Content Table

Introduction

Remote Work and Collaboration Tool

Cloud Computing and Infrastructure Services

Alternative Energy Sources

Fleet Management Software

Data Analytics and Business Intelligence

Introduction

The recent decision by the government to remove fuel subsidies has had a significant impact on businesses, leading to a surge in petrol prices. This sudden increase has caused many organizations to experience financial challenges and operational difficulties. However, amidst these challenging times, businesses have turned to technology to mitigate the negative effects of fuel subsidy removal. 

This article explores how technology can be leveraged to minimize the impact of fuel subsidy removal on businesses, focusing on key areas like operational efficiency, alternative energy sources, and digitalization.

Read More: New Year, Old Challenges – How Businesses Can Solve The Japa Syndrome

Remote Work and Collaboration Tools

As fuel prices soar, commuting costs have become a burden for both employers and employees. However, thanks to remote work and collaboration tools provided by companies like Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Zoho, businesses can adapt to this new reality. Platforms such as Google Workspace and Microsoft Teams enable seamless communication, collaboration, and remote work capabilities.

These tools offer a range of features, including instant messaging, video conferencing, file sharing, and project management. Employees can work from the comfort of their homes or any location, reducing the need for daily commutes, especially in a chaotic city like Lagos and thus decreasing transportation expenses which have tripled after the fuel subsidy removal. The ability to collaborate in real time and hold virtual meetings ensures that business operations continue smoothly, regardless of physical proximity.

Moreover, these tools foster a flexible work environment, empowering employees to achieve work-life balance, which can lead to increased productivity and job satisfaction. Additionally, remote work options can attract and retain top talent, as it expands the pool of potential employees beyond geographical limitations.

Cloud Computing and Infrastructure Services

With the removal of fuel subsidies, businesses are seeking cost-effective solutions to optimize their operations. Cloud computing and infrastructure services provided by Google Cloud, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Zoho Cloud offer scalable, secure, and affordable computing resources.

By migrating their infrastructure and applications to the cloud, businesses can reduce the need for on-premises servers and data centres, which require constant power and cooling, resulting in significant energy cost savings. These cloud services allow businesses to access computing power on-demand, scaling resources up or down based on their needs, ensuring efficient resource allocation and cost optimization in a post-subsidy removal era.

    3. Alternative Energy Sources

As fuel prices increase, adopting alternative energy sources like Inverters, Electric Vehicles (EVs) and Solar Panels becomes more financially viable. These sources offer a greener and more cost-effective alternative to traditional fuel-powered sources. businesses can integrate renewable energy sources into their operations.

Pairing renewable energy sources with energy storage solutions, such as advanced batteries, can ensure a consistent and reliable power supply. These storage solutions enable businesses to store excess energy generated during peak production times and utilize it during periods of high demand or when renewable energy generation is low. By optimizing energy consumption and reducing reliance on grid power, businesses can mitigate the impact of fuel price fluctuations.

    4. Fleet Management Software

Efficient logistics and fleet management can contribute to significant fuel savings. Technology solutions such as GPS tracking, fleet management software, and route optimization algorithms can help businesses plan the most fuel-efficient routes, reduce idle time, and optimize load capacity. These tools enable companies to make informed decisions, improve delivery times, and ultimately reduce fuel consumption.

Data Analytics and Business Intelligence

In a volatile economic environment resulting from fuel subsidy removal, businesses need accurate insights to make informed decisions and optimize their operations. Data analytics and business intelligence like Plug offer robust data visualization, analysis, and reporting capabilities.

By harnessing the power of these tools, businesses can gain valuable insights into customer behaviour, market trends, and operational inefficiencies. This data-driven approach allows organizations to identify cost-saving opportunities, optimize pricing strategies, and enhance operational efficiency. For example, businesses can analyze customer behaviour patterns to identify areas where fuel consumption can be minimized or optimized within their supply chain.

