Turn Your Business Into A Technology Company Part 2

In a recent interview, a former CEO of Apple Computer, John Sculley, talked about entrepreneurship, innovation and new “disruptive” technologies. He said his Apple business card back then didn’t call him Chief Executive Officer. It said: “Chief Listener” …

As you transform your business into a technology company, you’ll have important decisions to make. You, too, will need to become a “chief listener.” Not every exciting new technology will be right for every business.

Not long ago I met a young farmer from Zambia who told me of innovations he was introducing on his smallholding of only a few acres:

He knew he had to introduce hybrid seeds to increase his yield… seed technology.

He was using fertilizers and testing out different application methods… soil management technology.

He was introducing storage bags to protect his harvest from losses… technology.

He was interested in buying a dryer to ensure that he could extend the life of his crops… technology.

He was using his cell phone to find buyers for his produce, and had set up a website… technology.

He regularly talked to other farmers and exchanged information on Facebook and Instagram… technology.

He was using solar power to light up his home and power up some of his equipment… technology.

He was part of a cooperative planning to buy a tractor and other equipment to improve productivity and output… again, technology.

He was aware of what other young progressive farmers were doing all over Africa, using social media to keep abreast of news from Ghana to Brazil and beyond… Technology, technology, technology.

This young man had done his homework and was in the process of making careful technology choices on his path to prosperity.

So, how might you get started? If you’re already in business, you must first take the time to listen -- to your customers, your business team, and a few trusted experts, whether many or few. I’ve already discussed the importance of reading…

# What do people in your market or industry say they want? Is it available? Why or why not?
How can technology help?
# How can you and your team do your work better -- more productively, efficiently and quickly?
How can technology help?
# Do you know what your competitors are doing?
How can technology help you do it better?

The business magazine publisher Malcolm Forbes once said: “The art of conversation lies in listening.”

__Listening is a critical form of market research that doesn't have to cost you a lot of money.

“If we were supposed to talk more than listen, we would have two tongues and one ear,” said the great American writer, Mark Twain in the 1880s.

Twain was reportedly offered the opportunity to invest in the first telephone by its inventor, Alexander Graham Bell, but he decided… no. I guess he didn’t like the sounds of that new technology! I wonder who he listened to? Back then, a telephone was no doubt a very disruptive idea.

Basic listening homework includes deciding the right questions, then:

# listening to customers, suppliers, competitors and experiences of trusted others;
# consulting with experts (not just the ones trying to sell you new technology).

__Please don’t just wake up one morning and decide on “impulse” to spend or invest lots of money just because a salesman or so-called expert tells you that new technology alone will make you rich and successful. You must do your homework first!

In today’s high-tech world, people still talk much more than they listen. Did you know the words “silent" and “listen" have the exact same letters in them? There are so many more ways to do your business research now than ever before.

Everyone can learn and benefit from being a “Chief Listener.”

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THE PERPLEXING NIGHTLIFE DURING LENT

On many occasions, finding a number of people guzzling juice and devouring vegetables after 7:00 in the evening is a somewhat uncommon trend to observe in Addis Ababa since it is usually a time when people go to bars to spend a couple of hours sipping beer. Likewise, one can feel a bit strange when looking at the increased number of pedestrians strolling on the streets of Addis at this time of the evening. So what is the main reason for this change in style of living? Well, many from the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahdo Church have already started the Lent season.



At this time of the year lifestyle is enormously subjected to paradigm shift. It is a time where people stop listening to music and get connected to the spiritual world, intertwining oneself within the liturgical hymn murmured by the elders. Similarly, it is a time when the vast majority becoming vegans and avoiding alcoholic drinks. Fasting becomes more intense over the 56-day period of Lent, when no meat or animal products of any kind, including milk and butter, are eaten. As a result, Ethiopian juice marts and vegetable stores are somewhat busy and profitable due to this change in eating habit. It will also inevitably result in low consumption of dairy and meat products. Similarly, this is a time when nightclubs are stripped of their patrons and nightlife becomes desiccated. But that is not the case across the board.



Usually, the lights and the high-tempo music at most of the city’s lavish night clubs are exhilarating with club goers dancing and having fun with friends. However, it was the exact opposite of this common scene that was observed last Saturday. Some four guests sat down in a scattered manner trying to cope with the humdrum night. Even the DJ was not fully engaged as he repeatedly went out and came back inside after a few minutes to change the rhythm of the music played for only a handful of guests inside. “It went on like that up until midnight,” Samuel Tessema, one of the customers, says. After an hour, Samuel and his friends left the nightclub, which is located around Haya Hulet. They decided to change venues and went Barel at Bole Medhanialem–a famous spot in Addis Ababa. “It looked less crowded than usual but it was a better place to spend some hours,” Samuel says.



What has been labeled as a perplexing scenario by many Addis Ababans is that these days Lent is seeing a steady flock of club goers in many of the night spots of the city. While some totally abstain themselves from drinking and partying for the whole two months, some stay indoors for at least a couple of weeks in to the Lent season and gradually start going out to clubs. As a result of the slowdown, some nightclubs, lounges and bars suspend services and under go renovations until the non-fasting days arrive while others welcome the non-fasting patrons.



One of the city’s most jubilant reggae spots have already closed doors but, according to the manager, the decision has nothing to do with Lent. “We are not operating well in the market anymore for a number of reasons. Higher rent price and small number of guests are the major factors,” Abraham Shiferaw, manager of Jams Addis Reggae Nightclub, says.



In fact, the nightlife is not part of most people's lifestyle. The once who are active in that regard go out once a week to relieve their fatigue. Some people have other ways of relaxation which includes going to the movies. All the same, going out to nightclubs–especially on weekends–nowadays seem to be urbanites’ way of life regardless of their religious and other social backgrounds. These days, many Addis Ababans are very eager to experience what other resident of cities in developed countries are accustomed to. According to Getahun Dana, a lecturer of philosophy at the Addis Ababa University, the capital city is eager to signal a kind of metropolitan status through its physical infrastructure and is also spurring its residents towards the sophisticated way of life of a metropolis. As a result, the young generation hardly harness the traditional and religious principles, he says.

In spite of this assumption, others believe that there are youngsters who are serious about their religious and traditional values. And for them, the best moment to witness this is the Lent season for the Orthodox Christians and the Ramadan for Muslims.



