the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs
by Eldari Visser, founder of Picketfence Life
Necessary endings! In my previous blog I wrote about the time of endings. In a business this happens all too often. Usually it is out with the old, in with the new, or a new strategy for growth or another line for the shelves, and the one not so good must make space for a more client friendly one. Yet many of us as businesspeople have to end good things as well.
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by Mandisa Makubalo
I’m sure we are all familiar with the culture of “strategic planning” which sees most businesses taking time out to plan for the year ahead. This practice has become a culture in such a way that massive budgets are allocated to these gatherings. These sessions should be about looking at ways to solve business challenges through design whether this is what happens nobody knows except when customers and employees start feeling the pain.
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by Lori Milner
I was asked to present a master class on self-leadership to a new client for their team of 8 women. It was a fantastic morning and I was feeling really good… except when it came to the Q&A part of the session. Clearly, I may have ruffled some feathers and was faced with some rather defensive questions from the senior client. Now this often happens as people are faced with a huge dose of self-awareness and if they don’t love what they see, there are two possible reactions: Number 1 – they reflect, take accountability and decide to make a change to shift from where they are to where they want to be. Number 2 – they blame and deflect all responsibility.
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by Aleshia van der Ploeg LLB. (RAU), Director VDP Legal Consulting (PTY) LTD
So what exactly is an NDA? A Non-Disclosure Agreement (“NDA”) is a legal agreement between at least two parties that stipulates that the confidential information that the parties share with one another for certain purposes, may not be disclosed to or must be restricted access to third parties. An NDA creates a confidential relationship between the parties, in order to protect confidential information.
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by Fatuma Abdullah
I get hot under the collar, when I attend seminars or conferences and entrepreneurs are presented in a romanticized fashion. Or worse, glamorizing the subject of entrepreneurship and neglecting the most important unseen components of the journey - the sleepless nights, the self-discipline, rejection, disappointments, failure, the lack of support and resources.
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by Lori Milner
Like most of you, I used to shudder at the thought of 4am. More specifically how some people actually willingly woke up at 4am? Beyond me! If you read my blogs regularly, you will know that exercise is really important to me. Over the years it has started at 7am then moved earlier as I became a mother and the kids started school. 7am went to 6am and then as of this year 5:30.
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by Laura Camacho
The holiday social scene is so much fun. And exhausting. Not only that, it’s the chance to catch up with family, acquaintances while making new friends. Parties are also public relation opportunities so you be sure to let everyone know what’s new in your business.
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by Catia Mondlane, founder of Isabella Estetica & Cosmeticos
A few days ago I had a conversation with someone which reminded me why I started an entrepreneurial journey. During the chat, I mentioned how talented the person was and the brilliant ideas she had. Interestingly, I asked what was keeping her from starting a business and, as I predicted, she gave me all the excuses you can imagine, but only three of them stood out.
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by Eldari Visser founder of Picketfence Life
A beautiful but disturbing clip was doing the rounds of a pack of hyenas going for a lion. Killing was their main aim. This older lion fought for a long time from all sides - got a couple of good homps in, but the clan was very big. Mostly they were going for his ass!!! Yep - catching you from behinds! This lion turned and dodged and roared to get them away.
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by Lori Milner
So here we are…the thing we have all anticipated for an entire year but yet when it arrives, it is also clouded by a sense of dread. And that is…December! The disbelief is not so much about we are at the end of the year, but it is a symbol that forces you to really reflect on the year that has passed. This is a good thing because if you just move from one year into the next with no introspection, then there is little hope of creating the change you want to make.
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by Brigette Mashile, founder of Roka Roko
The moment you decide to start a business, understand that taking a conscious break will be impossible. A business has so many aspects to it that need your attention each day; so much so that taking a Saturday off is a sin. Imagine, a weekend day! You will feel bad for doing nothing all day, people will definitely contact you on that very day you are off; and you will want to speak to them. So ideally, taking a break as an entrepreneur becomes a struggle to pretend you don’t have work all day.
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by Kathryn Main, founder of Money Savvy Kids
The most wonderful time of the year is also the most expensive. When the Christmas spirit takes over, that one crucial ability to save is conveniently misplaced. This loss of ability is seldom noticed, but will deal a detrimental blow to your bank account in the long run. Money Savvy Kids (MSK) is built on the foundations of saving and budgeting, just to name a few. And it is here to help you through the hardest time of the year by saving and budgeting your way to a worry-free January.
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by Alice da Silva
A case study based on my personal experience:
Despite a current difficult economy, business services are still needed. Customers are under strain and are more discerning when it comes to choosing a service provider. Sometimes it’s a grudge spend following an unplanned emergency. It’s bad enough being forced to spend money when survival and priorities must be carefully considered, so to have bad service on top of that is just too unpleasant. Customers still have choices, and they choose who gets the business.
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by Lizl Naude, founder of Lilly Loompa
I was watching the after-show of the Rugby World Cup 2019 in Tokyo on TV recently, and I experienced goosebumps as I watched South Africans from all walks of life sing “Shozoloza” in unity outside the stadium. It was electrifying and heart-warming. Sometimes we focus so much on what makes us different from each other, that we tend to forget how similar we actually are, and what makes our country so unique.
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by Lori Milner
Think about the last time you took leave. Was it filled with a slight sense of dread and the self-talk went ‘this is the worst possible time to take leave’. And then you take the leave and spend the time with a heavy cloud of guilt hanging over your head worrying about the ‘stuff’ that can’t possibly get done without you. Eventually you get to the end of the period and you return to work possibly more highly strung than before you left. If this resonates or sounds familiar…I encourage you to continue reading….. The truth is there is never going to be a time where it feels like it’s finally the perfect opportunity to take leave. So knowing this universal truth, I encourage you to plan your time off in advance before you reach near burnout or breaking point.
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by Sylvia Walker, author of SmartWoman
It’s that time of the year again when we are bombarded with messages enticing us to spend money, and the heat is on in terms of spoiling those nearest and dearest to us. So much expectation is created around this season - entertaining, socializing, gifting and more. While it’s a wonderful time to connect with family and friends, it’s also a very easy time to fall into the trap of over-spending, leaving a financial hangover to deal with as you enter the new year.
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by Thozama Ponti
Very often, we see people getting naked very easily, the world is boring because there’s a lot of nakedness - I will explain further about what I mean by this. People don’t think twice about revealing or exposing much about themselves, I mean it’s very easy to get to know about a person nowadays with them verbally communicating in the digital space.
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by Lori Milner: author, entrepreneur, thought leader and founder of Beyond the Dress
Most of us live with this feeling that we are not living our greatest potential. It usually comes down to one habit, trigger or pattern that we repeat again and again that holds us back. So when it comes to making a change - for example, start exercising, eating better, stop smoking, participate in meetings – we need to become aware of the barriers holding us back.
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by Mandisa Makubalo, Unlimited Experiences
Research has revealed that from the year 2020 (which is less than 6 weeks away) Product and Price will no longer be the differentiator but Customer Experience, what does this mean for the future of Black Friday when the very essence of this day is about Product and Price.
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by Catia Mondlane, founder of Isabella Estetica & Cosmeticos
Nowadays, a diversity of market opportunities can be created thanks to the general economic and financial crises that have made many awaken their dormant dreams and hidden ideas, meaning people had to feel the pressure of a lack of things to pursue fulfilment. Lately, all we hear about is entrepreneurship and people coming up with great, innovative ideas for the creation of a business and it seems like everybody wants to be an entrepreneur.
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