Home Blog Page 2321

Aly Khan Sachu: The Millionaire Investor

0

jumia

Aly-Khan’s story isn’t your typical rags to riches Kenyan story. Not many poppers get to leave the country and study abroad, let alone at the tender age of 13.

How it all began

“The day I got into the trading floor, is the day I realised this is where I have always wanted to be,” Aly told the scoop

After completing high school in London, he pursued a law degree at the University of Durham. But deep inside he knew it wasn’t his calling. Instead, Aly ventured into what had always fascinated him as a boy – investment banking. With no practical financial experience he got the lowest paying job at Credit Suisse.

“I wanted to play with numbers and for that, I could have given anything,” he tells the Business Daily.

Grabbing opportunity by the balls

After more than an year he came face to face with the vice chairman of the bank Mr Joan Becke; choosing not to be intimidated Aly requested Mr Becke to allow him 10 minutes of his time.

Aly then requested Mr Becke to give him the broker’s job for the same six dollar an hour he was making at the clerical section. He also asked to be fired if his performance was deemed unsatisfactory.

In three months time the job was confirmed and in his first full year on the new job, Aly had blown the Credit Suisse annual performance record straight off the water.

What makes a successful investor? Avoid all the hype and do proper research.

Since 2003 Aly-Khan has been trading his own funds primarily Commodities (particularly Oil) Currency Futures and Options, Equity Indices and Single Stocks.

For the last three years, Aly-Khan has been an active Investor at the Nairobi Stock Exchange, The USE and various other African Stock markets

129 people perish after boat capsizes in DRC

0

At least 129 people drowned when a passenger ship capsized on Lake Tanganyika in the southeast of Democratic Republic of Congo, according to a new official death toll Sunday. “Rescue workers recovered a total of 129 bodies,” an official told AFP, adding there were a number of women and children among the victims in Thursday’s disaster.

The new toll represented a dramatic increase on the provisional figure given Saturday by the government of DRC’s Katanga province, which had spoken of at least 26 dead. So far, the number of survivors stood at 232, mostly men, the provincial minister for transport said, adding that rescue workers had found more people in the water Sunday, who had been clinging onto petrol cans and other objects for over 48 hours and were in a very weakened condition.

“The search for other survivors and bodies is continuing,” he added. The accident took place Thursday night in the north of Katanga province, between the towns of Moba and Kalemie.

Officials said strong winds and overloading caused the M/V Mutambala, which was bound for Uvira further north in South Kivu province, to capsize. The boat was carrying cargo as well as passengers. Disasters with high numbers of fatalities are frequent on the lakes and rivers of DRC, where vessels are often overloaded, life jackets frequently missing and many people cannot swim.

Lake Tanganyika is the longest freshwater lake in the world and also borders Tanzania, as well as Burundi and Zambia.
 

 

Unconventional things women are attracted to in men

0

Opening doors, pulling out a chair, splurging on the birthday gift or flowers and chocolates when you have royally messed up are all thoughtful gestures. But women will always want more. So what is that extra something that a woman is looking for in a guy?

Clean as a pin

The first thing that attracted Betty to her boyfriend is how neat and orderly he is. She had never been with a guy who cleaned up after himself, so to her this was totally refreshing and it sealed the deal in beginning their relationship.

Her boyfriend, she says, never leaves dirty dishes or clothes piled up like most men do. Even his house plants are alive. To her, this showed he had a caring and nurturing side to him. And if a guy pays that much attention to detail about his stuff, he would definitely take care of her too.

She found his neatness appealing and sexy. Of course Chris, her boyfriend, does not think it is a big deal and is completely oblivious to his charms. That is what makes Betty love him even more.

“The fact that he thinks everyone cleans up after themselves and his self-deprecating personality is why I find him so endearing to me, and it would be a different story if he was a slob.”

Whereas some women may find this quality in a man attractive, others may think it a turn off and may be of the view that real men do not clean: if a man is too clean then he must be cheating because he is trying to hide something, or there is another woman cleaning up after him. And if he is too clean, then he does not need a woman!

