businesses? Perhaps your services will be sought after by nonprofit organizations. Whatever the case, before you go forward, make sure you spend time preparing both a business plan and a marketing plan. You won't be disappointed with the results--especially when clients begin paying you!

Location and Employees:

Your consulting business will probably not require a large capital investment at first. In fact, if you are able to, you should consider operating out of your home. (Certain deed restrictions and local laws may prohibit you from doing this; check with an attorney before you proceed.)

There are many advantages to having a home office. Among them are:

• Low overhead expenses. You don't have to worry about paying rent or utilities for an office; you will appreciate this feature until you establish a regular client base.
• Flexibility. There is little doubt that operating as a consultant at home gives you a great deal of flexibility. You can set your own hours and take time off as you need it.

Employees:

When you first open the doors to your consulting practice, you may be able to handle all the operations by yourself. But as your consulting business begins to grow, you may need help handling administrative details or help completing the actual consulting assignments.

Income and Billing

Now that you have made the decision to open your consulting business, you need to get serious about how much money you will charge your clients. If you charge too little, you won't succeed in business. If you charge too much, you won't get any clients. So how do you find that middle ground that seems fair to everyone involved? One way to help you decide how much to charge is to find out what the competition's rates are. A simple telephone call, asking for their brochure and rates, should do the trick. Then set your rates so that you are competitive with everyone else in the community.

Project Rates

When working on a project rate basis, a consultant normally gets a fixed amount of money for a predetermined period of time. A few of my fund-raising clients actually preferred to be charged this way, so it wasn't unusual for me to charge $36,000 for a one-year project in which I consulted them on how they could raise money. Because of the amount of money involved, most agencies preferred to be billed on a monthly basis. This worked out fine until I realized that many agencies were late paying their monthly bills.

Marketing

If your consulting business has no clients, then you have no consulting business. But you must remember that selling your consulting services is not the same as selling a car or a house. In the case of the car or the house, the customer is probably already in the market for one or both of those products. Your job, then, becomes harder, because you are marketing your services to people who may not even be aware that they need those services.
There are a variety of methods you need to become both familiar and comfortable with in order to begin attracting and keeping clients. Let's look at some of the more conventional ones that are being used by many consultants today.

Advertising

The limits you place on advertising your consulting services will be directly tied to your advertising budget. If you are lucky enough to have a very healthy advertising budget, remember that you don't have to spend the money on ads just because you have it to spend. Advertising can be very expensive. Jeffery B., a Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, consultant, advertises in his association's publication. "They publish what is called the Green Book, which is a directory of research and marketing consulting businesses around the country. It has helped me generate new business," he says.

Public Speaking

Public speaking is another excellent way to recruit new clients and to earn a reputation for excellence in your community. Unless you live in a town so small it doesn't have a chamber of commerce or a Lion's Club, Rotary Club or other similar service organization, you can begin offering your services as a speaker for luncheons, dinners or any other special occasion.

Source: www.entrepreneur.com

6 Lies They Teach you in Business School

Connections. Community. Mentorship. Immersion in management theory, market strategy and financial forecasting. A big, fat résumé boost.
The benefits of getting a business degree are multifold. But as many MBAs and their undergrad counterparts can attest, so are the falsehoods imparted.
Some business lessons simply can’t be taught within the confines of the classroom; case studies, theories and formulas don’t always translate to real-world wins. And possibly the most valuable education entrepreneurs can receive comes from failing spectacularly, dusting themselves off and applying what they’ve learned to the next project.
But don’t take our word for it. We asked emerging and successful entrepreneurs to share what they consider to be the biggest lies perpetuated by business programs. Here’s what a handful of them had to say.

1. Outline it all first.

Business schools like to emphasize planning (and planning and planning). But once you’re in the thick of running a company, even the slightest industry change can send the best-laid business plans out the window.
“In academics, there’s a clear and straightforward way to win,” says Kristin Smith, CEO of Code Fellows, a Seattle-based software programming school. “But entrepreneurship isn’t linear.” Instead, it’s messy and unpredictable, marked by trial, error and pivots.
Of course, a business degree will equip you with many of the essential tools you’ll need to run a company. “But there are so many levels on which you’re constantly adjusting,” says Smith, who earned her MBA in 2003 from MIT Sloan School of Management. “You’re probably using a hammer in a way that it was never meant to be used.”

