I Caught My Partner Cheating : A Walk Through Guide is an article many require to help them navigate murky relationship waters. It isn’t strange to receive those random messages from individuals torn apart by the fact that their partner was cheating. They just caught their partner right at this very moment cheating. WHAT DO I DO NEXT? As a case study, we will use one that was really touching because it was enough to lose hope in humanity.
Question: Good evening to anyone reading. My first name is _ and i am a Fashion designer. I am married with 3 kids. My husband and i dated for 4 years and had our first son together before finally getting married. My siblings and parents told me they did not trust his intentions towards me but i went ahead and married him anyways. My best friend encouraged me all the way throughout the rocky periods. She had my back and went with me to my parents the day i finally had to inform them my mind was made up. My husband and i finally got married and we are 6 years strong in the marriage.
My husband is a great father and became my greatest confidant after marriage. Today while at my kids inter-house sports day with him, he went to participate in some games with our son and left his phone on the seat face down. It kept on vibrating consistently and i had to pick it up. It was his alarm. I clicked on the dismissed and got curious when i noticed he didnt have any network bars on his device. I checked my phones and they all had bars especially since we both used the same network. Though his phone was locked, i could swipe to the function keys and noticed it was on airplane mode. On turning off the mode, messages began pouring in and one in particular caught my attention. The number wasn’t saved but a “call me when you’re done with daddy duty” message caught my attention because it was followed up by another message that read “because theres big daddzy duty to be attended to. I took a picture of the message and turned on the airplane mode. When my husband came back he kissed me and my son hugged me as they had taken second place. My husband sensing that something was off, picked up his phone and the moment he saw it was still on airplane mode, he relaxed. I then asked if i could use his phone to call my mum. He said sure and casually picked it up. On opening it up he took some time before handing it over. On handing over the phone to me, it dawned on me he had deleted the message and a couple of others.
I waited until i got home. I hid my number and called the number that sent the message. The voice on the other end was my best friend. I then decided to quickly put other things in action after which I confronted my husband 4 days after and he denied it. I then showed him the messages i had taken a screenshot of and proceeded to inform him that i knew it was my best friend. This was when he broke down and told me their affair began the same year he met me. He then told me that they had been having an affair for as long as our marriage had lasted. My friend was a single mum and after i heard her voice i went to her house and spent time with her and her son at a time i took some strands of hair from her son and then took my husbands hair for a DNA test. it was a 98.9% match. He was the father. I then asked him who the father of the boy was. He lied about this as well and i showed him the proof. Afterwards, i confronted my friend who said she was sorry and then quickly moved out of her house a week afterwards. I am broken, i feel lost and with these children i have for him, i suddenly feel locked down. Please im losing my mind. Ending it all may just be better for me. I am so ashamed of my own existence.
The thoughts, confusion and emotions going through her mind was obviously something i witnessed on a daily basis with clients. That was a broken woman who had lost hope in humanity. Her entire world just fell apart. Regardless, there is still positive news in all of this. Firstly, you have amazing children who are yours to train and make exemplary individuals who will not become a source of pain for some other persons child down the line. Secondly, as insensitive as this may sound to you, you will not be the last person to say “i caught my partner cheating” so you will be okay. Before we dive into the points i need us to learn a thing or two about a substance called Oxytocin and it’s role in the affair process.
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OXYTOCIN
Oxytocin is a hormone that serves multiple functions. It is responsible for parents bonding with their babies, and it’s what helps bond a husband and wife. As humans, any time we have a high-oxytocin connection with a person, an increased sense of closeness and connection occurs.
All humans have oxytocin because we were meant to bond with others in our community. As we move from the high-arousal phase of infatuation to the next phase of mature love, the oxytocin levels begin to rise. Women naturally have higher levels of oxytocin. Physical touch and intercourse boost a man’s oxytocin levels and cause him to feel more secure and connected.
It’s when life gets in the way of our continual chemical bonding with our spouse that we become vulnerable.
Vulnerability however does not justify nor explain in totality why an affair happens. Don’t make it an excuse.
However, we must take this in-depth journey in hopes of understanding the bigger picture of why we’ve arrived in this place. Without an understanding which seeks to help the unfaithful spouse identify trigger points and opportunities for relapse, they will never have a steady recovery.
Apologies on the brief distraction but i felt it was a good information to throw in here. So back to the guide.
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This will not kill you
If you are not upset then it signals the existence of more worrisome issues or it could also mean you have already lost interest in the marriage. Which could be one of the reasons there was an affair in the first place. Your anger is normal and you are wondering, what do i do now?
Most people explode and attack their partners raining fire and brimstone on them. For the one who had the affair, they begin to say things they may not be able to live up to.
As strange as this may sound to you, my first advice is;
Do Nothing :
Sorry Temple what did you say. “Do nothing” I said. I need you to understand that this is the period to allow the healing power of time carry you through. What you did after an affair discovery is not what makes you feel better. Its the passage of time that makes you feel better. Some minor activities might help but a bulk of the activities that help you is the patience you exercise. Time has two primary functions, it heals and it reveals. allow it do its work. Anything you do at this very first 3 days or a week after the affair may just be the wrong move. A move that you may need to fix if you later decided to save the marriage.
Hold yourself back from talking to everyone who cares to listen about it. You will be “Pissing in the well” and this could also cause another type of damage. “Did you say damage? damage to me or to the person who cheated ? They cheated because they couldn’t control themselves and now i have to put their feelings into consideration? You know what I’m done reading this!
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We both know you aren’t done reading it because it gets more interesting from here onwards. Listen if you do not want to just fix a broken marriage or relationship but rather want to turn it to something else thats brand new, it would be amazing for you to carry out this first step. Sometimes doing nothing makes you look really wise and bellies confusion. When people get confused, they make more mistakes and volunteer more information. Never forget, time is your friend.
Call Up That one Solid, Dependable, Mature, Honest and Objective Son/daughter of a Gun You Know:
“Now you want me to call somebody, after im done stewing in pain, dying and coming back to life”?. Yes, its time to call someone. Its 3 days or a whole 1 week later and you have really composed yourself, You have not lashed out, you have not told everyone that your partner had an affair. Your partner is unsure of where your mind is currently at. This is the time to speak to someone who will listen. You may get emotional talking about it, that is totally fine. Speak to them and let them know that the primary reason you are speaking to them is because you need them to be there for you.
If amidst the pain you were able to decide that the marriage needs to be saved, you do not want to go speak to a person who will give you advice on how much of a loser your partner is and how you need to leave the pitiful SOB. Choose really wisely who you decide to speak with.
Seek out a Professional Help closest to you:
This is a great time to look for a Licensed Marriage and Family therapist closest to you or online. The professional will help you assess the situation, what led to it, who it affected and assist you with objective guidance at the time. This is not a time to be shy or feel strange about talking to a total stranger about your love life. Infact marital problems that aren’t resolved still end up becoming public discussions that unfortunately do not give you an opportunity to steer the direction or even be there while the narrative is being tendered.
Lastly, Never Contact an Affair Partner
No matter what happens, never contact the affair partner. Most times you see individuals contact the person their partner had an affair with because they needed to tell them what they thought about them. How cheap they are, how much of a terrible person they are and how they need to stay off their partner. Thing is Everyone having an affair with someone’s spouse knows its a cheap act (i do not care about the quality of emotions involved), again anyone having an affair knows its terrible and lastly you shouldn’t be the one telling them to keep off your partner because your partner ought to be revalidating you and informing you of all the measures (Primary and Secondary Boundaries) they have put in place to ensure that this never occurs again.