If a guy decides to clean up he is either having a guest over, of the female kind and the prospects of getting laid are very high!

Sweat
I know, the first thought that comes to mind is ‘disgusting’. How the hell does anyone find a sweaty guy attractive? Well, some women do, for instance, why are some women into sports?

Granted, most of them would not know what a three-pointer, a penalty, scrum or offside means and would be forgiven for thinking all these terms are used in one type of sport, but they will be there, cheering (ogling is more like it) whenever there’s any kind of sport that requires physical exertion on telly.

Lack of knowledge of the rules of sports aside, ladies like to watch hot men in tight shorts running around all sweaty chasing after a ball and tackling each other. The thought of the men being in need of a cold shower, taut muscles and all after the game is enough to set off any woman’s imagination to unbidden territory.

According to researchers, androstadienone, a chemical found in male sweat, is purported to increase sexual attraction and has garnered attention on women’s moods, brain activity and physiological arousal.

Beards

While some women may find guys with beards unattractive or a major turn off, some have it as the basis upon which they’ll consider a guy for a possible relationship.

We are not talking about just any beard; heavy stubble, light stubble, full beard or clean shaven, every woman has her own preference.

But women who like guys with beards prefer a heavy stubble over a clean shaven look or light stubble. Light stubble will lose out to heavy stubble as it always comes off looking patchy, like someone got called away on an emergency while waxing your face!

Men with an intermediate level of beardedness look tougher, more aggressive and masculine and would appear to make better romantic partners. On the other hand full bearded men are perceived to be better parents who are likely to invest in their offspring.

So the next time you see a woman swooning over a poster of Hugh Jackman, David Beckham, Charlie Hunman or … Rick Ross, blame it on the facial hair.

Geeks and Nerds

You know those movies where the cheerleader dates the captain of the football team but is secretly in love with the school chess champion? Geeks are assumed to be naturally smart and intelligent. Contrary to popular belief bad boys do not always finish first, chicks dig geeks. Geeks are never pretentious; they know who they are and stay true to themselves.

Geeks are sensitive; a trait that bad boys seem to lack. They will be more open to discuss an issue with a woman until they are on the same page. It is like having your best friend and your boyfriend all rolled into one, as it should be … what more could a girl want? Women love someone who they can watch Vampire Diaries, Gossip Girl or Hart of Dixie with.

Geeks are selfless and will usually put the woman’s interests first before his and will extend this selflessness and other needs beyond movie night to the bedroom. They are adventurous lovers, and there are women who prefer four eyes to the six-pack.

Women love a smart man who they can call to fix whatever gadget that needs fixing and explain things to them in geek speak over and over again without getting frustrated. How cool is it to have a boyfriend who will cook for you, watch sappy movies with you, fix your computer and rock your world all in one night?

Fame

The male species may never fully understand why ladies are attracted to celebrities. A woman, like a baby, always wants what someone else has or what she cannot have. The celebrity your girlfriend is salivating over may not even be half as handsome as you (her boyfriend) but as long as the celebrity status is intact, she will salivate for ages to come.

Women fantasize about spending just a day with their favourite celeb. We all love a happy ending, but it is just that, a fantasy. It could happen, but not really. Women fall in love with the character the celebrity is playing and that is where the lines get blurred. They cannot separate the real person from the character being played (hence stalkers and groupies came to be). But a girl can dream …

Whatever peculiar things that attract a woman to a man, be it rough hands, grey hair, how one enunciates, scars or ripped clothing, they probably have a deeper meaning that is the cause for the attraction.

Ladies, do you agree?

Instagram now more popular than Twitter

0

Instagram, the photo-sharing social network owned by Facebook, announced it has more than 300 million users as it unveiled a new system to authenticate celebrity members.

The update means Instagram has for the first time overtaken Twitter, which claimed 284 million active users at the end of September.

“Over the past four years, what began as two friends with a dream has grown into a global community that shares more than 70 million photos and videos each day,” Instagram chief executive Kevin Systrom said.

“Instagram is home to creativity in all of its forms, a place where you can find everything from images of the Nile River to the newest look from Herschel Supply or a peek inside the mind of Taylor Swift.”

