What can we learn from this turbulent time?

April 8, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Gabrielle von Ille, Founder and Managing Director of Lifa Communications

In the world we used to know we measured a country’s wellness simply by its GDP; mother nature cried out for help giving us various signs we ignored; we worshiped the wrong heroes; mental issues and pills were on the rise; our food consisted of E numbers; we created only with the intent to monetize or go viral; we were materialistic beyond measure; and most importantly, our values seemed to be completely out of whack. Surely, we were connected through technology and social media but actually we were more disconnected than ever.

The Coronavirus crisis requires leaders at all levels of society to rise up

April 8, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Thato Mokhothu-Ramohlanka

The Corona Virus outbreak has quickly introduced a new way of living that most of us never imagined possible. While some people are better prepared for unknown eventualities such as the Covid-19 pandemic more than others, many others will find that they have not prepared adequately for the weeks ahead. Unfortunately, the playing field is not always level. In some instances life does not provide us with the tools to help us prepare for tough times. Unemployment is one of those brutally unfair conditions that deny people the opportunity to provide security for times such as these.

The world is in ‘shut-down’ mode. Financial and Business Lessons.

April 6, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Ronel Jooste

The year 2020 was earmarked to be the ’20-plenty’ year. A year filled with great expectations, abundance, growth, achievement and joy. The outbreak of covid-19 brought those expectations to a sudden halt. It almost feels unreal that a virus can have this significant impact on the entire world. The world is in ‘shut-down’ mode. No more travelling, schools and multiple businesses are closed, many employees work from home, big events are cancelled etc. The impact of covid-19 on the economy, businesses and individuals will be phenomenal.

How to make working from home work for you

April 6, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Tapiwa Matsinde

Social-distancing, self-isolation, and lockdowns have forced us to change the way we live and work. One of the biggest adjustments brought about by the pandemic is the overnight shift from going into the office to working from home. And the sudden change means not everyone is prepared, not to mention parents who are also having to work around home-schooling and keeping their kids entertained.

Own your self-belief

April 6, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Lori Milner

I took my daughter to a friend’s 5th birthday party. There was a magician there to perform for the kids and afterwards he gave out his business card to the parents. On the front of the card in big bold letters it said ‘The cleverest magician in the world’. What I loved about the card was the boldness of it – yes, he is a magician and is meant to be slapstick and silly. But let’s stop and reflect for a moment.

Thinking outside the box

April 6, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Lelemba Phiri, Operating partner and Fund Manager of Enygma Ventures

Earlier this year in January we selected 11 female entrepreneurs to be part of the first cohort of our investor-ready programme. We flew them all into Cape Town from various SADC countries to participate in an intensive weekend of training and exciting strategic planning. We could not have imagined nor foreseen that a few weeks down the line, we would be faced with the global Covid-19 pandemic and the ensuing health calamities, national lockdowns and global economic turmoil. All the polished strategic plans we had put together were effectively thrown out of the window in the last few weeks! We had to go back to the drawing board both as investors and entrepreneurs as we try and navigate completely uncharted territories.

The Power of Focus

April 6, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Clare Appleyard, founder of Katannuta Diamonds

Four years ago, if you’d asked me what I did for a living, I wouldn’t have a straight-forward answer for you. Quite simply, my answer would have depended on who was asking. I was the classic entrepreneur who didn’t want to put all her eggs in one basket; a euphemistic term for somebody who just had her fingers in too many pies.

Being seen as a grasshopper, YET feeling like a giant, in the business world

April 5, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Nomihlali Ntsunguzi

It was the very first presentation I had to make to pitch for business after I had just started. The potential client was in an industry I knew very well, and I knew the human capital challenges everyone was experiencing. I was so excited yet anxious, but I was quite confident that my pitch was on point. As I walk into the boardroom, I recognize someone I know from church and I immediately felt relieved….my thought, “God indeed works in miraculous ways”. Little did I know that out of all the executives that were sitting there, I was going to get the worst treatment from the one I recognized.

Show up ‘your way’ by letting go

April 1, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Lori Milner

There is so much advice on how to tackle our new way of being. One of which is to ensure a well-organized schedule for your time as well as your kids. Now I am the preacher on using your calendar to schedule work and life tasks to ensure they get done. My mantra is – ‘If it gets scheduled, it gets done!’ There is a huge ‘however’ coming…HOWEVER….this philosophy has been tested to its limits in the last week. I planned the week ahead knowing exactly what outputs and deliverables I wanted to achieve and then sat down to make an ‘excellent’ schedule for my children ages 5 and 7. Day 1 did not work out too well….

