by Clare Appleyard, founder of Katannuta Diamonds

We live in an information economy, where you can find virtually anything you want, somewhere on the internet. Want to learn how to bake a cake? There’s a recipe website for that. Want to learn how to change the battery in your computer? There’s a YouTube video for that. Want to learn how to meditate? There’s an app for that.

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.

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.

by Clare Appleyard

Many entrepreneurs struggle with sales and often ask what is the secret to making that all important successful sale. Well, it all starts with the first rule of sales - listen!

by Clare Appleyard, founder of Katannuta Diamonds

Invest in becoming the best in your industry. Offer the extras that nobody else does. Be the expert that people want to buy from. Focus on quality and not quantity. Price yourself fairly but know your value. 

by Clare Appleyard, founder of Katannuta Diamonds

My journey into entrepreneurship started in 2006 with a nervous breakdown (if you want the story, it’s on YouTube) and a subsequent interest in personal development.

by Clare Appleyard, founder of Katannuta Diamonds

Figures flew before my eyes as my fingers tapped away busily on the calculator. Exchange rate. Tap tap tap. VAT. Tap tap. Supplier costs. Tap tap tap. A number settled on the screen and I looked at it with confusion. “That can’t be right”, I thought, as a mild sense of unease washed over me. Picking up the calculator, I ran the numbers again, more slowly this time. The same number came up. “Third time lucky” I whispered to myself as I hit the keys with deliberate intent. No change!

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. 

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.