This year’s Lent is advancing and has almost reached half way. And so far this has forced the nightlife in Addis Ababa to stagnate to some extent. “We are not experiencing any significant impact on our business because of the fasting season but it is obviously not as reverberant as other times of the year,” Zekarias Engidaw, a night-shift manager at Jubilee Lounge, located off Mickey Leland Street, says.



Zekarias, who himself belongs to the Orthodox Tewahdo Church, feels that Lent is something that should be solemnly observed by the faithful but does not mind if there are some who do not want to be part of that. “I don’t mind it at all and it is a matter of personal preference,” he says.



For many people, who consider themselves faithful, watching others consume alcohol during Lent is something unpleasant. In fact, they would never go to bars even for a couple of beers; but for others it is not an issue. “I’m a modest follower so I think it is fine to have a couple of beers. There is a small bar across my apartment that I go to. I just want to relax and have a few beers after a weary day,” Andualem Mengiste says. For him, not observing Lent is disadvantageous not just spiritually but also economically. “You can cut spending by a significant amount,” he says.



The nightlife in Addis offers a taste for everyone, from hookah bars, low-key lounges, and high-paced nightclubs to a small place to call refuge till the early morning hours. Frequent nightclub goers make friends with the bouncers and managers and themes of certain nights become more popular at particular venues. However, during Lent-season there is relative serenity. Women sporting mile-high pumps, miniskirts, and accessories and the men wearing blazers and dress shoes are some of the signature nightlife outfits, which at the first two weeks of Lent become rare but later on gain pace. Still, this is not an everyday activity for many residents of the city as religious holidays and culture norms still have the power to interrupt it at any given time. Yes, the weekends can be crowded, even on these days of Lent but nightlife appears to be a little bit tranquil.



Nonetheless, the nightspots and exotic hookah bars in the capital still cater to expatriates and members of the diplomatic corps and according to a waitress, who requested not to be named, the nightlife in Addis Ababa is vibrant and whether it is Lent-season or not the impact minimal. Working at Jolly Bar and Lounge for a year and a half season she says that nightlife is little affected by fasting seasons. “Some times, during Ramadan business might be a bit slow since some of our customers are from gulf countries,” she says.



All in all, testing the Addis nightlife during the Lent might give a perplexing view to some, forcing them to stay indoors until the colorful Ethiopian Easter arrives. Nevertheless, it will not be long since things will return to their usual ways after a few weeks. But Lent is also somewhat considered by some to be an interesting break for those who fast only for the first two weeks and then get back to their normal routine.

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Anomaly In The Cement Industry

With the ongoing construction boom in the country, various high-rise corporate headquarters and condominiums are step by step popping up in the city. The industry and the construction boom has attracted the likes of Nigerian business tycoon, Aliko Dangote, and Ethiopian-born Saudi billionaire, Sheik Mohammed Al Amoudi. The years 2012 and 2015 brought the giants Derba Cement Factory and Dangote Cement PLC to the sector, respectively. The demand end of the sector’s chain welcomed the coming of these huge plants with high hopes, while the supply side expressed anxiety about their entry to the market. Whether the existing cement factories in Ethiopia, and the ones in the pipeline, could solve the demand-supply disarray or not is yet to be determined, writes Kaleyesus Bekele.



Fikere Derbew, 47, has been trading in cement for the past twenty years. Fikere, who runs a small store at the heart of Addis Ababa around Laghar area, cheerfully remembers the “good old days” when there was high demand for cement between 2006-2010. “I used to sell 200-300 quintals of cement daily. It was a time when we sold a quintal of cement for 500 birr,” Fikere told The Reporter.



In recent years things have changed. Following the establishment of a dozen new cement factories the price of cement has fallen. The once cash cow business is not attractive anymore for many traders like Fikre, a father of three. “Now I do not sell more than 150 quintals a day.” A quintal of cement is now sold at as low as 200 birr and the profit margin of the producers, wholesalers and retailers is slim.



The history of the Ethiopian cement industry is long and fascinating. The first cement factory was built by Italians during the occupation of 1938 in Dire Dawa town with a yearly production capacity of 30,000 tons. Prior to that, probably the first bulk cement import was made during the construction of the Ethio-Djibouti railway between 1904 and 1917. In the 1960s the Ethiopian government built two cement plants at Massawa (Eritrea) and Addis Ababa, with a combined annual output of 150,000 tons. Two production lines with an installed capacity of 600,000 tons were built at Mugher between 1984 and 1991. All state-owned factories were managed by Mugher Cement Enterprise from the mid- 1980s.



In his acclaimed book dubbed “Made in Africa”, Arkebe Oqubay (PhD), special adviser to the prime minister, wrote that after a long, sluggish development prior to the 1990s the Ethiopian cement industry recorded impressive growth between 2000 and 2012. According to Arkebe, installed capacity in the industry rose from 800,000 tons in 1999 to 10 million tons in 2012. The average annual growth rate for cement production was more than twice when compared to the rest of Africa or the globe during this period. By the end of 2012, the number of firms had increased from a single state-owned enterprise to 16.



“The cement industry has undergone major changes throughout this period and it appears that Ethiopia is likely to become one of the top three cement producers in Africa,” Arkebe says.



A major milestone for the Ethiopian cement industry occurred during 2004-2012 when the construction industry registered an abrupt boom. Giant public infrastructure development projects, housing projects and private investments propelled the demand for cement. The government launched the construction of major hydro power dams, low cost housing projects and private real estate firms mushroomed. The local cement factories (Mugher and Messebo) were unable to satisfy the rising demand. The price of cement skyrocketed.



“There was not enough cement supply that can accommodate the sudden construction boom,” Gemechu Waktola (PhD), managing director of i-Capital (Africa) Institute and associate professor at Addis Ababa University, says. “The capacity built before this was not adequate to accommodate the abrupt construction boom. So because of that the cement industry suddenly changed. Things in the industry changed the construction economy, policy direction, and many other things.”



Arkebe says that the government did not make timely interventions in the face of new challenges and lacked a realistic long-term strategy for the industry. He says that the government failed to prevent and contain cyclical crises in the industry. Consequently, the country faced critical cement shortage and was compelled to import cement between 2006 and 2011.



Cement is a bulk product made from limestone and volcanic ash (pumice) and importing it from long distances with foreign currency was costly to the fragile Ethiopian economy. To satisfy the cement starving economy the Ethiopian government took various measures. The government allowed the import of cement with Franco Valuta [Franco Valutaimports are goods imported without foreign exchange expenditure from the domestic banking system] and tried to impose price controls. But these measures created an opportune time for rent-seekers to use the loopholes in the government policy and make fortunes.



