You have a dream but you need a checklist to achieve it.

So you've decided you're ready to take the plunge, quit your job, and get your own company up and running. You have an amazing business idea you are ready to launch. You're probably excited and nervous at the same time, which is perfectly understandable. If this is the case, you need to take a step back and remember that you simply can't walk into work tomorrow with your resignation letter.

Being impulsive could be a huge mistake so you need to create a list of the advantages and disadvantages you will face when quitting your job. If you decide it's still what you want to do, there are a few things you must put in place before you quit.

To help you get ready before your big day of freedom, I've highlighted 10 things you should do before quitting your job and starting your own company.

1. Do research.
Quitting your current job before getting your company off the ground may seem like the best option, but trust me, it's not. The best way for you to get the wheels rolling in a safe and profitable way is to grow your business while you are still employed. This will make your transition from an employee to an entrepreneur a little smoother.

You can't jump head first into building your new office block or warehouse if you haven't done your research. You need to know that you have a product or service that you know the ins and outs of, that is unique, and above all, that will sell.

Background research you need to do includes, but is not limited to:

Learning everything about your product or service
Knowing your audience and buyer personas
Researching your competitors
Finding the right teams
Knowing what your most profitable sales and marketing channels will be.

2. Create a business plan.
Once you've done your research, you need to put it on paper. Laying out a business plan before taking the plunge will be a key success driver. Your business plan will be something you will show to potential investors, partners, and other company stakeholders. It typically includes:

An overview
An executive summary
A company description
Your objectives, vision, and mission statement
Information about the market and industry into which you are entering
The strategy you are going to follow to enter the market
The team you will have
A marketing plan
An operational plan
A financial plan
An appendix with more detailed information

3. Outline Your Funding Options
Before looking at funding for your company, you need to have your own personal finances in check. If you quit with just a couple of hundred dollars in your pocket, with rent, insurance, and your phone bill to pay, you may find it difficult to focus your efforts on your new company.
In addition to planning your personal finances, you will need to have a plan for your startup. You'll typically have three options:

One or multiple investors
Your personal savings
A grant or award for your project

Either way, you need to plan in advance because if you can't get the capital to get started, your business will stagnate and you will be faced with very few options.

4. Create the structure for your business.
You need to have the structure for your startup in place before you can quit your job, specifically, your legal structure. There are various types of businesses entities you could become:

A corporation
A limited liability company
A partnership
Sole proprietorship

You need to consider:

The operational complexity
Liability
Taxes
Control
Capital
Licenses, permits and regulations

5. Leverage your resources.
Of course, you do not want to spend money if you can avoid it. You need to look at the resources that are currently available to you. For example, you may have a friend who is a web developer; they might be able to give you special rates and work for you on a need-to-know basis.

You should contact friends who have started their own business and ask them if they know a good accountant, marketing expert, and so on. Think about joining an online book club to learn more about entrepreneurship, try Read with Entrepreneurs by Cynthia Johnson.

Lastly, contracting all your experts could become expensive. Consider investing in online education for your team that will teach them skills, such as SEO, email marketing, and much more.

6. Leave on a good note.
Quitting your job without working your notice period, gossiping across the office, not completing your final assignments, and not training your replacement could be the worst decision of your life.

Of course, you are leaving to start your own venture, but you cannot be sure that it will be a success or that your old company won't come in handy one day. Leave without burning any bridges and you may be able to cash in a favor one day. Your old employer may even send clients your way knowing that you are a trustworthy businessperson.

7. Don't forget the smaller planning details.
As an entrepreneur, it's easy to become the type of person that can see the big picture. Unfortunately, if you don't focus on the small details, you won't be able to mold the perfect company. Planning is key, and little things such as choosing the right social media channels, keeping up to date with emails, or even remembering to file your taxes are vital to your success.

8. Choose your new office space.
When planning the day when you quit your job, many assume that they will work from home until their company is off the ground and they have a team backing them up. Although this could work in the short term, it's not a feasible option in the long run.

If you choose to work from home, you need to find a balance between your personal space and work space. Working in bed, on your computer, all day, every day will lead you towards an unhealthy lifestyle that could have a domino effect on the progress your startup makes.

9. Create a portfolio or resume.
You may think that owning your own company means you'll never have to create another resume in your life. Wrong! Bulking up your resume and/or portfolio is a key driver when building your new business because you will need to prove to your investors, teams, and even clients that you are worth their money.