Chasing after your spouses affair partner isn’t cool (please, its not a movie flick). There is no good to be gotten from it especially if it happens to be one of them ones who have sold their shame and bought a sharp tongue with the proceeds. You can read this article here to understand the mindset of a side-chick/side-guy. Any information you set out to or actually get from the affair partner must be taken with a pinch because if they are complying with you, it doesn’t make them your buddy. Infact if you need them close, it speaks of possibly deeper esteem issues than you might have cared to admit to yourself.
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A good place to begin the journey towards ending infidelity is getting a healthy understanding of boundaries. Here is something free from us.
If you and your partner are currently battling this issues, it would be a great time to begin our affair recovery therapy or come in for an exploratory session with any of our professional therapists.
Temple Obike is a licensed marriage and family therapist, speaker, author and psychotherapist who has counseled over one thousand, two hundred clients comprising of couples, individuals, abuse victims (substance, physical, emotional and sexual) and grief-stricken clients. With over 70,000 in-counseling minutes (1,000+ hours) accrued in practice. He runs his private psychotherapy & counseling practice out of Lagos, Nigeria and has counseling centers in Abuja and Port-Harcourt. His practice also provides options for both online and on-site services.
His private practice has positively empowered lives through his online counseling, podcasts, free advisory services and free online materials. Readership of his articles also receive a growing number of visitors alongside subscriptions to his email newsletter at templeobike.com. His passion for empowering and uncovering the secrets to lifelong marriages and personal development led to his new book titled “Soul Bodega” available on amazon and across other online and traditional stores.
Never give up on yourself! You are a journey happening through various destinations.
Today I will be discussing the four horsemen of marriages. Its raining woofs and meows this awesome Sunday morning and it looks like a quiet indoor worship day for myself and the family. For some strange reason, i remembered Sunday school and how I looked forward to reciting bible verses memorized from the week before and then getting new ones to memorize.I’m sure it’s obvious by now that I’m a christian (something many colleagues have warned me to stay away from if i wanted a practice that would not be termed a “christian therapy center”). C’mmon, really? Anyone who would not have a session with me based on my faith must really need to get themselves checked (especially if i didn’t ask that we pray first before commencing).Back to my story. The book of revelations will always be one of my favorites owing to it’s post-apocalyptic horror themed outline. It’s like a prophecy movie detailed to the dots and tittles. One of the scariest prophecies ever written about human-kind (which has begun anyways) is on the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
The four horsemen of the apocalypse
A concept Dr. John Gottman used in analyzing what happens in a marriage first before it ends. This metaphor depicted the end of times in the Book of Revelations (last book of the New Testament and the bible in general). The four horsemen were conquest (white horse), wars (red horse), famine (black horse), and death (pale horse) respectively.
Dr Gottman, PHD, Statistics.
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Meet the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in Marriages?
After putting in over 40 years of research, Dr. John Gottman, Ph.D. showed that there were certain patterns that once introduced in a marriage could prove destructive to love and at the end destroy the love in the marriage. Research shows that these four interactions; criticism, defensiveness, stonewalling and contempt are very damaging to a marriage. When you learn to identify these horsemen in a marriage, you must be able to immediately help couples turn them around. Let’s quickly delve into the notorious four horsemen.
First Horseman – Criticism
I believe that a marriage that does not have conflicts is a marriage that may not grow. The same way tough times make us aspire for more and become better as individuals, conflict in marriages make us communicate with our partner and build better marriages. Criticism happens when you constantly blame your partner and makes them feel like something is fundamentally wrong with them.
If you discover that you or your partner constantly puts each other down by pointing out flaws, this horseman is already present in your marriage.
When you criticize someone its about them, when you complain, it’s usually about the topic or behavior. I’ll give you a really quick example.
Scenario:
You get to the kitchen after a hard day of cleaning and scrubbing only to discover that your partner had used the sink and didn’t clean it.
CRITICISM: What is wrong with you? Can’t you just learn for once and do the needful. Its so simple, clean up after washing.
COMPLAINT: Please lets clean up after using the sink like i’ve always said. It attracts ants if not cleaned.
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Second Horseman – Defensiveness
It is human to defend yourself when under you feel criticized. The attack could be physical, emotional or mental but regardless of the kind, you will defend yourself when attacked. It’s important to know that there are times we need to draw a fine line between “feeling criticized”‘ and actually “being criticized” . This is hugely dependent on how your partner has been handling related issues or how much you personalize what is being said to you. When defending yourself from a perceived attack, you either retaliate with a counter-attack or simple adopt a victim stance.
If you truly want to excel in marriage, Never be the one who denies all charges. Accept what is true and change what can be changed in the moment.
Using our first scenario about the kitchen sink, This is what a defensive stance looks like
Defensive Stance: I have not even washed anything today, Why are you accusing me of pouring water all over the sink if i haven’t even been there?
Healthy Stance: Oh shoot! i know you keep asking me to clean up, Thing is i haven’t been in there today. I’ll clean up when next i use. Thanks for the heads up.
When you truly accept some responsibility for whatever must have happened, you exterminate Defensiveness. This way you are looking for something you agree with and not what you can bite on to. I see couples who due to defensiveness trigger their partners who react so badly that things get out of hand quickly.
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Lastly, there is such a thing as understandable defensiveness when you are just being attacked by a partner for simply breathing in oxygen. Now you have to hold your breath around them to a point where you feel like it’s all not worth it.
Third Horseman: Stonewalling
Now, this is where things really get serious because from this stage, you decide to shut out your partner even if the both of you are in the same room. If they cannot take care of my emotional, mental or physical well-being, i might as well shut them out. At this point, the tell-tale signs begin to creep in.
The Signs;
A) Defiance Stance: When you notice that you’d rather be doing something else while your partner is talking to you, then you are definitely stonewalling them.
B) Little or No Eye-contact: In sessions, i see couples who cannot maintain eye contact. This is such a telling sign that a lot of damage has been done. At a recent event where i had the opportunity to speak to over 300 couples i played a little game where i asked couples to maintain eye contact for 10 seconds without making funny faces, saying anything, laughing or doing anything to take away from the seriousness of the moment. by a show of hands, It was obvious that only about 20% of the couples could complete this successfuly. The reason i understand is very simple.
Whoever told you the eyes were the windows to the soul was absolutely correct because if you looked closely into your partners eyes, you would see everything you have deposited in there staring back at you. – Temple Obike
C) Passive Aggressive Behavior: When you start making faces or just making gestures that show you are not really listening to what a partner is saying or doing.
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When you stonewall you think its because you are so cool and not allowing things get to you but i hate to be the one who breaks this to you.
Stonewalling happens when you are internally overwhelmed with everything that is happening in your marriage or relationship. You get anxious easily, you experience palpitations and sometimes if not handled swiftly, you could become depressed. Sorry. – Temple Obike
For the stone-waller and the stone-walled (like the sound of this)
The moment you see yourself stonewalling your partner, you have given them reason to start fighting harder and trying even harder to be seen and heard. They will escalate whatever conflict you have with them because they feel you must not ignore them.
For the partner who has been constantly criticized and pushed to a point of overt defensiveness, their silence means they are reflecting on everything that has been said and if they have a vindictive bone in them, are most likely thinking of ninety-nine reasons they shouldn’t be letting your negative energy seep through them anymore.