Furthermore, Plug offers accessible data analytics solutions, enabling businesses to explore and analyze data without extensive coding knowledge. This democratizes data-driven decision-making and empowers business users to derive actionable insights from their data, leading to more informed and efficient decision-making processes.

Conclusion

The removal of fuel subsidies presents significant challenges for businesses, but technology offers an array of solutions to limit the negative effects. By embracing remote work and collaboration tools, cloud computing, data analytics, and renewable energy solutions offered by companies like Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Plug, and Zoho, businesses can reduce fuel-related expenses, optimize operations, and adapt to the changing economic landscape.

These technological advancements provide accessible, scalable, and cost-effective alternatives to traditional business practices, empowering businesses to navigate the post-subsidy removal era with resilience and efficiency. By embracing the power of technology, businesses can not only survive but also thrive, ensuring their long-term sustainability and growth even in the face of fuel subsidy challenges.

Have you ever heard of the Japa syndrome? If you haven’t, you must be leaving under a noise-cancelling rock somewhere. “Japa”, a Nigerian slang for ‘running away’ is now fittingly associated with a popular trend, Nigerians escaping the hardship of the country.

The problem of worker migration is not unique to Nigeria, as many countries around the world face similar challenges. However, the scale of the problem in Nigeria is particularly significant due to the country’s large population, high unemployment rate, and lack of economic opportunities.  

According to a recent pew research survey, 45% of Nigeria’s adult population plans to relocate to another country within five years. That’s staggering if you realise that is half of 110 million Nigerians about the age of 18. This is in addition to the 64% spike within a year in the number of Nigerians studying in the UK.

What’s worse is a greater number of these migrants are skilled workers who have left their jobs to seek better opportunities abroad, particularly in developed countries such as the United States, Canada, and Europe. 

These workers often possess specialized skills and knowledge that are difficult to replace, which can negatively impact the productivity and profitability of businesses. Additionally, the cost and time required to recruit and train new workers can be significant, which can further strain the resources of businesses.

This article aims to provide an understanding of the causes of Japa Syndrome, strategies for solving it, and how Descasio can help combat the issue. It aims to provide insights to businesses and organizations to help them combat the negative impact of losing their workforce to this unfortunate phenomenon.

The Impact on Nigerian Businesses

The impact of worker migration on Nigerian businesses can be significant, affecting various aspects of their operations. Some of the most notable impacts include:

  1. Loss of Skilled Labor: The loss of skilled and experienced workers to Japa can be a major concern for businesses. These workers often possess specialized skills and knowledge that are difficult to replace, which can negatively impact the productivity and profitability of businesses.
  2. Difficulty in Recruiting and Training New Workers: Replacing skilled and experienced workers can be a difficult and time-consuming task. Businesses may struggle to find qualified candidates to fill the vacant positions, and the cost and time required to recruit and train new workers can be significant.
  3. Negative Impact on Productivity and Profitability: The loss of skilled workers can lead to a decrease in productivity and profitability for businesses. This can be particularly problematic for small and medium-sized businesses, which often lack the resources to effectively replace lost workers.
  4. Difficulty in retaining employees: The migration of workers from Nigeria to other countries can also create a culture of instability among employees who may feel that they too can migrate in search of better opportunities. This can lead to difficulty in retaining employees and maintaining a stable workforce.
  5. Brain Drain: The migration of skilled and educated workers from Nigeria can lead to a brain drain, where the country loses its most talented and educated citizens to other countries. This can be detrimental to the long-term development and growth of the Nigerian economy.

Possible Solutions To Japa

While the issue of worker migration is a complex and multifaceted problem, there are several solutions that Nigerian businesses can implement to mitigate the effects on their operations. 

