6 VALUABLE TIPS FOR NETWORKING

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Networking becomes significantly easier when you understand what it entails and what it takes to succeed at it. Latest9ja , shares 6 valuable tips for networking.



Begin Networking Before You Need It

Desperation has an aura that can easily be discerned, as a result it might be counter-productive to begin zealous networking efforts at the hour of your greatest need. You can end up putting people off because people can sense when someone is only out to use them and help himself/herself. Networking when you aren’t desperate and have no immediate ulterior motives, can help you build better relationships and a good reputation for being friendly and generous rather than desperate and self-serving.



Plan Before Hand

This is a very important tip, especially if networking isn’t exactly your strong suite. Laying down clear details of the talents, strengths, skill sets and connections that you have and can take advantage of to enhance your networking efforts can make networking much easier for you. You should be sure of the things you can talk about with people at the event, and prepare for a case where you might be taken by surprise and have to comment on things you might not initially have prepared for. In addition, consider how you can also be of help to these people, don’t only consider how you can get them to help you.



Avoid Arriving Late

When you arrive early to a networking event, it’s calmer and quieter at the beginning. People have not yet settled into groups so it’s easier to mingle with everyone and find conversation partners.



Let Your Personal Agenda Take a Back Seat

The fact that you are networking for self-serving purposes doesn’t mean you should be blatant about it. Let your personal agenda take a back seat to building actual relationships with people. Be open, friendly and honest; make connections with people that will make it easier for them to remember you and want to help you, without you even asking directly.



Follow Up

If you promise to do something for someone at a networking event, do it. Follow up and follow through with it. People will value you for this and you’ll unknowingly begin to build a reputation for consistency and reliability. So, if you told someone you’ll call, call the person. If you promised to introduce someone to the person, take the time to do it.



Understand the Value of Networking

The true value of networking comes in being able to help others as much as you want to be helped. If you understand this and practise it well, networking will become a more than valuable business tool for you. Keep this at the back of your mind every time you make a networking effort.

7 Signs Your Social Media Account Has Been Hacked

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It is no gainsaying that social media is now an important feature in our lives. It is used by almost everyone from celebrities to influencers, businesses, news platforms, marketers and individuals. Some persons have even leveraged on it to make money. So, it is important for your different social media accounts to be secured. Regardless, since you are online, and there are hackers prowling for accounts to hack, you have to be observant to know if your accounts have been illegally accessed or not. In line with this,  Latest9ja  presents 7 signs your social media account has been hacked.

7 Signs Your Social Media Account Has Been Hacked

You are unable to log into your accounts

This is an obvious sign that your account may have been hijacked by hackers. You have tried several passwords but you are still locked out of your account. Even the change password option is not working. It must have been a very sophisticated hack. The only way you can have your account back is to contact Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Snapchat.

Status not updated by you

This is perhaps the simplest way to know if your social media account has been hacked. You will see tweets or posts you didn’t share appearing on your timeline. It may be political or propagandist messages. You should immediately change your password.

Your number of followers significantly Jumps

You only have 300 followers on either your Instagram or Twitter page. Then you suddenly notice that it jumped to like 2,000 or 3,000. It is strange right and you never followed anyone. In fact, Instagram or Twitter will not allow you to garner 2,000 or 3,000 followers a day. If this is the case, it is highly possible that your account has been hacked.

Someone logged into your account from an unusual location

Sometimes, you may add the wrong location for reasons best known to you. However, if you see a location you never added, it is an alert that someone is illegally accessing your account from that location. You may want to do some checks to be sure you were not the one that changed it.

You cannot find all your posts

All your posts for years have grown wings and flew away. You cannot find them. You searched and searched but you still couldn’t find them. You logged in and logged out but the same thing. It is advisable you change your password or you have to deactivate that account and open a new one.

Too many spammy ads on your page

This mainly applies to Facebook. A seemingly interesting post is recommended to you to read. If you click it, you have opened the floodgate to spammy ads. That click will allow hackers to access your account.

Your cover image has been replaced

If your cover image has been replaced with a naked woman or any other nasty picture or photo, it means someone is attempting to frame you or in the process of usurping your account. You should look out for this on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

5 Things to consider before renting an apartment for the first time

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When you become a part of the private rented sector for the first time, there are a number of things you have to consider to ensure you are not cheated and that you’re in a secure and safe tenancy Latest9ja shares 6 things you as a first time renter should consider before renting an apartment.