Systrom also said Instagram would start using “verified badges for celebrities, athletes and brands” to help users ensure they are following these members and no copycats.

“These badges will start rolling out over the coming days,” Systrom said

“We’re committed to doing everything possible to keep Instagram free from the fake and spammy accounts that plague much of the web … we’ve been deactivating spammy accounts from Instagram on an ongoing basis to improve your experience. As part of this effort, we will be deleting these accounts forever, so they will no longer be included in follower counts.”

Facebook completed its acquisition of Instagram in 2012. The original price was pegged at $1 billion but the final value was less because of a drop in Facebook’s share price.

The main point of Instagram is to share smartphone snaps, which can be enhanced with image filters to mimic historic types of film.

Debra Aho Williamson at the research firm eMarketer said Instagram has a good deal of potential for advertising with an estimated 52.5 million monthly users in the United States alone.

“With 300 million monthly users, Instagram’s audience is becoming very attractive to marketers, especially brand advertisers, and its rapid growth will only make it more appealing,” said Williamson.

“Instagram’s ad business is still very new and has a lot of growing up to do – for example, its targeting capabilities are still very limited – but the company’s new authentication initiatives send a message to the ad community that their followers will be real entities and that the impressions they receive will not be fakes or bots.”

 

Women you should never date

0

1- Your best friend’s sister

The woman you know the best will often appeal to you the most. But if she is your best friend’s sister, getting lucky can mean two months of fun followed by the need to move to another part of the city. As soon as siz becomes sweetheart, you’ll be walking on eggshells with your buddy. Gone are the days of complaining to your friend about your women troubles because the conflict of interest ruins the good times, and the first time you make a mess of things, he will likely want to beat your ass.

2- Your secretary

There are plenty of reasons to keep your mitts off the help. It can get you into all kinds of trouble — legal and otherwise — should the relationship go south. But even if the fling goes well, you have problems. You’ll soon be tempted to push the limits of what you can get away with at work, perhaps in the janitor’s closet. Love at the office is an enormous distraction from your work, especially if you are in charge of her. Others are always watching what you are doing. Worst of all, once the relationship ends, she will enjoy leverage over you, and may use it simply by gossiping about what happened in the aforementioned closet.

3- The ex-girlfriend

Ex-girlfriends are one of the 7 women you can never date. Yet, the ex-girlfriend becomes increasingly seductive as loneliness sets in. After several years, you can easily get blown away when she follows you up. She might clean your apartment one day while you were getting loaded at happy hour, and you’ll want her there permanently. The loneliness will make you forget the reason the two of you broke up in the first place, but should you jump back into the relationship, those reasons will resurface in no time.

4- The hot trailer girl

The scenario here goes something like this: You were in the club enjoying the company of a young strange woman whose breasts were rubbing against you like two sea lions on a beach, and then you got confused. You enjoyed the one-nighter; but the next time you see her at bar time, you would be wise to end up at Njuguna’s Nyam Chom!

5- Your friend’s ex

When you witness the breakup of your buddy and his hot girlfriend, your mind will invariably wander to a place better left untouched. Since you’ve spent lots of time around her, you already have an established relationship — albeit a non-sexual one. Chances are you already imagined what it would be like while she was still dating your pal, and her new freedom may pique your interest, but be forewarned: If you value your friendship, avoid her at all costs. What men forget to consider is the aftermath of hooking up with a friend’s ex. The word will spread to everyone else in your circle about what type of a friend you are, and you’ll kill your own reputation. It doesn’t matter how long ago they broke up, whether they’re friends now or not, if your buddy’s replaced her with a new girlfriend, the answer is always no. Unless, of course, you enjoy getting your ass kicked!

6- The high-maintenance piranha

If you value your money and your manhood, the high-maintenance chick is to be avoided. She will love you for your increased earnings at first, but then will consider you to be a soulless workaholic incapable of intimacy. Once you’ve built up a nest egg, her divorced friends will start directing her on how to devour that nest egg whole, just like a snake. She will give you the screw of a lifetime, but not the kind you’re seeking.

