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Solving the Equations of Business: Welcome to Tekedia Mini-MBA Edition19

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Good People, welcome to Tekedia Mini-MBA, Edition 19. We are grateful that you have chosen Tekedia as the place to deepen your business, entrepreneurial, and leadership capabilities. Thank you for trusting us with your learning journey.

If you encounter any challenges along the way, please let us know. Our support team, among the finest in the world of education, operates 24/7 to provide non-academic assistance. For academic matters, use the Comment section on the class board; our Faculty members are always present, engaging, and ready to guide.

Over the next 12 weeks, we will solve the equations of markets across 12 core modules, including strategy, law, marketing, operations, technology, finance, and more, covering over 100 courses. Together, we will examine the simple but powerful logics that govern enterprise:

  • Innovation = Invention + Commercialization
  • Great Company = Awesome Products + Superior Execution
  • Business Momentum = Business Size × Growth Rate
  • …and many more.

At Tekedia, we believe business can be mastered the same way we understand natural philosophy through first principles. That is why we will unravel the mechanics of business systems, studying the physics of markets and the mathematics of business success. This is not about memorizing cases; it is about understanding how value is created, scaled, and defended.

I am honoured to welcome hundreds of learners once again to this 19th edition of Tekedia Mini-MBA, a testament to the durability of our mission. In Igbo wisdom, when a man prepares food and his kinsmen, who also have food at home, come to eat with him, it is a great honour. Your presence here is that honour, and I thank you.

This is the best school with a mission  to discover and make scholars noble, bright and useful. Welcome to Tekedia Institute. And if you are yet to join us, register here.

Ndubuisi Ekekwe
Professor & Lead Faculty
Tekedia Institute

BYD’s Sales Slump Deepens, Exposing the Strains Beneath China’s EV Boom

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BYD’s January sales dropped by 30.1% from a year earlier, marking the fifth straight month of decline, and exposing the struggle of the Chinese EV giant amid a push to expand its market.

The decline is seen as a revealing snapshot of how China’s electric vehicle champion is being squeezed simultaneously by a cooling domestic market, intensifying competition, and a more uncertain global expansion path.

The company sold 210,051 vehicles worldwide in January, according to a stock exchange filing. Production fell nearly in tandem, down 29.1%, extending a contraction that began in July last year. The parallel slide in both sales and output suggests the slowdown is not simply a demand hiccup but a broader recalibration across BYD’s operations.

At home, the pressure is most visible in BYD’s core plug-in hybrid segment. Plug-in hybrids account for more than half of the company’s total vehicle sales and have long been a key differentiator, appealing to price-sensitive consumers wary of charging infrastructure gaps. Yet sales of these models fell 28.5% in January, deepening a trend after a 7.9% decline in 2025. In response, BYD rolled out upgraded versions of several plug-in hybrid models last month, equipped with longer-range batteries and positioned as better-value options in the affordable segment. The January data shows those upgrades have yet to arrest the slide.

China’s auto market, the largest in the world, is entering a phase of stagnation as the government scales back subsidies for trading in lower-priced vehicles. Those incentives had helped sustain volume growth and price competitiveness, particularly for manufacturers like BYD that built scale around affordability. Their gradual withdrawal is reshaping consumer behavior and forcing automakers into sharper price wars, especially in the mass-market and budget categories.

Competition has also become more unforgiving. Domestic rivals such as Geely and Leapmotor have been aggressive in rolling out new models and cutting prices, narrowing the differentiation that once set BYD apart. The result is margin pressure and slower sales growth across the sector, even as capacity built during the boom years remains high.

Against this backdrop, BYD’s overseas business has become central to its growth narrative. Exports of new energy vehicles reached 100,482 units in January, and international sales growth last year was strong enough to help BYD overtake Tesla as the world’s top EV seller by volume. That overseas surge offset domestic weakness in 2025 and underpinned BYD’s ability to narrowly meet its reduced global sales target of 4.6 million vehicles.

But even the export story is showing signs of caution. BYD has set a target of 1.3 million vehicles in overseas shipments this year, implying a 24% increase from 2025. That figure, however, is below earlier ambitions. Management had told Citi in November that overseas sales could reach as high as 1.6 million units. The absence of an explanation for the downward revision hints at a more sober assessment of global conditions, including rising trade barriers, regulatory scrutiny, and slower-than-expected adoption in some markets.

