| Note: This article is an excerpt from my
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| | Having A Backup Plan Helped Me Win A
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| Entrepreneur's Survival Reference E-Book
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| | Speaking InvitationWhen I first started
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| Self-Help Manual titled "25 Avoidable
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| | out in business in early 2002, I had just
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| Mistakes No One Will Warn You About In
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| | finished writing my latest management
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| Starting Your Own Business"(in which
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| | research paper titled "Self-Development
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| "Failing To Prepare A Backup/Alternative
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| | As A Tool For Achieving Career
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| Action" is one of the 25 mistakes
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| | Advancement(A Practical Guide Based On
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| discussed). As a result, you will find
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| | Experience)". I recall vividly that after
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| that illustrations used are more relevant
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| | reading through my work on that paper, I
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| to persons starting up their businesses.
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| | repeatedly told my wife, brother, friends
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| Having said that, the ideas proferred
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| | - and all who cared to listen - that I
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| here can be easily adapted for use in any
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| | believed it was my best work so far. I
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| other business situation.Do You Have
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| | also told them I was convinced I could
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| Backup/Alternative Action Plans For When
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| | win the next Nigerian Institute of
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| Your Business Suffers Unexpected
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| | Management's (NIM's) Young Manager's
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| Setbacks?"One way to succeed is to work
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| | competition (I had placed fifth in the
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| hard at not failing by always
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| | National Finals on my debut in 1997).So I
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| anticipating problems before they occur"
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| | began making enquiries about the
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| - Peter DruckerCertain successful
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| | competition, but was told the programme
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| entrepreneurs are reputed to be
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| | was not yet out. Something however began
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| uncomfortable with "good times" i.e. when
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| | pushing me to make alternative plans to
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| everything appears to be going
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| | get my paper in front of the leaders of
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| "smoothly". According to one book I have
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| | thought in management who I believed
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| read, these individuals formed this habit
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| | would be able to give me useful feedback.
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| as a result of past experiences, when
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| | One evening I sat down and began writing
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| such "good times" in their businesses
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| | down the names of organisations
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| were followed by a string of unexpected
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| | individuals who I felt would be able to
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| setbacks. Their experiences apparently
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| | give me authentic and useful criticisms.
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| "trained them" to be sensitive to unseen
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| | People like Dr. J. Y Maiyaki, Director
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| but possibly impending problems or
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| | General of Center for Management
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| "danger". During "good times" therefore,
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| | Development, and many others.I prepared
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| instead of relaxing and celebrating, they
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| | letters to each of these people, and hand
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| quickly develop/implement strategies
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| | delivered them with a copy of the neatly
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| aimed at addressing the problems they
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| | spiral bound paper to their offices. My
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| anticipate or fears they have.Having Back
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| | objective was to use that paper to draw
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| Up Plans Can Help You Reduce Your
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| | attention to myself with respect to my
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| Frequency Of FailureHaving back up plans
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| | work on Self-Development Education. That
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| will not guarantee you absence of
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| | was between January and late February
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| failure. But it can ensure that you
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| | 2002.Some months later it became obvious
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| reduce the frequency of your failures,
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| | that the NIM competition would not hold,
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| and/or don't record avoidable failures.
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| | so I was glad I had implemented my other
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| In addition, the back up plans will
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| | plans. But not as glad as I was when in
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| enable you bounce back quickly from your
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| | August 2002, I got a visit from the
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| setbacks. And that is of utmost
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| | Training Manager of the Center for
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| importance. As most of us must have heard
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| | Management Development (CMD) who wanted
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| at one time or the other, it's not
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| | to know if I could meet with them for a
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| falling down that matters. But being able
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| | discussion, towards leading their
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| to get up and keep going every time you
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| | September 2002 staff seminar by
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| fall down is what really matters. Backup
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| | delivering my paper on Self-Development
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| plans will enable you do this much more
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| | Education at their main auditorium.After
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| easily, effectively and
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| | about 3 meetings, agreements on
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| frequently.Developing back up plans will
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| | honorarium to be paid, event date and
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| help you prepare to deal with any
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| | time, etc were reached, and on Wednesday
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| suggestions of delays, disappointments or
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| | 25th September 2002, I successfully
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| failures that might occur. It will make
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| | delivered a one-hour talk to an audience
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| it easier for you to keep a positive
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| | of over 100 persons including directors
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| outlook when things appear not to be
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| | and other staff, in the CMD's main
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| going well - because you will be
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| | auditorium.(Read my article titled "I
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| confident in the knowledge that you have
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| | Flopped Badly At The National Finals!(A
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| an alternative plan(s) already in
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| | True Story About How NOT To Prepare For
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| place.How To Develop A Backup PlanSo how
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| | Deliver An Important Presentation)" to
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| do you draw up your plan? Simple really.
