How to get a Visa Card for Online Shopping in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria and anywhere in Africa

If you have been on the internet before, its truth infallible that you have seen some nice stuff online but you had no way of buying it for yourself or your loved ones.

Well this is true for most African countries especially mine. If you are reading this then i suppose you are a culprit too. It should not be that way.

Actually when i was still ignorant about what am going to share with you today, i used to consider online shopping and Visa cards for the "Rich". That's all history because I now possess over 7 visa cards excluding a MasterCard.

Maybe you maybe asking yourself, what is the difference?

Visa and MasterCard are networks that process payments between banks and merchants for purchases made with the cards. With that in mind, Visa and MasterCard probably have fewer differences than you think. 

But today i will focus on how to acquire a Visa Card for Online Shopping in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and anywhere in Africa. You may actually need it to travel, pay for online courses or withdrawing your funds conveniently. 

The process is quite simpler than you think. Like i said, I have multiple cards but the one i found really helpful and more convenient was the UBA Africard. The other banks have a lot of strict requirements which make over rate the card for no good reason.

So lets get started.

My assumption is that most of the African countries have UBA (United Bank of Africa). If you dont, then it's quite unfortunate that i cannot help.

First 

You will need:

At least 25,000/- Ugx (about $10 depending on the UBA in your country)

Passport size photograph

A national ID/Passport

Work ID or Introductory letter from your University, employer, or local council or a bank statement of your account in another bank or of someone else you know in UBA.

That's all.

Second

Head out to your nearest UBA branch and let them know that you want to get a UBA Africard. One thing i loved about UBA is their great customer care.  

The main UBA branches in Kampala are: 

• Speke House, Head Office - Jinja road (Main Branch)
• Kansanga Branch Opp Kampala International University
• William Street on Hotel Triangle Second Floor

The main UBA branches in Nairobi are:

• Wetlands Branch - Apollo Centre, Westlands, Nairobi (Main Branch)
• Upper Hill Branch - NHIF Building, Upper Hill, Nairobi
• Industrial Area Branch - Industrial Area, Enterprise Road, Nairobi

The main branch of UBA in Tanzania is at UBA House, Tanzaniatta Avenue - Dar-es-Salaam

To find out the main UBA branches in the different states of Nigeria, click here.

 

Once there, you will be assisted to fill in a few forms. When you are done, you will be given a white envelope with both the card and the manual of how to use the card. The card has on it inscribed at the back (lower bottom) the account number which normally is a 10 digit number. 

This account will be activated there and then so that you are able to make your initial deposit. 

NOTE: You don't need to change you money into dollars to open your account.

Once the deposit is on your account, you will receive an instant phone notification of the transaction. You do not need a separate form to get that service like they do in the other banks.

You card is now loaded and ready for use.

Third:

You will be led back to the issuer of the card to help you set up your UBA online transaction portal so that you can monitor your money while at home.

Benefits of a UBA Africard 

• It is cheap and easy to get
• The requirements are attainable.
• You do not to already have an account in UBA to be entitled to the card.
• You get instant mobile SMS notifications every time someone  deposits on your account or withdraws from the ATM.
• You can use it with most payment processors such as PayPal, Payza, Amazon, etc.
• It can double as account too where you can save your money.
• You can use it in any country you travel to.

Caution: 

• You cannot apply for two cards. Even if you came after months, the system will detect your details and reject your application. You do not want to face that humiliation. its really embarrassing. 
• Do not attempt to use the card with out loading money first via the bank. Your card maybe banned for good by the company you are trying to pay. (it happened to me and i had to go through the process of getting  a new one.)
• Do not share it with "big spenders" at home because once the visa system notices that other unregistered users are using your card, it may be flagged and you may need to explain in an email that you are actually not involved in any fishy business. 

The things you need to know about your UBA Africard before you start using are:

• The 16 digit code at the front is the card number
• The 3 digit code at the back in the CVV
• The expiry date which on the front.

Keep those details at hand before making any transaction online. They are always asked for.

Now that you have all that you needed to know, proceed to your nearest UBA branch to get your own visa card today.

Next time I will talk about the Master Card.

