Starting a freelancing career in Nigeria can be a daunting task. But with the right guidance, resources, and mindset, anyone can succeed as a freelancer.  In this article, we will provide a comprehensive guide on how to start a freelancing career in Nigeria, covering everything from how to choose your niche, to finding clients, and managing your finances. Determine Your Niche:  Before starting a freelancing career, it is important to determine your niche. Your niche is the specific area or field that you specialize in. Choosing a niche that you are passionate about and have experience in will make it easier for you to stand out and attract clients. Develop Your Skills: Once you have determined your niche, it is important to develop your skills. Attend trainings, read books, take online courses, and practice your craft. This will help you build your expertise and credibility as a freelancer. Build Your Portfolio: Your portfolio is a collection of your best work that showcases your skills and expertise to potential clients. Create a portfolio website that highlights your work and achievements. If you don't have any paid work yet, consider doing some pro bono projects for non-profit organizations to build up your portfolio. Create a Professional Brand: Creating a professional brand is important for freelancers. It includes a business name, logo, and website that represent your brand identity. A professional brand will help you stand out from the competition and attract more clients. Find Clients: Finding clients is one of the most challenging aspects of starting a freelancing career. You can start by tapping into your personal and professional networks, creating profiles on freelance job platforms such as Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer, and joining online groups and forums related to your niche. Set Your Rates: Setting your rates can be challenging for new freelancers. Research the average rates for your niche and consider your level of experien

Are you looking for ways to make some extra money on the side?  With the rise of the internet, there are more opportunities than ever to earn money online. Whether you're a student, stay-at-home parent, or just looking for some extra income, there are plenty of online side hustles you can start in Nigeria.  And in this article, we'll share 10 of the best online side hustles you can start today:  Introduction Nigeria is a country full of opportunities, and with the rise of the internet, there are now more ways than ever to make money online. Whether you're looking for a full-time income or just a way to make some extra cash on the side, there are plenty of online side hustles that you can start today. The beauty of online side hustles is that you can do them from the comfort of your own home. All you need is a computer, an internet connection, and some basic skills, and you're good to go.  Here are 10 of the best online side hustles you can start in Nigeria in 2023, along with tips and resources to help you get started. Freelance Writing If you have a way with words, freelance writing can be a great way to make money online. There are plenty of businesses and websites that need content, and they're willing to pay for it.  You can find freelance writing gigs on websites like Upwork, Freelancer, and Fiverr, or you can reach out to businesses and websites directly.  Virtual Assistant As a virtual assistant, you can provide administrative support to businesses and entrepreneurs from your own home. Tasks can include email management, scheduling appointments, social media management, and more.  You can also find virtual assistant jobs on websites like Upwork, PeoplePerHour, and Remote.co. Online Tutoring If you have expertise in a particular subject, you can make money by tutoring students online. You can find online tutoring jobs on websites like Udemy, Coursera, etc.  You can also reach out to schools and colleges dir

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has come a long way since its inception. From simple machine learning algorithms to more advanced neural networks, AI has permeated almost every industry and has become a critical part of modern-day technology.  With the rapid advancement of AI, the world is now seeing a plethora of AI projects that are changing the way we live and work.  In this article, we'll look at some of the best AI projects in the world that are making a big impact and changing the future: AlphaGo  Developed by Google DeepMind, AlphaGo is an AI system designed to play the ancient game of Go. Go is a strategic board game with a much larger board and more possible moves than chess, making it much more complex.  AlphaGo made headlines in 2016 when it beat the world champion Go player, Lee Sedol, in a five-match series. This huge milestone for AI demonstrated how far the technology has come. IBM Watson IBM's Watson is a cognitive computing platform that uses natural language processing, machine learning and other AI technologies to provide insights and advice to users.   Watson has been applied in various industries, including healthcare, finance, and customer service, and has shown remarkable results. One example is its application in the medical field, where Watson is helping doctors diagnose diseases and develop personalized treatment plans for patients. OpenAI  OpenAI is a non-profit organization that aims to advance the field of AI responsibly and ethically. OpenAI is developing a wide range of AI technologies, including deep learning, reinforcement learning, and generative models.  One of the most notable projects from OpenAI is GPT-3, a language model trained on a massive amount of data that can generate human-like text. DeepMind Health DeepMind Health is a subsidiary of Google DeepMind that is focused on using AI to improve healthcare. The company has developed many AI-powered tools that are helping healthcare pro