Well, both parties are wrong and MUST re-engage conversations by calming down and conversing again. 85% of the time,, men do most of the stonewalling because 99.9% of the time women do the talking. Guys, one of the things you must first of all identify in therapy is why you stone wall your spouse and then you learn how to calm down. Ladies, for you it’s very important that you understand how your behavior negatively affects your partner thereby making him look disinterested. When the both of you learn to break these patterns, you will become immune.
Then it’s time to re-engage in conversation. It’s helpful also for the woman to understand that her behavior actually greatly impacts her partner, and he’s managing that impact by looking “disinterested.”
Fourth Horseman: Contempt
The final Horseman is contempt. Contempt is a thing that is born in marriages where resentment, toxicity, a lack of communication and more have been allowed to fester. Contempt always happens when the relationship has fully broken down. The moment you and your partner resort to threats, insulting each other, using derogatory terms on each other then you are here.
These traits mentioned are all a form of emotional abuse and they kill love. The state of being contemptuous is by itself an act that seeks to bring down, ridicule or make a partner look bad in an attempt to look better.
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In many families before providing them with the required help, I noticed that the husband’s most times were willing to with-hold help from a wife in need just to make her firstly get hurt and then learn from that mistake.
The moment contempt has you in it’s clutch, you suddenly becomes a man or woman who always looks for negative things about your partner. When you do find this, you deliver the report to your partner with such intensity that’s geared to cause emotional and psychological damage. In extreme cases, research has linked contempt to the prevalence of certain infectious illnesses in the life of the person receiving this. This usually shows up in childhood and if not carefully handled can take over in adulthood with or without the presence of a toxic relationship.
The non-verbal ways of identifying contempt is with passive aggressiveness such as eye-rolling, or mimicry.
Killing Contempt
The quickest way to kill this demon is by becoming appreciative of your partner Yes I called it that “a demon” and it has nothing to do with my Sunday mood. A state of mind that makes you want to literally see someone else get hurt is not purely a human action.
To fully eradicate contempt from your marriage is a long-term process but the very first thing you can do is to begin to talk about issues from your own perspective. Shed light on your feelings, anguish, desires and frustrations.
To fight the four horsemen, an attitudinal shift is required. See your partner in the light of the positive qualities they possess. Appreciate them when you see them doing good things.
For the Therapist
Lastly, for the therapist dealing with couple’s who come in for proper marriage counseling, the first exploratory session may be given to de-escalating and unpacking all the negatives but moving forward, real therapists take control of the room and quench the negative energy. From that moment onwards, it is now time to talk about your feelings and not about what is wrong with your partner. For couples who may be attempting to do this by themselves from home, this is my advice to you as well. Sit down as a couple and resist the urge to talk about your partner’s fault. Talk about your feelings for once as your partner listens and vice versa. This is how true change and positive energy gets introduced into your marriage.
If you and your partner are currently battling any of the mentioned issues, it would be a great time to begin using the proven tips i mentioned in the write-up or give us a call to begin marriage recovery therapy. You can have it online or come in for an exploratory session with any of our professional therapists.A WORKSHEET TO HELP YOU BEGIN
Written by Obike Temple.Temple Obike is a licensed marriage and family therapist, speaker, author and psychotherapist who has counseled over one thousand, two hundred clients comprising of couples, individuals, abuse victims (substance, physical, emotional and sexual) and grief-stricken clients. With over 70,000 in-counseling minutes (1,000+ hours) accrued in practice. He runs his private psychotherapy & counseling practice out of Lagos, Nigeria and has counseling centers in Abuja and Port-Harcourt. His practice also provides options for both online and on-site services.His private practice has positively empowered lives through his online counseling, podcasts, free advisory services and free online materials. Readership of his articles also receive a growing number of visitors alongside subscriptions to his email newsletter at templeobike.com. His passion for empowering and uncovering the secrets to lifelong marriages and personal development led to his new book titled “Soul Bodega” available on amazon and across other online and traditional stores.Never give up on yourself! You are a journey happening through various destinations.Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit our website for more info!
100 investment ideas you can begin with less than $100. Have you ever dreamed of starting your own business? What’s holding you back?
If the answer is not having enough money to get started, then here’s some excellent news: You can start countless businesses with less than $100.
People do many odd jobs to pay the bills, and no matter what your skills are, there are ways to put them to work. It doesn’t matter if you’re a handyman or an online marketing expert — you can still make extra money on the side.
Here are 100 business ideas to get you started.
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Direct sales representative
Being a local sales representative for companies like Avon, Mary Kay, and Pampered Chef requires you to spread the word about their products by hosting a party or selling them online. Most starter kits cost around $100 and provide you with everything you need to become a sales rep.
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Consulting
If you already have the knowledge or experience in a specific area, such as providing legal advice or showing business how to become more eco-friendly, then you can easily start your own consulting agency. The main costs involved are marketing your business and networking, so invest in a website and business cards. Here is an example consulting guide.
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Senior home companion
In 2016, there were more than 49 million people in the U.S. alone aged 65 years or older. That figure is expected to grow to around 98 million in 2060. That means that there are lot of seniors who looking for someone to keep them company or families looking for advice on how to care for their loved ones.
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Tutor
There are a lot of students who need assistance in every subject, ranging from elementary school to college. If you have this knowledge, then starting your own tutoring service can be an appealing business idea that requires almost no capital. After all, the students already have the learning materials with them.
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Freelancing
Whether you’re a writer or web developer, freelancing can be a lucrative business idea that pretty much requires nothing more than your talent, laptop and internet connection. Thanks to the numerous websites that post freelance gigs, you should have no problem starting out. Here is a freelancer guide that will help you every step of the way.
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Vlog with YouTube
Since every laptop, tablet, and smartphone comes equipped with a built-in camera, anyone can start creating videos and posting them to YouTube. If you have knowledge you want to share, or are just incredibly charismatic, then you can start profiting from your vlog through ads.
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Auto repair/detailing
If you have a garage, tools and knowledge, then why not start your own auto repair shop? Even if you don’t have a garage, you could start a mobile auto repair business where you go to the broken-down vehicle.
If you like the idea of working with vehicles but you aren’t a mechanic, then consider washing and detailing cars. (I had a former colleague who did this on the side, and eventually, he was able to make this into a full-time gig through word-of-mouth recommendations at work.)
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Sharing economy rentals
Thanks to the “sharing economy,” more and more people are opting to rent items instead of purchasing them. You can rent out things ranging from your parking space to your furniture. Try starting with a niche and slowly working your way up. For example, you could start renting out yard equipment like rakes, shovels or leaf blowers. If you don’t already own them, you can purchase them for less than $100.
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Managing web design
There are countless sites out there that teach you basic web design. Learn a new skill today. Even if you aren’t a web designer, you could find a designer affordably and still charge less than professional web design firms. They key here is managing the process — most businesses don’t want to do this and are willing to pay.
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Handyman
If you’re able to make minor household repairs, like switching out a broken electrical outlet or sealing a pipe under the kitchen sink, then this is another in-demand business that doesn’t cost much to launch. You could even consider starting out on TaskRabbit, a marketplace platform for small jobs.
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Menu planning
Plenty of people are indecisive when it comes to their food. That’s why they’re willing to hire someone to help them plan out their meals. This is a low-cost idea for anyone who enjoys working with food but doesn’t have the resources to prepare and serve it.
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House-sitter/pet-sitter
This idea essentially requires no initial investment. You can start asking your family, friends and neighbors if they need someone to watch their home or pet when they go out of town.