Bribes were rampant and investors who are given high quotas of cement for their investment projects sold the cement for exorbitant prices in the local market amassing millions of birr. Many young millionaires were created overnight.



The Ethiopian government did not expect such a critical cement shortage and it was ill-prepared to handle the challenges. “Both the government and the market was caught by surprise when critical shortages of cement occurred in 2005 and lasted till 2010,” Arkebe says.



To address the erratic cement market the government offered attractive investment incentives to local and foreign investors who were interested in investing in the cement sector. Long-term subsidized loans, duty-free privileges and income tax exemption. The Development Bank of Ethiopia (DBE) finances 70 percent of cement industry investment projects.



As a result, the existing cement factories undertook aggressive expansion projects and foreign firms–mostly Chinese–built new cement factories. The number of cement factories grew to 20 and annual cement production increased from 2.7 million tons to 15 million tons. Per capita cement consumption increased from 39 kg to 62 kg, which is still minimal compared to Sub-Saharan average of 165 kilograms.



Gemechu says that though the cement production capacity of the nation was generally growing, the consumption of cement was not increasing proportionally. Though the annual cement production capacity grew five-fold to 15 million tons the annual cement consumption stood at only six million tons.



In 2011 the cement industry developed excess production capacity. Arkebe says that both the market and the government again appeared ill- prepared when the industry suddenly experienced excess supply and productive capacity in 2011.



According to Gemechu, the cement market has saturated. He says the Ethiopian government made an erroneous projection at the beginning of the Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP). “It was projected that the annual cement consumption would be 27 million tons by the end of GTP-I (2015) and the per capita consumption was supposed to be 300 kilograms. By end of the GTP-I the consumption was only 5.47 million tons while per capita consumption was 62 kilograms,” Gemechu says. “Both the government and the industry should share the responsibility for what happened,” he says.



The local cement manufacturers tried to export cement to South Sudan, Djibouti and Kenya. However, the market is limited and could not solve the market saturation problem. “Transporting cement by truck more than 300 kilometers will not make you competitive,” Gemechu says.



Haile Assegide, CEO of Derba MIDROC Cement and president of the Ethiopian Cement Producers Association, says that the demand for cement which was growing by 24-25 percent dropped to 15-16 percent. According to Haile, the current annual cement demand is 8-9 million tons.



Cement manufacturers are now complaining about the saturating market. “There are now more complaints and fears among manufacturers than the previous years. The situation is getting tougher and tougher,” Gemechu says.



In an exclusive interview with The Reporter, Haile says production has surpassed demand and factories are scrambling for the limited market. “The industry transformed from shortage to abundance. The competition is getting fierce,” he says. Cement factories are utilizing 50 percent of their production capacity. The government has banned cement imports and suspended granting investment licenses.



The frequent power interruption has also contributed to the low capacity utilization, according to industry players. “We do not produce for six hours on the average due to power cuts,” Haile says. “But we hope this would improve as the Gilgel Gibe III has commenced generation.”



Gemechu argues that the government’s erroneous and ambitious projection of 27 million tons of cement consumption by 2015 contributes to the market problem. Arkebe shares Gemechu’s view. “The GTP projection which targeted ten-fold growth in five years proved to be grossly unrealistic and was not founded on a careful market study by the government,” he admits.



However, there are some government officials who try to defend the government. Samuel Alala, director-general of the Ethiopian Chemical and Construction Inputs Development Institute, says that the market saturation is a temporary problem.



“The growth of the cement industry should be viewed as part of the overall economic development of the country. The country targets to become a middle-income country by 2025. As the middle-income base expands so does the cement market,” Samuel told The Reporter.



According to Samuel, the cement market is seasonal. “The demand for cement at some point increases and reaches a peak and declines at another phase. When the government launches major infrastructure development projects the demand escalates and drops when they are finalized. Now the government is finalizing preparations to commence work on major construction projects. After a few months it will introduce these projects and the cement demand will peak up.”



However, Samuel says this is not a sustainable market position. “A sustainable cement demand will be created as the economy grows and the middle-income group expands. We hope that the whole scenario will be changed in the course of economic development.”



Gemechu calls the Ethiopian cement industry a captive where the government is the single major cement consumer. “When something goes wrong with the government the cement industry players will jitter and pray that things will be okay.”



Industry players are advocating market stimulation. One of the recommended practices for market stimulation is replacing asphalt concrete roads with cement concrete roads. The Ethiopian government is investing heavily on the road sector development. Experts believe that if the government builds some of the roads with cement it can create a huge cement demand.



Haile told The Reporter that the cement concrete road is much better than the asphalt road. “Asphalt is imported product while cement is locally produced. We can save a hefty amount of foreign currency if we build cement concrete roads.”



According to Haile, maintenance cost is minimal when it comes to cement concrete road. “It has a longer life than asphalt road. Maintaining an asphalt road is costly. Asphalt road easily deteriorates in the rainy seasons. But if you see the cement concrete road it gets stronger when it gets water. So rain water does not damage cement concrete road. But the initial investment on a cement concrete road is higher than on an asphalt road. But considering the low operational cost and longer life span it is still beneficial or much better than the asphalt road.”



The other major project that can be a main demand driver is rural development. “If the government realizes the rural housing development it could boost cement demand. We can produce low grade cement for the rural community. If farmers could buy cement at an affordable price and use cement to build their houses and other house hold utilities that means a lot to the cement industry because 80 percent of the Ethiopian population lives in the rural areas,” Haile says.



Haile is optimistic that the market situation will improve as the government starts implementing the projects set in the GTPII.



Despite the dwindling price of cement the price of cement in the local market is still considered as expensive. Many in the cement industry agree that the price could reduce if manufacturers can bring down their production cost. Energy is the single biggest cost to cement factories. The factories use heavy fuel oil and coal to burn lime stone and other raw materials. Both energy sources are imported products. Energy accounts for 50-60 percent of the overall operational cost of cement factories. The global industry average is 30-40 percent. Hence, for the energy intense cement industry, energy is a strategic issue.



Samuel says that previously factories used heavy fuel oil which was costly to import from the Middle East. Now companies are switching to coal mostly imported from South Africa. “We have managed to bring down the energy cost to 40 percent but our plan is to further reduce it to 20-30 percent by using biomass. If we can do that the price of cement would go down radically,” Samuel says.



Samuel advises local cement factories to further explore the cement markets in neighboring countries. With regard to the cumbersome transport cost Samuel says the factories would be competitive once they start using rail transport.