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| | learn more how I used learnings from a
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| Just ask yourself questions. Imagine you
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| | botched presentation during the 1997 NIM
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| are not you. (It's easier than you think,
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| | national competition - that took place 5
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| I assure you). Just try and imagine that
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| | years BEFORE - to successfully deliver my
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| you're one of those "nay-sayers" or
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| | presentation at the CMD's Staff Seminar
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| unbelieving people who question your
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| | in 2002 without a hitch, despite a
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| sanity, possibly because they do not
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| | potentially destabilizing power failure
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| understand your business idea. Then
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| | occurrence).SummaryAside from positive
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| proceed to generate the kinds of
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| | verbal and written feebdack(I got back
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| questions(or reasons/arguments) you think
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| | over 80 of the speaker evaluation forms I
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| they would come up with, to prove that
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| | circulated to the audience, with an
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| what you want to do cannot be done.It
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| | average rating of 4 - on a scale of
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| might not be a bad idea to actually
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| | 1[poor] to 5[excellent]) the CMD also
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| approach these individuals with the
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| | sent me a letter of appreciation some
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| objective of deliberately getting them to
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| | weeks later. I actively used this
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| discuss their thoughts about your ideas
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| | successful CMD outing to gain credibilty
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| with you. Be smart about it. Make it look
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| | before other decision makers including: a
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| natural - start a conversation and
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| | Management Consultant who would later
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| gradually steer it to the subject you
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| | invite me as a paid External Speaker to
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| want them to comment upon.Very often I
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| | deliver a paper I titled "Interpersonal
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| have found people like this especially
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| | Effectiveness(A Real-World Relevant
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| eager, and they relish the opportunity to
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| | Approach") - based on my experiences in
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| tell you why they are right and you are
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| | paid employment - to management trainees
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| wrong to try doing it the way you intend.
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| | just recruited into a leading fast foods
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| Never mind all that, just "record" all
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| | company located in Lagos.Did I achieve my
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| you can and then withdraw to generate
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| | objective of getting myself and my work
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| action plans that will help you
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| | noticed/acknowledged by leaders of
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| effectively ensure that those reasons
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| | thought in my niche or area? Yes I did.
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| they've given/questions they've raised,
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| | But I had to pro-actively develop(based
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| can be effectively addressed through the
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| | on actively observing trends of events,
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| action plan you will develop.Next, decide
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| | and considering their possible
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| on the order in which you will implement
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| | implications) and implement an
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| items in the action plan you have come up
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| | alternative plan in place of the one I
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| with. Then commence doing so. As things
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| | had originally started out with. Be
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| progress, depending on your judgment of
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| | prepared to do that when(NOT if) the need
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| whether or not the plan you are working
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| | arises.Self-Development/Performance
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| is doing well, you can then initiate
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| | Enhancement Specialist - Tayo Solagbade -
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| implementation of other plans. You will
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| | works as a Multipreneur, helping
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| find that some of your plans will require
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| | individuals/businesses develop and
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| you to seek assistance of certain
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| | implement strategies to achieve their
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| individuals at short notice. If possible
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| | goals, faster and more profitably.To get
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| plan ahead and hint them that you might
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| | more useful Tips, Information And News
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| need them. Members of your mastermind
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| | that can help you do what you do more
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| alliance(especially those who do NOT take
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| | successfully, visit to subscribe to
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| setbacks or problems too seriously) could
| |
| | Tayo's "Five(5) Minute Read" Performance
|
| prove useful in these circumstances.How
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| | Enhancement Newsletter.
|