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Lawn care
If you have a green thumb, enjoy being outside and have the tools to get started — like a lawnmower, weed-whacker or chainsaw — then this is a no-brainer of a business idea. The only main cost is advertising and marketing your business.
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Homemade gourmet foods
Whether if it’s soup mixes, jellies or chocolates, people love gourmet food products. And since you probably already have a kitchen, you just need cooking supplies, packaging and basic marketing materials to get started.
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Professional organizer
We live in a materialistic world, and it’s easy to start getting overwhelmed by all the stuff that’s consuming our homes. Just look at the rising popularity of Marie Kondo. Professional organizers can help people get their homes back in order for no more than $20 or so on classified ads.
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Green cleaning service
Cleaning services are a dime a dozen. You can stand out from the competition by offering a green cleaning service that uses eco-friendly and natural products. You may even be able to make some of them yourself and sell them for extra cash.
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Grocery delivery
Some major grocery stores offer delivery services, but not all of them do. There’s a chance your local supermarket doesn’t, either. That’s when you can charge customers to have you go to the store for them and then deliver groceries to their homes.
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Personal concierge
A personal concierge takes care of everything from taking clients to the airport, bringing the dog to the vet or managing schedules. It’s essentially being someone’s personal assistant.
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Creating information products
If you have experience with a specific niche, then you can start selling your knowledge by creating products like eBooks or instructional videos. The cost is usually no more than your time, domain name and web hosting.
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Blogging
If you’re familiar with a specific topic, then you can launch a blog where you share your knowledge. You can earn money by selling ad space, becoming an affiliate or starting a subscription service. Here’s a resource to getting started with blogging. (I followed its tips and was able to personally create a solid four-figure income within around 12 months.)
Window-cleaning is many people’s least favorite household chore, and a window-cleaning service doesn’t require much capital to become profitable.
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Interior designer
Both homeowners and business owners are looking for people to design comfortable, organized and productive spaces.
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Flier distribution
Local businesses still hire people companies to hand out fliers or place them under windshield wipers. You essentially just need to make a lot of copies, and that’s not a major investment.
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Programming
Learning how to program or code, such as with the object-oriented dynamic programming language known as Ruby, is one of the most lucrative business out there. Here’s a guide to starting a developer business to help get you started.
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Virtual assistant
This job is similar to being a personal assistant — answering phone calls, responding to emails and keeping your client’s schedule. The difference? You do this remotely.
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Social-media consultant
Businesses and individuals are always on the lookout for people to manage and maintain their social channels for them, and many businesses will pay $500 or more a month for these services.
Project management
Believe it or not, not all businesses have in-house project managers, which means that projects can quickly get off-track. Companies are often willing to hire outside project managers to keep their teams focused.
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Secretarial services
There are a lot of small businesses and individuals who need services like typing, transcribing and proofreading. As long as you’ve got a computer, a printer and the necessary skills, your business should be good to go.
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Catering
If you’re an outstanding cook but don’t want to invest in a restaurant, then you can start your own catering business directly from your own kitchen.
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Mobile repair
Want to put your own spin on a repair service? Start one that involves you going to the client. Whether if it’s fixing a mobile phone, a computer or a piece of furniture, this idea doesn’t require more than a vehicle, marketing and your own expertise.
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Resume-writing service
A lot of people have difficulty writing amazing resumes, and that may cause them to lose out on a job they’ve been eyeing. If you have knack for composing resumes, it can become a profitable business. (I personally have paid $100 several times for people to get my resume in shape.)
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Holiday decorator
Everyone wants their home or office to look festive for an upcoming holiday, but not everyone can make that happen. If you can pull off that holiday cheer, then this is another business that doesn’t require much capital.
You can buy a domain on the cheap — sometimes for less than $1. If a business comes along and needs that domain, sometimes they’ll be willing to pay top-dollar for it.
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Flipping websites
Using a site like Flippa, you can purchase a website, build it up and sell it. You can turn this into a lucrative business. (I personally have been able to make around $25,000 to $30,000 flipping websites each year.)
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Cleaning dryer ducts
Dryers get jammed with lint, and if too much builds up, you could have a house fire on your hands. Since this is an area that’s often overlooked, you can start a dryer duct-cleaning business with just a vacuum and some basic marketing.
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Tour guide
If you know your area like the back of your hand, then you can start charging tourists for a personalized tour of your hometown.
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Affiliate marketing
If you have a blog with a significant amount of followers, then you can become an affiliate. Essentially, this means that whenever you recommend ther people’s products or services, you can use your own special affiliate link that you’ve requested from the company (or a marketplace like Amazon). Whenever a visitor clicks on that link and makes a purchase, you’ll receive a commission.
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Dropshipping
Dropshipping is selling products for companies on sites like eBay. Whenever the product is sold, the company handles everything else, such as shipping.
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Snow removal
If you have snow shovels and maybe even a plow, then this business idea can make you serious cash. However, it’s completely dependent on the weather. (When I lived in Utah, I paid a neighbor $25 every time it snowed to shovel my driveway and walkway, and it only took him half an hour.)
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Pet grooming
If you enjoy being around pets and can bathe them, cut their nails and give them a decent haircut, then this can be a serious money-maker without much of an investment.
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Pooper scooper
It’s definitely not the most glamorous job, but you’d be doing something that most people dread so much that they’d pay someone else to do it for them.
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Event or party planner
If you’re organized and a planner, then taking care of the arrangements for birthdays, retirements or weddings can be a profitable business.
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Computer repair and maintenance provider
Think of all the computers out there that crash or need updates. Do you think that each owner has the technical knowledge to handle any troubleshooting problems? Consider starting your own service.
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Life coach or mentor
Many people hire coaches or mentors to help them with things like losing weight or finding happiness. (I’ve found that most life coaches charge $50 to $250 an hour.)
It’s important for both businesses and individuals to keep their files neat and tidy, but not all of them have the time to do so. That’s when they hire someone to keep their books in order for them. (I pay my bookkeeper $30 an hour, and I found her on a local website with a classified listing that she paid $50 per month for.)
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Tax preparation
Preparing taxes is another necessity, but most of us don’t have the time or knowledge to take care of this task. If you’re up-to-date on the latest tax regulations and enjoy crunching numbers, this can be a lucrative business during tax season.
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Book-writing
Did you know that both Amazon and Apple have book-publishing arms? Whether you write an instructional book, cookbook or sci-fi adventure, you can now publish it at almost no cost.
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Flooring business
Installing your own flooring may sound easy, but it can get tricky. That’s when you can save the day by installing floors for others. Best of all, you don’t need to worry about inventory — you’d only be focused on installation.
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Painting addresses on curbs
Many office and residential customers would gladly pay you to spray-paint their address on the curb. You’d just need some spray paint and an address kit to get started.
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Parking lot striping
There are plenty of parking lots that need new stripes. You can start off with a straightedge tool and spray paint. As you earn more money, you can purchase professional equipment.
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Business planning
If you’ve already created a successful business, then you can actually turn that knowledge and experience into a new business. New business owners will pay for someone to help guide them in developing their own successful business plan.
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Homemade natural soaps and beauty products
Selling natural products is a thriving business. Even if you don’t feel comfortable making your own natural soaps and beauty products, you can dropship for companies that do.
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Logo design
If you’re a creative individual, then designing logos is a relatively easy business to start. You can do anything from designing unique logos to customizing ideas from templates. Here’s a guide to starting a design business that should help you every step of the way.
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Translator
Businesses are desperately in need of individuals who can speak the language of whatever market they’re entering.