Geopolitics and trade policy have also come into play. Chinese EV makers face growing resistance in Europe and North America, where governments are increasingly wary of subsidized imports. BYD’s strategy to counter this has been to localize production. Its new EV plant in Hungary is expected to come online this year, adding to existing manufacturing in Brazil and Thailand, with assembly plants planned in Indonesia and Turkey. These facilities are designed to shorten supply chains, reduce tariff exposure, and signal long-term commitment to host markets.

Still, overseas expansion comes with its own risks. Building plants abroad requires heavy upfront investment at a time when cash flows are under pressure, while competition from established automakers and local EV brands remains fierce. Moreover, slowing global growth and tighter consumer spending in many regions could limit the pace at which overseas markets absorb new Chinese entrants.

The January numbers also raise questions about BYD’s near-term outlook. The company has not yet announced a global sales target for 2026, a notable silence for a manufacturer that has historically been confident in projecting aggressive growth goals. Combined with falling production and sustained sales declines, the lack of guidance suggests management is bracing for a more volatile and uncertain year.

More broadly, BYD’s struggles reflect a turning point for China’s EV sector. Years of rapid expansion, generous subsidies, and intense competition created a market defined by scale and speed. That era is giving way to one marked by consolidation, tighter margins, and slower growth. Even market leaders are being forced to adjust expectations, refine product strategies, and rethink how quickly overseas markets can compensate for a maturing domestic base.

The challenge now is execution for BYD. Its global footprint, vertical integration, and battery expertise still give it structural advantages. But sustaining leadership will depend on whether it can stabilize domestic sales, defend margins in a price-sensitive market, and turn its ambitious overseas investments into durable growth engines rather than costly hedges.

January’s data does not signal a collapse, but it does underline a harder truth: the path forward for China’s largest EV maker is becoming more complex, less predictable, and far more contested than during the boom years that propelled it to the top.

Evaluating Alternatives to Boost Finance in Today’s Lending Market

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Consumer lending in 2026 reflects a more disciplined and mature market. Platforms now compete on structure, transparency, and operational consistency rather than bold claims. Oversight has increased, and that pressure has reshaped how lending products are built and maintained.

Borrowers have adjusted as well. Decision-making now extends beyond speed or convenience and focuses more on how a product performs over time. Let’s take a closer look at how to evaluate alternatives to Boost Finance by examining the core factors that define quality lending products today.

Approval Logic and Risk Alignment

Approval systems in today’s lending market use more data to better match loans with borrower capacity. Lenders evaluate multiple verification signals alongside account behavior rather than depending on a single data point. This leads to more accurate approvals and fewer issues later in the loan term.

As borrowers understand this process, they compare loan options based on structure and repayment clarity, not speed alone. Installment-style products with clear eligibility rules tend to stand out. In this context, borrowers often compare loans like boost finance with similar alternatives to see how predictable the approval and repayment terms are.

Transparency now plays a bigger role in lender selection. Many lenders explain which data points affect approvals and how decisions are made. This allows borrowers to compare options based on process and consistency rather than marketing claims.

Product Design and Structural Clarity

Modern lending products are shaped by structure first, not branding. Clear repayment frameworks, defined timelines, and predictable servicing rules determine how stable a product feels after onboarding. Products that rely on vague language often create confusion once accounts are active.

Many alternatives now emphasize upfront clarity. Terms are written to explain how payments are applied, how account status changes are communicated, and what actions trigger review. This approach aligns with current regulatory expectations around borrower understanding.

Structural clarity also supports consistency. Products built with defined processes tend to handle routine changes smoothly. That reliability matters more than novelty in a market where long-term usability drives satisfaction.

Repayment Flexibility With Defined Rules

Flexibility has become standard, but execution varies widely. Strong products define what flexibility means in practice. They explain when adjustments can be requested, how reviews are handled, and the possible outcomes.

The best alternatives make the workflow explicit. Some platforms support payment date alignment within certain limits, while others permit a one-time schedule change under specific conditions. The key is transparency around approval requirements, any verification involved, and how changes impact future payments and due dates.

Borrowers comparing options should evaluate flexibility as a servicing control. A tightly defined option that is applied consistently is more reliable than an open-ended promise that depends on discretion. Clear, repeatable rules reduce friction during account changes and make ongoing management predictable.

Compliance Focus and Platform Stability

Compliance alignment now plays a direct role in product quality. Clear disclosures make it easier to understand terms, schedules, and servicing rules before anything is finalized. Accurate records matter because they keep balances, due dates, and payment histories consistent across statements and account views.