Feel free to leave a comment or a question for me. I will gladly reply back ASAP.

God Bless you.

Why your selected niche is not a hot topic?

Like I discussed in the previous post, selecting the right niche topic is the most vital part of blogging for profit. If you are still asking, "what is a niche?" consider reading through that post for more because it will guide you on how to select the right niche market. Like I discussed, it will determine the number and nature of readers to your blog. You may attract a large readers’ base but not willing to spend.

Therefore I want to help you realize why your niche is not bringing in any penny.

Choose a niche that has potential to grow. 

Certain niches are good but their potential to grow is not easily estimated. When you choose to write about radio cassettes, it may be your passion but the challenge you will have is that the readership is dwindling by the year. Consumers have advanced from such to MP3 players to other smart technology that can store more information in a less bulky form.

Therefore when choosing your niche, it is vital that you focus on one which has prospects of growing and the readers will be willing to buy information in line. Examples in that line may include entrepreneurship, technology, etc.

One of the best ways to estimate the traffic projection of a certain niche is by using Google traffic estimator. It is the most trusted estimator. In order to determine which keywords to use in your selected niche for maximum profit, I recommend Google Keyword Tool. It allows you to select the keywords your competitors are using to make profits. You just need to type in the keyword of interest and it will give you other profitable words in the same niche. Once noted, major on those keywords and you will be on your way to profit.

Having a clutter of topics being discussed within the same blog,            it is easier to become an authority with a specific niche. I have seen blogs that have close to four niche topics. From blogging about weight loss to cooking to kitchen ware to kitchen design, etc. You will not become an authority with such a blog. Or if you do, it will take you a lot of work.

Search engines normally “scan” through your website to ascertain what your website is all about such that in case it needs information under your niche, it can bank on your website. The more niches specific your website is, the faster and easier it is for your website to be categorized by the search engines.

Therefore focusing on a more specific niche is quite important for your page ranking in search engines. For example if you wish you blog about cooking, you may focus on cooking vegetarian recipes and to closer detail, you may again refocus on cooking vegetarian recipes on a budget.

Such a specialization will with ease push you through the ranks to become an authority in your niche. Remember that you cannot sell to every one.

Too personalized a blog which gravitates around you. 

Many blogger don’t discern the difference between their interests and those of the readers. What you like does not obviously imply is what your audience will like. You must know the difference. You must know what your audience wants and looking for when they visit your website.

It is good to share your experience but you must know the line between your interests and those of your audience. Your experiences must be what your readers are looking for. If it is not, please do not share or post. It is not typical for personalized blogs to become a major success but if you are a celebrity, you may consider giving it a try. Then you may have more chances to succeed.

With the above pointers, you can now discern why your niche is still struggling.

I previously read a nice article on how to fine tune your niche market and i think you will like it. click here to read it.

If you still problems with your niche/topic, consider leaving a comment and I will get back to you. 

HOW TO SELECT A NICHE TO START BLOGGING ABOUT?

From my personal survey, i have realized that many people would love to start their own blog but they often stop at just the thought. Why? Many are still stuck with a mindset of "I don't really have much to write!!" or "AM not just wordy like you.." or "am reserved.." to mention but a few.

Many of my readers do not know but I am a food science student lately in the final stages of my final year. Isn't it strange that am so into blogging about business than anything (food)? That is precisely what am talking about, you don't need to attend a graduate course in blogging to start blogging.

Am a very reserved guy (I guess so) but i realized that deep down there, am always talking. At times i can see a poorly dressed lecturer and deep inside me am like, "WHAT WAS HE THINKING? Is he for real?" It is such thought that someone pens down (of course editing out the evil parts ). You don't have be chatterbox to have a successful blog. At times when am in my room like right now, a thought comes to me like this one, i switch on my laptop and the keyboard gets busy.

So it is pretty hard to convince me that some one can be wordless. Give them an opportunity to talk about what they love in the right environment, you will be amazed at how much they know.

CHOOSING  A NICHE FOR YOUR BLOG

My first mistake in the early days of my blogging career was that i wrote to make money. But as i "matured", i realized that my blog is like a hangout place where i share the thoughts i am so passionate about  with my esteemed readers like you right now. That alone pays off. I am not going to give you the 10 steps to finding the right niche. That is a total waste of your precious time! let me cut through to the bone.