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Restore/upcycle furniture
If you’re handy and spot a used piece of furniture that needs some TLC, you could make the repairs and resell. That’s pretty much all profit.
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eBay seller
People have been making a living for years off of eBay by selling their old junk, reselling items and dropshipping.
With the mobile revolution in full swing, the demand for apps has never been higher. Even if you don’t have programming skills, you can still hire someone to make your app a reality.
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Personal chef
Unlike catering, which may only keep you busy a couple of days per week, personal chefs are responsible for cooking breakfast, lunch and/or dinner for clients. However, you can spend most of your time preparing meals that just need to be reheated. That allows you to take on more clients.
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Personal trainer
Even though health is a priority for most of us, it can be challenge to not only stay on track but also make sure that you exercise correctly without injuring yourself. By becoming a personal trainer, you can motivate and monitor people while they exercise.
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Beautify products
If you don’t have the tools or skills to build something from scratch, you can always modify or beautify an existing product. Take mosquito nets, for example — they’re bland, but you could decorate them with ribbon or beads to create a unique product.
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After procuring tools like a sander, a matte-cutter, a glass-cutter, tape, clamps, saws, miter boxes, picture-hangers, a stapler and glue, all you need for this business is marketing.
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Flea market-vending
Flea markets are still thriving, and you can usually rent out a spot for the day for just $20. You can sell anything from the junk laying around your house to the produce you grew in your backyard to handmade crafts. In many areas, there are multiple flea markets taking place throughout any given week, so this can easily become a frequent gig.
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Online content producer
Businesses need lots of content today. If they don’t have an in-house team to create and produce content, they often hire talented outside individuals to do it for them. (There are businesses that pay $50 per blog post, such as mine — here’s my own content marketing guide to help you in your journey.)
Everyone should have a website these days, and for the people who don’t have the time or knowledge, you can develop their website for them.
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Selling plants online
If you have a green thumb and the space, then you can sell plants online. It’s actually a growing niche since people are becoming more concerned about where their plants originated from, and you can probably charge less the big box stores.
Calligrapher
If you’ve got above-average penmanship, then you can charge people to create handwritten invitations.
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Selling crafts
If you can make handmade crafts, like jewelry and furniture, then you can sell those products on sites like Etsy.
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Home daycare
You’ll definitely need to get the proper licenses and permits, but this is a business that you can start at home. In some areas, daycare costs around $15 an hour, so this can be a very lucrative business.
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Cleaning out foreclosed homes
Whenever a bank forecloses on a home, they have to hire someone to clean the place out. If you don’t mind getting a little dirty, you don’t need much to start this kind of business.
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Recycling scrap metal
Some people drive around and take junk, such as broken dryers, off of people’s hands full-time. Why? Because they can scrap that metal. Just keep in mind that the more valuable metals are aluminum and copper.
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Internet security consultant
Security is a major concern for businesses and individuals. Besides expertise and some marketing, it doesn’t cost much to start a business protecting others’ hardware and software.
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Freelance bartender
If you can make a mean Manhattan, Cosmopolitan and other oft-ordered drinks, try marketing yourself as a freelance bartender for private parties and events.
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Training dogs
Consider yourself to be the next Cesar Millan? This is another low-cost business idea with the potential for high profits.
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Referral service
Whether a new business or family just moved into town, you can can refer them to the right vendors, babysitters or restaurants. Your only cost would be networking and marketing yourself to the community.
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Packing service
No one likes the hassle of packing up for a move. That’s why they’ll hire other people to pack and load their belongings up. You really don’t need to purchase anything without reimbursement, since boxes and tape will be included in your final price. You’ll probably still be a cheaper option than professional movers.
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Writing and/or recording a song
If you have the musical chops, you can make a career out of writing your own music. And it doesn’t have to be the latest Taylor Swift single — you could write jingles for podcasts or local businesses.
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Concert and show promotion
If you have some experience in marketing and are passionate about spreading the word about upcoming events, then you can start working with artists, venues and labels to generate buzz with essentially no investment on your part.
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Tester or reviewer
Companies are often looking for individuals to test and review their products. You can also start your own blog where you review products in a certain niche.
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Fashion design
Sites like Etsy now make it accessible for you to sell your unique fashion designs. Even if you’re not into high fashion, you can start creating your own T-shirts and produce through sites like CafePress.
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Whether if it’s for a special occasion like a wedding or for Halloween, people often pay a significant amount for someone to do their makeup.
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Hairstylist
If you’re up-to-date on the current styles and can cut hair, then you can start your own salon from your home.
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Selling snacks and drinks
Have you ever left a sporting event or concert thirsty and starving? We’ve all been there. That’s why you see people selling bottles of water and hot dogs after an event. Unlike investing in a food truck or cart, you can start off with just a cooler.
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Voice-over artist
Now that businesses are creating their own content, such as videos and podcasts, they’re looking for golden voices. If that’s something that you possess, then you could turn it into a lucrative career.
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Brewer
You can buy a beer kit for less than $100 and start tinkering around with brewing your own beer. (I have a family friend who did this with friends and now has his own microbrewery.)
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Winemaking
You don’t need a vineyard to start making wine. You can start by growing some of your own grapes or purchasing juice. If your small batch of wine turns out well and you start making some cash, you could eventually start your own vineyard or winery.
Farm-fresh eggs are a big business right now. You can get in on the action by purchasing a couple of hens and building your own chicken coop.
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Baking bread
The size of the market for home-baked bread might surprise you. (I know woman who makes her own bread by working just a couple of days a week, and people line up to purchase it.)
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Creating customized care packages
Many people enjoy customized care packages that they can give out as gifts. To begin, you need to find a niche, like holiday packages, and start filling baskets with goodies.
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Instructor
You can sell lessons teaching people to play an instrument, cook a meal or even work out. You essentially just need your own knowledge and marketing to get started.
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Airbnb host
If you have an extra room or home, consider renting it out on Airbnb instead of letting it sit there vacant. (I personally was able to make around $3,000 a month last year renting out a section of my home.)
Landlords can’t always check in on their properties or maintain them via cleaning and mowing. A property management company takes care of these tasks for busy landlords.
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Laundry/ironing service
Almost everyone has clothes that need to be cleaned or ironed, and oftentimes they don’t have the patience or time to handle these chores on our own. That’s why many people pay others to do it for them.
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Clothing alteration service
If you know how to sew or replace buttons or zippers, then you’ve got a new business idea for people who can’t part with their favorite pieces of clothing. It’s also inexpensive to launch this type of business.
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Online dating consultant
More and more people are turning to online dating to find a match, but it can be overwhelming when just starting out. If you have experience in the area, then some people are willing to pay for advice.
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Sourcing service
You can find products or services for local businesses and resell them at a markup.
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Travel agency
Even though there are hundreds of travel websites out there, most people don’t have the time or patience to compare the prices on flights and hotel rates. That’s why there’s still a need for people to do the legwork for them.
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Toy-making
Whether it’s carving a doll out of wood or making use of a 3D printer, making toys can be a lucrative business idea.
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Food-delivery service
Some people feel they can’t leave the office to pick up food, and others would rather not leave their homes. That’s when they’ll contact you to pick up and deliver food to their doors.
Here are some of the finest places in lagos you must visit for a vacation. Generally, adventures and tourism are some of the popular things many of us engage in after a long time of working tirelessly. Let your destination be in Lagos this time round; this is the best place to relax with your loved ones enjoying natural and unique establishments. Without further ado, consider the below-detailed list of top tourist attractions in Lagos.