2. You can analyze your way into a good idea. 

At business school, data is king. But many graduates have learned that you can’t use a spreadsheet to shoehorn your way into a winning product or service.
Katherine Long, a University of Pennsylvania Wharton School alum, started a seven-figure business, Illustria Designs, in 2013, right after she graduated. Sure, all those A/B testing exercises in the classroom were instructive. But when pursuing a business idea, she seized on a pressing need for herself and her classmates: high-quality yet affordable designs for logos, websites, web and mobile apps and other marketing materials.

3.You need to pay your dues. 

Despite what business professors may say, you don’t have to work in a corporate environment before starting a company. “There’s pressure to talk to corporate recruiters,” says Long, whose instructors and advisors placed a strong emphasis on landing a job with a high-profile employer.
Unlike many of her peers, Long skipped diving headfirst into the traditional Wall Street gig after graduation. Rather than a sexy pedigree, she believes, “persistence and grit” are what it takes to succeed as a founder—and she should know. Bethesda, Md.-based Illustria Designs, which has 20 employees, has raked in more than $1 million in revenue.

4. You need to make money before you can indulge your passion. 

This was the message Falik received in grad school: Earn big first; focus on the career of your dreams later.
Falik, whose résumé includes educational and international development work, ignored this advice. In 2008, on the heels of finishing business school, she founded Global Citizen Year, an Oakland, Calif.-based nonprofit that selects and trains high school grads to spend a “bridge year” in developing countries. Yes, money was tight initially, especially with student loans in the mix. But to get her nonprofit off the ground, Falik moved in with her parents, tapped her savings account and secured a handful of grants. “There was no reason to postpone something I was passionate about,” she says.It was the right call: Global Citizen Year is thriving—it has raised $8.5 million in grants and donations, and $5.5 million in tuition and program fees—and Falik loves the work. More important, the organization has sent nearly 500 high school grads on bridge years in Latin America and Africa; plans are underway to add programs in India, the Middle East and China.

5. You need to raise institutional funds. 

Business schools place too much emphasis on raising sizable chunks of capital from angel investors and venture capitalists, says Bob Gillespie, a serial entrepreneur who received his MBA in 2011 from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. “Getting institutional money is difficult and time-consuming,” says Gillespie, CEO of Conference Software Solutions. Better to bootstrap and tap friends and family right out of the gate.
Sure, institutional funding has its place later in the business life cycle. But when you’re in the early stages of building a company, your focus should be on understanding your market, learning what customers want (and how much they’ll pay), differentiating yourself from competitors and proving your concept.
“All those things are more important than saying, ‘I got $5 million,’” says Gillespie, who teaches emerging entrepreneurs at 1871, a co-working space in Chicago. Besides, he says, investors want to fund proven concepts that have a clear path to revenue and large market potential, not untested ideas.

6. Hard work is the biggest key to success. 

Actually it’s just one of many ingredients. As an undergrad at Texas Christian University’s Neeley School of Business, Tanner Agar heard his fair share about the entrepreneurial rewards he’d reap if he put in long hours and gave his venture his all.
“It’s great from an aspirational perspective,” says the founder and CEO of The Chef Shelf, a Fort Worth, Texas-based food e-tailer that sources gourmet products from leading chefs and restaurants. “But I don’t think that prepares you for what you’re actually going to face.”
Pressure, self-doubt and even depression are among the emotional pitfalls many new founders experience. Unfortunately, Agar says, having investors and employees in the mix—not to mention relatives who’d preferred you’d gotten “a real job”—can exacerbate the problem. While business schools tout the benefits of single-mindedness and dedication, wellness experts emphasize the importance of entrepreneurs maintaining outlets for relaxation and stress relief.
For Agar, moving into the offices of a tech incubator filled with other young ’treps helped combat the isolation and stress of long hours on the job. “It’s nice to have the camaraderie,” he says. “Without them, it would have been so much harder.”

Written by Michelle Goodman

10 Body Language Secrets of Successful People

Our bodies have a language of their own, and their words aren’t always kind. Your body language has likely become an integral part of who you are, to the point where you might not even think about it.