10. Finally...
Remember that starting a new business is going to be more challenging than you imagined. You're going to have to make the planning process your full-time job before you even see an income. That said, with the tips outlined above, you could make it the best, most profitable adventure you've ever embarked on from both a professional and emotional point of view.

Source: https://gabrielatanbiyi.blogspot.com.ng/2017/06/10-things-you-must-do-before-quitting.html

The rental market in Nigeria is at an all-time high – instead of saving money to buy a new apartment for decades, or taking a mortgage, more and more young Nigerians prefer to rent property. This trend can benefit both the tenants, who receive an opportunity to get a nice place to live for a reasonable monthly payment, and homeowners, who get to make money with their property. However, conflicts between tenants and landlords are nearly inevitable, and today most landlords battle with how to deal with a problem prone tenant.

STUDY THE LAW
The relationship between the tenant and the landlord is regulated by numerous laws and policies, and the policies can differ from one area to another. Whenever you’re getting ready to deal with a problem tenant, first study your rights and responsibilities . Find out what you can do in each particular situation, whether you can evict the tenant before the rent contract is over, and whether a fine can be imposed on you as a landlord for terminating the contract. It’s best to have a copy of regional policies at hand, and supply your tenants with a copy as well, preferably before they sign the agreement.

DOCUMENT EVERYTHING
In order for you to have enough arguments and evidence for talking to the tenant, you need to have a case, which consists of every instance of the tenant violating the rental policies, as well as your actions in dealing with the issues. Every time you get a complaint from the neighbours or spot suspicious behaviour yourself, write it down , and include the date and time. Whenever you try to have a reasonable talk with a tenant, leave a note, or issue a warning, document those instances as well – eventually it will be easier for you to prove your point.

KEEP IT FAIR AND SAFE
Although you can be an understanding and loyal landlord, your safety, as well as the safety of other tenants, should come first. It means that you can’t let the conflict lead to a physical confrontation t hat can involve other people or do major damage to your health. If you feel like the conflict is about to go out of control, don’t hesitate to contact the police. And while the tenants can have different life stories that can explain their behaviour or late rent, you shouldn’t be compromising your rental policies for each particular case – you need to remain fair and unbiased to every tenant.

DAMAGED PROPERTY
One of the most frustrating things that can happen to a landlord is when he comes to the apartment only to find it in a completely unsatisfying condition. These problems, however, can be prevented – before you let the tenants inside the apartment, have them sign the lease agreement, and make sure to include clauses that explain the tenant’s responsibility in case the property is damaged. In case the damage is done, simply point to the corresponding clause in the agreement and make the tenant cover the expenses.

CONSTANT COMPLAINTS
It’s natural for tenants to occasionally make requests to their landlord – for example, when there are issues with conveniences or when they are bothered by the disruptive behavior of their neighbours. However, sometimes the complaints become so frequent that you simply don’t have the time to solve your own problems. In this case, sit your tenants down for a serious talk. Explain that you are always open for requests and suggestions, but you can’t spend 24 hours a day attending to their needs – usually this talk is enough to stop excessive complaints.

ILLEGAL ACTIVITY
This is one of the most dangerous things that can happen to a landlord, especially if illegal activity has anything to do with drugs, since you never know what to expect. If you suspect illegal activity taking place in your apartment , or you received complaints from other tenants, we do not recommend trying to solve these issues alone. The best solution here is to contact the police and let them take care of the situation. In case your tenant is
arrested, you’ll need to consult your legal advisor before deciding if you want to evict the tenant.

NOISY BEHAVIOR
Some tenants believe that they are free to do anything as long as they are inside their rental apartment, but in reality loud or disruptive behavior can be annoying for the neighbors, which is why you may get complaints. In order to avoid this situation, include behavior rules into the lease agreement, so that you could have a leg to stand on when it comes to negotiating with the tenants. If there are multiple complaints or multiple instances of disruptive behavior from your tenants, make sure to document every instance, including date and time, details, and your steps in solving the issue.

LATE RENTS
If you’re a landlord, rent is likely your primary source of income, and when a particular tenant fails to pay the rent on time month after month, it can seriously affect your financial wellbeing. Before renting out your apartment, be sure to outline your rent payment policies in the agreement. Don’t forget to specify what is considered to be late rent in your opinion – while you can ignore rent that is three days late, the tenant’s failure to pay the rent for several weeks is a completely different story.