REMEMBER THIS: Choose something you are passionate about period!!

That is the best starting point. WHY?

• It will come naturally since it is something you love.
• It is always exciting to write a post. Many times i want to keep writing for over an hour.
• You will not run out of blog posts
• Your creativity will be exploited
• Your readers will read/feel the passion with which you write the posts. This is good because it is too easy to believe someone who is passionate about what they are saying.
• It is easy to become an authority in that niche since readers always get fresh content from you. Nothing copied and pasted. ORIGINALITY is just awesome.

Probably  you may be asking, "But Reagan I am not sure about my passions?" A self evaluation is a good way to determine your passions.

Let me help a little using the questions below;

1. What is your background? Academic-are there things you got passionate about while at school that you believe your readers may want to know? It may be evolution, climate change etc. Social-are there things that you might have overcome that you think will be of value to your readers? It may be a dating/relationship experiences, abuse, addiction, fear etc. As long as you are passionate about it. Don't victimize your readers because you will instead alienate them. Employment-are there tips/skills you acquired that you believe are valuable? It may be, how to pass any banking job interview? or How to get a promotion fast? 
2. If your background is not something you would wish to back to, then we should consider you personal interests. Personally I have always loved to help others by sharing my experiences with them so that they make better choices. I love it when someone can say "I am because of you " That is so fulfilling. So what are your interests? Do you love children? Specifically raising children? You can start your blog on "Nurturing children" Parents love their children and consequently they would to hear tips of your proved formula on how to nurture any child (However stubborn a child may be!) Do you have interest in soccer? You can be giving your personal reviews on the upcoming games and you invite your friends to comment. Over sometime, you will find everyone interested in your views (Interests).

I believe that I have made this as simple as possible. But in case you still find difficulty selecting a niche for your self, leave a comment with your email asking about any niche of your interest and i will review it for you.

I will reply your comments over email including my opinion and a few suggestions of how to fine tune your niche FOR FREE.

Will back tomorrow. Off to bed...

Why you should start your Own Information Marketing Business?

This being an information era, information is vital and is a necessary part of our lives. Internet is flooded with a gazillion documents most of which are a total waste of one’s reading time. Some topics have close to half a billion results. It would take you close to a year to read through all of them.

So this creates a platform for people like me-information marketers. We give you the exact information you need at a fee so that you don’t have to search anywhere. Information marketers are in every field. Let it be business, fitness, health eating, weight loss, farming, banking, dentistry, fishing etc. As long as you have any knowledge that can offer a solution to anyone. It may be cooking the best traditional meal in your land, how to raise ducks in your backyard? How to pass any banking job interview? How to finish a college semester without spending a coin? Etc.

I developed my cycle of information marketing to help people get a summarized picture of what this means. Here it is;

As long as you have that kind of information, market it and people will pay for it. I promise, people want to learn a lot of crazy stuff. Someone might be saying, “That is not fair, why should I pay for information?” I normally ask such people if they knew that high school, college, University, preschool are information marketing business.

They locate a need (general ignorance), offer you a solution (going to school), market it (online, classifieds, community boards, etc.), you pay them highly (some university courses shoot-up to $100,000, can you imagine?)….yeah that’s the part you didn’t want to hear. You get happy after you’ve acquired a certificate. You go back and upgrade. In all this, you are generating more money for them.

I guess you get the picture!! So it is wrong. Let me give you another picture of information marketing in a negative direction to show you that information marketing is everywhere;

Most of us know of guys like snowden, these people get information that other countries need and sell it for a premium. Countries pay billions of dollars for just a softcopy document sent via email. Is it because the document is physically enormous? NO, it is the value. That’s the beauty of information marketing. You don’t get to charge based on the size of the product but the value. The kind of information ought to be in position to add value to the life/finances/family/etc.

Do you have such information? You can get started today with my INFORMATION MARKETING BLUEPRINT which will teach you how  to create, package, market and sell any kind of information

Or you can subscribe to my newsletter for quick tips on how to this empire is run.