Some of these solutions include:

  1. Government Policies to Address the Root Causes of Migration: The government can play a key role in addressing the root causes of worker migration, such as high unemployment and lack of economic opportunities. This can include policies to promote job creation and economic growth, as well as programs to provide education and training to workers to increase their employability.
  2. Businesses Investing in Training and Development Programs: Businesses can invest in training and development programs to build a skilled and experienced workforce. This can include programs to provide education and training to current employees, as well as programs to attract and retain new workers.
  3. Investment in Technology to Increase Efficiency and Automation: Businesses can also invest in technology to increase efficiency and automation. This can help businesses to become more productive and profitable and to reduce their dependence on human labour. At Descasio, we offer automation solutions businesses can adopt to mitigate the loss of workers through Japa.
  4. Partnerships and Collaborations with Other Businesses: Businesses can also form partnerships and collaborations with other businesses to share resources and expertise. This can include sharing recruiting and training resources, as well as collaborating on research and development projects to create new products and services.
  5. Encourage Remote working: Encouraging remote working can also be a solution to mitigate the impact of worker migration. With the advancement of technology, businesses can have their employees work remotely, even when they are in other countries. At Descasio, we offer remote tools like Google workspace to help businesses communicate seamlessly with their employees no matter the location.

It’s important to note that these solutions may not be a one-size-fits-all approach. And addressing worker migration will require a multifaceted approach involving the government, businesses, and individuals.

Conclusion

The challenge of worker migration is a persistent problem for Nigerian businesses, as it results in the loss of skilled and experienced workers and creates difficulties in recruiting and training new employees. This can negatively impact the productivity and profitability of businesses. However, as outlined in this article, there are several solutions that businesses can implement to mitigate the effects of worker migration.

It’s important to note that addressing worker migration will require a multifaceted approach involving the government, businesses, and individuals working together. Descasio can play a crucial role in this process by providing businesses with the tools and technology they need to become more efficient, productive and profitable. This can include solutions such as automation, remote work management software, and talent management platforms.

Additionally, we can offer businesses a wide range of services such as cloud migration, data analytics, and AI-based solutions to create a more efficient and productive work environment. This can help businesses to reduce their dependence on human labour and increase their competitiveness in the global market.

In summary, worker migration is a significant challenge for Nigerian businesses, but with the implementation of the appropriate solutions and the help of tech solutions providers like Descasio, it’s possible to mitigate the effects and contribute to the development of the Nigerian economy.

Non Fungible Tokens (NFTS) are arguably the most interesting product in the blockchain space at the moment. Since the first-ever NFT, Quantum – sold last year for $1.4 million – was minted by Kevin McCoy in 2014, no one would have predicted, even with the clearest of a crystal ball, that the total value of all NFT transactions would significantly increase by 21,350% to more than $17 billion in 2021, from $82.5 million within the last one year from 2020 – 2021.

What is NFT?

Non-fungible tokens or NFTs as it is mostly called are unique decentralized tokens stored on the blockchain (mostly on the Ethereum blockchain) and cannot be exchanged with something else like fungible tokens like Bitcoin. They are digital versions of physical assets that can be sold and traded on the public blockchain.

There are over 5 million NFTs traded daily under different categories. Some of the categories include music, artwork, collectible items/trading cards, sport, fashion, gaming, memes, and more. Last year, the average price of an NFT rose from around $150 to $4,000 as interest in the digital world of art auctions exploded.

To paint a more vivid picture of the burgeoning NFT market, 2.4 million NFT were sold on the OpenSea platform alone, the biggest NFT marketplace, in January.

Examples of NFTs include CryptPunk, the popular digital collectibles of unique characters, NBA Top Shot, collectibles of top Basketball videos, collections of digital artworks like Beeple’s “Everyday: The First 5000 Days”, GiFs like Nyan Cat, Jack Dorsey’s first-ever tweet which was sold for $3 million, Decentraland, CryptoKitties, Cryptovoxels and millions more.    

NFT Misconceptions

There’s been a lot of distrust towards NFT reminiscence of the early 90s dot.com boom. This has created growing myths and misconceptions around the NFT space. Fortunately for NFT advocates, these myths have by no means derailed its adoption.  

