Our own cleaner was using office logo for content😂😂😂 the funniest part was that this girl never appeared to be anyone capable of doing such thing. We had to make her delete them all
It’s the beginning of the year. Every business wants to grow. Energy is high, enthusiasm is up, and the plans are bold, optimistic, sometimes unrealistic. I love it! I’ve been there many times.
But the truth is, sometimes you simply can’t afford that growth, no matter how good the plans sound. Growth usually eats cash long before it produces it. Every new hire, new channel, new location, new client, and ad campaign hits your bank account first, way before it shows up in revenues and your bottom line. It really does take money to make money.
For small businesses, this means you have to be deliberate. Before adding more, ask yourself if you can get more out of what you already have. Review your pricing, take a send look at your cost structure, cut waste, and shorten how long it takes to turn sales into cash. Test new products, locations, or marketing ideas on a small scale before fully committing.
Focus first on moves that can bring in cash quickly. And most importantly, grow at a pace your cash flow can comfortably handle, not one driven by excitement or pressure.
Just as important, plan for the cash that will drive the growth. Ask yourself where that money will come from. Will it be from increased sales, retained profits, loans, investors, or support from friends and family? If the source isn’t clear, the growth plan probably isn’t ready.
Sustainable growth comes from discipline, good timing, and respect for cash, not just bold plans.
"Synthetic Artificial Sweeteners Cause Damage To The Brain."
Dr Robert Lustig, MD
Chemical Sweetener Use Showed 289% Increase In Alzheimer's Disease.
And 296% Greater Risk Of Ischemic Stroke.
Daily Consumption Of These 6 Sweeteners Are Linked To Alzheimer's Dementia & Stroke.
Some sugar substitutes come with consequences for long-term brain health...
The artificial sweeteners examined were aspartame, sucralose, saccharin, acesulfame-K, erythritol, xylitol & sorbitol.
These are found in ultra-processed foods like flavored water, soda, energy drinks, yogurt, diet candy, low calorie desserts, ice cream, etc. Some are also used as a standalone sweetener.
Low- & no-calorie sweeteners are seen as a healthy alternative to sugar, research data shows certain sweeteners have very negative & harmful effects on brain health over time.
The daily consumption of the amount of sweetener in just 1 can of diet soda with these artificial sugar substitutes showed 63% decline in cognitive function over the course of 8 years.
The measured amount of artificial sweetener equates to approximately 1 teaspoon or 190 milligrams. 1 can of diet soda contains 200-300 milligrams of artificial sweetener.
The findings are the latest to warn about the dangers posed by sweeteners. Previous studies on these sweeteners have already shown an increase risk of a range of diseases including type 2 diabetes, cancer, heart problems, depression & dementia, and damage the endothelial gut wall.
Aspartame: Synthetically made by modifying Aspartic Acid & Phenylalanine. Linked to kidney & liver damage, anxiety, cognitive decline & DNA damage.
Sucralose: Chemically made by replacing 3 hydroxyl groups with chlorine. It is a neurotoxin & carcinogen.
Saccharin: Made from Toluene Coal Tar & undergoes oxidation, chlorination & ammoniation synthesis. Linked to bladder cancer & altered gut microbiome.
Acesulfame-K: Laboratory made from reacting acetoacetic acid with fluorosulfonyl isocyanate. Linked to coronary heart disease, cancer & type 2 diabetes.
Erythritol: Synthesized from GMO Corn. Causal for cardiovascular events & cerebrovascular damage.
Xylitol: Commercially made from birch trees & GMO Corn. Can Cause GI distress. Highly toxic & deadly to dogs.
Sorbitol: Synthetically made from GMO Corn. Causes blood glucose spikes & GI distress along with cognitive damage.
Non Nutritive Sweeteners Found To Be Safe:
Allulose
Monk Fruit
Stevia Leaf (If you do not have pre-existing heart issues or ragweed allergy, it is safe for most people)
Safe Natural Sugar For Those Who Consume Carbs:
Raw Honey
Coconut Sugar
Unrefined/Unbleached Turbinado Sugar
Maple Syrup
Molasses
Date Sugar
👇Artificial Sweeteners Cause Dementia & Stroke👇
https://t.co/mHdbaXvfdr
👇No Calorie Sweeteners & Cognitive Decline👇
https://t.co/ikKSJVYYte
👇8 Year Study On Cognitive Decline: Sweeteners👇
https://t.co/xlXI1hdh6u
Speakers: Steven Bartlett & Dr Robert Lustig, MD
Podcast: @Diary_Of_A_CEO
Video: @theneurofactory
Parents in Nigeria: you see this 400g of Milo your kids drink every morning?