3 IMPORTANT THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR OWN ONLINE BUSINESS

Starting an Online Business? Consider the following!!

Many newbies get excited at the thought of doing business online. Yeah I know it can get very tempting to think you are going to become the next six figure blogger overnight. I thought that way before I was faced with the 3 realities am about to share with you in this blog. Personally, I use my blog to earn me money just like the rest of the others. But the challenge there is that, many of them show you the figures to lure you into starting your own business blinding you to the bald fact that there certain realities you will be faced with.

let me dive straight in..

It takes time to pick. Running any successful online business will obviously require a reasonable time investment every day. For starters, you may actually spend whole days trying to update you business/blog/website. This may continue up to a month or longer depending on your commitment. It personally took me longer than 3 months to have my site running. the common deception you are faced with normally is the time factor. Many successful bloggers or internet marketers post stuff like "How I made $10,000 in one month?". An average newbie will think that they have been making that from the start of their business. That is a total LIE. IT TAKES TIME. You may start to earn those figures after your first 3 years in business. TRUTH SPOKEN!!

Study the business. It is typical of newbies to jump into the business because they have seen the figures with out prior study to validate the claims. Most are actually scams seeking to robe you. Therefore its is important if you are going to venture into any internet related business to do some research. Otherwise, why the hurry like you will make more money starting now. Actually with out the appropriate knowledge, you will lose ALOT of money. It is the right knowledge that will guarantee your ability to make money online. You may need to enroll for coaching program or do a lot of Google search to gather information. Actually in that same line, you can choose to regularly follow my posts for more reliable, honest information. You can also follow me by email and ask questions of your own interest. I will be glad to get back to you and it will save you valuable time and irrelevant content. 

Take your business seriously. It is easy to think that a blog/online business/website is not a real business. I thought so before but my mind was changed. Your online business will need close to the same resources as a physical business. These may include time, money, advertising, marketing etc. Yeah, Don't panic!!! hahaha. Am sorry but there is no short cut. Let no one deceive you. You will need people to know that your online business exists and how will that happen without advertising and marketing? I think you now see my point. Every day I devote at least 3 hours to update my blog and monitor my online programs. I have also just concluded my most recent Google Adwords campaign to advertise my website. Therefore if you really want your online business to ever work for you in the near future, you must work for it now.

Incase of any questions/thoughts shoot me an email.
Don't forget to leave a comment. Thank you.

Yours in internet business,
Reagan kawuma 

INTRODUCTION TO INTERNET BUSINESS IDEAS 2

Worst Mistake of  online start- ups  

Though it is true that Online based business provide the greatest benefits as opposed to the  physical ones, many online start-ups don't get to celebrate their first birthday. They get to start with a lot of hype because they heard that Bill Gates or Mark Cuban make billions online. There seems to be a deception that online business varies much from the physical one. That has never been far from the truth. The underlying principles are the same. Business is business whether online, spiritual, physical etc. Remember this, BUSINESS REMAINS BUSINESS.

Number # 1 Mistake

The biggest error or liability that I have seen with most upcoming/would-be online entrepreneurs is their despair. Most of them are too desperate to make money and as a result they make reckless mistakes.They have wanted to always work from home like Reagan and BAM!!, they land on a scam.

They forget our Underlying principle, Business is business. You don't reap where you didn't sow!! That is an infallible eternal truth.

Many get  deceived with obviously false statements like "click here to earn $500" or "Sign up for this and Earn $100 ". TOTAL NONSENSE!!. I know you are nodding your head in approval. I have been a victim of such not once, twice but multiple times. I realized if it is business, no one would be willing even i, to dish out 100 bucks for a click. unless you are paying back with profit. that is how business works. 

Reason for my mistake? I was too desperate to start something. As a result, I tried out almost every thing until i was fed up. If you are keen enough, it must be obvious by now  that AM NOT a "Get Rich Quick guy" looking for a way to take our last penny. The guy writing this, even I, was in Online business for at least a year to start earning a penny. Yes it is possible to earn from the internet but just like any business, you must invest in it. Resources may range from time, money, etc just like you would in the physical business.