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1. The Nike center for Art and Culture
Nike art Galley was founded by a legend known as Oyenike Monica Okundaye. This is the place of a unique art gallery, workshop, and artist retreat. When you visit the place inside, you will find Nigerian sculptors, craftsmen, and artist honing their skills.
Further, you will love the different levels filled into the brim and with one of the biggest collections in African art or preferably the Nike herself. Admirably, you will be charged nothing to enter inside, and this makes it among the fun and memorable activities to do here in Lagos. Additionally, you can purchase some nice-looking things that you will like.
2. Lekki Conservation Center
This place is very amazing and cool. It was built in 78-hectare in Lagos state. Once you visit lekki, you will immerse yourself in all beauties of nature on an amazing trip. You can even climb the canopy trees, located in the longest canopy Walk Bridge in Africa.
This canopy wall is approximately 401-meter long. You will love the bridge swings while walking on it; it is the top engineering feat bridge. Further, you find a family park, the best world-class picnic that provides sporting facilities, nature walks, and a picnic.
3. National museum
The national museum is in Onikan Lagos and was established back in 1957 before Nigeria gained independence. Essentially, this national museum is among the top-rated tourist attraction in Lagos. The place has great and attractive collections in ethnography, archaeology, and traditional art.
It also has the best galleries which are dedicated to brasses from Benin City and others related. Further, this museum houses an amazing bullet-ridden car that belonged to the country’s former Head of State, who got assassinated in 1976.
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Additionally, the museum has a small, decent crafts village with handicrafts and woodcarvings for sale at affordable prices. Besides, if you love history, you need to visit this place for amazing history ever.
4. Freedom park, Lagos
This park is a leisure and memorial park here in Lagos Island. The park was formerly broad street prison to her Majesty. It was constructed to preserve the cultural heritage and history of Nigerians purposely. The monument in this park reveals Lagos colonials heritage and also the fact history of Her Majesty’s. However, the park also serves as national memorials, cultural sites, recreation Centres, historical landmarks, and arts.
5. Tarkwa Bay Beach
This is a sheltered beach near Lagos Harbor. Tarkwa is a popular place with water –sports and swimmers enthusiasts. And also, it is the main home of welcoming the resident community. Unlike most public beaches here in Lagos, Tarkwa is not overcrowded or noisy.
Further, you will enjoy this beautiful and amazing island far removed from Lagos’ bustle and hustle. Besides, this is the place to visit in some lonely moments or a preferably fun day with your loved ones.
6. National theatre
A cultural landmark and architectural masterpiece, the tower is among the best properties in Nigeria, which have stood the test of duration. National Theatre offers an avenue for the tourist to learn more about the history and arts while also having fun in its cool and lush environment.
This place was constructed back in 1976 by General Yakubu Gowon’s military regime and later completed by General Olusegun Obasanjo. National Theatre is a unique house of ancient art, and also it is progressing by inviting the new modern artist. You will love how this place fascinates both exterior and interior designs.
7. Visit the new Afrika Shrine
Don’t worry about your nightlife escapades while in Lagos; I got you fully covered. Fela shrine will make your nightlife most enjoyable and memorable. In the new Afrika shrine, you will enjoy the inspiring story-telling lyrics, political education, sacrosanct palm-wine, and a good lesson in “shaking-it.”
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This place is an entertaining open-air center located in Ikeja Lagos. Further, this beautiful place serves as the main host location of all annual celebration music festivals. The new Afrika shrine best showcases image galleries of musical performances and Fela by Seun Kuti and Femi Kuti makes it among the best tourist attractions.
8. Club Ouilox
The lovers of the club, we made your night here in Lagos. Put on your party shoes since equinox will get you fully covered. This is the best place to be every Friday night; it is popular for socialites and celebrities. Many tourists who came here described equinox as addictive, may it be you alone or with your friends, you will not get bored even a minute in this club.
9. Hi-impact planet
The hi-impact planets provide world-class fun for both old and young tourists. Here you will enjoy the unique rides, games, and other types of entertaining attractions. You and your loved ones will have a good time and also form magical memories here. Besides, while in Hi-impact planet, grab a pastry or snack of fun, enjoy the full-brown intercontinental local foods at park three food courts.
10. Ikeja city mall
Every day you will find many visitors and Lagosians walk down this mall. This mall was developed by best Broll property services back in 2011 and comprised more than 100 new stores. Ikeja mall is the home of all classy banks, departmental stores, jewelers, hairdressing, cafes, restaurants, bars, ice-skating arena, beauty salon, and many other’s related.
The mall also features large car parking and houses of enormous whole foods. You will love to visit different silver bird cinemas, ShopRite supermarkets, and many other beautiful places inside this Ikeja mall. Admirable stuff in Ikeja is affordable not to break someone’s bank account.
HERE ARE OTHE|R AMAZING PLACES THAT COULD BE EXCITING TO VISIT WHEN IN LAGOS
Teslim Balogun Stadium
This FIFA rated stadium faces the National Stadium and has some of the best sporting facilities in the country. It witnesses numerous top-billed sporting festivals and events, particularly local and international football matches.
Located in Surulere.
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Third Mainland Bridge
Third Mainland Bridge is the longest bridge in Nigeria and the second longest in Africa. It is flanked on both sides by the Lagos Lagoon and records the highest amount of traffic in the state on weekdays.
As one of the most beautiful gardens in the entire country, visit Jhalobia for your landscaping options, or to simply enjoy the provisions of its fantastic surroundings.
Located on Murtala Muhammed Airport road in Ikeja.
National Arts Theatre
It’s almost impossible to miss this unique landmark, due to its 31-meter height and architectural design. The National Arts Theatre is profoundly symbolic to performing arts in Nigeria.
La Campagne’s exquisite environment captures and reflects the beauty and grandeur of Nigerian and African designs, cultures, and traditions. You can take it all in while enjoying your view of the Atlantic.
The first of a chain of entertainment centers within and beyond Nigeria, Silverbird Galleria’s magnificent structure stands as Lagos’ monumental figure for all things movies.
An island of sun, fun, and the beach. Visitors holidaying at Inagbe resort are provided with a tasteful and sophisticated environment for relaxation and excitement.
Located at Amuwo Odofin, Lagos.
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Iga Idunganran (The Oba’s Palace)
Iga idunganran is where the Oba (Lagos’ monarch) resides. The palace was built in the 15th century and features ancient tombs and shrines. It also plays host to traditional festivities and tourists.
Another solidification of Fela’s iconic status, the Kalakuta Republic Museum was once a family house of the Ransome-Kuti’s. Now, the one-story structure is where to go to get a look and feel of the legend’s former belongings, both professional and personal.
Located on Gbemisola Street in Ikeja.
Eko Hotels and Suites
A visit to Lagos is incomplete if you don’t stop by at the impressive Eko Hotels and Suites. In addition to its excellent hospitality, Eko hosts the biggest, trendiest, and most exclusive events within its grand buildings.
Located in Victoria Island.
Civic Centre
The first thing that strikes you about this multi-purpose events facility is its urban architectural design. The next thing is how only the most sophisticated events seem to take place there.
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Located on Ozumba Mbadiwe Road in Victoria Island.
Kamp Ikare
Yet another captivating getaway that Lagos city has to offer, the quiet town and coastline of Ikare is perfect for those who don’t need to get loud to have the time of their lives.
Located at Ikare.