Here are 10 misconceptions about Non-Fungible Tokens that you should stop believing:

1. NFT is a Type of Cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrencies are fundamentally different from NFTs. Their singular similarity starts and ends as a blockchain creation. As earlier stated, NFTs are Non-fungible, that is they cannot be exchanged, replaced, or divided. They are unique in their identity. For example, a digital painting of the Last Supper is a unique asset that cannot be replicated or exchanged. The same goes for any other artwork, music recording, or gaming items. 

On the other hand, cryptos are fungible assets. That is they can be exchanged and replaced. Examples include Bitcoin and Ethereum. Their singular units can be exchanged for an equivalent amount of the dollar which currently goes for $42,000 and $3,000 respectively.     

2. NFTs are Another Fraudulent Ponzi Schemes

Like cryptocurrency assets including Bitcoin and others, the idea behind NFTs is to decentralize the structure of owning digital artworks. Unfortunately, the millions of dollars some of these NFTs go for has made some unsuspecting victims fall for swindlers who push the false ‘get quick rich’ narrative with NFTs. This has given NFTs a somewhat bad reputation.

But if you are familiar with how blockchain technology work, it is practically near impossible for anyone to create an artwork, mint it as an NFT, give it a high price tag and sell it for thousands or millions of dollars! Most valuable NFTs are created by established artists who are known for their physical artworks. 

3. NFTs Are Complex to Understand

The buzz around NFTs has created some form of complexity for potential new users to keen observers who are interested in riding on the trend. But it is easy to grasp the fundamentals of NFTs you need to stay above the noise. 

NFTs simply work like owning a physical asset where ownership is determined by the rules governing the blockchain. You own a physical house based on deeds of titles just the same way you own a digital asset based on unique identifiers on the blockchain that gives the asset value and security.

4. NFTs Are Bad Investments

It’s easy to jump to this conclusion due to the highly speculative nature of most of the NFTs traded. Popular NFTs have seen their prices skyrocket to an all-time high that investing in them isn’t such a good idea. But there are still loads of NFTs that are still in their infancy and will give you increasing value on your investment in the long run.

5. NFTs Production ar Harmful to the Environment

There’s a bit of truth in this. The blockchain NFTs are created to consume quite a lot of energy. For example, the Bitcoin network generates so much energy that amounts to the emission of emitted an estimated 41 metric tons of CO2. 

But not all NFTs are created on the part of the blockchain that consumes this huge energy. NFTs produced on the Ethereum blockchain consumes way less energy. Besides, Bitcoin emits way less CO2 than the production of heavy metals like gold. 

6. The NFT Market is Easily Accessible With a Phone or Computer 

While most NFTs are built on the Ethereum cryptocurrency, the second largest after bitcoin, some are built on newer cryptocurrencies that are not as popular. If the underlying cryptocurrency is abandoned, then there will no longer be anyone “mining” it or providing computational power to create new transactions or entries in the ledger. 

This would make that market entirely inaccessible, even if two willing parties wanted to make a trade.

7. An Original NFT Cannot Be Copied

It is impossible to steal an original NFT, but nothing prevents anyone from copying the file to which the NFT put up for auction is linked and creating another NFT copy. These copied NFTs are traded on specially created marketplaces.

8. When You Buy an NFT, You Are Buying a Digital Work of Art

When you buy an NFT, you are not buying a digital work of art or that $3 million Jack Dorsey tweet, you buying a token certificate, which may guarantee your exclusive ownership rights, or may not guarantee anything other than the ability to own a unique digital token.

9. NFTs are Expensive and Unaffordable

There is no doubt that the prices some of these NFTs go for are astronomical; A Coin for the Ferryman, an artwork created by an artist known online as Xcopy was sold for a $6 million work of Ethereum in late 2021, CryptoPunk #7804, a digital art collection of unique characters went for 4200 Ethereum, about $7.6 million at that time, Human One, another artwork that was sold for close to $30 million last year and a few others.

