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Showing posts from April, 2018

Chapter 3 - The Shipping agent

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We finally paid for our solar panels, batteries, cables, racking and combiner boxes. We have picked a shipping agent who will remain unnamed and we have handed him our waybills and invoice. He tells us to expect our delivery in 30 days. We figure March or Early April 2014. In anticipation of seeing the products first hand, my wife and I fly to Lagos in the Middle of May. She departs and we did not get the goods till then end of June 2014. Watch the video to understand the journey and the feelings that washed over me during the wait. Please share with friends and subscribe to my blog for more content

Is the pecking order really important at work?

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In 2018 I hired a director of operations to run our company. He had been interviewed by the team. We had a team that worked very well together and I jealously guarded that. I did not want anyone disrupting the manner in which they worked. Within 40 days of the new manager coming on board, team members had either been fired or had quit. What went wrong? I listened to this Ted Talks video and I learnt something from it. It is about chickens, but it is super instructive. I hope you can apply some of what she says to your business.

What my youngest son said to his older brothers.

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My youngest son was asked by his older brothers, why do Dad and Mom give you more than they ever gave us? His answer "I asked" Do you ask? Do you go after what you want?

Chapter 2. The Pivot

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Thank you for coming back and reading my content. In this chapter I discuss how I became an Original Equipment Manufacturer. I also tell you how I fund my initial purchases. Please comment and feel free to tell me what you liked and other sources of funding that you have used.

Quote of the Week.

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“The graveyard is the richest place on earth, because it is here that you will find all the hopes and dreams that were never fulfilled, the books that were never written, the songs that were never sung, the inventions that were never shared, the cures that were never discovered, all because someone was too afraid to take that first step, keep with the problem, or determined to carry our their dream.” ―   Les Brown

Chapter 1 The beginning

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The beginning is the title of this video, because we actually decided to be an entity. We had incorporated, established partnerships and our first conversation with a governmental agency.

Going to Nigeria to set up a successful solar business

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In 2013 I decided to focus my efforts and skills on building a business in Nigeria. My middle son had built a model of a landfill that could produce enough gas to power a fleet of garbage trucks. This prompted a visit to the Rutgers Eco Complex where I was given a tour of a waste to energy facility. Nigeria has a lot of organic waste and a deficit in power. So why not. Watch the Video to learn more