MOTIVATIONAL TIPS FOR THOSE TRYING TO BUILD A BUSINESS

•Find something you enjoy doing and see how you can build an income stream from it. You
need a business you'll derive pleasure in doing even if you're not really making good
money from it. You also need to spark off some desire in you, don't let people's
discouragement kill off the desire in you, instead let it spark off more fire in you:

"Find something you love to do. If you don't make money at it, at least you love going
to work". - MARK CUBAN (Co-founder, HDNET)

"Open share and talk to people about your idea. Use their lack of interest or doubt to
fuel your motivation to make it happen."
- TODD GARLAND (BuySellAds)

"We're not really good at knowing what we want, and we are very quick to say "this sucks".
That's where the opportunity lies." - GARY VAYNERCHUK (Founder, Wine Library TV)

•Remember, when trying to build a business, your reputation matters most, it even matters
more than the money you might likely make at the early stages of your business:

"Your reputation is more important than your paycheck, and your integrity is worth more
than your career." - RYAN FREITAS (Founder, Second Verse)

•Don't be discouraged; if things don't appear to be working out fine for you at the initial
stages, don't give up so easily, particularly when you believe in what you're doing:

"If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly at first." - CHESTERTON

"No business plan survives first contact with customers - as customers don't behave as
per theory". - STEVE BLANK

"Would you like me to give you a formula for success? It's quite simple, really. Double
your rate of failure. You are thinking of failure as the enemy of success. But it isn't
at all. You can be discouraged by failure or you can learn from it. So go ahead and make
mistakes. Make all you can. Because remember that's where you'll find success".
- THOMAS J. WATSON

•Don't let fear rule your decision making, you've got to test your feet in different waters
before you can hit the right string:

"[You] cannot reliably predict which ideas for new markets will work and which won't.
[You]'ve got to experiment." - PETER SIMS

"Business opportunities are like buses, there's always another one coming."
- RICHARD BRANSON (Founder, Virgin Atlantic Airways)

•Even when you hit the right string, keep improving your business, keep promoting the business:

"Business has only two functions - marketing and innovation." - PETER DRUCKER

"Every day that we spent not improving our products was a wasted day."
- JOEL SPOLSKY (Co-founder, Stack Exchange)

•If you have to hire a person; hire based on what he or she can do, not on academic qualifications:

"When I'm hiring, I don't look for credentials, I look for knowledge." - AZA RASKIN (Co-founder,
Massive Health)

ATM DEBIT CARD

ATM DEBIT CARDS NIGERIANS CAN USE ON THE INTERNET FOR WORLDWIDE PAYMENTS

Virtually all banks in Nigeria issue ATM debit cards but at the moment the GTBank Naira MasterCard, UBA Africard, Zenith Bank Mastercard Websurfer, and Zenith Bank Visa Prepaid Buxz cards are some of the most reliable payment cards you can use on the Internet for your online transactions here in Nigeria to make payments worldwide. The Fidelity Bank debit card which the bank offers to its customers who have at least a Savings Account with them is also reported to be a good online payment option.

GTBank will let you have a Naira MasterCard ATM debit card when you open an account with them (Current or Savings Account). You can start using the card for your international online transactions by going to any branch of the bank to activate the card for Internet banking, you will be able to use it for your online purchases and payments worldwide, anywhere you see the MasterCard logo on the Internet. Just go to any GTBank branch and ask to see the Customer Service people or the person in charge of card services. Tell them you want to apply for “Internet Banking” or want to be profiled for Internet Banking and would want to apply for a “Token”. A Token is a small security hardware like a key holder that generates a set of numbers which will enable secure transfers via the Internet banking platform. It generates a random password which will then be keyed in after the password to enable transfer. You can use the GTBank Naira MasterCard to order for products online or pay for services anywhere on the Internet wherever you see the MasterCard logo.

For now, let me concentrate on the easiest of them to get – the UBA Visa Prepaid card, called UBA Africard, issued by United Bank of Africa (UBA). The UBA Africard is one card you would want to consider and virtually the easiest to obtain. The UBA Visa Prepaid card (Africard) is a debit card variant denominated in Naira and is pre-funded and re-loadable. It is internationally accepted in all Visa acceptance points (ATM, PoS & Web). Card holders do not need to have an account with UBA in order to obtain this card, and the card can be obtained from any branch of UBA. The card is of two types; the personalized and the non-personalized types. I will advise you to go for the non-personalized type because you can instantly obtain it just immediately after applying for it.