However, the railway lines route are determining factor. Experts say the railway lines should be integrated with the location of the cement factories.



Experts strongly recommend the establishment of ready mix and concrete industry in Ethiopia. Prefabricated houses and concrete producers are the major cement buyers in other parts of the world. “In the developed world the concrete industry consumes the majority of the cement. We do not have that industry here. We should be able to establish the sector and concrete production has to be regulated. Standards have to be set for concrete production,” Gemechu says.



According to Gemechu, despite all the odds, the country cement industry has an immense potential. The mega public infrastructure and housing projects are strong demand drivers. There are significant opportunities in the cement sector. There is a national vision that we love and want to share becoming a middle income country. What does that mean in terms of construction, in terms of road construction, infrastructure development? You need to build infrastructure and you need to consume cement. However, Gemechu says the government and industry players should do their homework first to exploit these opportunities. “It requires a coordinated effort to resolve the problems and change the gloomy picture.”



Industry players from the giant manufacturers to small retailers like Fikere pray that these dark days for the cement industry are over soon. “I hear that the government has diverted budget from the construction projects to the relief work to rescue the populace affected by the current drought. And that is why the demand for cement falls. We hope that things will get better next year,” Fikere says.

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Flower power in Kenya and Ethiopia: a sign of things to come

On Valentine’s Day last month, I came across an article in a top British newspaper: "My love is like a red rose shipped all the way from Africa." It told how fresh cut roses grown in Kenya and Ethiopia are now exported in huge numbers to Europe, a market dominated for over 300 years by flower growers in the Netherlands (also known as Holland).

"Where once most cut flowers, including red roses, came from Holland. . .today they more likely come from Africa. New figures reveal a huge drop in Dutch production, in favour of imports from Kenya -- where roses are called "waridi" in Swahili -- and Ethiopia. Half a million people depend on the floriculture industry in Kenya alone,” according to the Daily Telegraph (14/02/16).

Holland still holds onto about half the cut flower market worldwide, but now Kenya and Ethiopia are the #4 and #5 cut-flower producers in the world! Together they earned more $1.3 billion in export sales in 2014. That’s 13.5% of global market share in a $9.1+ billion global market! Wow!

Proper growing of even one rose bush in your own garden requires knowledge of water, light, soil, pest management, fertilizers, and pruning. The best rose growers chalk up their success to a lifetime of experience and a lot of “TLC” (tender loving care).

How did Kenya and Ethiopia master all these processes to become world-class growers and exporters of cut flowers in this highly-sophisticated global market? They partnered and recruited experts from all over the world. They invested billions in the latest technologies, including climate-controlled transport terminals specially designed to ensure fresh flowers arrive quickly across the world looking as beautiful and smelling as nice as when they were first cut!

They listened to customers who say they really want to buy cut flowers that last a long time! They learned from the transfer of technology skills and best practices. Result: Kenyan and Ethiopian flower exports have expanded exponentially, making billions in forex earnings for their countries, and creating hundreds of thousands of jobs.

Research and development will continue as in any major industry. For example, flowers require a lot of fresh water to grow. That’s a scarce resource. Cultivation requires a huge number of workers. That means ensuring labour management that respects and protects workers and their families. They require a lot of sun (very plentiful in Kenya and Ethiopia on the Equator, so year-round growing is possible). But sometimes weather is unpredictable and supply must not be affected so that means investment in glass houses (also known as green houses).

This is floriculture, but why stop there?

__Who says we can’t go on to challenge traditional global market leaders in other industries over the next few decades? I believe we can!

Someday we’ll read stories like this on a regular basis about Africans rising up to dominate industries like textiles, electronic manufacturing, motor vehicle production, food processing, health care, and many others.

It won’t happen simply because we want to see it. We have to take practical steps to ensure it happens. I remember 20 years ago serving on the board of an investment fund set up by then President Bill Clinton, and chaired by Ambassador Andrew Young.

We identified horticulture as one of many potential industries where Africa could excel. We did extensive research to see what conditions and policies would be required for this to happen.

Although Kenya was behind several other countries at the time (and Ethiopia was nowhere to be seen, but if you ever met the Ethiopian PM Meles Zenawi and his colleagues nothing would surprise you today)… We all agreed that Kenya would take off, even though we had no idea how far they would go!

Now if you go to church on Easter Sunday, or a wedding any time of the year, and you see roses, you now know there's a very good chance they were grown in African soil under African skies. Don’t just see them as beauty… celebrate them as another way Africa is rising! Happy Easter.

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Turn Your Business Into A “Technology Company”

The other day I was talking to a friend who runs a fast-moving consumer goods company, or what the experts call an "FMCG" company. He was surprised when I said to him, "I also consider myself to be in the FMCG sector; I discourage my people from seeing our business as a ‘technology’ business.”

"I don't understand what you mean?" my friend said. "I thought you were in the telecoms business; isn't that technology?"

"We sell fast-moving consumer goods. Our products and services (things like ‘airtime’) are for the mass market consumer. We’re no different from Coca-Cola. We’re chasing the same consumer dollars."

Then I added, "Now if you’re a consumer goods company selling bread, you must begin to see yourself as technology company if you want to succeed in today's digital world."

A technology company that sees itself only as a "technology" company will end up losing sight of the customer. And yet almost all businesses must so embrace technology in everything they do that, for all practical purposes, they’re "technology" companies:

__The most successful businesses today (big or small) are those that see themselves as "technology" companies, irrespective of what business they are in!

Confused?

Imagine an entrepreneur who’s running a small supermarket at a busy business center. Her business seems simple enough: she buys fast-moving goods like bread and meat, and sells them to her community, and perhaps to people who travel through it, like tourists or visitors.

How can we turn her business into a "technology business”? How could she use technology to make herself more efficient, attract more customers, be more profitable, and grow -- perhaps into a franchise? What advice would you give her?

# She needs to have a smartphone for starters. Through her smartphone she can buy applications (Apps) readily available on the Internet to help her with things like inventory management, payroll management, record keeping and accounts.

All this is technology.

# She can use the Internet to link up with wholesalers and other suppliers to order goods and compare input prices.
# She can research the retail price her competitors are charging for the same items.
# She can bank using her cell phone. She can be part of a savings scheme.
# She can invest in a credit card terminal to attract new business and larger orders.
# She can advertise her goods on the Internet using everything from Facebook, to Instagram, etc.
# She can even set up her own website. There are so many young people who can develop a website for her at very little cost. Whatever business you’re in, even the informal sector, you must begin to have a presence on the Internet!