Well this was a list compiled from amazing sources such as theculturetrip.com and undp.org .
We hope your next outing or trip to Lagos is set and good to go.
This is a special article because we’re really going to tackle the topic you’ve already discovered in the title.
Yes…! You can become a billionaire from scratch.
There are currently over 2,700 billionaires in the world and that number is growing quickly.
56% of billionaires out there are self-made!
Meaning, that they did not inherit the fortune, instead, they’ve build lucrative companies that got them to where they are right now. Currently, a new person becomes a billionaire every 36 hours.
Why? Mostly because of the internet, access to global markets, the influx of cash in the middle class and what used to be considered developing countries. Before you think you’ve got this in the bag, we have to keep it honest with you and hit you with the truth.
There’s a reason why only 0.00003% of the world population hits billionaires status. Big factors like: education, infrastructure, access to capital, desire, IQ, EQ and even luck, all play a major role in this.
And throughout this article, we will analyze the situation where most of these align for you just the right way. Follow this structure and even if you fail, you’ll still end up a multi-millionaire!
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With that said… here are the 15 steps to becoming a billionaire from scratch!
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01Start Super Early
Some people have what is considered the entrepreneurial gene.
Elon Musk sold his first piece of software when he was 12 years old. Warren Buffet made his first stock investment at the age of 11. At 12 years old, Mark Cuban was selling garbage bags door to door. Richard Branson started his first business at 16. And we can go on like this forever…
If you don’t have a rich father to give you a small loan of 1 million dollars, you’ll have to earn your first million yourself. The sooner you start the bigger the advantage you have, because you’re learning the most valuable lesson in business:
How to get people to give you money?
Think about it like this: it will take a couple of years before you identify a business that has a chance of success. Then with hard work it will take roughly 7 years for the business to mature. If you start when you’re 16, by the time you’re 25, money is no longer an issue.
If you’re a teenager, your time is now!
If you’re older than that, you just have to push yourself harder for the time you wasted.
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02Educate Yourself Constantly
Books, interviews, documentaries, case studies, analyze other people’s businesses, analyze how other successful people behave and then emulate everything you learn.
Fortunately for you, quality information is cheap or even free.
Take yourself seriously and invest in books, audiobooks and anything that builds up your skillset. The quicker you are able to build skills in your inner-portfolio, the sooner you will be able to leverage them to accelerate your growth.
In this phase in your life, you need to master the fundamentals: becoming a self-learner, how to self-motivate, self-discipline, time management, sales, how to talk to people, how to build things, how to market, how to scale, how to manage people, how to speak & understand money.
Nobody can take away what you learn!
This is why investing in yourself pays the best dividends.
03Fail Quickly, But Keep Moving
You will fail and this is a fact.
You are too early in your journey, you don’t have enough knowledge, you don’t have enough skills, you don’t understand the markets or the consumers well enough and you don’t yet have people to guide you or save you.
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Resilience is key!
The only way to become a billionaire, especially when you’re starting from scratch, is to absorb as much information as possible and transform it into actionable wisdom!
Do not be afraid to fail and do not give up if things don’t go your way.
LEARN! ADAPT! OVERCOME!
Every time you’re faced with a challenge, the market is testing your ability to perform. Failure is not the goal, but it’s part of the journey!
04Sacrifice Your Social Life & Work 80–100 Hours Per Week
We told you we were going to keep it honest. You simply can’t do both.
Building a solid business will require you to put it way above everything else. It will take so much energy, so much drive that there simply isn’t room for anything else.
This is the price you have to pay to escape mediocrity!
Just like a rocket, you’ll have to burn most of your fuel trying to escape the gravitational pool.
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Working 40 hours a weeks is survival income! It will keep you fed and warm, but it doesn’t bring that lifestyle you’re looking for. The time you put in over that goes to your success. Relationships, family and sometimes even health will suffer in the process and there’s still a massive chance that you’re not going to make it.
This is why most people never do!
They’re not willing to pay this high of a price and it’s understandable. You can still be like everyone else and be happy. It’s your call to make. At the end of the day, this is one of the few things that is 100% your control.
In the first 10 years, you learned a bunch, you studied success in many forms, you understand how the market is changing. Inevitably, you’ve identified businesses that are within your reach and took that idea to the market.
Initially, you put a lot of work in yourself, then you started bringing people in. Money starts flowing in and you can start making moves. You test different strategies, different products. Some work, some don’t. You learn from them. The years go by like a roller-coaster!
You either having the best year of your life, or you’re thinking about quitting!
Every successful entrepreneur knows this feeling all too well! Yet you push through and half a decade later, you’re doing ok.
The temptation to spoil yourself is stronger and stronger than ever, but remain disciplined. You reinvest almost everything into the business and it continues to grow. You have a good understanding of how big this can get and what needs to be done in order to get you there. You have successfully matured yourself as a business person!
06Leverage Your Newfound Success To Meet Influential People
On the road to success, you’ve met several people who share the same drive or the same motivations as you.
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They’re doing their own things but you share a sense of brotherhood because everyone goes through more or less the same struggles. These are the only people who to some degree understand you and they become your network. Some of them will become future business partners, others will be your mentors and some will open doors you’ve never seen before.
The power of this network is massive.
They will help you navigate life, they have contacts of their own, they’ve done mistakes of their own and the same as you, they’re more than open to share with the group.
You might have heard the term MASTERMIND before.
It’s when smart minds come together and help each other creatively solve problems… only that in business, the payoff is more monetary. The network you build around you will determine how quickly you move through wealth levels.
07Sell Your First Business, Become A Multi-Millionaire
You started with almost nothing and you’ve put years, sweat and tears into the business that’s now quite valuable.
It’s time to let it go…
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It is incredibly rare for people to achieve billionaire status from their first few businesses, even in the technology space. In order to tackle big issues, you need money and you need people to trust you enough to give you that money!
Selling your first business is like building a past performance portfolio. It shows people that you can take an idea and execute it flawlessly until completion.
If you did everything right, a 7 figure payout should be within reach.
Everyday 1700 people become millionaires in the Unites States!
If previously geography played a decisive role in your success, as of 2020 you can no longer use that as an excuse. A laptop and an internet connection is the minimum barrier of entry in this race and considering you’re consuming this piece of content right now, you’re way past it.
Here’s the deal:
A million dollars is no longer a lot of money! It’s just a mental milestone you need to pass in order to move into real money territory. You have to enter this stage as quickly as it is legally possible.
Only at this point, you can finally start your race to 1 billion.
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08Build A New Innovative/Disrupting Business
As you move into this new level of business, you’ll discover things are quite different. The stakes are higher and now you’re competing with the big boys.
They have all the money in the world, they have the infrastructure and you’re just a cockroach who’s trying to take some of their breadcrumbs. But, because you have your network, you have your track record, you now have access to other people’s money.
The only way to compete with the big boys is to be creative!
You can’t challenge them head-on, because they can bury you. You can’t do it cheaper and you don’t have access to the same resources as they do. Your best bet is to leverage your creativity and the latest technology available.
Statistically speaking, big business isn’t as agile and quick to adopt new tech, this is your window of opportunity. Plus they’re stuck in an old way of doing things because it worked for them for so long.
Quick reminder: Airbnb wasn’t invented by Hilton or Marriott.
Solve a problem, but in a new more efficient way leveraging modern-day tech. Have a look on the article below after completing this article:
Fix the following — If you want to be a BILLIONAIRE
If you want to be a billionaire, here are 15 problems you should solve to get there!
medium.com
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09Expand Quickly & Aggressively
The moment you prove that your solution works, the race begins. It’s a race, between and how much the market you can acquire, before big business catches up.
