One of our readers, Akin, raised a salient investment issue which I think should not be censored. He is interested in how best to involve banks in investment activities such that the investor will not come out being used and dumped.

In his words, "would getting a loan from banks for investment be profitable or will it just amount to one working for the banks?" First, let it be clear that 99 per cent of the investors we celebrate today are not using a kobo of their own money to do business.

They get the idea and they call on banks to bring money for it. Perhaps we shall revisit how to source money for business start-ups in the nearest future to refresh the minds of readers and carry along those who may just be reading this pull-out.

Now, whether or not one will become a slave to the bank is a different ball-game. This has a lot to do with the character of the entrepreneur. How he had packaged his concept, the resource he has before involving the bank, how good his business plan is and what he wants from the bank. Your business outlay may reveal that you need the bank for equities participation, or what you want from the bank is a short or medium term loan; or you just need to overdraw your account (for a time being) to execute your project. The assistance a bank will give you depends on your request through the application you submit. What a bank wants to know is how the money given you will come back as at when due. It is when your business is not able to generate cash flow as expected, or you unable to pay back that interests on credit facilities increase at compounded rates. As long as you cannot pay back, the interests keep increasing. Business operators call this 'working for' or 'slaving for' the bank. So, the ball is in the entrepreneur's court to get his bearing right.

This brings us to the traits of extraordinary investors we started last week. We have discovered some of the traits: that successful entrepreneurs are ever persistent, that they are ever humble and always accord others due respect and, while it is clear they are humble, they are ever self-confident. We have considered creative thinking, drawing up plans to follow, being persistent, respect for other entrepreneurs, and self-belief. It is largely this self-confidence that makes them come out successful in the face of harsh business environment and cruel challenges.

There is no man created by God without a special skill. To those who have come to know this, these natural skills, or special endowment, is the bedrock of successful entrepreneurial activities. Successful entrepreneurs understand that every human being has his or her strengths and weaknesses as well as that special ability to do things the way others may not. This is what we call talents and skills. What better way can a man launch himself to good business than to explore that aspect of wealth creation that permits the use of his latent skill - making money through what he can do with ease.

In this light, an entrepreneur who knows he is targeting to be the best will ask himself what skill he has that stands him out and attracts less competition. The extraordinary entrepreneur will not overlook this great potential and will refine his skills to that height that he can stand tall and enjoy living, doing what he naturally can do with ease.

If you don't know where you are going, you may not know you are there when you get there. How do you expect the business to look like? Should it be on micro, small, medium or large scale? Should it be a local, national or international business? Successful entrepreneurs give time to envisioning the shape of their business. This is a powerful and dynamic tool for flourishing entrepreneurial adventure. If you cannot visualise the future, working towards its attainment may be a hard nut to crack.