The year 2012 ends today!

It’s surprising to see 365 whole days gone by almost in a flash. Without doubt, 2012 has been a very rewarding year for me, both business-wise and personally. On the business side, I spoke in more events than all the previous years combined, my writings gained more global recognition, two new products/services were introduced, my client base increased and so did my revenue!

How about you? Hope year 2012 was spectacular for you? Tell me about it in the comments 😉

Best Of naijapreneur 2012

In the spirit of retrospection, below are 10 of the most popular unusual articles featured on naijapreneur this year. These are based on the total number of views each of these unusual articles attracted this year according to my google analytics.

Enjoy!

1.  7 Reasons Why Most Entrepreneurs Fail in Business  — 18,234 views

Entrepreneurship is a way of life that offers unlimited possibilities to those who truly believe in it and live by it. But at the same time, entrepreneurship is a way of life that can totally alter the course of your life if misunderstood.  Entrepreneurship is not something you can fake your way through; you are either doing it right or not doing it right simple. There are no ways around it.  To help you better make that choice, here are 7 Indicators of entrepreneurs who are headed for doom. As you go through the list, be sincere to yourself and tick each of the signs currently present in your entrepreneurial life.  Read more…

2.  BUSINESS GROWTH 101: How To Increase The Market Share Of Your Business  — 14,903 views

In business, profit goes to the company with a sizable chunk of the market. In most cases, this is usually the companies in the top 3 position; first, second and third. This position is not determined by a regulatory body, but by their market size – the number of customers these business serve on a consistent basis. Market share is a numbers game. You are only as profitable as the number of client/customers patronizing your business. Read more…

3.  How To Choose A Unique Brand Name For Your Business, Product Or Service  — 12,803 views

“How do you choose a brand name for your business, product or service?” When it comes to choosing a name for your business; here are the 3 essential principles you need to obey.

1. Functionality

2. Memorability

3. Simplicity

Let’s look at each one of these principles more closely. Read more…

4.  Why Did You Become An Entrepreneur?  —  11,437 views

Are you really an entrepreneur; a person who takes risks to create change? Or are you just one of those multitudes who hide under the title of an ‘entrepreneur’ to make ends meet? So much fuss about entrepreneurship, yet so little impact.  Why? Because many people going about with the title of an entrepreneur are not really in it to create change (significance); they are in it to make a living (survival). And when survival is the FOCUS, then mediocrity becomes the OUTCOME. Read more…

5.   Customer Psychology Marketing: WHY Do People BUY?  — 10,205 views

People don’t care about you, how much success you’ve achieved or even what you have to sell. People care about themselves first, second, third and up to infinity.  People are naturally selfish; including me, including you!  If you want customers to buy what you have to sell, here is what you need to do;  Forget about what you want or don’t want and focus on giving them what they want and getting rid of what they don’t want! Read more…

6.   5 Strategic Ways To Beat The Competition  — 7,851 views

Business is a game and only the team with the best players will win. To beat the competition will require everyone’s collective effort. It’s not just a task for the marketing department or top management; it’s everyone’s responsibility.  So as the leader of your business, it’s very important you enlist the support of the whole organization once you’ve agreed on the strategies to adopt in dealing with your competitions. Read more…

7.   The 4 Elements Of Effective BRANDING  — 5,920 views

Branding is the difference between a business and a company. The irony is that a lot of so called entrepreneurs don’t know such a difference exists. For many, a business and a company may as well be the same thing. But are they really the same? This article is about pointing out the winning difference. Read more…

8.  BUSINESS GROWTH 101: What To DO When Business Is Slow  —  5,843 views

Business will be slow whether you like it or not, so get used to it! Sometimes, if the cause is within your control, you could do something about it. At other times, when things are outside your control, there may be nothing you can do. Fortunately for you, this unusual article is about the things you can do when business is slow. Read more…

9.   10 Rules Of Business Success  —  5,624 views

Jean Paul Getty (December 15, 1892 – June 6, 1976) was an American industrialist who founded the Getty Oil Company. He was named in 1957 by Fortune magazine as the richest man in America. At his death, he was worth more than $2 billion. These rules were extracted from his legendary book “How to be Rich”, I have added footnotes to each of the rules to make it more relevant to our age and time. I hope you find this as useful as I did and make a commitment to apply these rules to your business. Read more…

10.   The 3 Essential Roles Of Successful CEOs  —  4,592 views

The role of a CEO is a 3-dimensional one involving three major responsibilities. So just as everybody else in your company, you as the boss also have certain key roles in which you have to function. Below is an overview of your work description as a CEO. The whole idea of being your own boss is about to go sour if you are not prepared to do the work that comes with the title. Read more…

See You In The New Year: 2013!

I want to use this opportunity to say a big thanks to all of you unusual entrepreneurs out there who make the naijapreneur community a success. Without your consistent readership and feedback, none of this would have been possible. Expect more in the coming year.

Happy New year to you!