Regulatory guidance has also pushed lenders to communicate with more precision. Strong platforms document changes, confirm updates in writing, and keep a clear trail of what changed and when. They also run issue handling through defined steps, so corrections and disputes follow a predictable process instead of ad hoc decisions.

Platform stability improves when compliance is built into routine servicing. Lenders that update policies early are less likely to change workflows suddenly when standards shift. That continuity reduces disruption and keeps account management steady over the life of the product.

Servicing Experience Beyond Signup

Onboarding is just the entry point. Servicing is what determines whether a loan stays easy to manage after the first payment. Account visibility, accurate payment tracking, and fast issue resolution shape the real, day-to-day experience.

Top alternatives prioritize servicing as a core feature, offering real-time payment updates, clear transaction histories, and transparent status changes. Support quality also matters because it reveals how well the platform runs, especially when something needs to be corrected.

Servicing should be evaluated with practical signals, not first impressions. Products built for routine account management tend to stay consistent once the loan is active. That usually leads to fewer surprises than products that put most of their effort into the signup flow.

What Distinguishes Strong Alternatives Today

In 2026, lending has become less about finding a “best” option and more about selecting a system that aligns with how someone wants to manage their commitments. The strongest alternatives make trade-offs deliberately, choosing transparent processes over constant exceptions.

That design choice usually signals a platform built to last through market shifts and tighter oversight. Borrowers get the most leverage when they compare products like they would compare operations, not offers. When that mindset changes, the decision gets simpler without getting shallow.

Why You Should Understand the Importance of Cold Storage

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The digital asset protection knowledge is now a must-have factor with different parts of the globe moving towards cryptocurrencies. As a result of the increased number of people purchasing, trading and transferring coins, the chances of hacking, fraud and technical breakdown have also escalated. By storing the keys (that are private) offline and out of the reach of online threats, cold storage provides a convenient approach to holding protection. Knowing the reason why this approach is important will allow investors to make more secure investments and to be less scared to keep using their digital finances long term.

Security Basics

Cold storage is a term that is used to describe the storage of cryptocurrency private keys in an area that is not linked to the internet. This may consist of hardware wallets, paper wallets or computers that never even go online. Since they are not connected to networks, the methods are much less susceptible to cyberattacks that are aimed at exchanges or online wallets.

The Internet sources may be convenient, and they are vulnerable to malware and phishing as well as data breaches. Cold storage eliminates this exposure by ensuring that sensitive information is never offline. Even in the case of a breach of a computer or phone, the cold storage stored the private keys, which have high protection, which would greatly reduce the risk of destruction of money.

Risk Awareness

The frequency with which the digital assets are targeted by hackers is an under-appreciated aspect of the issue by many individuals. Bitcoin atm is stored in centralized exchanges and online wallets in large amounts and therefore a potential target of cybercriminals. In case of breaches in these platforms, users are denied access to their funds at will and in most cases they are not recoverable.

Shifting to cold storage would make individuals self-reliant in their security, and not depend on third-party applications. This strategy will minimize the risk of losing money within a short time due to external breakdowns or security attacks. Being able to know these risks, the investor is able to take an active approach to safeguarding themselves rather than responding once it is too late.

Ownership Control

The primary advantage of cold storage is that it allows the users to have complete access to their private keys. Cryptocurrency uses keys to determine ownership and not usage of an exchange account. Online storage of assets means that the keys are technically controlled by the platform and, thus, there is no real ownership in any asset.

Cold storage means that people have direct access to their assets and do not rely on outsourced services. This autonomy is particularly significant in the event of volatility in the market or platform downtime when the internet-based systems might limit withdrawals. Full control means that the funds are always available irrespective of prevailing circumstances.

Long Term Protection

Cold storage is especially useful to individuals that intend to store cryptocurrency over extended periods. The long term investor may not require regular access to their investments thus offline storage is a viable option. It secures the assets against daily risks online and yet is available on demand.

Security threats are dynamic and online systems can become obsolete or violated with time. Cold storage provides a reliable and consistent way that is not based on frequent software updates and internet connection. This is because it will be effective in long term maintenance of digital wealth.

Practical Use

Cold storage can be a complicated set up, but it is an easy task with guidance. Hardware wallets are typically popular and have user friendly interfaces and store user private keys offline. Secure alternatives that can be used safely can also be paper wallets and offline computers.