All you need to apply for the UBA Africard is a valid form of identity, particularly a government-issued ID, which could be an international passport, driver's license or National Identity Card, or even the Voter’s Registration Card (in line with the new CBN directive).

You need a minimum of N500 (five hundred naira) to obtain this UBA Africard prepaid card, although in some cases you can get it even without paying a dime.

This card has a 10 digit number on it. This number serves as your account number. To fund the card, simple pay into the account number at the counter.



NOTE: Although the aforementioned cards are widely accepted online, you cannot use them to effect payment on some sites on the Internet. Some sites may reject them while some do not have provisions for accepting them. For example, Clickbank products cannot be procured using most Nigerian prepaid card. Most Clickbank products require a PayPal login before you can buy products on the site, so your Nigerian prepaid card will not be useful to you on www.clickbank.com. However, so many other sites, particularly the China based B2B sites like Aliexpress.com and DHgate.com will accept the card. You can also use these cards to make online payments for your web hosting service with Hostgator.com; domain name service with Namecheap.com or GoDaddy.com; autoresponder service with TrafficWave.net, Getresponse.com, Aweber.com. To cap it all, you can use these cards on many websites that accept the usual Visa and MasterCard. You can use them on websites like Amazon.com, Namecheap.com, Getresponse.com, Aweber.com, Aliexpress.com (to order PCs, tablets and other electronic gadgets from China), and DHgate.com (to purchase electronics, PCs, tablets, computer accessories, cell phones and accessories, jewelleries, handbags, clothes and so on from China) and Web4africa.net (to buy domain name and webhosting).

HOW TO OPEN A DOMICILIARY ACCOUNT

How To Open A Domiciliary Account in Nigeria To Cash Your Online Payments

If you participate in online income earning projects like free online paid surveys, Internet and affiliate marketing, Google Adsense, blogging, online article writing jobs, Online Forex trading and so on; you’ll need a domiciliary account here in Nigeria to enable you cash your foreign currency denominated checks (cheques) or receive money from people outside the shores of Nigeria.

But what is a domiciliary account? A domiciliary account is a special type of account in foreign currency such as US Dollars or UK pounds opened in a home bank that allows you to make international bulk expense in form of bank wire transfer for services or goods online. A domiciliary account is also an account which allows you to be paid in any foreign currency of your choice. Any earnings or proceeds from your online business transactions will be deposited directly or through a check (cheque) issued in your name which is payable into a domiciliary account. With the frequency at which businesses are being run online these days, a domiciliary account is highly necessary to enable you cash the money you’ll make from your online projects. Foreign cheques and drafts from a foreign land can only be paid into a domiciliary account. Most commercial banks in Nigeria usually use 15 working days to clear your check (cheque) and credit your account with your money but in some cases it may take up to 21 working days.

A domiciliary account can be setup with any bank here in the country, usually in different currencies, such as the US Dollar, Euro, or the UK Pounds Sterling. This will enable the owner of the domiciliary account to receive any foreign currency directly into his bank account without having to convert it into the local currency. But there are usually different account numbers given with respect to each currency.

Besides using a domiciliary account for doing business online, it is also quite easier to send money directly into the bank account of any relative outside the shores of one’s own country if you operate a domiciliary account. Only a token amount of money is charged in most cases. Owning a domiciliary account also helps when travelling abroad, as one can withdraw in the currency of the country where one finds his or herself.


Types of Domiciliary Accounts

Current Domiciliary Account and Savings Domiciliary Account are the two basic types of domiciliary accounts being operated by our banks here in Nigeria. Current Domiciliary account is operated like a normal current account, however, you are issued a cheque booklet denominated in US Dollars. The minimum balance is usually $100 in most banks here in Nigeria. No cheque booklet is issued for Savings Domiciliary account.

Basic Requirements for Opening a Domiciliary Account in Nigeria

The requirements for opening a domiciliary account varies from one bank to another here in Nigeria, but the basic things you must have are given below:

1. TWO referees who have operated normal current accounts for at least 6 months with the bank or any other bank in Nigeria. Usually it is better and faster to get referees from the same bank so that the confirmation can be done promptly. In some cases with some banks, you’ll need TWO REFERENCE LETTERS from people who know you well and also have a domiciliary account with the bank you want to open a domiciliary account with.