But these expensive NFTs are only a fraction of the NFT ecosystem. There are still a lot of NFTs that are very affordable to purchase by all.

10. NFTs are All About Artworks

It’s easy to think that NFTs are all about digital artworks like paintings, GIFs, memes, and Tweets with mispronounced words given the amount of hype and money behind digital art NFTs right now. 

NFTs cut across virtually other sectors including sport, music, films, gaming, and even the adult film industry. And these sectors are beginning to gain massive traction with tokens like Axie Infinity, WarNymph, and NBA Top Shot sold for millions. 

Conclusion

NFTs are the real deal in the blockchain space at the moment. If you are a newbie looking to invest in the growing and disruptive crypto space, look no further than NFTs and the misconceptions around them shouldn’t stop anyone from jumping on the NFT bandwagon.

“In the Midst of Chaos, there is also Opportunity”

Sun Tzu

The words of Sun Tzu above, legendary Chinese master military strategist, ring eerily true with the world seemingly in turmoil at the moment. 

The Ukraine – Russia war is currently putting (no pun intended) the entire world rightly in a massive frenzy with businesses across industries affected directly (Russian business owners read Oligarchs who have been barred by Western countries) and indirectly (businesses that are affected by other variables like high gas prices as a result of the war), after just recovering from one of the most devastating pandemics in history. As a result of the war, Oil prices are spiralling out of control, same as commodities like wheat, Russia and Ukraine together exported more than a quarter (25.4%) of wheat in 2019, according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity. 

The story is equally not savoury back home, the price of diesel has more than doubled in the last fortnight. The country is also currently under its usual siege of petrol queues as a result of petrol scarcity. These issues coupled with the country’s mounting debt profile and a spate of insecurities have made it imperative for business owners to start thinking of possible bunkers somewhere to crawl into.

Bunkers aside, how do business owners protect their assets during these wild uncertain times? How would they form a massive moat around their assets and insulate them from this chaos? Not to worry, we’ve put together 5 great ways you can secure these assets and none of them includes hiding somewhere in that bunker.

1. Put it in the Cloud

If you haven’t stored your business’ or company’s assets/data which include important business documents, projects documents, email communications, etc… on the clouds, you could be casting a dark cloud in the long run over your business or company. The concept of storing data in the cloud using cloud computing software has been around with us over the last three decades since the inception of the internet and it has grown astronomical. 

Last year, cloud computing marketing was worth over $370 billion (N153.9 trillion) and is expected to more than double by 2025 with the top three Cloud computing companies (Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud) having a combined market share of about 60%. These staggering stats prove that businesses across all industries are adopting cloud computing technology at a fast pace to safeguard their data, especially during these uncertain times.

Thankfully, we offer cloud computing services to help small and big businesses like yours manage their data and assets more efficiently.

2. Subscribe for That Cybersecurity software Now If You haven’t Yet

One of the most popular tools deployed for modern warfare during a time of uncertainty is cyberwarfare. It’s no surprise the use of cyber warfare tools grew at the height of the pandemic two years ago and is set to continue the upward trajectory as the war in Ukraine rages on. 

Already, it is estimated that almost 60% of small companies go out of business within the first six months according to data gathered by National Cyber Security Alliance, a nonprofit organisation. This is quite telling as hackers tend to focus on startups without the necessary security structure compared to much more entrenched companies. But this is not to say big companies are not susceptible to cyberattacks. 

Making it even more imperative for companies of shapes and sizes to protect their online assets with the best cybersecurity software we have on offer.  

3. Adopt a Digital-first Approach

This is an obvious no brainer, especially in an age where everyone is talking and experimenting with the concepts of having their social identities in a virtual reality world read Metaverse. But the right structure must be put in place for a successful digital-first approach adoption. 