Agriculture has been around for thousands of years and has provided food, clothing, and shelter to people worldwide.  With advancements in technology, the agriculture industry has evolved, creating a new field called agritech. Agritech refers to the use of technology in agriculture to improve crop yields, reduce costs, and make the farming process more efficient. In this article, we will explore the exciting opportunities that agritech offers for farmers and consumers. . Precision Agriculture Precision agriculture is one of the biggest opportunities in agritech. This technology uses GPS, drones, and sensors to gather data about soil, weather conditions, and crop growth.  This data is then used to make more informed decisions about when to plant, what to plant, and how to care for crops. The result is increased yields, reduced costs, and better use of resources. Precision agriculture is revolutionizing farmers' farming, making the process more efficient and profitable. Robotics and Automation Another opportunity in agritech is the use of robotics and automation. Robotics can automate tasks such as planting, harvesting, and even milking cows. This saves time, reduces costs, and leads to increased accuracy and improved food quality.  For example, a robot called "Harvest CROO" has been developed to harvest strawberries. It can pick strawberries faster and more accurately than a human, and it doesn't need a break! Robotics and automation are changing how farmers work, making the process easier, faster, and more accurate. Big Data Big data is another opportunity in agritech. Big data is collecting and analysing large amounts of data from multiple sources. In agriculture, big data can predict weather patterns, track crop growth, and even predict market trends.  This information can be used to make more informed decisions about when to plant, what to plant, and how to sell crops. With big data, farmers can stay ahead, making the best decisions

Are you tired of the 9-5 grind and ready to join the freelance revolution?  Then pack your bags, grab your laptop, and get ready for a wild ride as we explore the best cities for freelancers who love to have fun! 1. Berlin, Germany Berlin is the perfect city for digital nomads and freelancers who love to party. This vibrant city never sleeps, with an endless array of nightlife options and cultural events to keep you entertained. When you're not working, you can hit up one of the many street food markets, visit world-class museums, or explore the city's famous graffiti-covered streets. Berlin also boasts a thriving tech and startup scene, making it a great place to network and find new projects. 2. Bali, Indonesia Bali is a paradise for freelancers who want to combine work with play. This tropical island offers stunning beaches, a rich cultural heritage, and a laid-back lifestyle that's perfect for those who want to escape the hustle and bustle of city life. Whether you're a yogi, a surfer, or just love to relax, Bali has something for everyone. With a growing expat community and a thriving coworking scene, Bali is also a great place to connect with other freelancers and grow your business. 3. Chiang Mai, Thailand Chiang Mai is another tropical paradise that's perfect for freelancers who want to live a fun and adventurous lifestyle. This charming city is surrounded by lush jungles and mountains, making it a great destination for outdoor enthusiasts. In the city itself, you'll find a thriving digital nomad community, with plenty of coworking spaces, cafes, and restaurants to choose from. When you're not working, you can take cooking classes, go elephant trekking, or explore the local temples and markets. 4. Lisbon, Portugal Lisbon is a city that's made for freelancers who love to explore. This historic city is home to stunning architecture, charming neighborhoods, and a vibrant cultural scene. With its sunny weather, great food, and affordable cost of li

It’s the wild, wild west of finance – the world of cryptocurrency and crypto asset management. With coins like Bitcoin reaching record highs and new altcoins popping up daily, it’s easy to feel like a kid in a candy store. But before you go on a spending spree, there are a few things you need to know to make sure your investments don’t turn into a trick-or-treat disaster. Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Basket Just like your grandma warned you about putting all your eggs in one basket, the same goes for your crypto investments. Diversifying your portfolio is key to reducing risk and increasing your chances of success. Spread your investments across different coins, industries, and even countries to reduce the impact of any market downturn. Keep Your Eye on the Prize (And the Market) The crypto market is known for its volatility, with prices swinging wildly from day to day. It’s important to have a long-term investment strategy and to not get too caught up in the daily ups and downs. At the same time, it’s also important to stay informed about market trends and news to make informed investment decisions. Safety First – Protect Your Coins! Just like you’d lock your physical assets in a safe, it’s also important to protect your virtual assets. Use a reputable cryptocurrency exchange or wallet and enable two-factor authentication to add an extra layer of security to your investments. And whatever you do, don’t leave your private keys lying around – if you lose access to them, you’ll also lose access to your coins. Work with a Pro or Go it Alone? Deciding whether to work with a professional crypto asset manager or to go it alone can be a tough decision. Working with a pro can bring expertise and peace of mind, but it can also come with fees and a lack of control over your investments unless you use Crypto Smart. If you decide to go it alone, make sure you do your research and have a solid understanding of the market before making any investment decisions. Conclu