Technology matters in your business. Take the time to look for creative ways to leverage it to make your business more visible, efficient and profitable!

__Don't think you must wait until you’re “big” before you learn to harness technology. You’ll become big by harnessing technology! Even if you’re running a rural trading post or sell goods at an informal market, technology can give you information, efficiency and competitive edge to help you succeed and prosper.

In this series I’ll talk about how technology can transform even the smallest business, in any sector. As the great inventor Thomas Edison said, “There’s a better way to do it - find it!”







__What are you waiting for?

I was inspired this week to hear stories from so many of you who are using technology to connect buyers and markets, and, in the process, create income for yourselves. This kind of thinking will really set Africa alight!

One post really caught my attention: “It's through OLX that I’m able to place food on the table for my family. What I just need is to get a wind of it that you want to sell something. I take photos using my phone and post it on OLX. Within a few days your product is gone and I pocket a few coins out of it. So my 'little business' is technology oriented.”

“Wow, wow, wow!!!” was my reply to Ken in Kenya.

When we later contacted him, Ken said he works as a police dog trainer (he’s a civil servant) and discovered he could use his phone to take pictures of things for sale which he posts on OLX. After posting the items (which have included even animals like goats and dogs), Ken waits for customers to call him on his phone. Like Econet’s Ownai online classifieds in Zimbabwe, OLX is a free mobile marketplace for all sorts of goods and services. You’ll find many such free platforms online.

To make extra money for his family, Ken even does commission sales for his friends, and arranges delivery. He also trains privately-owned dogs after-hours Sometimes he even sells puppies online (not police pups) thus expanding his potential client base.

I told Ken that there are people sitting at home who should be doing exactly what he’s doing… using a unique mix of skills, technology, fresh ideas and local knowledge to create their own little (or big) “technology businesses.”

In the palm of your hand today, you have at least one exceptional tool to open doors and close deals. What are you waiting for?

# Imagine what would happen if every smallholder farmer, informal and cross border trader across Africa discovered what Ken has discovered!
# Imagine what would happen if every single person who runs any kind of business in Africa set up a website (Africa has the lowest penetration of business presence on the Internet in the world)!

__These are things you shall begin to see. What we need is young people to go out and show others how this can happen so easily. This is all technology -- changing the lives of people.

Techno-entrepreneurs like Ken give me so much hope for the next generation on our continent. (I highlighted Ken today, but you’ll hear about others later on). With the power of technology, everyone can be a winner: What do people want and need? Maybe it’s not invented yet. Maybe it’s available somewhere, but not in your country. Maybe it’s a service in short supply and you can bridge that gap. Maybe it’s old technology but you have the imagination to do something new with it, like Ken did.

No one really knew how much they “needed" a mobile phone till very recently in historical terms. Now most people can’t imagine life without one, or more. Technology makes it possible to build new bridges of all kinds. Do you know where you want to go?








_Harness the future!

The other day I was watching a program about a young Chinese entrepreneur who created a restaurant that has no waiters. Everyone orders food using an "App" and simply arrives, collects and sits down to eat!

Ten years ago, I remember visiting a farmer’s market in rural Kenya where they exchanged prices on their cell phones, from village to village, to ensure that middlemen don't cheat them. It has since developed into a highly sophisticated commodity exchange system. This is technology.

In the past few weeks, some of you have shared exciting ways you already use technology in your own businesses. Others of you are just beginning to launch your ideas. You are harnessing the future!

__Whatever line of work you’re in, you must master technology. It must be your silent partner!

Many of you have asked advice about how to get started. Why not use the internet to do research and bring yourself up to speed with best business practices and technology innovations around the world?

Whatever you do, don't think you can be blissfully ignorant, or worse… resistant to the changes happening because of technology.

When I was getting started in business, it wasn’t possible to go to my phone or the “world wide web” to search for information about nearly everything. Today, almost all of you can do this. The world can be at your fingertips!

__ If you’re really serious about learning online, consider looking for a “MOOC,” which means a Massive Online Open Course. At www.mooc-list.com, you can find technology education and training courses (and a wide range of other subjects) taught by top universities and colleges around the world. Many are free of charge.

Coursera.org is one MOOC with courses on all topics under the sun, including “How to create a website in a weekend” and “Web design for everybody.” You alone must decide what you need to make your business more successful and profitable using technology, but below are a few websites that offer IT courses that may be of interest:

www.udacity.com/courses
www.teamtreehouse.com
www.codeacademy.com
www.code.org
www.khanacademy.org/computing/computer-programming

__Remember: information is power! But one word of warning: While the internet has some amazing research information, be sure your sources are trusted and credible. Some of what you read could be worthless and even destructive.

When I'm done with this series, I want you to be conscious of the impact of technology on the business you’re in now, and imagine its role in the future… not in a negative sense, but in a positive way. You’re not going to get away from the impact of technology. You must either learn to harness its huge potential and use it to your advantage, or it will destroy you.

Looking at your own businesses today, you should already be working on these five questions:

# How can technology help me design, produce, market and/or deliver first-class goods and services to my customers?
# How can technology make my business more productive and efficient?
# How can technology make my business bigger?
# How can technology make my business more profitable?
# How can technology help me leapfrog my competitors?

That should be enough homework for this week!

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What Is The Most Important Skill You Need?

If you want to be successful, you’ll need many specialised business skills, but probably the most important one will surprise you: it's the capacity to READ! Yes, READ!

You must develop the capacity to read, and to read FAST, and by this I don't mean basic literacy. This is why I talk of "capacity." If you’re on this platform, you’re someone who has more than basic literacy skills. You are the next generation of leaders.

I'm sure you’ve heard the expression: "(Great) leaders are readers."

You must have the capacity to read a lot, if you want to be successful. All the greatest leaders I’ve ever met, from any walk of life, had this in common: they liked to read books, journals, and articles.

On one of my travels, I met someone who asked me a simple question:

"Where do you live?"

"I have a house in London and one in Johannesburg, but I spend most of my time in airports."

"Where are your books?" she asked.

"In Johannesburg."

"Ah, that is where you live, because books are your most prized possession."

You must BUY and own books. It must be a constant investment. You’re not a reader if you prefer only to borrow books. It means you're not committed. If you have children, take them to bookshops. Buy or build them bookshelves. Encourage them to own and treasure books. Take them to libraries, galleries and museums… they're generally free!

__For the African continent to grow and prosper, we must build a greater culture of reading in our young generations! There’s not a moment to waste.