7- The stripper

Of the women you can never date, the stripper is worse than the hot bar girl. No, she is not stripping to pay for school. Yes, she might be a hard-luck case, but sooner or later you will be acting like a body guard, thinking you can protect her honor from a rowdy bachelor party. If you think jealousy is beneath you, wait until you observe a private dance from afar when George offers an extra coin.

Cash flow essentials for a start-up

0

No business can sustain itself without cash; this is especially true for a bootstrapped start-up. A lot of businesses are forced to close their doors due to inadequate cash management.

It just goes to show how important managing cash collections is to a start-up.

Most start-ups bill their clients on an accrual basis –recognizing revenue when it’s earned rather than when payment occurs. This method becomes a problem when a customer pays late or not at all. And that is dangerous territory.

Here is what you need to do to maintain your company’s health:

Bill up front

Ask customers for payment on delivery, and only accept Automated Clearing House or credit card payments to avoid uncertainty or delay in payments. You can also enforce or encourage pre-payment. While some customers may be deterred by high upfront costs, discounts can win them over, and late-payment charges can reduce overdue accounts and help you predict cash flow needs.

Handle your invoices with care

Make sure you send your invoices far in advance. If you don’t give your customers enough notice, you’re practically asking for late payments. Also, track all outstanding invoices, and have a system in place for credit guidelines and follow-ups.

Be accountable

If you don’t have a clear budget and proper accountability, you’re almost definitely losing money. Early-stage start-ups seldom have the resources for a full-time CFO, but if you aren’t diligently recording spending, you have no way of knowing if you’re going over budget.

If you want to grow big enough to be able to delegate this work, you have to manage your cash collections well now. Otherwise, you could find yourself drowning in debt. Get the money you’ve earned, stop wasting precious resources, and enjoy the extra room in your budget.

[Original:entrepreneur]

Pirate Bay finally goes offline

0

So long Pirate Bay, you have been my loyal and trusted pirate friend.

All the illegal downloads you have given me, from DVD rips of blockbuster movies to the latest series.

Alas all things must come to an end.

Swedish police seized the computer servers hosting file-sharing site The Pirate Bay, taking the website offline, the Swedish Prosecution Authority said on Wednesday.

Founded in 2003, The Pirate Bay allows users to dodge copyright fees and share music, film and other files using bit torrent technology, or peer-to-peer links offered on the site.

Swedish courts have already handed down prison sentences and heavy fines to its founders Carl Lundstroem, Fredrik Neij, Gottfrid Svartholm Warg and Peter Sunde.

“We had a crackdown on a server room in Greater Stockholm because of a copyright infringement, and yes it was Pirate Bay,” Paul Pinter, national coordinator, intellectual property crime at Stockholm County Police told Reuters.

It was unsure if Pirate Bay was taken down for hosting some of the movies leaked due to the recent cyber attack on Sony Corp’s Sony Pictures Entertainment, tech website Wired reported.

Land grabbers have been put on notice

0

Land grabbers have been put on notice.

The government intends to get back grabbed public land meant for public institutions.This was according to Prof Fred Sigor in charge of the State Department of Livestock.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries in conjunction with the National Land Commission will repossess land which was grabbed from public institutions such as Farmers Training and veterinary demonstration centres.

Apparently, 500 acres of the original 1,500 acres of Ngong Veterinary farm in Kajiado has been grabbed by developers and land speculators, adding that the land will be repossessed and the titles cancelled.

According to the Kenyan constitution, chapter 5 on Land and Environment to be precise. The State to work towards achieving and maintaining tree cover of at least ten percent of the land in Kenya. It also encourages public participation in the management, protection and conservation of the environment.

This was during the Ministry’s annual tree ceremony on Thursday where he led Ministry officials and wananchi in planting over 1,000 tree seedlings.

The Member of Oloolua Ward in the Kajiado County Assembly Mr. George Nyoike said the Kajiado County Government has set aside Ksh 15m for buying fodder and grass cutting machines and challenged the management of the Ngong Veterinary Farm to introduce grass and fodder in the farm.

