article 15
EXIT STRATEGY – DO YOU HAVE
ONE?
It may seem somewhat premature
to think about an exit strategy when you are focused
on building your business however, it provides a laser
focus like no other.
Why have an exit strategy?
There are several advantages:
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article 14
AWARD WINNING STAFF - DO YOU HAVE
ANY?
Attracting great
staff to your organization is a key skill to have and
the next greatest skill is to keep them. Now there is
a challenge! |
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article 11
ARE YOU LOOKING BEHIND YOU?
As any business
person will tell you it is a full on, all consuming
job to stay in the business game. What with keeping
customers satisfied, managing debtors, suppliers, deliveries,
staff hiccups, and let us not forget tracking cashflows
and cash flow projections – who has the time or
the energy for anything else? |
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article 10
Employees, employees, employees.
What is your initial reaction to reading
those words?
I need them but are they worth it?
All these human resource issues that come up –
I do not want to have to deal with them.
I get paid to do a job not be a nanny / therapist to
my staff.
I did not realize that so much of my time would be taken
up with resolving staff issues. I did not budget my
time for it.
Give me the real work any day instead of dealing with
staff. |
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article 09
ARE YOU ON A GOOD THING? PERSISTENCE
CAN PAYOFF!
There is a tag
line I always remember for Mortein household fly spray
– “When you are on a good thing, stick to
it”.
In business the trick
is to know when you are on a good thing. This idea was
brought home to me very clearly when I met with a former
colleague who I admire enormously. He is smart, open,
focused, persistent, acknowledges his shortcomings and
is a corporate visionary.
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ARTICLE
08
MISSION, VISION AND VALUES
Over the years these words
seem to have been overworked. Go into any reasonable
size company and you will see them displayed in prominent
places- in some cases complete with graphics!
I always wonder what impact
these words have on those working for the organisation
and if they participated in the crafting of the organisation’s
mission, vision and values.
What do the words really
mean? |
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ARTICLE
07
SWOT SWOT
SWOT
The word ‘swot’
may bring back memories of late nights just before an
exam as you cram a course load of information into a
few hours.
The SWOT I am referring
to is a staple of business schools to examine and analyse
a business to determine its:
Every business has certain
strengths, whether it is its creative skills, or the
ability to take a concept and bring it to the market,
the ability to know what the market wants before it
knows and deliver it on time, at the right price, at
the right place. It could be the ability to reinvent
the business due to changes in demographics or industry
developments.
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ARTICLE
06
Money, Money, Money
………..
makes the world go around - goes the lyrics from the
musical Cabaret.
Starting a new business
can be a very exciting event, sustaining it is another
challenge. I encourage people to do a thorough business
plan and look at the business idea from every angle.
Remember there is always a gap between what you have
written, your research and the reality of the business.
Unforeseen obstacles and delays always seem to occur.
Remember SARS. |
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ARTICLE 05
The 3 P’s of business –
are you doing them in your business?
We are all familiar with the expression
– If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. A catchy
play on words which packs a powerful punch in your business,
professional and personal lives.
Procedures manuals which you thought was
a business practice used in the typewriter age are critical
to the success of any business.
Policies are the rules of the organisation.
Find out why your business will benefit from written
and communicated policies.
So implement
the 3 P’s in your business and take it to a new
level of professionalism and efficiency.
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Article 04
Think BIG and then…………..
Are you a small business owner?
When small business owners face the hard reality of
their business the amount they earn for their efforts
is very disappointing and their hourly rate, if they
are honest, is less than a domestic helper.
Most business owners are working in the
business too much.
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article 03
Do you have multiple streams
of income from your business? If not, then why not?
Do you have multiple streams of income
from your business? How many streams of income does
your business have?
As business owners we are told to focus
on our core business and make it really work. Do not
get distracted by other business ideas or opportunities
as it will only dilute your efforts, resources, revenue
and profits.
I want to share with you a slightly
different view.
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article 02
Do you practise the 80:20 principle
in your business and life? Read
on to find out the secret of achieving more with less….
The 80:20 principle was defined by an
Italian economist, Pareto in 1897. This principle in
essence states that 80% of the results flow from just
20% of the effort. The key to highly effective people
and organisations is applying this principle consistently.
By applying Pareto’s principle you
can transform your business and your life. Almost everyone
complains that they are short of time. They say, ”I
do not know where the day/week/month/year went”.
What happened to 2003? Certainly the SARS period is
vivid in our minds and then whoosh it is 31 December,
AGAIN. |
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Article
01
Mick Jagger does it. Do you?
Over the decades there
have been many successful entertainers. Some have had
‘overnight’ success and made more money
that they ever dreamed of. Some have enjoyed continuing
longevity like the Rolling Stones while for others their
success has been short lived.
These people are good
at what they do – entertaining. By specialising
in what they do best they hire others to do what they
are not good at. A sound business strategy. |
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