The pastor of a great church asked a young man, "Where is your bible?"

"I can't afford one, sir" the young man replied.

"Then sell your shoes!" the pastor replied.

This is the attitude you must build towards the ownership of all other books, too: "If you think books are too expensive then you have not yet realized their value to you, and your family."

Reading is by far and away the thing I do most in my day:

# You all know by now that I start my day by reading the bible for at least an hour. I read it cover to cover at least once a year.
# Before I go to work or start my day, I delve through at least 5 newspapers that I subscribe to.
# Then I read reports, mostly about what’s going on in our various businesses. I also read the latest developments in our industries.
# I read emails (I don’t allow an email to go unanswered for more than 24 hours). Generally, I read every email that gets into my inbox. This is why I don’t like all sorts of emails to clutter my box. I manage emails very strictly because if I don't, I’ll lose control of my agenda.
# Throughout the day, I’m reading reports and responding to them. I can read very fast.

I hate rituals, but if you must have a ritual, this is it: Read every day to understand, reflect upon and follow what’s going on around you that affects you. Remember what I’ve said before: things happening far across the world can seriously affect you, too!

You can train yourself to expand your reading capacity quickly and easily:
1. Buy and read books.
2. Buy and read books.
Did I repeat myself?
Buy and read books!

In closing, the other day I went to see a play in New York about Alexander Hamilton, one of America’s founding fathers. It was a remarkable musical production and worth all the rave reviews it’s getting. I only had one problem: it was a musical performed in "rap" by a mostly young African-American cast; for a long time, I didn’t understand a thing they were saying! But I could still follow the story very well, because I’d read the book on which it was based more than 10 years earlier. If I must see a movie, I need to read the book as well.

Someone who has a smartphone or tablet is reading (quantitatively) more than 100x what their peers read 20 years ago. Nevertheless, the key to reading capacity requires an interest in reading books, even those in electronic format.

Be smart, be wise; buy and read books. If you’re planning to get to the top, one book a week should be your minimum target.

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French Company To Design First Bus Corridor

AddisAbeba Transport Bureau has awarded a French company, Safege Sas and its local partners a 64.7 million Br project comprising consulting, design and construction supervision of its Bus Rapid Transit project (BRT).

The company’s representative, Luc Ponchon, project manager and Fekadu Haile (Eng.), general manager of Addis Abeba City Roads Authority signed the contract on March 16, 2016, at the Authority’s premises on Roosevelt Street. Two local companies accompany Safege: the Ethiopian Hammda Engineering Consult Plc and the British Integrated Transport Planning Ltd.

For a 16km stretch of road starting from the Pasteur Institute to Jemmo condominiums, this project will see a fully dedicated right of way (busway) introduced between the two regular rights of way. This will prioritize public transportation by decreasing the pressure of traffic congestion caused by public vehicles.

This is part of the city’s effort to transform the transport system into one dominated by mass transportation, Asmare, head of BRT project told Fortune, as is the city’s transportation goal for the next few years.

Bus Rapid Transit is one way it aims to do so, having found that it is more cost effective compared to the newly implemented mass transport Light Railway Transit (LRT). The aforementioned study found that BRT fares can be four per cent to 20pc cheaper than LRT fares and 10pc to 100pc cheaper when compared with fares collected for the metro bus.

The idea was first tabled years back, the feasibility study and proposal for the lanes were done by Egis Rail and Lyon Town Planning Agency (LTPA), which was hired as a consultant in 2005, and presented in October 2010.

There were two phases to the project and were scheduled for implementation in mid-2011 and 2013. By 2010, AACRA had commissioned as well as received preliminary studies and design from the Indian and a local firm, Beza Consulting Engineers Plc.

However, once funding was secured from the French government, things had to change.

“The older designs had to be changed because the financiers did not accept it,” Fekadu Haile (Eng), general manager of the Addis Abeba City Roads Authority (AACRA). “They insisted that it had to be re-done.”

Ethiopia had secured a 50 million euro loan from the French government via its development agency, Agencé France de Development (AFD) in April of last year. Additional 35 million euro is already on pipeline, sourced from the same agency.

One year ago, thirteen international companies had expressed their interest in participating in what will be the country’s first such undertaking. By the time financing was secured, six of those had submitted offers. Of the six, two French companies managed to pass to both technical and financial evaluation before the winner was selected.

Safege will be designing Ethiopia’s first BRT line, now dubbed the B2 corridor, which will service the western half of the city. B2 will pass through five districts: Addis Ketema, Niafs Silk, Kirkos, Gullele and Lideta districts, linking such places as Pasteur, Wingate, Autobus Tera (the bus station in AddisKetema District), Kera, Gofa Gabriel and Jemmo condominium sites.

Forty per cent of the privatly owned and 52pc of the federal public transport in the city – over 5,500 vehicles, give service in these districts.

The route was chosen because of the significant number of both primary and secondary schools and health centres within those areas. A higher traffic rate has been observed through preliminary studies. Two of the districts it serves, Addis Ketema and Lideta, have the highest population density.

Half of the route, from Gofa Gabriel to Autobus Tera will be totally rebuilt, with left and right lanes designated to passenger vehicles, while the middle lanes will be reserved for the BRT. The whole line will have width ranging from 20m – 40m according to the preliminary and operational feasibility done by an Indian firm called DMTS.

These new lines will be developed parallel to the existing transport system, with the lanes being built within existing roads, whereas the remaining section of BRT will see minor adjustments, such as preparing lanes and building stations. As per recommendations of the study, this corridor will have 17 stations built on the existing roads. The B2 corridor will also accommodate seven open public spaces.

The BRT project will be implemented and regulated by the Addis Abeba City Roads Authority (AACRA) in conjunction with the Transport Management Office. The project, which is scheduled to be completed in 2018, is expected to serve 2,700 passengers per hour in each direction. The Authority intends to serve this large customer base via electronic cards that will be issued for the payment system.

In order to manage and control the transit, a centre will also be built at the Anbessa bus depot in Mekanisa. This Centre will monitor and computerize the rapid buses. The buses for this project are now being assembled by the Metal Engineering Corporation (MetEC).

Six other corridors have already been identified, said Meteku.

For these projects further study will be done. Their finance source is yet to be found but two of the six will be built in the next five years.

Safege has proposed to finish the design work within eight months and preparation of the bidding document and hiring a contractor within five months. In total, it will take 26 months to complete the construction work of B2 corridor.