Source:
https://blog./2016/08/deal-problem-tenant-part-2/

www.naijapropertiesonline.com

Before now I always wondered why there are a lot of car dealers around and I was lucky to accompany a good man. I would not disclose his name but he was the first person to show me what was actually happening in the world pertaining the cars around. The so-called whites and other black men all around the world realized that Nigeria has turned to a dumping ground and that anything goes so long you are smart about it. You noticed people who have little knowledge are the ones facing such problems about their cars and always wondered why me. Thanks to an article I came across why going through what would be good to help people. I saw all the tips that would be of help to them in getting a good vehicle and not a problematic car in the future.

One of the greatest exploiters we have in Nigeria are the car dealers. They can actually make a scrap car look brand new again. The cars at their showrooms look perfect to the average eyes. However, a trip behind the scene could leave you dumbfounded.

My simple advice to all prospective car buyer is, never rely on the information given to you by the car seller. They may just give you a Tokunbo car as brand new or a Nigerian used as Tokunbo.

These are 5 things Nigerian car dealers don't want car buyers to know



1) Accidental cars:

Car dealers would always tell you their cars are clean without a scratch or blemish. But when you prove to them the car has been sprayed, they will now change their tone and say they only sprayed the bumpers due to a scratch at Lagos port. Note: This is usually a big fat lie. That car is most likely accidental. It is not news that most cars which are imported into Nigeria are bought from auctions that sell a large number of damaged vehicles. This may not be a problem as some damage are minor and inconsequential. However, some dealers prefer to buy the badly damaged cars which would be sold very cheaply as scrap. And such vehicles would be repaired and sold to unsuspecting Nigerians. I once asked a car dealer in Lagos to show me the pictures of the accident the car I was inspecting had. What I requested was the original pictures from the auction yard before any repair was done. But he went ahead to show pictures he took after he had done some repairs. I almost fell for it but quickly realized they had done some repairs and even put in new radiator and condenser. These guys could be desperate to any extent. so you have to be careful in order not to buy a car that the airbags have been removed due to accident or a car that the suspensions have been patched up to only take you out of their sales lot.



2) Rolled back mileage:

Just a week ago, I did a vehicle history check for someone, the vehicle history report showed the car had trekked 403,000 kilometers before it left Canada last year. But the dashboard odometer in Lagos a week ago was showing 80,000 kilometers. What happened? They had rolled back the mileage. Come to think of it, imagine rolling your age back to 15 after clocking 80 years old. That would be splendid.

Another guy kept complaining his car had multiple issues. We later realized the actual mileage on the car was about 500,000 kilometers.


3) Flooded cars:

Did you just buy a car that has a mind of its own? You try to reduce the volume of the radio but the sound goes up instead. You try to turn off the radio but the AC goes off instead. The reverse camera comes up anytime you put the car in drive. And your car continues to play many annoying pranks with you. The car is probably a flooded car. These cars are cheap at the auction so the ridiculous prices attract dealers who want to maximize their profit. Dealers don't want you to ever know they are selling a flooded car to you and you probably can't tell with your bare eyes. The simplest way to know is by doing a VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) check especially Carfax VIN check.

Some people buy cars and they spend money fixing it for more than a year without being able to drive it.



4) Unpaid import duty:

The excessive import duty in Nigeria, our porous land borders as well as high level of corruption has led to several cars being smuggled into the country. The sad news is, these cars are not seized from the dealers. But they are seized from the final buyers who are not aware the vehicles were smuggled.

The good news is Nigeria Custom recently launched a custom paper verification process that allows you to confirm if duty was paid on a particular vehicle. See how to verify your custom paper HERE. https://autojosh.com/custom-paper-verification/



5) how much they make on each car:

It is true some cars are sold at a loss especially when they have been on the ground for too long. It is also true that car dealers can make between ₦200,000 to ₦700,000 on a 2006 model Toyota car. The better they are able to execute the 4 points I listed above, the higher the profit they make. But I have observed that no matter the amount car dealers make, they will always tell buyers that they are only making ₦50,000 on the car sale. If you fall for their appeal to pity, you will end up paying more for nothing.

Tell us what you noticed car dealers in Nigeria did not want you to know and stay tuned to Auto Josh for more on cars.

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https://autojosh.com/car-dealers-in-nigeria/