With the hectic and frantic life we lead, it is very easy to lose the sense of priority in life and literally get into autopilot mode. We often act mechanically, and we do not even realize how badly this influences us both personally and professionally. Below I share some little "truths" we have forgotten, over and over again. Keep this list in mind whenever you feel “lost.”
Read moreThe 4 Stages of Learning
By Clare Appleyard, founder of Katannuta Diamonds
Have you ever watched a highly skilled person excel at something and thought “That looks easy! I’m sure I can do that!”? Maybe it was somebody you saw on television, perhaps Roger Federer effortlessly hitting a winning forehand, a Masterchef contestant whipping up a delicious dish without a recipe or a skilled public speaker holding an audience enraptured.
Read moreLessons from doing a TEDx talk: Part 2
By Lori Milner: author, entrepreneur, thought leader and founder of Beyond the Dress
Welcome to part 2 of Lessons from doing a TEDx talk! - [Read part 1] I am a professional speaker/trainer/teacher who does talks and workshops to a corporate audience for a living. So when the opportunity to do a TEDx Women talk came along, I was thrilled. Firstly, it’s been on my bucket list for over 10 years and secondly, I was sure having this public speaking background would make the process that much easier. Quite the contrary! It was the most amazing 8 weeks for me, I have not been pushed out of my comfort zone and beyond for a long time. It tested me on every level and the process has been my greatest reward.
Read moreLessons from doing a TEDx talk: Part 1
by Lori Milner: author, entrepreneur, thought leader and founder of Beyond the Dress
I am a professional speaker/trainer/teacher who does talks and workshops to a corporate audience for a living. So when the opportunity to do a TEDx Women talk came along, I was thrilled. Firstly, it’s been on my bucket list for over 10 years and secondly, I was sure having this public speaking background would make the process that much easier. Quite the contrary! It was the most amazing 8 weeks for me, I have not been pushed out of my comfort zone and beyond for a long time. It tested me on every level and the process has been my greatest reward.
Read moreFellow travellers and their influence on your wealth
by Eldari Visser, founder of PicketFence Life
On our journey through life we meet an array of interesting people. Some fascinating and others unique. We learn a great deal about ourselves on how we interact with these personalities. In our financial wealth world we often find that our behavior reflects some typical personality and behavioral patterns.
Read moreCreating a marketing strategy that enhances your business
by Tatenda Rungisa, Human Resources Practitioner and co-founder of Twin Connect Solutions
For a business to be competitive, what is mainly required is a good strategy, a practical road map, and a sustainable marketing strategy. When trying to penetrate a certain industry sector, it’s essential to make a mark and become sustainable. One way to ensure this is to engage as many clients as possible in the business through effective marketing, by ensuring customer service is top notch, and being able to retain those customers for the long term. So how does one achieve all this? The answer can be found in creating a well defined and aligned marketing strategy.
Read moreNo balance? Welcome to the tired mommies club!
by Phindile Ndlovu
Last week, I attended the Facebook and Lionesses of Africa International Women’s Day event in Johannesburg on 8 March. I started having small conversations with the ladies attending and quickly realized that around five of the ladies I spoke with had new born babies, just like me. We ended up exchanging nanny tips, we talked abut our hectic schedules, and shared how these days we hardly get time to put on lipstick.
Read moreWake up earlier - you’ll never say ‘I don’t have time to’... ever again
by Lori Milner: author, entrepreneur, thought leader and founder of Beyond the Dress
Achievers around the world swear by the motto – ‘success is a sunrise away’.
Not everyone can wake up early. Our gadget-filled world has given us enough distractions to keep us awake even when we are in bed. And some of us do that because, after a hectic day, night is the only ‘me-time’ we get. However, there is an increasing awareness of the benefits of rising at 5am. High achievers all over the world find that waking up before the sun has a personal bonus – it gives them an edge in the cut-throat environment that they face as the day sets in.
Read moreThe Patent Pickle
by Seno Namwandi
Intellectual Property has various types of rights under its umbrella. Patents tend to be on the far spectrum of strictness and have one of the highest returns on investment for companies through licensing agreements. On the other end of the spectrum are trade secrets, which are governed by contractual agreements, these tend to be more fluid in nature and therefore more difficult to protect, control and manage.
Read moreMy ABC of Business: We are not in competition…we are the competition! What other women entrepreneurs have taught me
by Lizl Naude, founder of Lily Loompa
In the wide world of entrepreneurship, I am a mere baby still. I have been running my business for just over two years and it has been a great blessing! I have been fortunate to meet a lot of great women along the way, and through our interactions, they all have inspired me.