2. TWO recent passport size photographs.

3. A utility bill that bears an address that corresponds to the one you would like to use as your contact address with the bank. The utility bill should not be more than 3 months old. Examples include PHCN bill, bill from your water supply corporation, fixed line or fixed wireless phone bill, Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) bill, and so on.

4. A form of identification like a Driver’s License, National Identity Card, International Passport, Tax Clearance Certificate, or even a voter’s registration card for proper identification.

5. An initial deposit of about $100 or £50 for minimum balance. You might be charged some additional fee for MasterCard or VisaCard.

**For those who already have a current account with a bank like GTBank, all you need to open a domiciliary account is TWO passport size photograph, a Driver’s License or National ID Card and other important documents as maybe required by GTBank Nigeria Plc.


Which Banks Operate Domiciliary Account In Nigeria?

There is a growing list of banks operating domiciliary accounts here in Nigeria. Many of the big commercial banks here in Nigeria operate domiciliary accounts, particularly banks like GTBank (Guaranty Trust Bank), Zenith Bank, ECOBANK, Access Bank, UBA (United Bank for Africa), Diamond Bank, First Bank, ETB (Equitorial Trust Bank), FCMB (First City Monument Bank), and StanbicIBTC. The list is by no means complete, nor does the order of the banks indicate any preference or affiliation. You should carefully make enquiries from the banks, compare fees, rates and then go for the one that suits you most.

BLACK BERRY PIN

BlackBerry PIN: What Does It Mean?

BBM PIN is a term related with Blackberry Phones. BBM PIN means Black Berry Mobile + PIN. A BlackBerry PIN (Personal Identification Number) is a string of eight alphanumeric characters, used to uniquely identify each BlackBerry. The PIN is hard-coded onto the BlackBerry and cannot be changed. BlackBerrys can send messages directly to each other using their PINs (PIN-to-PIN messaging), and the BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) application uses the PIN protocol to exchange messages.

PIN messaging is one of those features that has been in the BlackBerry OS since all this while yet not many people know of it and/or use it. Essentially PIN-to-PIN messaging is like SMS, except that you can only send a message to another user’s BlackBerry PIN. On a personal note, I never really understood the need since we have BBM, SMS, email and the likes, but I know that some BB users still use it for one reason or another. However, with the way things are currently going with BBM and BBID, it appears PIN messaging may be on its way out as we work towards BlackBerry 10. BBID pulls in everything and ties them to your email address, so PIN messaging might just be one of those things that we might start to see less of in the future.

PROXY SITES LIST

Proxy Sites List By ProxySitesList

ProxySitesList.net maintains a list of active web proxy sites to enable you to browse the web anonymously.
These proxy sites are also useful if you need to get around a content filter such as WebSense.

Get started by viewing ProxySitesList proxies or their new proxies. If you are an advanced proxy user, you
can pick a proxy type from one of their categories on the left hand side of their website.

Proxy Sites Listing

http://proxyserverlist.org/

http://unblocksites.org/

http://activeproxies.org/

http://www.clicksafe.info

http://www.dontproxmethisway.info/

http://www.protectedonline.info

http://www.listofproxy.info

http://www.hiddenconnect.info

http://bettyboopprox.info/

http://www.livesecured.info

http://www.lincolnstophatproxy.info

http://www.protectedfun.info

http://www.networkcode.info

http://www.networkuser.info

http://www.safegeek.info

http://bootlogin.com/

http://www.vpncode.info

http://www.shotahot.info

http://www.safeapp.info

http://www.proxmyfox.info

http://www.searchhidden.info

http://www.vpnnet.info

http://pokimon.net

http://www.iksde.com/

http://ipv4server.com/

http://www.snapcard.info

http://www.fasturban.info

http://www.wikipediaprox.info

http://www.cloudcard.info

http://www.geosecured.info

http://www.geonetwork.info

http://www.bypassfw.com

http://beatproxy.com/

http://www.networksecret.info

http://www.proxingjordan.info/

http://www.fastsave.info

http://www.schoolfast.info

http://www.cardgreen.info

BEST FREE ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE

BEST FREE ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE FOR WINDOWS

Quite a large number of antivirus vendors make free antivirus software available for home and SOHO users. But how do you choose the best free antivirus? For starters, don't just consult some random Web list advertising the best free antivirus. You need to make sure the free antivirus has been properly tested and is ranked according to its detection and protection capabilities. Remember, the best free antivirus is really only the best if it keeps your computer safe from viruses, spyware, and other malware. Here are the best free antivirus programs for Windows - based on how well they detect and protect.