A graphic image named "For Rent" 

Tenancy Contracts
Though they tend to be long, confusing and full of legal jargon, it is important to avoid the temptation of just skipping to the end and signing it without reading. A tenancy contract is a legally binding document that mandates your landlord to do certain things that you definitely should be aware of to avoid being taken by a rude surprise.
Upfront Costs
It’s easy for first-time renters to forget that aside monthly or yearly rent, there are also upfront costs of renting an apartment and you’ll almost always have to complete the payment of the costs before you can move into the apartment. You should prepare and plan ahead for these costs to avoid a rude shock in this area.
Long Term Costs
Aside monthly or yearly rent, there are other utility payments like electricity, water etc. that you have to consider. You need to be sure if certain utilities are covered by your rent and provided for or if you will have to either source for them or pay for them.
Take a Meter Reading Before Signing on the Dotted Line
Landlords are fond of passing on previous electricity bills to new and unsuspecting tenants. Ensure you are not a victim of this by taking a meter reading of the electricity meter when you come to inspect the house. You can also request to see evidence that electricity bills have been paid to date and there are no outstanding bills left for you to shoulder. Please ensure you do this to avoid being charged by PHCN for electricity previous tenants used.
Safety and Appearance of the Neighbourhood
Many first-time renters often get carried away with the excitement of renting their first apartment and forget to assess the safety of the neighbourhood their renting the apartment in. Please ensure you do not make this mistake. Landlords will hardly be truthful or sincere about the safety of the neighbourhood of their apartments, so you have to ask around and make necessary enquiries. You can talk to one or two people who live and work around the area to get information about what the area is really like.
Accessibility
Try to get an apartment that has an easy or relatively easy access to public transportation, provision stores, medical facilities or anything else you consider important to your living situation. This will help make life in the apartment easier for you.

Five Entrepreneurial Lessons To Learn From Small Doctor

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So, during the weekend, I wrote a post about Small Doctor, That Wack artiste you all hate. But to the streets, He's their most prized asset. He is to what Pogba is, to Man Utd. But to the high class, we so much hate pangolo music, it's noise to our ears. We like Wizkid, Drake, Nicki, Adele.


What of the streets, if it's not Paso, Atawewe, Obesere, Osupa or Small Doctor, it can't just make sense. Will you expect a "NURTW area fada" to listen to Adele, nah he can't even comprehend the lyrics. You just have to play those "Orin melody" songs to him. However, the post isn't about his genre of music, it's about the Entrepreneurial Lessons You All Can Learn From Him.

Small Doctor came into the game less than 3 years ago, but damn, he came in with a new style. A fusion of the afro-urban style into the pangolo music. He made street music a little bit modern. It was now spiced up, beats were made by top-notch producers, tho still maintaining that pangolo beat. Lyrics were dropped which contained vulgar content and the usual slangs. So, what entrepreneurial lessons can I learn from small doctor?

1. Identify Your Market: Ask yourself, what aspect of the aspect will your goods/services be useful for? Small Doctor is someone who the high-class hates for his trashy and noisy music. But the streets love pangolo music, gbedu wey dey burst brain. You can't expect the streets the to listen to Adele-like music, it's not possible. The music has to appeal to them. Small Doctor was able to introduce some urban street-hop into the existing "pangolo street music". Not like all the regular "pon pon sound" or "frog-voice laden songs". Study your market, understand what they need and want, take advantage and monetize!

2. Market your brand: The next thing after discovery is to market your business. Just like a farmer does when he harvests his produce, its time to distribute goods and services to consumers. Publicize your brand, your service, your business. Consumers want to know what exactly it entails. They want to know the benefits of purchasing from you. Small Doctor was able to get street rep from the people of the street, every hotel, bar, restaurants and "mama put joints" were vibing to the "mosquito song". Small Doctor would have done some free shows, gave out free CDs, settled some DJs. Likewise for upcoming entrepreneurs, the beginning is always the hardest. Advertise your services/ brand on social media. Buy friends and family over with some free stuffs. Chances are that you get referrals from close friends. Tap into the world of social media especially Facebook where the level of interpersonal relationship is huge.

3. Have a logo: This is not about graphics design. It's about the core values of your business. Your mission, what you stand for and represent. As a fashion designer, it could be the ability to deliver service on time to clients. Small Doctor had a unique sound, The Hiann Hiann Hiann sound that serves as his intro at the beginning of all his songs. Hardly will you hear any Small Doctor song without that intro.

4. Constantly Evolve and Change Your Practices: After a few years, small doctor felt the need to evolve and move from the rugged life to a new urban lifestyle yet still maintaining the modus operandi: Pangolo music. Mosquito killer penetrated fully into the industry and his song with Olamide coupled with his "Gbera song" grew to be street anthems. There would be a time in your business where you would need to acquire a few employees, employ a new strategy or add a chain of business. This is necessary as change is needed for growth.

5. Set out a continuity plan: People asked what's next with small doctor after “Gbera”, but look, he's got the whole streets vibing to "Penalty". Likewise, set out a continuity plan, your vision for a new year and how you're going to achieve them. A continuity plan is needed so as not to run out of ideas when trying times occur.
Lastly, Don't streamline your career to one aspect. Explore other aspects. Be multi-resourceful.

Written By Otolorin Olabode, A Freelance Writer And Huffington Post Contributor
otolorinolabode@gmail.com