For example, companies that have gone fully remote have put in place the right interactive and collaborative software to aid seamless interaction among employees outside the office. At the moment, no thanks to the pandemic, more than 16% of companies worldwide are fully remote, this is according to a study carried out by Owl Labs in collaboration with Global Workforce Analytics. Some Ukraine based software companies didn’t have their services disrupted by the war as they already had the remote structure in place.

We can help you make that transition if you haven’t hopped on the digital train yet by signing up on this link.

4. Don’t Panic!

So much negativity from tumbling revenue numbers for businesses due to high oil prices to the high cost of commodities like gas, high inflation cost by these growing costs and economic downturn will be aired repeatedly by news outlets across the media like TV and podcasts during these uncertain times. It is very important as a business owner, you practise the art of calmness by switching your focus to other relaxing and meditative activities. You can also visit places with rich natural habitats that will refresh your thought process and improve your emotional intelligence to avoid making rash decisions.  

And remember this as a rule of thumb; whatever choices or decisions you make during these moments, make sure you avoid pushing that panic button! 

5. Diversify Your Assets

This is probably the most essential safeguard of all especially if you want to come out on the other side of these uncertain times smiling. Thankfully, there are so many investment opportunities to try out; from the conventional ones such as stocks and real estate to disruptive ones like cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana and others), the much talked about NFTs and Metaverse. 

There are a million more ways you can diversify your investment, but it is very crucial to note that whichever way(s) you choose to helps you limit your exposure during a time of crisis.

Conclusion

These safeguards are not cast in stones and should not be seen as the only way to protect your assets in a time of chaos, as there are several other means of safeguards. But this article will help in guiding you to make the best decisions for your business during uncertain times.

Mental Health Awareness Month

The month of May is set aside for raising awareness on mental health issues. A lot of people are prone to masking their mental health issues. Many of these people refrain from seeking help due to the stigma that comes alongside. Ask a random person a question about mental health and they are either misinformed or ignorant. The gross misinformation and high level of ignorance on the subject have been identified as major influences on the unpleasant remarks and jibes thrown at victims.

Here’s what people aren’t taking cognizance of; 1 in 5 adults live with mental illness such as, depression,bipolar disorder,anxiety disorders, or ADHD. Yet, most employees are hesitant to open up about their mental health issues out of the fear of being judged or facing discrimination. Which when you think of it, is the last thing that they need.

With the ever-increasing pressure, deadlines, and sleepless nights in the tech industry, workers within the space can easily develop some mental health issues without the adoption of proper preventive measures. To join in driving awareness for mental health this month, we have put together this shortlist of preventive tips to guide all parties within the fast-paced tech environment into managing their mental health.

Break big tasks into bits:

Knowing that you have a lot of work to do could increase the rate of your heartbeat. This could cause an anxiety attack, as you are most likely wondering where to start from. If you can, first make a list of what you have to do, then create a smaller list from those tasks. This helps you keep track of your progress, avoid distractions and stay motivated.

Start your day early:

With remote work, it can be quite difficult getting out of bed early, especially as you don’t need to catch a bus or make a long drive down to work. At the same time, having an early routine helps you kick start your day and check off a lot of tasks before work pressure sips in and your energy wanes.

Exercise:

Experts have said that engaging in a workout routine helps release endorphins (the feel-good chemicals). They are basically chemicals produced naturally by the nervous system to cope with pain or stress.

Eat at least once a day:

Eating too little causes fatigue and that could be linked to mental illness. Hence, it is advisable to not starve yourself all in the name of work. Hunger could also be a demotivating factor in starting your day and ultimately getting work done.

Seek professional help

This can be the change you need in your mental health as therapists are trained to help you process your thoughts, your feelings and help you function better as an individual.

In celebration of mental health month, we hope that this article was helpful to you. Don’t forget to leave a comment and share it with a friend.

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There are more than a million reasons why one would want to take on a career in tech. Okay, maybe a million is a little overboard, but quite frankly, the reasons are almost inexhaustible. In this article, we’d be sharing some of those reasons with you and giving you a few tips on how to start a career in tech.