It has more sugar than SIX cans of Coke.
Yet, Nestlé sells healthier, low-sugar versions abroad.
I studied this & here’s what i found.
Walk with me
How to Grow Potatoes at Home Using Just One Potato
What You’ll Need
A sprouted or seed potato
A large container (10–15 gallons) with drainage holes
Potting soil or compost
Optional: natural fertilizer
Water
Step-by-Step Guide
1. Prepare the Potato
Cut the sprouted potato into two or three chunks, ensuring each piece has at least one "eye" or sprout.
Let the pieces air-dry for about 24 hours—this helps form a protective layer to prevent rot when planted.
2. Set Up the Container
Fill the bottom of the container with 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) of soil.
Mix in a little natural fertilizer if you wish to give your crop a nutritional boost.
3. Planting the Potato Pieces
Place the dried potato chunks on the soil surface with the eyes facing up.
Cover them with another layer of soil—just enough to hide the pieces.
4. Watering
Keep the soil consistently moist, but not waterlogged.
Water only when the top layer of soil feels dry to the touch.
5. Hilling the Soil
As the plants grow, gradually add more soil around the base of the stems.
This technique encourages the plant to form more tubers along the buried stems.
6. Light Requirements
Ensure the container gets plenty of direct sunlight—aim for at least 6 to 8 hours each day for optimal growth.
7. Harvesting Your Potatoes
After about 10 to 12 weeks, the plant’s leaves will begin to yellow and die back.
This signals it's time to harvest. Gently empty the container and collect your homegrown potatoes.
Extra Tips
Choose a deep, well-draining container to prevent root rot.
Avoid planting potatoes that show signs of disease or rot.
Keep young plants protected from late-season frost.
Harvesting is simple: just tip the container over and sift through the soil.
I am not against prayers or spiritual warfare but any religious leader that tells you to stop your medications or quit treatment is a fraud. A wicked and inhumane person and a threat to life.
After the so called deliverance, go to the hospital for check up and I assure you, you ll see the need to continue treatment.
It’s not a curse. Neither is it magic.
10 tips on tenancy law:
1. Do not pay rent over any property without physical inspection. If you have complaints on the physical condition, insist that the property is fixed and put in good condition before you move in. Otherwise, you are presumed to have agreed to take the as it is.
2. Do not pay rent and move into the property without a written agreement signed by both tenant and landlord.
3. Before you do any structural renovation in the property, make sure you have A WRITTEN CONSENT OF THE LANDLORD and make sure your landlord either agrees to refund the money spent on renovation, in the event of ejection or net it off your next rent. In the absence of agreement, even if you spend billions renovating the property, you are on your own.
4. Make sure you engage a lawyer to advise you on your tenancy at all times. Don’t trust your landlord’s lawyer only and ensure your landlord knows that you have a lawyer.
5. When you receive a notice to quit or court paper from your landlord, do not ignore it. Make sure you immediately engage your lawyer to advise you appropriately. Do not wait till the period given in the notice lapses before engaging a lawyer.
6. You cannot destroy a property because the landlord refuses to refund your caution fee or deposit or unused rent or money used for renovations. If you do, you can be liable to pay damages for the damage done to the property and can be charge for malicious damage to property which attracts imprisonment for 2years.
7. If your rent or tenancy has expired or your tenancy is due for renewal and 6months notice to quit is issued, you will be liable to pay for every additional days or months you spend on the property. So notice period is not free period to stay without paying the landlord.
8. If you have to leave a property after your tenancy, you have obligation to hand over the property in a reasonable and tenantable condition, save for reasonable wears and tears. Any major damage caused to the property while it’s in your care, you must fix or be sued for damages.
9. Your landlord cannot arbitrarily or unilaterally increase rent. Rent is contractual and cannot be imposed without affording the tenant the opportunity to negotiate. If it’s unreasonably high, you can go to court to determine the rent.
10. Your landlord cannot eject you from the property while you are in court to determine what’s reasonable as rent.
Back in 2018, six of our customer service reps resigned within one month. But I was relieved, because it was clear they weren’t the right fit for the customer service culture we were building. One of the hardest battles I’ve fought is building a customer-first culture in my business, because when you're doing that in Nigeria, it goes beyond just training people, you’re fighting against deep-rooted habits, a broken system, and years of programming.