We touched on the uses of Blockchain in real estate yesterday. Today you'll learn how to invest in real estate on the blockchain through Lofty Ai. What is Lofty AI? Lofty AI is a decentralized real estate agency built on the Algorand blockchain. It was founded by Jerry Chu, Mark Keane, and Max Ball in 2018. It is the first Web3 real estate marketplace with a DAO. DAO means Distributed Autonomous Organizations and they are usually formed for a particular project. The Lofty AI's DAO structure allows token holders to share ownership and cooperate or vote on how they would like properties to be managed. The 'Lofty AI' idea was birthed by Jerry Chu after experiencing time wastage and futile efforts for over two months when he wanted to get his first rental property. According to him, 'The process was archaic and sucked up all of my time' and after observing that his friends had similar experiences, he decided to build a platform real estate investing can be 10x easier. Lofty Ai is one out of about six real estate projects built on Algorand blockchain. There are also the likes of QuantmRE, Vesta Equity, Slicespace, and Backers also. Lofty Ai is backed by several reputable firms including Y combinator, Barclays, J.P Morgan, and NVIDIA. A report from Crunchbase, reveals that the firm raised $5M in funding. Its last round was on June 14 2021. How Does Lofty AI Work? There are three categories to discuss here. There is the new user, the community of existing users, and the Lofty AI team. For the new user, they'd have to go to the Lofty AI website, sign up, connect their wallet and verify themselves before being eligible to invest in any listed property. The minimum investment capital for any category of users is $50. For every property listed, there is a unique token created and once users invest, they get these tokens as daily rental income. The community of existing users is those who have verified their identity on the Lofty AI platform and have started inves

Blockchain can change our world more than people imagine. And we've seen it repeatedly happen. It takes things with real value in the conventional world and makes them more valuable by backing them with transparency, security, and global inclusiveness. Real estate denotes land and improvements. Improvements here mean those things attached to the land, including water, trees, buildings, minerals, fences, etc.  Usually, real estate transactions are physical and involve in-person communication to finalize, but the emergence of blockchain technology has disrupted this norm.  Today, we’ll discuss the top 5 uses of blockchain technology in real estate: 1. Trust In one sentence, Blockchain is ‘The new technology of trust’. This is perhaps the most innovative reason. Blockchain is useful to all sectors because with trust comes security. There is a degree of trust required to carry out real estate transactions. Buyers don’t want to be cheated, so they prefer to buy from realtors they trust. Realtors spend time trying to build buyer trust. Blockchain removes that constraint because it is transparent and serves as a public ledger where information can be recorded and confirmed. 2. Tokenization The conventional method of owning real estate requires that a buyer purchase an entire property or that buyers come together as a pool of investors. The land is not divisible in bits and can only be sold in square miles, kilometres, and acres. Tokenization allows fractional ownership of properties. The act of tokenizing means that tokens are issued to represent a real tradable asset digitally, in this case, real estate. Tokens like this are called Security Tokens. With blockchain integration, buyers with limited resources can own properties and receive rental income from them. 3. Lower Barriers To Entry. Fractional ownership allows almost anyone to be an investor in real estate property. It no longer becomes an investment opportunity for people of a certain class or

You've heard the old saying; Opportunity comes but once. I'll beg to differ. Because opportunities come every day. And you can take advantage of them. This also applies in the blockchain space, where there are various technical/non-technical opportunities you can benefit from.  In this article we'll explain: - What technical opportunities are. - Examples of technical opportunities. - What are non-technical opportunities. - Examples of non-technical opportunities. What are Technical Opportunities? Technical opportunities is an umbrella word for all tech skills required in Blockchain. For simplicity and brevity, we'll look at three examples here: Blockchain Development: This scope involves developing and designing Blockchain-based solutions and apps. Statistically, one of the highest paying tech opportunities in the Blockchain space, building a career around Blockchain development is highly profitable. Blockchain Web Design: Users love a good experience when interacting with Blockchain-based solutions and apps. This scope is responsible for building customer-oriented UI interfaces to spread awareness of Blockchain products. Blockchain Quality Engineering: This covers analyzing the quality, planning, and delivery of Blockchain projects, ensuring that they are in line with the stipulated standard. What Are Non-Technical Opportunities? If it works for the Blockchain, is not technical, and involves soft skills, it is a Non-technical opportunity. Following the succinct pattern as earlier, let's review three examples: Blockchain Legal Consultation: This is an emerging niche in the Blockchain space. Not many legal consultants are tailored to serve Blockchain companies. Carving out a niche to protect Blockchain companies against international laws, rules, and regulations would be highly profitable. Blockchain Content Creation: Every company needs a good social presence, Blockchain companies included. It's not good enough to have good projects; you need