 Here are 10 most common body language blunders that people make, and emotionally intelligent people are careful to avoid.
1. Slouching is a sign of disrespect. It communicates that you’re bored and have no desire to be where you are. You would never tell your boss, “I don’t understand why I have to listen to you,” but if you slouch, you don’t have to—your body says it for you, loud and clear.
The brain is hardwired to equate power with the amount of space people take up. Standing up straight with your shoulders back is a power position. It maximizes the amount of space you fill. Slouching, on the other hand, is the result of collapsing your form—it takes up less space and projects less power.
Maintaining good posture commands respect and promotes engagement from both ends of the conversation.
2. Exaggerated gestures can imply that you’re stretching the truth. Aim for small, controlled gestures to indicate leadership and confidence, and open gestures—like spreading your arms apart or showing the palms of your hands—to communicate that you have nothing to hide.
3. Watching the clock while talking to someone is a clear sign of disrespect, impatience, and inflated ego. It sends the message that you have better things to do than talk to the person you’re with, and that you’re anxious to leave them.
4. Turning yourself away from others, or not leaning into your conversation, portrays that you are unengaged, uninterested, uncomfortable, and perhaps even distrustful of the person speaking.
Try leaning in towards the person who is speaking and tilt your head slightly as you listen to them speak. This shows the person speaking that they have your complete focus and attention.
5. Crossed arms—and crossed legs, to some degree—are physical barriers that suggest you’re not open to what the other person is saying. Even if you’re smiling or engaged in a pleasant conversation, the other person may get a nagging sense that you’re shutting him or her out.
Even if folding your arms feels comfortable, resist the urge to do so if you want people to see you as open-minded and interested in what they have to say.
6. Inconsistency between your words and your facial expression causes people to sense that something isn’t right and they begin to suspect that you’re trying to deceive them, even if they don’t know exactly why or how.
For example, a nervous smile while rejecting an offer during a negotiation won’t help you get what you want; it will just make the other person feel uneasy about working with you because they’ll assume that you’re up to something.
7. Exaggerated nodding signals anxiety about approval. People may perceive your heavy nods as an attempt to show you agree with or understand something that you actually don’t.
8. Fidgeting with or fixing your hair signals that you’re anxious, over-energized, self-conscious, and distracted. People will perceive you as overly concerned with your physical appearance and not concerned enough with your career.
 9.Weak handshakes signal that you lack authority and confidence, while a handshake that is too strong could be perceived as an aggressive attempt at domination, which is just as bad. Adapt your handshake to each person and situation, but make sure it’s always firm.
 10.Getting too close. If you stand too close to someone (nearer than one and a half feet), it signals that you have no respect for or understanding of personal space. This will make people very uncomfortable when they’re around you.

Written by Daniella

How to Become a Film and Television Actor

Have you ever dreamed of one day becoming a famous Hollywood actor? If so, the first thing you need to realize is that this dream can become a reality if you're willing to put in the time, training, dedication, passion and patience required to make it in Hollywood.
If you've always wondered how to become a film or television actor, then here are ten steps that may not get you the role of a lifetime, but they will help you to treat your acting career as a career and not simply as something you choose to do for fun.

Step 1: Learn How to Act
Seems like a given, doesn't it? But I can't tell you the number of people that come out to Hollywood thinking that all they need to do is get a job as a waiter at some popular restaurant, meet an agent, get "discovered" and then it's nothing but champagne and caviar from there.Acting is first and foremost a craft. The best of the Hollywood actors understand this and no matter how far they have come in their careers, they are constantly looking to improve upon their craft. They take classes, work with acting and dialogue coaches, they study life experiences, etc. They know full well that even after a lifetime of work and study, they may never reach absolute perfection.

Step 2: Location, Location, Location.
I hate telling people this, but if you hope to work in film and/or television as an actor, you need to go where the work is. Now, that doesn't necessarily doom you to living in The United States or wherever .After all, there are plenty of acting jobs in Vancouver, Montreal, Chicago, Miami, Baltimore, etc.New York and Los Angeles are where most of the casting directors work and live. So, many of the shows that are shot in Canada or other cities within the U.S. are still cast in LA or New York. So, even though you don't necessarily need to move here, keep in mind that it is where most of the action is.

Step 3: Be Willing to do What it Takes
No, that doesn't mean what you think it means. Don't worry about the "casting couch." But you must be willing to do what it takes for the sake of your craft. You might ultimately have to sacrifice certain aspects of your life to ensure that you will have success as a working Hollywood actor.
You must take the time to master your craft. If that means sacrificing a relationship or a few friendships along the way, so be it. I know that sounds rather harsh, but acting is not a 9-5 job by any stretch.
If you're lucky enough to land a role in a major film or television production, realize that this is not the glamorous Hollywood job you might've thought it would be.