Safege Sas, is operated by an umbrella company called Suez Environment, which provides environmental consulting and engineering services in France and internationally. It offers services in the areas of environment and waste, urban development and transport, among others; pre-project study, project and programme management, design and construction supervision. It was founded in 1919 and is based in Nanterre, France. It has branch offices in various countries around the world including two in North Africa.

Source: Addis Fortune

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Ethiopian Air Lines To Take Delivery Of First AIRBUS

Amidst 70th anniversary celebrations, Ethiopian Airlines is going to take delivery of its first Airbus A350-900 jetliner in May, 2016.



Airbus has confirmed to The Reporter that it will deliver Africa’s first A350-900 (XWB) to Ethiopian Airlines in May in accordance with the original delivery schedule. In an email response to The Reporter Airbus said in November 2015 it has established a dedicated customer support office in Addis Ababa, within Ethiopian Airlines’ premises, which will be staffed with a team of Airbus field service personnel. “They will work closely with Ethiopian Airlines to ensure the smooth entry into service of the A350XWB with the airline, which will be the first operator of the aircraft type in Africa,” Airbus said.



This week Ethiopian brand new A350-900 came out of Airbus’ Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Blagnac Airport, Toulouse, France. According to Airbus, the state-of-the-art jetliner with Ethiopian livery will soon undergo a series of rigorous out door tests before being moved to the cabin completion and equipping center.



Ethiopian Airlines is training its aircraft maintenance technicians and cockpit crew on the A350-900 at the headquarters of Airbus in Toulouse. More than 20 technicians from Ethiopian Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) center were sent to Toulouse in January and they are taking the course since then.



Ethiopian Flight Operations last week sent the first batch of pilots to Toulouse for training on A350XWB. Yohannes Hailemariam (Capt. B777/787), vice president flight operations, told The Reporter that initially the airline would train 14 pilots on A350XWB and the first six have left last week. “We need a total of 100 A350 pilots when the airline received all the 14 A350 jetliners,” Yohannes said. Yoseph Hailu (Capt.), director of flight training, will be the first pilot of the A350 aircraft. Yoseph will be responsible for the A350 fleet.



Airbus is also training the staff of the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority (ECAA). Wossenyeleh Hunegnaw (Col.), Director general of the ECAA, told The Reporter that Airbus is offering a familiarization training courses to the staff of the authority. “One of our engineers has been trained for one month in Toulouse. And currently, two experts of Airbus are offering a familiarization training course to our professionals drawn from Aircraft Certification and Airworthiness, Operation and Licensing departments. We shall also train pour inspector pilots ,”Wossenyeleh said.



Ethiopian, which has been operating only Boeing fleet on mid and long haul routes for decades, is for the first time to operate a mixed fleet. The national flag carrier first placed 12 firm orders with a least price of 2.9 billion dollars in 2009 direct from Airbus. It also leased two more A350-900 from ILFC (now called AirCap). The first two A350s arriving in May and June this year are leased from AirCap while the remaining 12 will be delivered by Airbus in 2017-2019.



A350XWB is Arbus’ new product that made its maiden flight in June 2013. Powered by the Rolls Royce Trent Engines, the Airbus A350XWB is known for its specious cabin. The new jetliner is a rival of the Boeing B787 Dreamliner aircraft. The A350 family has 800, 900 and 1000 versions with 250-350 seats. Ethiopian’s A350-900 will have 346 seats. Airbus claims that A350 is the most fuel efficient and environment friendly aircraft.



Currently, Ethiopian operates 76 modern aircraft including 13 B787s and plans to double its fleet by 2025.



While Ethiopian is celebrating its 70th anniversary the European consortium, Airbus, will soon be celebrating its 45th anniversary. As part of its 70th anniversary, Ethiopian this week organized group visits for the public to its headquarters. Government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, athletes, artists, media professionals, travel agents, freight forwarders, hotel owners and members of the parliament visited the facilities of the airline at its main hub in Addis Ababa.



Ethiopian was established by Emperor Haile Selassie in 1945 in partnership with a US-based airline Trans World Airlines (TWA). In April 1946 the airline made its maiden flight from Addis Ababa to Cairo via Asmara with a DC3 aircraft purchased from the US Air force. Ethiopian will mark its 70th anniversary with colorful celebrations next month.

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Home Remedies For Black Spots On Face

Are dark spots or patches on your face... bogging you down?

You've tried several off-the-shelf remedies, but haven't been able to get rid of the dark spots.

Aren't you wondering whether there are any less expensive and effective remedies?

Well, look no further! They are available right there in your kitchen.

Dark spots on the skin, hyperpigmentation, are caused by excessive production of melanin in the human body. Those with a darker skin tone are more prone to this problem.


In most cases, dark spots are caused by:

• Exposure to sunlight
• History of skin inflammation
• Hormonal imbalance
• Pregnancy
• Melasma
• Addison's disease

If there is one easily available home item that works best, it is lemon juice. When applied to the skin, lemon juice may, however, cause burning sensation. But, it is very effective in removing dark spots and blemishes.


Here are a few other home remedies that you can try.


Home Remedy 1
• Take four teaspoons of buttermilk. It works exactly as lemon juice but it does not cause burning sensation.
• Mix 2 teaspoons of fresh tomato juice.
• Apply it on your face.
• Wash off after 15 minutes.


Home Remedy 2
• Take half a cup of rolled oats. Grind them. Add 3-4 tablespoons of lemon juice and make a paste
• Slather it on your face.
• After it dries, remove it with a cloth soaked in warm water or simply wash it with warm water.
• Use this face mask once or twice a week.


Home Remedy 3
• Almonds work wonders where skin care is concerned.
• Soak 8 to 10 almonds in water overnight.
• In the morning, peel the skin and grind the almonds.
• Add 1 teaspoon of sandalwood powder and half a teaspoon of honey. Make a fine paste.
• Apply it on your face. Leave it on for 30 minutes.
• Wash it with lukewarm water.


Tips
You could also apply:
• Potato slices (also reduce dark circles)
• Aloe vera
• Vitamin E oil
• Papaya pulp
• Milk

Take a balanced and nutritious diet to maintain healthy and glowing skin.

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How To Make Fire With Lemon

I love lemons, I use them for so many things, but mostly I put them in my water. In this video, the host from NorthSurvival shows us how to use lemons in a very different way. For his purposes, he demonstrates how to start a fire with just a few items.