Back to my story, the reason they left was because of our high service standards.
Some complained we were too tolerant of customers’ “excesses.” I didn’t agree. Customers are the reason we exist. Yes, customers sometimes spoke harshly (which I never condoned), but retaliation wasn’t an option, and they didn’t like it. They also hated how readily we gave refunds and replacements, but for me, a refund or two is a small price to pay for long-term trust. One of their funniest complaints was, “When we step out, no one treats us nicely. Why should we treat customers like kings?” That mismatch between external experience and internal expectation was hard for them to accept.
To be fair, back then, our delivery service was really bad. 95% of complaints were about late deliveries, and frontline staff took a lot of heat. I understood, but even then, our job was to manage the customers, not mirror the customer’s frustration (thankfully, shoutout to @chowdeck, things are much better today!)
Here’s what I learned during this period:
1. Be ruthless about your culture. Define it clearly. Spell out what’s non-negotiable. Codify it if you have to: policies, SOPs, training manuals. And don’t just train it once; repeat it consistently. Back then, I ran at least 10 customer service training sessions a year. Celebrate and reward the right behaviours. Share success stories. Reinforce it daily.
2. Hire for culture fit, not just skills. Technical ability is important, but attitude and values matter even more. And after hiring, don’t wait too long to assess their fit early. Cut losses fast if necessary.
3. Protect your standards, even when it's uncomfortable. You will lose people. Some will resist. Some will leave. It’s part of the process. Don’t lower your standards to accommodate those who are not willing to grow with you.
4. Don’t let short-term pain kill your long-term vision. It's tempting to react emotionally when customers or staff "abuse" the system. But your brand is bigger than one difficult customer or one disgruntled staff member. Stay focused on the bigger picture.
5. Fix systemic problems, not just symptoms. Our delivery issues back then taught me this. You can have the best customer service team, but if your systems are broken, they’ll constantly be firefighting, and eventually burn out.
You don’t build culture by what you say, you build by what you enforce and what you reward. And trust me, it’ll be worth it in the end.
Most entrepreneurs rightly start out with the obvious stuff: THE PRODUCT (what can I sell to make money?), THE CUSTOMER (what do people need that I can provide?), THE LOCATION (how do I reach them, physical, online, or both?), and other operational details. These are all important, no doubt. But often, we get blindsided by other key areas that can quietly make or break a business down the line.
1. Structure: No Systems, Formal Structure, or Documentation
What can go wrong?
If everything lives in your head, and there are no formalized way of what and how people work, chaos will show up once your team starts growing, leading to inconsistent service, poor decisions, and stress.
What to do:
Start building systems early. Even if it’s just a simple 1-pager, document your processes, SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) are a lifesaver. Have clear roles, JDs and org structure.
2. Cash Flow Management (Not Just Profit)
What can go wrong?
You can be profitable on paper but still run out of cash, and that can kill your business faster than anything else. Many focus on sales but ignore actual cash movement.
What to do:
Track your cash inflow and outflow daily or weekly. Understand your working capital. Don’t blow money on things that look good but add little value.
3. Economics
What can go wrong?
Ignoring the bigger economic (macro & micro) picture can leave you exposed to risks or make you miss out on growth opportunities.
What to do:
Watch trends, economic shifts, and changes in customer behavior. A simple market scan can keep you ahead of the curve.
4. Support Roles (Software and Tools)
What can go wrong?
Overlooking basic tools like email clients, word processors, or accounting software drains your time and productivity.
What to do:
Invest wisely. Go free or manual where you can early on, but don’t ignore the tools that keep your operations running efficiently.
5. Ignoring Compliance, Taxes, and Permits
What can go wrong?
The taxman or regulators will come. Late fees, fines, interest, or even shutdowns can wreck your progress.
What to do:
Register your business, file your taxes, get insurance, and stay compliant from day one. It saves a lot of future headaches.
6. No Strategy for Scaling or Exit
What can go wrong?
Without a growth or exit strategy, you might get stuck in survival mode, hustling daily but never truly building.
What to do:
Look beyond today’s sales. Plan 1–3 years ahead. What does growth look like? What people, systems, or capital will you need to get there?
These are the things that often fly under the radar but can come back to bite you if ignored. As your business grows, remember, it's not just about the product or the customer. These behind the scenes pieces matter just as much.
Handle them early, and you’ll build a business that lasts.