UNICEF Call for EOIs: Open Source Technology Solutions for Challenges faced by Children & Young People

Deadline: 1 January 2017

United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) is seeking Expressions of Interests (EOI) to provide funding for early-stage, open source technology solutions that address the most pressing challenges faced by children and young people.

UNICEF will support companies registered in these markets in UNICEF’s  programme countries- with a small amount of money to move solutions to the stage where these are proven to be workable and can be implemented.

Funding Information

UNICEF will consider applications for funding of approximately up to US$90,000.

Eligibility Criteria

BOI Youth Entrepreneurship Support Programme

All Glory be to God.
The young CEO being certified in Capacity Building and Human Development during the cohort-2 of Bank of Industry Youth Entrepreneurship Support Programme.
Its been fun and taxing from the two months online training by African Management Initiative to the one week on-hands training by LEAP Africa.

The Importance of Strategic Business Planning

Some people call me and say Dominion; I need a business plan next tomorrow. See! Writing a business plan is no doubt a hard task. But it’s very essential, and it comes with lots of long-term benefits.

 The planning process forces you to understand more clearly what you want to achieve as well as how and when to take each step towards achieving it. I can't write a business plan without your contribution, anybody that promise to write a business plan for you without your major contribution is a BIG joker! 

Even if you don’t need financial support from third-parties, a business plan can play a vital role on helping you avoid mistakes or recognize hidden opportunities and challenges. Of course, it is much easier to fold a sheet of paper than it is to fold a business.

Why You Need a Business Plan

Why do you want a business plan? You already know the obvious reasons, but there are so many other good reasons to create a business plan that many business owners don't know about. So, just for a change, let's take a look at the less obvious reasons first and finish with the ones you probably already know about.

15. Set specific objectives for managers. Good management requires setting specific objectives and then tracking and following up. I'm surprised how many existing businesses manage without a plan. How do they establish what's supposed to happen? In truth, you're really just taking a short cut and planning in your head--and good for you if you can do it--but as your business grows you want to organize and plan better, and communicate the priorities better. Be strategic. Develop a plan; don't just wing it.

14. Share your strategy, priorities and specify action points with your spouse, partner or significant other. Your business life goes by so quickly: a rush of answering phone calls, putting out fliers, etc. Don't the other people in your business life need to know what's supposed to be happening? Don't you want them to know?

13. Deal with displacement. Displacement is probably by far the most important practical business concept you've never heard of. It goes like this: "Whatever you do is something else you don't do." Displacement lives at the heart of all small-business strategy. At least most people have never heard of it.