Cont'd from the first post on crypto tips for beginners, here are extra insights on how to trade crypto, recounted from Tim Ventura: Trade against USDT pairs.  This isn’t set in stone, but when you trade against ETH or BTC, there’s natural movement on both sides of the pair. I’ve had several trades go sideways because ETH was on an up or downtrend that I missed. After all, I was focused on the alt-coin. I’ve had other transactions where it appears the coin is increasing in value, but it’s staying the same in value — the chart’s increasing, but ETH is declining. If you trade against USDT, you can be relatively confident that your gains are actual financial increases and won’t simply be eroded as ETH fluctuates. Of course, this limits you to trading BTC, ETH & BNB (on Binance), so if you want to hit the alts, you’ll need to trade against ETH or BTC. Most of the people making this trade against BTC because the daily fluctuations are less. Trade coins with volume The higher the trading volume, the more predictable trends will be. When looking at alt-coins, try to find ones with a significant trading volume. Keep in mind that low-volume coins also have peaks & valleys, but if you don’t have a lot of people trading in them, then it only takes one major player to decide to do something strange to make it perform unpredictably. Long-Term Coin Fundamentals Don’t Affect Short-Term Trades You’re going to meet a lot of enthusiasts for XRP, XML, Cardano, etc. They’ll tell you to buy based on the coin’s specs, future possibilities, partnerships, etc. This might matter in the long term (i.e., an entire year), but it doesn’t mean a damned thing in the exchange.

Before you go further, here's the standard disclaimer👇 The Standard Disclaimer: Cryptocurrencies are highly volatile. Never invest more than you can afford to lose. This post contains personal opinions only and not financial advice. I take no responsibility for any financial decisions that you make. 1. Buy the dips.  The problem is knowing if it’s a dip or a larger downtrend. Most crypto has a natural peak & bottom typically daily. If you time it right, you can hit the daily trend and sometimes make 20%. There could sometimes be exceptions, so be careful. These trends can change without notice, and you can lose money if you’re not paying attention! 2. Don’t chase breakouts.  So you’re in your exchange, surfing trends — and BAM! You see one skyrocketing. Your natural impulse is to buy this shooting star. Then 2 seconds later, it crashes & takes you with it. I’ve lost a LOT chasing breakouts. I’ve had to train myself to fight the impulse to buy when I see a fast mover on its way up. You CAN learn how to read the signals and buy breakouts with about 75% confidence, but it takes a lot of practice. Remember, when they peak fast, they crash even quicker. This has cost me a lot. 3. Never Buy Peaks.  If you absolutely can’t resist the urge to buy a coin that’s increasing in value, at the very least, never accept when the green line is close to vertical. I don’t know why this happens, but that vertical green line almost always happens right before a reversal, and the coin comes crashing down. If you’re already in a coin on its way up, try to sell right before it goes vertical. Yes, you may miss up to a 1% increase in those final seconds, but keep in mind that if you hold too long & it dumps, then you can lose a lot more than you’ll gain by hanging on too long. Culled from 11 Crypto Tips I Stole From Tim Ventura

Because Web3 is emerging and relatively new compared to Web2, its marketing angle should be more educational than informational. Marketing in Web3 should teach users to look at things differently instead of just informing them(on the premise that they have adequate prior knowledge). From personal observations, the only company actively using this approach is Binance. Granted that they’ve been operational for five years, they’ve also improved marketing tactics and paid attention to what other blockchain firms have neglected: SEO and content marketing. Through their blog (academy), Binance has built authority over time as the go-to platform to find crypto-related answers. Using the fundamental questions that users have to drive adoption, authority, and recognition to their organization. It might interest you that people are increasingly asking questions they can’t ask other people to search engines. A quick example: Some people do not trust crypto savings or investments and go to Google to know/find out if they should do so. If you’re reading this, type ‘should I save in Crypto?’ into your search engine. The first page results are answers from organizations that don’t even do crypto. Blockchain firms have ignored the need to answer simple questions that users are asking and promote their platforms/products instead. It’s not all bad, but it’s Web3 marketing; people need to learn and earn, as we always say. Campus activations, meet-and-greets, and sponsorships are great, but these are offline events; sometimes, some of these events are attended by people who do not have the provision and capacity to start using your platforms yet. But leveraging on SEO and content marketing allows you to meet interested people on the spot, people who are actively interested and can start on your platform. Culled from Web3 Marketing: How Blockchain Firms Are Doing It All Wrong.