Effective brand communication during uncertain times of COVID-19

March 31, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Kelebogile Makhafola

The saying that goes, “you cannot manage what you cannot measure” proves to be earnest in such a time. Marketing managers, brand leaders and business owners are not only having to deal with the core sustenance of the business, but also forced to figure out how best to keep their brand healthy and helpful in such a time. Effective brand communication during uncertain times is vital for stakeholder management and brand impact. Below are 5 ways to keep your brand engaged and empathetic to its’ customers as we globally navigate uncharted territory.

The influence of COVID-19 in South Africa’s work environment

March 31, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Nomihlali Ntsunguzi

In the last week prior to and during the lockdown, the number of people working from home increased, some were sent home on unpaid leave. This has distinguished companies that have started adapting to the 4IR through proper systems, from those that haven’t adapted at all. Jacques du Preez (IOA) says, “those quickest to utilize the new technologies that come with the 4IR will reap the most benefit. Some estimates place the profits reaped by early-adopting firms at almost 120%, with a measly 10% for those who only adopt the new technologies later on”.

8 Ways Designers Can Adapt During The Crisis

March 31, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Tapiwa Matsinde

The pandemic has forced us to rethink the business plans we set out for the year ahead. While we cannot control what is happening we can control how we choose to react and for designers and creatives that includes adapting the way we work. Conversations with designers in my network have revealed the ways in which they are pivoting and I share theirs and my suggestions with you.

How I keep my spirits up, while adapting to a new reality

March 31, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Alice da Silva

The global Covid-19 pandemic has forced us to live differently. I am noticing that many people are very distressed about changes to planned goals and activities. The social distancing and self-isolation is causing many to be apprehensive and frustrated at home. I have decided to share how I keep my spirits up, while adapting to a new reality. I’m no expert, and what works for me may not be everyone’s solution, but maybe some of this will inspire others with their own ideas.

Stress management is boundary management

March 31, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Lori Milner

Prior to the Corona pandemic, you were battling to ‘balance’ work and life and that’s when work and life were at least separated geographically (for most of us anyway). Now you find yourself in a situation where the boundaries are completely mixed up.

Making the best of a crisis situation

March 31, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Paula Quinsee

Up-skilling yourself has never been more critical than now, whether that be to cope with what is happening in our world at the moment, or to cope with what the world is going to look like in a few months (or years) from now.

Be careful out there!... Not because of a virus, but of becoming smaller and smaller...

March 31, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Shaleen Wohrnitz, General Manager, BrandBuildingSA

To all the Lionesses out there: Be careful out there...! Not because of a virus, but becoming smaller and smaller… This is the time when one should not cave in and stop creating - the exact opposite in fact. Promote more, increase your reach, gain more market share and run with your life and everything in it. Live your life to the full and show all those around you how to expand in spite of adversity!

Pandemic marketing. Working through the Covid-19 pandemic.

March 31, 2020 Melanie Hawken

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by Damaris Nyabuti

For the past week, schools and other learning institutions have remained shutdown, several countries have gone on lockdown-closing their borders indefinitely, businesses are working from home, events and gatherings have been made illegal and thus cancelled and soon so many other establishments will be forced into closure. All of this will have a detrimental impact on the economy. Hence, until this quarantine period is over, businesses globally must be aware of how to correctly market their goods and services.

Sales Un-usual: These sales techniques will help you in this unprecedented time

March 27, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Karen van Zyl, Founder & CEO, VA Connect and SnappSales

The world is a-changing and at a rapid pace too! A few short months ago you were putting your New Year’s Resolutions in place and gearing for an exciting year. And then everything changed. It’s so surreal and those that I have spoken to say they feel like they are in a movie. The Corona Virus has hit and has hit us hard. Nothing could have prepared us for what is about to unfold.

Covid-19: How to capitalise on the next 3 weeks

March 27, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Clare Appleyard

On the 31st December 2019, there was a global sense of optimism. 2020 is our year, said everybody from entrepreneurs to politicians and Olympic athletes. Fast forward three months and much of the world is in tatters. Dreams have been shattered, economies have been devastated and lives have been lost. Nobody, nobody could have predicted the worldwide havoc that an invisible enemy called Covid-19 would wreak.

Let the business run itself

March 25, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Catia Mondlane

Who told you that you can’t do or have it all? Well, I’m here to affirm that yes you can do and have all that you want, just with some simple smart moves.

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