When I watch the video, I can't help but wonder if I'll ever have these items on hand, if I were truly in a survival of the fittest situation. Either way, it's great information to know, and an oddly satisfying demonstration. The science of it all is cool enough to make you want to stay until the end! Enjoy!

How To Make A Fire Using A Lemon!

Whether you actually use this tip or not, everyone should know this! It is so simple and resourceful. I don't know when I'll necessarily have all the supplies on hand, but, if I were in a situation (where I did have all the items), then I'd know exactly what to do!

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Top 10 Need To Know Sharapova Doping Scandal Facts

When the world’s highest paid female athlete, Maria Sharapova, announced at the start of March that she had tested positive for doping, the sporting world recoiled. She admitted to taking meldonium - a substance which as of the start of 2016 was banned by sports authorities globally.

Her lucrative sponsorship deals with Porsche, Tag Heuer and Nike were scrapped, while tennis pros such as Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray called for her to be punished further. On Tuesday the U.N. suspended her role as goodwill ambassador.

In the country of her birth, however, her support appears not to have wavered.




A day after Sharapova’s press conference the head coach of Russia’s Olympic tennis team hailed the star as a “symbol of Russia” and urged Russia’s tennis federation to “fight for her to the last” . He also claimed her suspension from play was a “stab in the back” for Russia but did not clarify whom he was blaming for that.

Two days later Russian state media RIA Novosti cited legal experts two days after Sharapova’s press conference, suggesting her doctor's may be ones prosecuted for negligently letting her continue taking meldonium after it was banned.

Moscow’s Moskovskiy Komsomolets paper, meanwhile, quoted Sharapova’s fellow Russian players, Yekaterina Bychkova and Anna Chakvetadze who praised her decision to come clean and expressed hope she would play at the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil.

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The Most Complex International Borders In The World

In this video I look at some of the most complex international border. Of course, there are more complex borders in the world, but this video looks at some of my favourites.

I look at the 3 enclaves countries of the world: Vatican City, San Marino and Lesotho. As well as Campione d'Italia, an Italian exclave which is an enclave of Switzerland.

I then take things up a notch and look at enclaves within enclaves. The town of Baarle which is in the Netherlands and Belgium is an incredibly complicated border. But not quite as much as the Cooch Behar region of India and Bangladesh.

This is followed by a look at the odd situation of Bir Tawil, the only unclaimed land on Earth outside of Antarctica (which is itself a place for complex borders!)

I finish off the video by looking at the island of Cyprus, which may look like a borderless island, but is in fact far from it!

**COPYRIGHT INFORMATION**


*IMAGES*

All images used are: public domain; licensed under Creative Commons with attribution; or used with permission.

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How You Gain Healthy Weight - Use This Guy Experience

With Winter coming to an end it is time to start working on that beach body. It takes a lot of hard work to transform yourself into a healthier you. Most people try to lose weight, but when you are naturally skinny, gaining weight is the real struggle.

Reddit user jillesme spent the last one and a half years trying to gain more muscle. He never skipped a workout, barely drank any alcohol, and ate a ton of food in order to get to where he was today. He shared his story on the subreddit /r/fitness and has inspired a ton of other Redditors.

Initially, he started off his journey standing at 6 feet and 1 inch tall and weighing just 137 pounds. After he moved to England, he decided that enough was enough. He needed to stop making excuses and start hitting the weights.





In the first three months he had already gained a bit of weight and now weighed 155 pounds. That is also when people started to notice his physique. He was ecstatic.




Every time he noticed that he was no longer getting sore from his standard workout routine, he switched it up and started seeing results again.

After going into great detail about his journey he finished it off with a conclusion paragraph. ‘Starting to lift has been the best decision in my life. I was always that skinny kid with red hair. I was scared of confrontation and I just felt weak. Now 1.5 years later people tell me I'm "getting big" and "starting to look like a closet" (that probably sounds cooler in Dutch).’

He thanked everyone for their nice comments and said that the reason he shared his story was to inspire other people to hit the gym.

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10 Peoples With The Highest IQ In History

You may not realize it by taking a quick glance at the pop culture material we collectively consume, but intelligence is the most highly valued human trait there is. Sure, sometimes the smart kids have it rough in school; athletics and popularity play a big part in perceived social status at such a young age. Fortunately, in the real world all people generally care about is what you can get done. Being of above average intelligence is therefore a massive advantage when compared to people who are living their lives at the top of the normal curve – comfortably average.

The importance of intelligence has sparked many debates on the subject, particularly determining whether intelligence is innate or developed. In other words; is intelligence an ability that can be nurtured and grown over time, or is it a seed that’s only planted in individuals who won the genetic lottery? This question has puzzled developmental scientists since the dawn of the field. In antiquity, the general consensus was that intelligence was an innate trait that some people had and others lacked. If a child didn’t demonstrate any noticeable ability from a young age then it was a foregone conclusion that he or she lacked the spark to develop true wisdom later on in life. In the modern era, that consensus was thrown on its head. Intelligence wasn’t an innate trait, but rather something that could be developed in any child so long as they were in the right environment and raised by the right people.

In practice, we now believe the truth to be a combination of the two. Yes, intelligence must absolutely be developed over time and in the right conditions, but there are also genetic factors at play. It’s the reason why two children, raised in very similar environments by similar people, will inevitably have some variation when having their intelligence tested using the most common measurement available, the IQ (intelligence quotient) test. Although it may not calculate all the varying dimensions of intelligence (and is prone to cultural bias), there is certainly a correlation between high IQ scores and intelligence in action. These are the 10 highest IQs ever recorded.

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This Is Why You Have Bad Breath And Here's The Solution

Have you ever woken up in the morning only to realize that you have bad breath? Well, you’re not alone. The problem affects almost everyone and while you can chew gum or use mouthwash to alleviate the issue, have you wondered why it occurs in the first place?

Bad breath is actually caused by something called tonsil stones. The formations are nothing more than clumps of mucus, bacteria and food that form together and become lodged in the back of your throat. They give off a foul smelling odor that resembles sulphur.

However, while tonsil stones are no danger to you and generally fall off on their own, some become particularly stuck and must be physically removed. A process that requires a few important tools and a lot of bravery.

First, you’ll need a long blunt object. The person in this video, used the end of her mother’s make-up brush, cleaning and disinfecting it first.

She says, she used this because it’s bigger and smoother than a cotton swab. In the video, she can be seen placing it at the back of her throat as she pries the stone from the crevices of her mouth

Since being posted, the video has been viewed more than 1.3 million times with many saying that they found it helpful in removing their own tonsil stones.

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