Marketing in Web3 is quite different from regular marketing.  Simply put, Web3 marketing covers the entire process or efforts directed at promoting, driving understanding, and building acceptance around web3 projects, products, and services. Unlike Web2, which was championed by social platforms and applications, where users interacted with social apps to communicate, collaborate, and share user-generated content, e.g. pictures, videos, etc., in a virtual community, Web3 is championed by innovative discoveries and possibilities, some of which might take some ‘getting used to’ for the ordinary person. This makes its marketing angle different from Web2 marketing. For Web2, people could easily send invites to others to begin using a particular platform, e.g. Facebook invites, Whatsapp invites, etc. They could share experiences that attracted others to interact with the social apps. They created groups and forums that could only be accessed through these social apps; you hear things like ‘Please send me Whatsapp so I can join the group’ or ‘The group chat is on Telegram; you have to download the app to take the course’, etc. Web2, for me, didn’t need much introduction. Everyone, or almost everyone, uses social platforms, especially Facebook and Whatsapp. The marketing was different. These social platforms didn’t need much time or effort to market their applications. It’s amusing that they had so much publicity, recognition, and awareness that, in reverse, they started to allow others to advertise to us using their platforms. The irony!  They had that much user capacity. But Web3,… Web3 cannot do that right now.  To be continued in the next post. (This is an excerpt from How Blockchain Firms Are Doing Web3 Marketing All Wrong)

Marketing in Web3 is quite different from regular marketing.  Simply put, Web3 marketing covers the entire process or efforts directed at promoting, driving understanding, and building acceptance around web3 projects, products, and services. Unlike Web2, which was championed by social platforms and applications, where users interacted with social apps to communicate, collaborate, and share user-generated content, e.g. pictures, videos, etc., in a virtual community, Web3 is championed by innovative discoveries and possibilities, some of which might take some ‘getting used to’ for the ordinary person. This makes its marketing angle different from Web2 marketing. For Web2, people could easily send invites to others to begin using a particular platform, e.g. Facebook invites, Whatsapp invites, etc. They could share experiences that attracted others to interact with the social apps. They created groups and forums that could only be accessed through these social apps; you hear things like ‘Please send me Whatsapp so I can join the group’ or ‘The group chat is on Telegram; you have to download the app to take the course’, etc. Web2, for me, didn’t need much introduction. Everyone, or almost everyone, uses social platforms, especially Facebook and Whatsapp. The marketing was different. These social platforms didn’t need much time or effort to market their applications. It’s amusing that they had so much publicity, recognition, and awareness that, in reverse, they started to allow others to advertise to us using their platforms. The irony!  They had that much user capacity. But Web3,… Web3 cannot do that right now.  To be continued in the next post. (This is an excerpt from How Blockchain Firms Are Doing Web3 Marketing All Wrong)

Bitcoin is changing the way we transact across the world and here's why: It is money without borders. If you own a business, here are five reasons why you should use Bitcoin for payments: 1. Transparency. Bitcoin transactions are recorded on the Blockchain. The Blockchain is public and open to everyone. That means anyone and everyone can confirm any transaction carried out by a particular crypto wallet address. 2. KYC Compliant. To use Bitcoin payment solutions for any site or platform, users must complete KYC (a Know Your Customer procedure). With this in place, it's easy to trace wallet addresses to an individual. 3. Pseudonymous. The Blockchain makes it challenging to be invincible. Why? Because it works in a network. Each transaction must be confirmed on multiple computer networks to be registered. Once done, the transaction cannot be erased because you have to wipe the trade-off the other computer networks. This makes it difficult for transactions to be faked and duplicated. Unlike the traditional financial system, where transactions are recorded for you alone, Bitcoin transactions are recorded on multiple networks. 4. Convenience. Users only need a minimum of their mobile phones and an internet connection to make a Bitcoin payment. This makes it easy to use and convenient for people. 5. Global Reach. Because Bitcoin is a currency without borders, users can use it to pay for goods and services from anywhere in the world. Organizations can choose different payment platforms, but it's a huge bonus to integrate Bitcoin payments too. To read the full article, click here.

Content creation is not content writing. But content creation involves content writing.  A blockchain content writer creates written content to be uploaded on blockchain websites and social accounts. A blockchain content creator can do that and many other things like video editing or animation, content curation and ideation, graphics designing, etc. Both are lucrative, but one is specific (only writing), and the other one is general (all-inclusive). Culled from Blockchain Content Creation and All Its Perks