Read moreLearning the art of self management
by Brigette Mashile, founder of Roka Roko
We are the first, in many ways, in this entrepreneurship boom happening currently. Most of us are first amongst our families, friends and generally in all of history. You know what this means…it means we have to find out, teach ourselves, and excel at something we have no history of from a personal perspective. Having a parent who had previously run a business, whether it failed or succeeded, would be just bliss. Someone to ask specific questions to; someone to check in with all the time.
Read moreA Persuasion Tool to Get Alignment
by Laura Camacho
You’ve been told that the most effective speech or presentation is focused on the audience. Here’s a tool to help you do that. The result is that your audience feels alignment with you and is more likely to accept your message. The tool is called Feel Know Do.
Read moreKnow Your Business
by Aleshia van der Ploeg, Director, VDP Legal Consulting
Do you know your business? I mean, do you REALLY know your business? Do you know what your finances look like or does your accountant simply handle that? Do you know what money is coming in or going out every month and are you actually making a profit? Do you know what contracts you have entered into, what the actual terms are and how long they are valid for? Are your tax returns up to date or do you assume your accountant is responsible for that too?
Read moreThe importance of self care in our lives as entrepreneurs
by Phindile Dhlamini
Reflecting on this reminded me of the importance of intentionally setting an inclusive framework as I put together the pieces (people, places and projects) that I would like to include in my life in 2019.
Read moreIdentifying Roles to set effective Goals
by Claire Holden, Empowerment Coach
How many hats do you wear? How many roles do you fill? As an entrepreneur you’re a business owner and likely a finance manager, marketing director, accounts receivable clerk and operations manager too. Many of you will also be a wife, mother, daughter, sibling, team or group member, friend, volunteer…. The list goes on! The risk is that we spread ourselves so thin trying to be all things to all people, that we fail to prioritise the things that are most important to us personally and to our businesses. So, how do we change this? How do we cultivate a life where we clearly articulate our goals and set clear action plans in place for success?
Read moreEntrepreneurship and friendship
by Claudia Castellanos, ceo, Black Mamba Chilli
I believe most entrepreneurs agree on the fact that we could have chosen something easier to do in life (in fact I am convinced most of us are masochistic). From the sheer excitement of closing a great deal, to the doom of realizing you don’t have enough cash flow to pay salaries for your employees in a given month, being an entrepreneur is an eternal roller coaster. The levels of stress and anxiety can become intolerable some times. And those are the times when you need to be reminded that everything will be OK and that all your effort and hard work will pay off eventually.
Read moreHere are your 3 easy-to-apply sales tips for the week
by Karen Wessels, founder of SnappSales and VA Connect
Sales really does get such a negative reputation sometimes, and I get it - most of us have a bit of a skewed understanding when it comes to sales, so we would rather steer clear than truly harness our sales powers.
Read moreDear client, you’re fired!
by Clare Appleyard, founder of Katannuta Diamonds
Often, when we start out in business, we try to be everything to everybody. If somebody asks who your ideal client is, “Everybody!” is your enthusiastic response. And then, reality sets in. You realize that not everybody is your ideal client, and that’s okay. No business, be it a large conglomerate or an SME, will be able to serve everybody’s needs and wants.
Read moreWe fear success more than failure
by Brigette Mashile, founder of Roka Roko
I have always said that I am more fearful of my success than my failure. I mean what is failure? How many rejections have you been through at this age; try and count and you will fail. In my case, from my first attempt to touch a candle flame, or my mom refusing for me to not make it into the NETBAL EERSTE SPAN in high school, and to the tertiary Dmerits! There have been failures, but yet I am here. So failure to me is just a T-Junction on a road - I went right but I was supposed to go left. But…success… you see success is a new can of worms I have never experienced. It demands another me I have not met before, and definitely feels like growing a new tooth.
Read moreCan I Get a Connection? 3 Tips to Overcoming Loneliness in a Digital Age
Image Credit: Anthony Tran (Unsplash)
by Deborah Hartung, founder of PivotPeople Tech
We live in such exciting times, where technology has truly enabled us to break down the barriers of space and time and to forge new paths and discover new frontiers in business and our personal relationships. But the same technology that has liberated us in so many ways, has enslaved and imprisoned us to the point where we aren’t able to make and maintain true human connections. In our world of DMs and FaceTime and same day delivery or click and collect, we have convenience and near instant gratification at our fingertips. But we are lonelier and feeling more isolated than ever.
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