1. Avast! Free Antivirus
This is my new top pick for the best free antivirus software in light of recent developments. Avast has steadily been improving its detection rates over the past few years and now ranks with the some of the best. Avast has the most features of all the free antivirus with full real-time capabilities including web, e-mail, IM, P2P and network shields, boot-time scanning, and a behavioural blocker. Version 6 brought even more features including an internet site ratings plugin, script malware protection and a limited (non-configurable) sandboxing feature. It's arguable whether their ratings plugin offers comparable levels to WOT, but the script malware protection can prevent certain browser exploits, a feature not available in any of the other free AV's. Although the sandbox is a very useful semi-automated security feature, the default settings involves a pop up to ask whether a software should be sandboxed for not - for the typical average user this can be slightly confusing though it can set to sandbox the software automatically. Avast is also relatively light on resources. Note that Avast requires a free registration to function after 30 days.

Avast! Free Antivirus earns its spot as one of the best free antivirus because it not only offers standard scanning, it also provides scans on bootup. This can greatly increase the chance of removing stubborn infectors, particularly those that use resuscitators to thwart removal attempts. Avast! Free Antivirus supports Windows 95/98/Me, 2000, XP, Vista, 7 and 8.

Vendor’s site: http://www.avast.com/en-eu/index


2. Avira AntiVir Personal Edition
This is another high quality free antivirus, and formerly most peoples’s top pick. The primary reason it lost it status involved the recent controversy of AntiVir including a re-branded Ask toolbar in their installer, and a temporary spate of advertisements promoting a possible 'scareware' company. In spite of the negative press though AntiVir is still a top notch antivirus scanner with outstanding detection rates of malware, higher than almost every other antivirus according to tests. AntiVir is still a good choice for a free antivirus scanner, particularly for high risk users.

However, there are some minor reservations. First, AntiVir does not include web or e-mail scanning capabilities; this is only available in the paid version. The lack of an e-mail scanner is not a disadvantage, it just means that AntiVir won't warn you of infected emails before you open them. But should you open an infected email, AntiVir will still spring into action, so it doesn't mean that you're not protected from email-based infections. Also, AntiVir contains a rather intrusive advertisement every time it updates. Although AntiVir had signature updating problems in the past, this issue seems to be fixed now. Avira AntiVir routinely nabs some of the highest scores from AV-Test.org and other antivirus testing agencies.

Vendor’s site: http://www.avira.com/en/avira-free-antivirus

3. Microsoft Security Essentials
Microsoft Security Essentials is a favourite of mine with great detection rates, particularly for rootkits. Even more impressive is the fact that Microsoft Security Essentials has very few false positives, is light on resources and is good at removal of existing malware. MSE is a great choice for average users because of the minimal user interaction required. It automatically updates and removes threats. No registration is needed, apart from a quick validating of Windows, and there are no nag screens or advertisements.

The main downsides are the slow scan speeds and the lengthy amount of time it takes to quarantine malware, though in my opinion these are rather trivial concerns, as for example a scan just be run overnight. MSE also is not available in certain countries so users there will have to look elsewhere. Note that Microsoft Security Essentials requires a genuine copy of Windows to install.

Microsoft Security Essentials earns its spot as one of the best free antivirus as it has consistently performed admirably on third-party antivirus certifications and detection tests. Microsoft Security Essentials is not only free for home use, it's free for small businesses with up to 10 computers to protect. Microsoft Security Essentials runs on XP, Vista, and Windows 7 and 8 but can only be installed on genuine Windows installations (i.e. those that are properly licensed).

Vendor's Site: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security-essentials-download

4. Panda Cloud Antivirus
Panda Cloud Antivirus is not only one of the best free antivirus programs, it’s also the only free cloud-based scanner, Panda antivirus software takes all the processing off your PC, giving you a lighter, faster, and more proactive antivirus protection. Or for a very low price you can upgrade to Panda Cloud Antivirus Pro and gain additional features as well as 24/7 tech support.