He said farmers in the area went to as far as Nakuru to buy fodder, which can be grown and processed in the Ngong Veterinary farm.

[Original:kbc]

 

Jumia offers cheaper Smartphones than Safaricom

0

jumia

Are you planning to get yourself or that special someone a Smartphone this Christmas?

Then it’s about time you gave online shopping a chance, Jumia online shop to be precise. Why you may ask?

I did a bit of online research and this was the finding.

By taking a list of all the phones and their respective prices at the Safaricom online shop; and then compared them to what Jumia had to offer (same phones, 2 different vendors). And guess what, Safaricom is definitely not the better option in this case; Jumia is.

Check out some of the phones that are cheaper buying from Jumia rather than a Safaricom shop

iPhone 6 16GB

iPhone 6

Safaricom 82,999/=
Jumia 73,999/=

How much you’re saving 9,000/=

iPhone 6 Plus 16GB

iphone6plus

Safaricom 92,999/=
Jumia 91,500/=

How much you’re saving 1,499/=

Samsung Galaxy S5

samsung-galaxy-s5

Safaricom 59,999/=
Jumia 48,500/=

How much you’re saving 11,499/=

Samsung Galaxy Trend

Samsung-Galaxy-Trend

Safaricom 15,499/=
Jumia 8,200/=

How much you’re saving 7,299/=

Let us not forget the free delivery that comes with the shopping, to your house or office. How cool is that!

 

 

Part 2: world’s top entrepreneurs share their tips to making it big in business

0

Today, Bizna brings you the second part of our top entrepreneurs tips from business moguls across the world. Read, learn and make more money in your business

 

1.) Bend to the Market

“Learn to pivot. Resist falling in love with your initial idea so you can discover what the market actually wants and is willing to pay for – and then give it to them!” – Cherylanne Skolnicki

2.) Core Values Last — Quick Buck Artists Don’t

“Remain authentic to yourself and your values as you build your business. Stand for something — never sell out for a quick buck.” – Cherylanne Skolnicki

3.) Stop Thinking of Your Own Wallet Part III

“Help people. Help when you’re happy. Help when you’re tired, and even help without attachment to getting anything in return. Keep on helping people towards a better life, straight through to your marketing. If you do this, you’ll create a marketing approach that’s based on “help marketing,” and you’ll have a business that’s never short on customers.” – Forest Linden

4.) Today is Your Day

“I love this from Og Mandino and wish I had learned this at age 20: “I will act now. I will act now. I will act now. This is the time. This is the place. I am the person.” – Julie Samford

5.) Being Entrepreneurs is a Journey — Not a Destination

“Learn to love the journey. Enjoy the slow steady movements toward what you dream of. And take refuge in the simple comforts of loving relationships, dear friends and your creative vision. Remember to smell the flowers often, listen to the birds, befriend fear. I’ll say that one again, befriend fear because it will likely be a constant companion. Nothing wrong with that, as a teacher told me, fear means: Prepare to Grow!” – Ahava Shira

6.) Unique Positioning is Everything

“Sell what people are already buying – in your own voice.” – Barry Friedman

7.) Negative People Can Bring You Down

“Do not let the naysayers and dream stealers turn your dream into a nightmare. There are so many people that will tell you no — you can’t do this. If you are surrounded by those who do, then it is time to make new friends.” – Katerina Gasset

8.) Okay — You Can Think About Your Own Wallet Now

“Stop doing anything else until you can say you’ve mastered the ability to sell what you offer. Everything is easier when you develop the ability to find a need; fill it and then be paid well to do so.” – Ken Foody

9.) Test + Action = Success

“Take small and medium size risks consistently.  Test your results and focus on what works. Taking action will make you feel alive. It’s where you personally grow.” – Justin Krane

10.) Live By: “Just Watch Me”

“Ignore everyone who says you’re crazy and it will never work. Adopt the stance, “oh yeah, just watch me.” – Debra Gould

11.) Expand Your Mind: Forever

“One thing? Never stop learning!” – James L. Pearso