Imagine the confusion that the platypus caused for scientists - a mammal that lays eggs, has the bill of a duck, the tail of a beaver and otter feet. How to classify it? The same confusion cripples many startup products.
Read moreIs Ankara the new black?
Photo Credit: www.myinnerfashionista.com
On a recent Saturday morning in Brooklyn, New York, women and a few men jostled to select from rows of racks of brightly coloured clothes designed in African print. There was barely any elbow room as people squeezed past each other; and the shop assistants could barely keep the racks stocked fast enough. The long lines at the checkout registers were evidence people were spending lots of money. This was the scene at a recent pop-up store hosted by online store Zuvaa.com, which brands itself as ‘A Global Marketplace for African Design’.
Read moreCraft your future for a life you deserve and want
Are you living the life you want? Are you where you want to be? We are all good at planning, whether it’s our children’s birthday parties, an overseas vacation, a trip to the dentist. Yet when it comes to your life, things change a bit. You don’t search for the perfect life, you craft it.
Read more4 Steps to successfully setting your goals at the beginning of a New Year
I am sure we are all for setting goals at the beginning of each year, even unreasonable goals that are often far-fetched. Sometimes, setting these goals is a well intended exercise, but it will end up being meaningless if not taken seriously. When setting goals, take time to think the process through, and keep in mind that tomorrow is a new day, one where no mistakes have been made yet. So, here are 4 steps to successfully setting your goals at the beginning of each year....
Read moreEntrepreneur Smarts: Play Three Games
To succeed a new venture needs to play at least two and maybe three very different games at the same time… a short game; a mid game; and a long game. Neil uses real-life case studies to provide insights to help you play all three games well in your own startup.
Read moreBe your authentic self in business
According to Janet L. Stephenson “Authenticity requires a certain measure of vulnerability, transparency, and integrity.” But, what does it mean to be your authentic self? And, why is this so important in the business world?
Read moreEntrepreneur Smarts: Don't be Shoemakers' Children!
“I must have made a mistake”, I thought, “this company has been written up in the Wall Street Journal as one of the most exciting startups in audio technology. This cannot be their website”. But it was their site. A site that looked like one created in the 1990’s. Doing damage to their image every day.
Read moreCreativity can jumpstart inspiration for your business
How painting Mandalas can give business perspective. If you’re an arts and crafts kind of person, you’ll know how therapeutic Mandala painting is. And if you’re a recreational hobbyist, you should get stuck into adult colouring in. That’s right, a colouring book just for you!
Read moreEntrepreneur Smarts: Memorandums, Contracts, and then and only then, Champagne!
The issue with Law is that any document is really only worth as much as you are willing to throw at defending it in court. So at this stage think David vs Goliath - it’s the detail you put into your agreements that could be the difference between you having a slingshot or not. Often it’s only the detail that stops a larger party from walking into Court….
Read moreEntrepreneur Smarts: Systems are your Building Blocks
I’m sitting with a startup team helping them prepare for a critical sales presentation. Errol is not present, so we don’t have his correspondence with the client. And no one can find the phone number of the consultant coordinating the evaluation for the client. It’s a mess!
Read moreThe best ways to give back this festive season
Haley Joel Osment stole our hearts in the beautiful movie drama Pay It Forward. Young Trevor McKinney (played by Osment) is assigned the task by his social studies teacher of coming up with an idea to make the world a better place. The actions put in motion by McKinney’s idea has a positive ripple effect on his immediate family and community – their lives improve by paying it forward.
Read moreEntrepreneurs Smarts: Legal Documents and why thinking like Tammy Wynette (D-I-V-O-R-C-E) is good for your health
Law - learn to love it, always respect it. In the latest of a series of guest blogs that look at issues around financial management for women entrepreneurs, this week our focus is on legal documents.
Read moreEntrepreneur Smarts: More fun ratios!
In the latest of a series of guest blogs that look at issues around financial management for women entrepreneurs, this week our focus is on getting a better understanding of ratios.
Read moreWant to outperform the competition? Use the Flower!
Every business has a central challenge. With my first business it was this: We were distributors for several famous software companies, reselling their products in South Africa through a network of partners that included IBM, Unisys, NCR, Accenture, DiData, etc, often as part of large systems solutions.
Read moreWhat do Entrepreneurs need more support with to be successful?
P.T. Barnum was an entrepreneur in the 19th century and his quote stands true to this day, for both men and women entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs bravely forge forward and will dare to go where no man (or woman) has gone before. We know the countless hours you’ve put into growing your business - the thankless menial tasks you’ve conquered - the sweat and tears shed to make this venture a success. As an aspiring entrepreneur you may wonder at times what are the missing links to transition from your business’s current state to success? We may look at other successful entrepreneurs and feel that they make the leap look quite easy.
Read moreWhat exactly is your Accountant talking about and your Banker getting excited over?
In the latest of a series of guest blogs that look at issues around financial management for women entrepreneurs, this week our focus is on understanding the numbers in our businesses.
Read moreWhere are the Cub Lionesses of Africa?
Tausi Suedi, Co-Founder & Country Team Leader, Childbirth Survival International
As the times are changing and more women are becoming fearless lionesses in the world, we need to make sure the cubs are following right behind. Today, we have female Presidents, Vice-Presidents, CEOs, Entrepreneurs, and more; women have taken their space to advance gender equality and be part of the many processes where decisions are made for women. I was born on July 26th, a natural lioness, and joining the Lionesses of Africa family is a great way to keep the roar loud and significant. As I traverse different parts of the world, I always ask myself where are the cubs?
Read moreWhy saying no gives you the freedom you want
Do you flinch every time you hear the word no? Living in a society where we’ve been raised that saying no means being rude certainly does make it difficult to give your opinion and set valuable boundaries. The word “Yes” has been engrained in us from a young age, and from that perspective it seems counter-intuitive that by saying no you give yourself the opportunity to empower yourself and harness a positive change in your life.
Read moreMake Something Beautiful
It is the early 1980’s and computer monitors have a uniform monotonous green text running across them. But someone has studied calligraphy at college, and dreams of bringing beauty and elegance to computers….
Read moreFinancial Smarts for Women Entrepreneurs: So what should I have in my armoury from the Bank and should I shop around?
In the latest of a series of fascinating and insightful guest blogs that look at issues around financial management for women entrepreneurs, this week our focus is on understanding what exactly you need in your financial armoury and the benefits of shopping around for the right source of banking support.
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