Panda Cloud Antivirus is an excellent choice for average users with a simple interface and completely automated features with automatic updating and removal of malware. The detection level is generally very high, but according to the latest test data, detection of zero day threats is slightly lower. PCA uses 'cloud' technology to provide for a much quicker release of updates as all definitions are stored in the cloud and thus the moment Panda updates their blacklist all users of PCA with an internet connection are protected from it.

Panda Cloud Antivirus has a behavioural blocker and web protection, which will certainly increase your security. However as you can simply use one of the other free AV's with a separate behavioural blocker (for further details see our Security Wizard) to achieve possibly even better protection, this is not necessarily an advantage.

One minor reservation with Panda Cloud Security is that it seems to erroneously detect certain browser/system-related applications, for example VideoCacheView, and because of the automatic quarantine this made it a fraction bothersome.

Vendor's Site: http://www.cloudantivirus.com/en/#!/free-antivirus-download

5. AVG Free Edition for Windows
AVG Free Edition is a classic, one of the longest running free antivirus packages available for Windows 8/7/XP/2000/NT/ME/98. Installing only 30Mb of files and 4 running processes, AVG Free Edition is the smallest antivirus scanner we've tested and may well be the best free antivirus choice for an older PC that has limited system resources.
Although AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition is also a decent choice for a free antivirus this venerable antivirus has had some shaky results in detection in the recent past, however it now offers a high level of protection. This is probably due to the inclusion of a fully-fledged behavioural blocker that is the "Identity Protection" protection. This provides a very important additional layer of protection, on the other hand though a similar protection level can be achieved by using one of the free antivirus above alongside a separate behavioural blocker. Unfortunately AVG free has grown considerably in size, has very slow scan speeds and also advertisements (but they can be disabled)

Vendor's Site: http://free.avg.com/ww-en/homepage

6. Comodo Internet Security
Comodo Internet Security is the free, multi-layered security application that keeps hackers out and personal information in. Built from the ground upwards with your security in mind, Internet Security offers 360° protection by combining powerful Antivirus protection, an enterprise class packet filtering firewall, advanced host intrusion prevention and automatic sandboxing of unknown files. Unlike the stripped down versions of commercial software that other software vendors offer for free, this is the full, completely functional version of the product. Most of the best free antivirus only provide an antivirus scanner. But what if you need antivirus software and a firewall? Comodo Internet Security is the best free Internet security suite you need. Unlike most free antivirus which is free for home use only, Comodo Internet Security is free for both home and business use - and it even includes 90 days of free tech support. Comodo Internet Security supports Windows 7 / Vista / XP SP2/ Windows 8.

Vendor's Site: http://www.comodo.com/home/internet-security/free-internet-security.php

The aforementioned free antivirus programs are excellent software that provide a real alternative to the major commercial antivirus products, try them today and you’ll be glad with the results you’ll see!

OBTAIN AN INTERNATIONAL DEGREE

OBTAIN AN INTERNATIONAL DEGREE OR CERTIFICATE FOR FREE WITHOUT HAVING TO TRAVEL ABROAD

If your desire is to study in your own country and at the same time you desire the benefit of an international education, distance learning education is what you need. It is cheaper than actually studying abroad because everything is done on the Internet.

• Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships
Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships offer the opportunity to study for a UK Master’s degree while living and working in your home country.
The scheme was established in 2002, as part of the CSC’s and DFID’s commitment to exploring new methods of scholarship delivery. To date, nearly 1,000 Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships have been awarded.
Rather than offering these scholarships directly to students, the CSC works with UK universities to identify appropriate courses and recruit candidates.
Get a degree from: UK Universities
Target group: Developing Commonwealth Countries
Fields of Study: various – Agriculture, Natural Sciences, Environmental Management
Official Scholarship Website: http://cscuk.dfid.gov.uk/apply/distance-learning/

• Tuition Free Online Courses at University of the People
University of the People (UoPeople) is the world’s first tuition-free, non-profit, online academic institution dedicated to opening access to higher education globally for all qualified individuals, despite financial, geographic or societal constraints.
Founded in 2009 by educational entrepreneur Shai Reshef, UoPeople is affiliated with the United Nations GAID, the Clinton Global Initiative, and Yale Law School ISP. UoPeople has signed collaborative partnership agreements with New York University (NYU) to accept students; and with Hewlett-Packard (HP), through the Catalyst Initiative, to provide student internship opportunities. UoPeople offers undergraduate programs in Business Administration and Computer Science. To date, more than 1500 students from 136 countries have been admitted. Of students polled consecutively each term, 95% would recommend UoPeople to a peer.
With its tuition-free online programs, University of the People is opening access to higher education for all those constrained, as well as building a scalable and replicable model capable of changing the very nature of higher education. The non-profit UoPeople has managed to succeed in cutting down almost the entire cost of higher education, and does not charge for tuition or books/materials. All that is asked is for students to pay a one-time application processing fee ($50) and subsequent modest examination processing fees ($100) levied per course. There are no other fees whatsoever.