Here’s why you want to be in here

First, let’s start with the intangible benefit; the upbeat and ever-evolving nature of the tech space. If you’re someone like me who loves a taste of adventure, or something that just keeps you on your toes, then you’d love it here. In the tech space, there are constantly changing trends, tools to get familiar with, and a little bit of jargon here and there that needs to be understood. Truthfully, the upbeat nature of the terrain could get your heart racing, but in a very good way.

Now to the tangible benefit; relevance and job security. Today, tech cuts right through every field on the planet, from healthcare to banking, media, entertainment, etc. Interestingly, as technology continues to become relevant across different industries, different tech roles are also beginning to appreciate. Hence, tech experts are more valued and less likely to be laid off when companies decide to downsize

We are by no means suggesting that being a tech bro (or babe) is a walk in the park. Quite frankly, nothing is. So, you’d have to be willing to learn and put in the much-needed work. But not to worry, we’ve got a few tips to help you start a career in tech, especially if you do not have a computer science background as a lot of the tech bros don’t have one anyway.

How to get started

Let’s talk about the steps to begin a career in the tech space;

– Have the willingness to learn:

Remember somewhere, in the beginning, we mentioned this, right? We’re reiterating it because it’s all important and it’s the foundation of your journey in tech. The passion and willingness to learn all that there is to your field will help you grow at a fast pace.

– Begin your training:

Now that you have chosen to take a career path in the tech space and have made the resolve to learn all it takes, the first step is to get the necessary hands-on training and bag that certification while at it. It is no news that organizations in the tech industry value skills and experience over a degree. So, while you have your eyes on that degree, it’s also important that you not only take courses but ensure that you can practically prove your knowledge of the field that you’ve chosen to play in.

– Apply for internships:

There is no better way to gain the necessary experience than to apply for internships. Once you are done with your certifications, put the knowledge you’ve acquired to work.

– Take on a challenging gig:

Sometimes, we might never know how skilled we are until we are faced with a challenge. One sure way to put yourself to the test will be to take on gigs. They might not be financially gratifying at first but at this stage, the goal is not to stack up thousands of naira/dollars but to test your competence, hone your skills, and learn from the experience.

We hope to see you in the ring with us in the nearest future. In the meantime, if you have any questions or feedback kindly enter them in the comment section below.

The year is flying by and it’s a reminder for everyone to review the plans made for the year, across all areas of our lives – physically, mentally, financially, socially etc. But for the purpose of this article, we will be focusing on healthy savings habits to help you in the year 2021 and beyond.

You probably have read quite a number of articles and are dealing with an information overload. Well… we have decided to make savings simple and easy with these steps; savings like every other thing should be planned and not done haphazardly.

Here are a few ways to guide you on how to save in the coming months:

Write down your expenses:

It is important for every income earner to know how much is spent to maintain their current lifestyle or standard of living. e.g. power, internet, food, housing, miscellaneous, etc. There are quite a number of apps that could help track your expenses and assist with decisions to adjust your spending habits.

Automate your savings plan:

Have a direct debit set up that allows you to automatically make a transfer to your savings account at a particular time. This could be daily, weekly or monthly; based on the frequency of your earnings.

Set your priorities:

Bills never seem to end. However, you can choose what comes first and what’s not important. For example, health insurance will be more important than something that’s not so urgent. This helps you spend only on the important things.

Set realistic goals:

The easiest way to reach your savings plan is to set a goal towards it and be realistic. This will be based on how much money you earn and your financial responsibilities. It is irresponsible to have insufficient money available to you to pay your basic bills and keep you till the next inflow of funds.

Curb emotional spending:

It is good to treat yourself to luxurious or expensive items, especially if you have been working so hard. However, splurging unnecessarily on things that you do not need could be a problem as you may soon run out of money. One way to curb this is to have a trusted person as an accountability partner. This person helps to keep you in check as you spend.

We hope that this has helped you put a structure to your savings plan? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below and feel free to contact us here