DEAR GIRLFRIEND,...you must be an asset and not a Liability!!! (1)

There are no effects in life without causes. Sure you know that. Also, from observations and mostly experience, you must have come to the conclusion like I have, that the need for MONEY is the root cause of most problems and complications we have in the soceity today. Just in case you are doubting, If you were given 50 million right now (see it truly), am I right to say that at least, 50% of your current challenges will be over in a sweep. Let’s see... • You want to pursue your academics in a very good institution, probably abroad. • You need a good accomodation as a family and the rent is getting higher by the day. • Your siblings all need to go to school and pay for everything payable. • Looking for a good paying job so badly. • Someone is down with one sickness or the other that requires money for quality and adequate treatment. • Your Parents are complaining about the upkeep of family • Your Fiance is not able to settle down with you for marriage because he is not financially empowered. • You can’t dress well, eat well, travel to places you’ld have loved to, buy books or Cds you’ld have loved to read or hear, register and attend seminars or conferences, participate in some church activities and even service groups(that require money in one way or the other) The List is endless................................................................................................ If money has so much influence, then why can’t we put good and conscious measures into place to ensure that we do not lack it. The truth is that Lack makes a Man so uncomfortable and the absence of money is like cancer because it affects every other aspect of your life. Agreed, there are problems or issues in life that money cannot solve. There are people that have the money for whatever they want yet they lack peace and even have diseases that are beyond medical solution. However, you’ld agree with me that with the availablity of Money, the problems are brought down to the minimum. Now, let’s narrow this down to ladies. Most ladies have found themselves compromising their precious lives for the benefit they would receive in monetary terms or... • How else can you explain a young lady of 25 years old having affairs with married Men old enough to be her father? • How can you explain a lady getting married to a Man she does not Love but because he is financially empowered. • Or a lady that will stand on the streets to exchange her body for money... • Or a lady that will betray her friend(like Judas did to Jesus for 30 pieces of silver which he ended up not spending) into the hands of ritual killers because of the money that is going to be given to her? The list remains endless.... LADIES VIEWS Ladies and Women in general tend to view money and finances differently from Men though mindsets are being changed drastically these days because we now have ladies going all the way into their various fields of interest and making great impact there, thus getting empowered financially. However. Some women still think that the development of a viable financial life plan majorly rest on Men and the best they can do is to find such Men that have made it big! Ladies and women in general need to be reminded that a Man is not a financial plan! WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE AN ASSET? An asset in simple terms, means anything useful or valuable. As a woman, you can bring yourself under the light of any or all of the following if you’re to consider yourself as an asset. Remember, it has little or nothing to do with the number of clothes, bags or shoes you have in your wardrobe though they can be converted into cash if they still retain their value. The assets I’m addressing here lies mainly in the education and thus, skills you have acquired as a result of it. To be educated simply means to be trained or taught either within the confines of a school environment or outside. This involves either getting a Diploma, Degree, Masters or PH.D in a desired course and other Professional courses. Your desired course of study or career can be JUST ANYTHING ranging from Hairdressing, Tailoring, Designing, Medicine, Law, Engineering, Journalism, Fine Arts, e.t.c and I must tell you, none is more lucrative than the other. It’s your attitude to work that matters. The above can be learnt in either ways.The list is endless. Getting trained or educated formally and informally is the KEY! There is nothing like being FINANCIALLY INDEPENDENT as a single and even as a married Woman. Even when you operate joint accounts, you still need to keep an account in your own name because of so many reasons part of which is for you to be able to contribute your own quota into the relationship,not having to depend on your partner for every single need, the fact that some Men are not that good with managing money, to be able to readily expand your career e.t.c WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A LIABILITY? Simply put, having to rely on another person or people for almost all your needs frequently such that you are considered a PEST even if you are not told to your face. Instead of just sitting down and being idle as regards financial matters,having to be burdened with anything that involves money, I would like to share some business ideas that you could set up.Some of these businesses may require that you acquire new skills while there might be some that you already possess the skills needed to set up. Above all start a business that defines you as an individual and gives you satisfaction. Below are some business Ideas that you can start. 1.Beauty Services – Salon, Spa 2.Child care provider – Creche 4.Children’s party Planner 5.Caterer 6.Computer Services 7.Direct selling – Mary Kay, Avon, Mark, clothes, shoes, bags (JUST ANYTHING) 8.Dry cleaning services 9. Event planning 10.Writing 11.Fashion designing 12 .Fitness Instructor 13.Home Tutoring 14.House cleaning 15.Interior designing services 16.Jewelry designing 17.Liquid soap production 18.Consultant 19.Multi level marketing e.g Ardyss, Forever Living products, FM perfumes 20.Make-up Artist 21.Motivational speaker 22.Nanny services 23.Photography 24.Party rentals services 25.Web designer 26.Wedding Planner 27. Art works. 28. Private Lessons/ Tutorial centre. Remember having a business idea is the first stage to starting a business .Until you consciously take the decision and act on it, there will be no business! SO HOW DO I GET STARTED? Erase the notion that you need hundreds of thousands or millions of Naira to make it on your own. If you can start smart, then you’re on your way to a liberating experience. 1. Develop Skills and Confidence. Once you’ve created your business model you’ll have to develop the skills necessary to make it in this competitive environment. Being smart is not enough to be successful. You need to rely on determination, guts, tough skin and confidence. You are sure to encounter many roadblocks along the way and you have to be ready to face these head on. 2. Gather What You Have On Ground. You have to assess how long you can get by with little or no income. Try to take a stock of what you have and what you can gather from mature friends or family. If possible, sell some of your stuffs( it depends on how convincing you are of your business idea and the amount of risks you are willing to take) You might even have to put up your Blackberry for sale(Funny)? 3. Delay Being So Official Delay the normal business starting activities like incorporating, hiring, renting an office e.t.c until after your business has started earning money. Avoid the temptation of having to start big thus procrastinating and eventually, not starting at all. 4. Take Substantial Responsibility Try to do most things yourself (at least for a start) without having to hire and pay an expert. I hope this helps. It will save you a lot of compromises that characterises lack of money. I’ld get to share with you my personal experiences in the world of business and being financially independent from scratch till present. Watch out for the concluding part.