What's in a Name?

     OK so the Social Media Communication course is over but I still want to keep the blog going. I must say I enjoy this social media stuff. For those reading my blog posts, leave me feedback in the comment column please. You may be wondering why I chose this business name (Jeniffer Nanlal Book and Stationery Loft) and it is purely after many attempts at a name that I did. Here is the story.

     I went to get the business name approved at the Ministry of Legal Affairs and had to do a name search to ensure no one else had the business name I wanted before I could think of registering the business. So I sat behind one of their computer console and searched for the name Jenna’s Book and Stationery Loft, because that was the name I wanted for the business at first. The “Jen” was from my first name “Jeniffer” and the “Na” was from my last name “Nanlal”. I thought it ingenious, a combination of my name, but it was rejected. I was deflated but decided I would try again.

     On my second attempt, I decided to drop the stationery in the name and go with Jenna’s Book Loft. That too was rejected. I went back a third time with the name Jenna’s Stationery Loft and again was shot down. This was getting to be frustrating and I needed a name fast because I did not want to spend so many hours in the crowded office space where there were long lines at the Ministry of Legal Affairs and it was so hot anyway that I decided to just give up with the Jenna and just use my original name. That did it! The name was accepted and I could move on to the next step and get out of that hot space. Yay! I was elated.

     So even though the name is a long business name, I am proud of it, and besides, it can be abbreviated to JNBSL. My advice to budding entrepreneur: be persistent; take your time and choose a good business name; in fact, have a few handy in case one is rejected and be happy with the name you finally end up with.

FOR THE YOUTUBE CHANNEL

A video about the collaborative effort between myself and Cherrisse Foster.

It can also be viewed on YouTube at the following link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zw6ZhOeW7S8

Collaboration with Cherrisse Foster

Collaboration with Cherrisse Foster

As I said in my previous blog post, as per our Social Media Communication course I was required to collaborate with at least two other classmates whose project would mesh nicely with mines. My second collaboration was with classmate Cherrisse Foster, whose project involved ‘Embracing the Beauty and Body of Women. Cherrisse’s project meshed nicely with my project because she encouraged women to love themselves and in my small business I had to interact with women of all walks of life. I also had to learn to embrace my beauty and be comfortable with my body and Cherisse was there to help me. Thank you Cherrisse!

To read some more about Cherrisse and her journey, visit her page at 

http://confidenceisthekeytosucess.blogspot.com/

Here are one images of me back in the days and one of me now.  I never thought all those years ago that I would put on weight, but with the birth of my third child, I did just that! Cherrisse convinced me that was not such a bad thing. The other three images are of beautiful Cherrisse.

This is me back in the days.

This is me now.

Beautiful Cherrisse!!!

Collaboration with Ariel Hunt

As part of our Social Media Communication course I was required to collaborate with at least two other classmates whose project would mesh nicely with mines. My first collaboration was with classmate Ariel Hunt, whose project involved DIY (Do It Yourself). Ariel and I were able to work together to successfully create a few items for my desktop work-space and it was fun learning to create beautiful pieces that I could actually use to help organize my working area. Ariel was excellent at using items most people would throw out as garbage and produce work of art. I needed to organize the clutter on my desk, and Ariel came to my rescue. She used discarded boxes from supermarkets to craft a book-stand and supply holder for me as well as toilet paper rolls to and cardboard to craft a stationery holder for me. I was amazed at how beautiful it looked when completed, but most of all how functional it was in my work-space. No more clutter – YAY! Thank you Ariel! To view more of Ariel's work, visit her page at http://arielhuntdiy.blogspot.com/?m=1

Here are a few photos of Ariel's creations that I am now using on my desk.

My favourite mentor

Growing up I always knew I could go to my mother with any issue that bothered me. She was always willing to listen to me and even when we would sit and just talk, she would always tell me there were so much good things in store for me. She shielded me from danger, however I am thankful that unlike most parents growing up children in the 1980’s she did not shield me from certain topics that were considered taboo at that time. My mother was a great mentor and even though she never went to school and did not know how to write nor read, she encouraged me to do so, to the point of staying up every night with me under the lamplight as I completed my home-work. She would buy a book for me every week and beautiful stationery to write letters to my aunt in Texas, and thus began my love for books and stationery.

Every once in a while I think about her and smile. She died with cancer the year I was scheduled to write my CXC examinations. She had been suffering for three years prior. This post is dedicated to my mother,, my mentor, who taught me to love books. It is my hope that the readers of this blog post have wonderful mentors as I did my mom. Realize your dreams and make your mentors proud as I have made my mom proud.

Teamwork

Teamwork involves groups of people working together for a common good and there would be times when you would need to work along with others. It is very difficult working with some people and there can be a lot of friction, however if the members of the team keep in mind that they are working for a common good , they can make progress. With advances in technology and the world becoming a global village, it is important to learn how to work along with others. In order to work successfully with teams, keep in mind the following pointers:

1. Every team member opinion matters.

2. Team members have feelings whether they show their emotions or not. Try not to wilfully offend anyone.

3. Do not judge team members.

4. Leave lines of communication open with team members.

5. Do not be selfish. Share your ideas.

6. Do not be offended if your ideas are not chosen. Remember teamwork involves a democracy and what the majority chooses is what the team will go with.

7. Be an active part of the team. Do not just sit on the side-lines listening to what is said.

8. Get to know your team mates. You might be surprised. You may become good friends with the one you thought was unapproachable.

9. Ensure that you do what you are required to do while working in the team. No one likes it when others sponge off them and do not contribute to the success of the team.

Three Reasons for Business Washout and How to Avoid It

There are a number of reasons why some entrepreneurs suffer washout early in their business and having knowledge of those reasons can help budding entrepreneurs avoid the pitfalls. Therefore, instead of having a flopping business you can instead have a thriving business. I am giving three (3) reasons why business flops and what can be done to avoid it. I hope this post is helpful to those reading it.

1. Failure to account for your monies – Do not borrow more money than you need and always keep track of how you spend your business funds. Remember, it is always easier to borrow than to pay back, and keeping proper financial records will help you to track your spending and profits made. If you do not have knowledge of bookkeeping or accounting, for a small fee you can hire a recent secondary school accounting graduate student to help you.

2. Poor Organization and Running of your business – It is always good to try and educate yourself as an entrepreneur in how to successfully run a business. In Trinidad and Tobago there are many evening classes offered for adults in areas such as accounting, principles of business and office administration at no cost. There are also short courses offered at a few educational institutions for a minimal cost.

3. Not having enough capital – some entrepreneurs fail to realise that in operating a business they would have overhead expenses that will have to be paid every month. For example, light bill, telephone bills, rent etc. In not properly planning for this, they can quickly use up their finances and expect to get money from sales to cover these expenses. In the event that sales are slow, they then suffer.