Step 4: Commit Yourself
I once had a friend of mine tell me that there are no bad actors, just actors who aren't willing to "fully commit" themselves to their craft.
Just as I mentioned above that you have to make certain sacrifices to make it as an actor in Hollywood, one of those is your ego. If you're about looking cool, or trying to maintain a certain image, then acting might not be for you.
The best actors are those who are willing to let themselves be 100% consumed by the role they are playing. They physically become the person they portray.
If you're in the middle of delivering your lines and suddenly you let yourself drift back into your own life, you are not fully committed to the role and your performance will show it. You have to literally "forget yourself" to help ensure the quality of your performance.

Step 5: Be Nice
Hollywood is all about helping those you know because they might one day be in a position to help you as well. So, you need to remember this steadfast rule -- be nice to everyone. From agents' assistants to fellow cast members to whomever you meet in Hollywood. Remember, that assistant you treated poorly two years ago might one day become a casting director, film producer,talent agent or whatever. And trust me, they'll remember those who stomped on their toes on their way up the ladder.
Conversely, they'll remember those who were nice the whole way up and they'll be that much more inclined to help them achieve their own goals.

Step 6: Focus On The Craft -- Not the Agent
There are many actors I know who spent years worrying more about getting an agent than becoming a well trained actor.
Agents are a necessary evil, but they do not make you or break you (as much as they like to think they do). As many actors will attest, simply because they have a powerful agent does not guarantee their success.
The happiest actors are the working actors.
 
STEP 7: Have Patience
Rare is the true "overnight success." Sure, there are those actors that seem completely unknown one day, only to dominate the limelight the next. But the reality is that there were years of hard work and preparation that led them to that "sudden discovery."
Hollywood is a strange town. There are actors who have literally been working for decades when all the sudden, they're in a role that gets a bit of attention and suddenly, they're famous.
Patience is not only a virtue in Hollywood, it's an absolute must to keep from going insane. So develop your patience and you will enjoy the process of rising to stardom that much more even if you never end up getting there.

STEP 8: Take Some Improv
Regardless of what you may think of improvisation theater, it is one skill that most actors that I've worked with count on in a time of need.

Especially for you theater actors who might be stuck with someone who freezes midway through their lines.

Beyond a crisis situation, improv is one of the few styles of acting where you have absolute freedom to discover what things you're good at, and which things could use some work.
As one actor friend told me, "improv is a way to discover your range as an actor while at the same time, it forces you to explore new territory while having to commit wholeheartedly to the situation at hand."

Written by Phil Breman
 Phil Breman is a Los Angeles based writer/producer with extensive credits in both scripted and reality television.He has spent the last fifteen years working in the entertainment industry. He has literally done it all. From starting out as a cameraman, to working as a talent agent, creative executive, sit-com writer/producer to most recently serving in the role of executive producer and Chief Creative Officer of his own media firm. Over the years, he has served in a number of vital roles at major entertainment companies like NBC Universal, Warner Brothers, The Walt Disney Company, Paramount Television and DreamWorks. Mr. Breman currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife and family.

ITAN (The Story)

ÌTÀN is a very fascinating blend of drama, cultural and contemporary dance and music. It captures the sublime tension and misunderstanding that exists between different age generations – the millennials, in particular. It also outlines subtle modern cultural mismatches.
The play written by Ayo Jaiyesimi and directed by renowned theatre veteran, Ben Tomoloju, showcases Àsìkò (‘Time’ personified) who intervenes in a feud between ‘old school, die-hard’ village elder, Pa Latinwo and his newly discovered city, roller-coaster grandson, D-Kay. Àsìkò takes them on a journey into the past and the future and they both discover dark secrets that make them come to terms with the fact that they need each other to survive. The play features some of Nigeria’s stage favorites including Nobert Young, Sam Uquah, Nissi George, Segun Dada and Wazobia FM’s ‘Lolo 1’- Omotunde David amongst others.
Details of ITAN Stage play ‘Easter Weekend’
Venue: AGIP Hall, MUSON Centre, Lagos
Date: 26th & 27th March 2016
Time: 3:00pm & 6:00pm
 Fees: Regular - N5000, VIP - N10,000, Premium - N25,000

Join the conversation using #ITANSTAGEPLAY on;
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 To get your tickets,visit :
 THESPIAN Family Theatre and Productions

Organizer Address:10, Tairu Olugbani Street, Off Kudirat Abiola Way, Oregun - Lagos.

Organizer Contact Info.:07046380179

Organizer Mobile:08187490128

Organizer Email:info@thespianfamilytheatre.com

Organizer Website: www.thespianfamilytheatre.com