UoPeople strives to ensure, in keeping with its mission, that no qualified individual is excluded for financial reasons. To assist students in financial need, UoPeople has dedicated student scholarship funds. Corporate sponsors include Hewlett-Packard’s sponsorship of 100 HP Scholars as part of the UoPeople Women Scholarship Fund; and Intel Foundation’s sponsorship of women students from Haiti. Soon, UoPeople will launch a Micro-Scholarship Portal, the first of its kind, to allow donors to contribute to individual students.
Get a degree from: University of the People
Target group: anyone with internet connection
Fields of Study: Computer Science and Business Administration
Official Scholarship Website: http://www.uopeople.org/groups/tuition-free-education

• edX Free Online Courses at Harvard, MIT, and UC Berkeley
Get a certificate at completion from: Harvard, MIT, and UC Berkeley
Target group: anyone with internet connection
Fields of Study: Computer Science, Health, Natural Sciences
Official Scholarship Website: https://www.edx.org/

• Edinburgh Global Online Distance Learning Master’s Scholarships
Get a degree from: University of Edinburgh
Target group: Africans and Asians
Fields of Study: Humanities, Social Sciences, Medicine, and Veterinary Medicine
Official Scholarship Website: http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/student-funding/postgraduate/international/global/1.32773

• Canon Collins Distance Learning MBA Scholarships for Africans
Get a degree from: Edinburgh Business School
Target group: Africans
Fields of Study: Masters in Business Administration (MBA)
Official Scholarship Website: http://www.canoncollins.org.uk/edinburghmba.html

• Gc21 E-Academy Online Training Scholarships in Development
Get a certificate from: Gc21 E-Academy
Target group: everyone
Fields of Study: Education and Gender, Peace and Human Rights, Health and Health Management, Management and Leadership, ICT and E-learning Skills, Business and Communication, Sustainable Economics, Climate and Environmental Protection and Democracy
Official Scholarship Website: http://www.gc21-eacademy.org/fees-grants/scholarships/

HOW TO MAKE FREE INTERNATIONAL CALLS

How to Make Free International Calls on Your Cell Phone

If you have friends, family, and business associates overseas that you talk to, you know it’s not cheap. Most phone plans have hefty charges for international calling, so staying in touch can leave you with a fat bill at the end of the month. You can try using phone cards, but the savings are not always impressive, and it can be a hassle to deal with all those PIN numbers.

While there are ways to communicate cheaply through services such as Skype, free calling generally requires both parties to be at their PC when talking, or the use of inconvenient Wi-Fi access during the call.

Now however, there is a new company that has developed some very clever programs that allow you to easily call anyone at hugely reduced rates. And, if you’re calling to one of 50 different countries, you can make the call for free. The service is called Rebtel, and they’ve been building their international presence since 2006. Today, they have over 10 million users—so, they must be doing something right!

How does it work? Simply sign up on their website www.rebtel.com and then enter the names and numbers of the people you frequently call overseas. The system will immediately create and send you a unique local number for each of your contacts.

Then, rather than dialing the international number to reach your party, you just dial the local number Rebtel provides you with. Rebtels’s servers connect the call through the Internet at a tiny fraction of the cost you’d pay through a typical service plan.

Just how low are the rates? To see how cheap it is to call your friends or family overseas - just select their location on the calling guide to the right. You'll be amazed by these rates.

Now, the even better part: completely free calls. To make a free call, the only requirements are for both parties to have an unlimited calling plan with their local landline company (most people do), and they must live in one of the 50 countries in Rebtel’s free network (again, most do).

The next step is to call them through the new local number Rebtel provides. When they receive the call, they can call you back on the incoming number that shows up their phone with your call. This will be a local number, so it’s no cost for them to call you, and the conversation will be free. It’s a remarkably simple and easy process.