Even by buying cryptocurrency by use of services like an exchange or a Bitcoin ATM, transferring money to cold storage later provides an additional level of security. This is done to make sure that the new assets obtained do not remain unguarded on the internet and they will not be stolen or lost easily.

Confidence Building

The fact that there is a secure storage of assets enables investors to work towards long term objectives and leave security issues to day by day. Cold storage will be a source of comfort because it reduces the risks of losses which may occur as a result of unexpected attacks or system failure.

Such confidence promotes responsible investment practice and it helps to do financial planning better. Once it ceases to be a concern of security, people will be able to make more articulate decisions and enter the cryptocurrency market with more security.

Future Readiness

Security of digital currencies will be a leading issue among users on all levels as this currency type keeps growing. Cold storage is a progressive strategy that is not sensitive to risks and technological advancements in the future. It equips investors with a bigger potential of cyber threats becoming more advanced.

The realization of the value of cold storage nowadays would contribute to safer involvement into the cryptocurrency ecosystem in the future. Through such safe measures today, users are able to secure their assets and be more robust in a digitized economy that is continually evolving.

How to Use Promotional Products to Support Value-Based Selling

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Value based selling is selling based on the results, credibility and long term effects instead of just price. B2B buyers desire to feel that a supplier is aware of their problems and has the capacity to produce significant outcomes. Promotional items may become strategic to supplement this strategy when they are employed intelligently. They do not have to be perceived and viewed like giveaways, but can serve as concrete statements of value, professionalism, and dedication, and facilitate more profound discussions of quality and collaboration.

Value-Based Selling Understanding.

Value-based selling is focused on matching solutions with the particular aims and objectives of a client. It obliges sales and marketing teams to be insightful, credible and relevant at each interaction. Discounts no longer have as much influence as buyers seeking evidence that a supplier can assist them in producing quantifiable results.

This mindset is supported by promotional products that are not selected by chance. An item that is backed up with a lot of thinking is an indicator that the business has taken time and thought about the relationship. This further enhances the perception of value and makes the brand look like a long-term success partner and not a transitory partner.

The Promotional Products and the Client Value

The promotion products must be closely related to the environment and requirements of the client to support the value-based selling process. Work-related practical objects that are incorporated into everyday work tasks are more likely to be effective compared to novelty products. They silently strengthen helpfulness and dependability, which are the fundamental factors of value-based relationships.

As an example, good corporate clothing can support professionalism and corporate identity, especially when the brand representation is an important aspect in the industry. The association of the brand with quality and consistency is also applied when the clients wear or use them, underpinning the larger value story that is being told by the sales team.

Expertise Enforcement with Promotional Product

Expertise and thought leadership can also be underscored using promotional products. Complementary items, like those found in an educational substance, onboarding materials, or strategy talks, assist in transforming abstract value into the concrete one. This helps in making the experience more enjoyable and making the message being passed more powerful.

Processes such as t shirt printing may be implemented strategically as opposed to being generic. We can also have custom designs that are pegged into campaigns or values or milestones to boost some of the main messages that are discussed in the sales conversation. When properly done, they will seem meaningful and consistent with the goals of the buyer and not just advertising the product to do it.

Timing and Relevance of the Sales Process

Timing is one of the factors that determine the effectiveness of promotional products. The value-based selling entails the introduction of items at a point that strengthens progress, commitment or understanding. This may be following a discovery meeting, at the time of onboarding or on one of the major milestones of the project.

The ability to align promotional products with such moments makes businesses attentive and respectful to the buyer journey. This method will not lead to an impression of bribery or a gimmick and will present the product as an illustration of a collaboration and joint investment in results.

Creating Long-term Perceived Value

With time, strong brand perception can be generated through the application of promotional products in a consistent and considerate way. Trust is strengthened when clients constantly witness things that help, last long and are in line with their values. This favors renewal talks and continued collaborations.

Finally, promoting with the help of promotional products does not guarantee value-based selling unless the mindset changes. When done as a component of the entire value proposition and not an add-on, they assist in conveying commitment, credibility and long-term value where words alone frequently fail to do.

The use of promotional products can be a significant part of value-based selling when they are employed intentionally and purposely. Businesses can build strong ties and relationships by associating items with the needs of the clients, reinforcing expertise and presenting it at the appropriate time. Promotional products sold off as quality, relevant, and goal-oriented readily transcend marketing tactics and become useful tools that facilitate the articulation of value, and the strengthening of credibility and??, as well as more outcome-oriented B2B relationships.