It takes time for sure. But once set up, the income keeps coming and increasing overtime with less involvement. That's what we call Auto-piloting the Business.

There you have it, take your time to study the business before you jump into it. You will not lose a thing. What good is it for you to run into something because it glitters like gold. Remember not all that glitters is Gold. Study before you start.

I know your eyes have been opened immensely to  the truth in online business.

For a detailed or specific post on any area of interest, please leave a comment and i will surely fill you in.   

Your in internet Business,

Reagan Kawuma

INTRODUCTION TO INTERNET BUSINESS IDEAS

Are you a newbie to internet related businesses? Would you wish to start working from your home?


When we talk of an Online based Business, many people are put off because they have been spammed by crooks claiming to make them millionaires overnight. It has happened to me more times than i can recall. When i was starting out as an online entrepreneurship, i took so many risks that were monetized leading to a lot of financial loss.

I was so frustrated and I chose to give the  internet a break otherwise someone would be smashed if I continued even for a second.   

After a while, my quest resumed and its from this that i realized that crooks target desperate people. They know when you are anxious, you can make make careless choices such as buying what obviously looks vague and fake. Guaranteed 99% of the Quick Cash Offers online are FAKE.

Below i have managed to assess 3 main genuine internet based business ideas that anyone can tryout and earn therein. Actually most of the online income is generated through these online business. These are Affiliate marketing, advertising and information marketing. With these in place, you can start working from home sooner than you think.

• AFFILIATE MARKETING

Affiliate marketing is a type of performance-based marketing in which a business rewards one or more affiliates for each visitor or customer brought by the affiliate's own marketing efforts. The industry has four core players: the merchant (also known as 'retailer' or 'brand'), the network (that contains offers for the affiliate to choose from and also takes care of the payments), the publisher (also known as 'the affiliate'), and the customer. The market has grown in complexity, resulting in the emergence of a secondary tier of players, including affiliate management agencies, super-affiliates and specialized third party vendors.

• ADVERTISING

Online advertising, also called online marketing or Internet advertising, is a form of marketing and advertising which uses the Internet to deliver promotional marketing messages to consumers. It includes email marketing, search engine marketing (SEM), social media marketing, many types of display advertising (including web banner advertising), and mobile advertising. Like other advertising media, online advertising frequently involves both a publisher, who integrates advertisements into its online content, and an advertiser, who provides the advertisements to be displayed on the publisher's content. Other potential participants include advertising agencies who help generate and place the ad copy, an ad server who technologically delivers the ad and tracks statistics, and advertising affiliates who do independent promotional work for the advertiser.

• INFORMATION MARKETING

This my area of expertise. actually my first website. Information marketing is really how you take the information and knowledge you already have in your head and turn it into something you can share with your clients and prospects.  And, it’s important to note here, this information doesn’t even have to be related to your job or profession. You can turn your love and enjoyment of a hobby, or just something you enjoy doing in your spare time, or something you have specialized knowledge about into a free report or a small book, or other type of information to share with others who might have the same interest or who want to know more about that topic.

We believe that every business should have at least a part of the business be some sort of Information Marketing.  It can be both an additional income stream and a lead generator for your business.  You can turn your knowledge and information into something you can share as free offers, or you can sell it.

Sometimes people say to us “That might work for other people, but I’m not an expert at anything.”  We don’t find that’s true.  If you’re in business for yourself you almost undoubtedly have a passion for at least one topic.  You might have a love for marketing, or a love for photography, or dentistry.  And we’re here to tell you that you know more than at least ten percent of all the people out there on this topic.  And that, in and of itself, makes you an expert to at least some people who can benefit from your expertise.  You can always look around and find somebody who knows more than you about a particular topic, but we sometimes forget to consider those people who may know less than us.  And, there will probably always be people on both sides of us – those who know more than we do and those who know less.  That’s ok – it gives you the ability to keep learning and it allows you to develop products and services for those who know less than you but might not be advanced enough to learn from those who know more than you do.  Besides your expertise, the way in which you deliver your info –  how you teach it or  how you have fun explaining it to others – will also attract people to you. 

For the next posts, I will be sharing first about information marketing because once you have this running, the other businesses just supplement the former.