This is why Elon is so aggressive with his electric cars, Volkswagen and Ford are breathing down his neck, so he needs to secure his position as a big player before they retrofit their production line.
This first mover advantage applies to every industry and it’s usually driven by social and technological change.
The model is simple: Prove the solution works, expand in new geography and use the money to come up with new solutions.
This is usually where businesses raise a second round of investment at a massive valuation that allows them to really have an impact. And based on the goals of the founder we’re faced with the following choice:
10Either Get Acquired Or Try To Build A Monopoly In Your Niche
The big boys are interested in what you’ve built, so they’re offering you buy you out. This is where Facebook pays $1 billion for Instagram or $19 billion for WhatsApp.
Again, this applies to every other industry as well. The moment you start making waves they start doing the math. It’s your choice if you want to sell or if you plan on beating them at the business game.
But you should know that they will come after you with everything they got. Look at Snapchat turning down $3 billion from Facebook, because they wanted to be the next Facebook.
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If you go with the second route, execution is your only option. Yahoo! had the option to buy Google 2 times but failed to do so. First time for $1 million in 1998 and the second time for $3 billion in 2002. But because of their ability to execute, Google is now worth almost $1 Trillion.
So how do you become a monopoly in your niche?
You Buy Out Your Competitors — That’s why every mammoth out there is on a shopping spree right now, from big tech companies to fashion retailers, everybody is buying.
Make Your Competitors Redundant — This is done either through economies of scale, where they can’t compete in pricing. Meaning you simply can’t produce the same good cheaper than I can — or through technological innovation. Like, if you’re the iPhone to their Blackberry or if you remove their competitive advantage — the same way Facebook’s Insta-stories did with Snapchat.
11Focus On Big Ideas That Impact A Lot Of People
In order to build a multi-billion dollar business, your product or service will need to impact a lot of people. That’s just the facts.
The top 5 industries with the most billionaires are as follows:
Finance & Investments: 310 billionaires; 14%
Fashion & Retail: 235 billionaires; 11%
Real Estate: 220 billionaires, 10%
Manufacturing: 207 billionaires, 9%
Technology: 205 billionaires; 9%
Basically, these are the industries that create everything you touch, use or wear. They shape reality. They build your cities, they finance the companies building cities, creating your clothes, the items you use and the digital services required to live a normal life.
5 billion people have a mobile phone. They all paid for their devices. They all use them to access the internet. At the end of the day, making a billion dollars is a rather simple math problem.
How can you extract $1 from a billion people? Or you can take $100 from 10 Million people? Or $10,000 from only 100,000 people. See where we’re going with this? To get handy with these calculations, give a look to:
MILLIONAIRE MATH: Explained
Millionaire Math: The way rich people think about making money!
medium.com
As the general population gets richer, you will see prices steadily go up. The best indicators are the costs of homes and smartphones.
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12Invest In R&D/ Hire The Best Talent Money Can Buy
Staying relevant in a big boys game is incredibly difficult because there’s always a new innovative company coming for what you have while you’re busy holding your own versus your direct competitors.
The only way to keep yourself ahead of everyone else is to innovate. You’ve heard the term before but what does it really mean?
Innovation is the ability to connect the dots of reality in a never seen before way that adds value.
You can innovate in many ways. Take a concept that works in another industry and adapt it to your own. Innovate in design, in experience or come up with something the world didn’t know it needed.
The light bulb didn’t come as a result of incrementally improving the candle!
A company is only as good as the people who push it forward, and you need all the help you can get.
13Go After The Big Bucks
Remember the billion-dollar math we did earlier? Here’s a super valuable piece of advice:
If you’re going to work anyway, why wouldn’t you go after the big piles of money.
A great example of everything we mentioned today is a company by the name of UiPath. They’re building the AI bots that are doing repetitive tasks for companies.
Take a moment to think about it. How many accountants are there in the world? What is their economic value? How much are companies paying the entire accounting machine, from clerks, to invoice management, to data entry and so on…
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Solve this problem once and then you take it to every big player who needs your solution.
Write this down:
A Transaction happens when the price paid is lower than the perceived value!
As long as you understand this, you will make money!
If humans are costing a bank $100 million per year and you offer a solution that does the same job for half the cost, congrats, you just earned yourself the contract.
UiPath went from 1 million to $100 million in yearly recurring revenue in less than 2 years. The company is now worth over $7 billion and growing quickly.
What is the fundamental way they did it?
They solved a problem for the people who have the means to pay for it!
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14Secure Your Wealth — Diversify
Assuming everything has worked out in your favor, you are now finally rolling in money. Your shares in the company are worth a lot, you’re trending, people are looking up to you, it’s time to start taking money out and secure your wealth.
Invest in what you understand — buy land, real estate, art, shares in other companies, anything that’s long term.
Congratulations! You’ve made it.
You’re no longer just a paper billionaire. The moment your solid assets surpass $1 billion, you have secured your position as a billionaire. Your wealth is increasing so much every year that you no longer know what to do with the excess capital you have.
You can start foundations or help charities change the world for the better. You can divert some of the money your investments are making to research or whatever you feel passionate about. You’re surrounded by the right people, who make sure you get every deductible possible so that the wealth is secured.
Now, it’s up to you on what you want to do next…
15Bankroll Super-Business Savvy Individuals Or Do It All Over Again
Remember when you had all those creative ideas before you managed to conquer the world? Find people with the same spark you had in yourself and help them do the same.
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That’s what venture capital funds are all about. They are the driving force behind the change-agents that are shaping the world. Governments have fallen way behind on innovation and at this moment in time, the private sector is what’s pushing humanity into the future.
If you still believe you have what it takes, do it yourself, dream bigger than you’ve ever dreamt before.
You want to cure the world of diseases like Bill Gates is doing? Do that!
You want to mine asteroids? Go do it!
You want to solve immortality! Give it a shot!
Take 1 million people to form a colony on mars? Why not?
We need billionaires who have the resources and the vision to push humanity into the next phase. We are reaching unprecedented levels of wealth and innovation ability. Humanity as we know it is on the brink of evolution. You can either be a driving factor or just an observer!
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If you look at almost every self-made billionaire on the Forbes list, you will find that almost all of them follow this exact framework we have described for you.
Question:
And readers, looking back on what it takes to build this kind of wealth: Do you think the sacrifices are worth it?
Everyone wants to be a billionaire because it’s a round number. It’s the equivalent of “A LOTTA MONEY”, but at that stage, your wealth is just a number on a screen.
What most people really want is what comes with the idea of never having to worry about money again. Instead of billionaire status, we recommend you set a realistic goal of becoming a High Net Worth Individual.
These people have a fortune between 15 and 50 million dollars. If you’re smart, that’s more than enough to feel secure and enjoy a rich lifestyle.
No, you don’t have 2 private jets, but you’re super comfortable renting one whenever you need. You have solid investments that are covering every reasonable expense and you’re still left with more. If you chose to, you could stop working for the rest of your life and you would be fine.
We know you dream of retiring on a beach sipping mojitos, but surprisingly, it gets boring really fast, especially if you’re the type of person who built his fortune from the ground up. You can never really stop your mind from being what it really is — the mind of an entrepreneur!
Only this time, you’re solving business problems just for the challenge of it all. That’s where we wish all of you to become: So rich, that you solve problems just for fun!