Rebtel also has free apps for iPhone, Android, and Blackberry smart phones. These allow you to automatically create and store numbers on your cell phone for your international contacts, so you can use your contacts and speed-dial to make both free and low-cost calls from these devices.

The quality of Rebtel calls is excellent and the company takes customer satisfaction very seriously. They have made a considerable investment in taking care of their customers. Their customer satisfaction is extremely high, with 96.7 percent of users saying they would recommend Rebtel to a friend.

To see just how easy it is to make low-cost and free international calls on Rebtel, visit their website http://www.rebtel.com/

HOW TO ACTIVATE YOUR GTBANK NAIRA MASTERCARD

HOW TO ACTIVATE YOUR GTBANK NAIRA MASTERCARD TO BUY OR PAY FOR PRODUCTS ONLINE

GTBank will let you have a MasterCard ATM debit card when you open an account with them (Current or Savings account). Once this card is activated for Internet banking, you can use it for online purchases and payments worldwide, anywhere you see the MasterCard logo on the Internet. You can use it to order for products online or pay for services. However, you have to activate it to start using it for online payments and purchases.

To activate it, do the following:

[1]. Go to any branch of GTBank close to you and ask to see the Customer Service people or the person in charge of card services. Tell them you want to apply for Internet Banking or want to be profiled for Internet Banking and would want to apply for a “Token”. A Token is a small security hardware like a key holder that generates a set of numbers which will enable secure transfers via the Internet banking platform. It generates a random password which will then be keyed in after the password to enable transfer. You need the GTBank token device to activate your Internet banking account and also need it for your subsequent transactions in order to further secure your account from unauthorized transfers. The set of numbers generated should be entered when you are doing any transaction on the GTBank website. Like I had earlier said, it is also required for the activation of your ATM card for online payments. The bank will debit N2,100 or so for the Token once you log into their site and activate your Internet banking account (or Naira MasterCard). You will get the Token device that very day (or they will ask you to come back for it another day) together with a PIN which you need to change in the process of activating your Internet Banking account on their site.

[2]. After getting your Token and Internet Banking details, go to the GTBank website - www.gtbank.com - to activate your ATM card for online payment. Click on "Login" under "Internet Banking" and then enter your Internet Banking account user details [User ID (Username) and Password] which should have been sent to your email address. Enter the login details and once inside your account, click on "Get Activation Code" button.

[3]. On the next page, follow the instructions provided and fill the form on the page. Select your card type (MasterCard) and enter the expiry date (which you will find on your ATM card) and then press the little button on your Token. It should display some digits, type in those digits and click on the "Submit" button.

[4]. After you submit, your code will be generated for you. The generation of the code means your ATM card has been activated. Keep this online activation code away from anybody except yourself, you shouldn't compromise it.

[5]. Your GTB Naira MasterCard (ATM card) is now ready for making online payments anywhere you see the the MasterCard secured logo on the Internet. The code generated will be required every time you want to make payment online with the card.

[6]. When making payments on any website, you will be required to fill in the following card details after clicking the "Order" or "Buy" button on the website: Card type (choose MasterCard); Card Holder's Name (enter your name as it is written on your GTB Naira MasterCard); Expiry Date (enter it as it is on your card); CVV Number (enter the three-digit numbers at the back of your card beside the Signature).

NOTE. Although the GTB Naira MasterCard is widely accepted online, you cannot use it to effect payment on some sites on the Internet. Some sites may reject it while some may not have provisions for accepting it. For example, Clickbank products cannot be procured using this card. Most Clickbank products require a PayPal login before you can buy products on the site, so your GTB Naira MasterCard will not be useful to you on www.clickbank.com. However, so many other sites will accept the card. You can use it to make online payment for your web hosting service with Hostgator.com; domain name service with Namecheap.com or GoDaddy.com; autoresponder service with TrafficWave.net, Getresponse.com, Aweber.com; and products purchase on B2B online sites like DHgate.com. To cap it all, you can use this card on many websites that accept the usual MasterCard. You can use it on websites like Amazon.com, Namecheap.com, Getresponse.com, Aweber.com, Aliexpress.com (to order PCs, tablets and other electronic gadgets from China), and DHgate.com (to purchase electronics, PCs, tablets, computer accessories, cell phones and accessories, handbags, clothes and so on from China) and Web4africa.net (to buy domain name and webhosting).