Bruce Wade, Author at EM Solutions

Finding new customers for your business made easy

Finding new customers is one of those activities that should occupy 80% of a business’s time and effort. But retaining customers is just as important and should also occupy 80% of resources. This short video in an extract from Geoff Ramm’s keynote speech on Customer Service that he delivers across the globe each year. (Video courtesy of Unique Speakers Bureau)

Keeping customers is key, but finding them is priority. There are three types of customers: existing, new and conversion. Each group needs to be treated differently and each will need a new set of processes and strategies to cope with their needs.
New clients are the hardest to attract. They will require the full sales cycle of processes. This will include a series of Inform sessions where you need to create an awareness of their problems and potential solutions (including your product). This is followed by a series of educational interactions. This converts the initial need into a want for the potential clients and will lead them, to the next step: the purchase.
Following this, they need to be looked after and channelled to the up-sell and re-sell processes. Simple, yet most businesses get this so wrong and make it too complicated that not only do the customers not understand it but the staff are just as confused.
Get this right and your business will grow. #90DayBizSprint

By Bruce Wade|2016-11-01T10:20:05+02:00September 30th, 2016|90 Day Sprint|0 Comments

Who are your Customers?

This week in the 90 Day Business Sprint we look at our Customers. This word should always be spelt with a capital ‘C’ to show how important they are to our business. They are, after all, the ones who pay our salaries.
We have 3 types of customers:
Existing Customers: the people or businesses who are already an existing customer and who purchase from us on a regular basis.
New Customers: the people or businesses who do not yet spend money with us. These are the ones we need to attract and develop new relationships with.
Conversion customers: These people or businesses who shop at other businesses for the same or similar product offers as yours. These are the ones we need to attract and convert.
Each customer base needs a different strategy and set of marketing materials in order to build and deepen that relationship.
This week, we will begin to explore this and look at some tools to build solid, long term and profitable relationships with our customers.

By Bruce Wade|2016-11-01T10:20:05+02:00September 26th, 2016|90 Day Sprint|0 Comments

Problem + Impact = Opportunity

Understanding the problems we face each day allows us the chance to look at the impact these problems cause and in so doing, provides us with an opportunity for a business solution.
Frustrated people are a ripe market for solutions and solutions lead to business ventures that lead to profits. One of the great skills of a seasoned entrepreneur is to allow the world to provide us with business opportunities. We just need to retune ourselves into that mode and not wallow in the problem with others, but rise above the situation and identify ways to move forward towards a solution.
This week we have already given you some tools to analyse the problem using the 5 Whys to get to the root cause. The next stage is to identify all the people who are affected by the problem. This is normally more than one group, each with their own perspective and issues related to the problem. Now we are ready to begin to analyse each group and determine a way forward with solutions and eventually a product that can be taken to market.
This methodology of business development always ensures you have a customer base when you launch. These customers are the original people you identify as being frustrated or affected by the problem. How easy is it to just start a business and launch your product knowing that your initial sales are already secured through your upfront market research.
This is far better than trying to develop a product offering that you think or hope people need then try to launch through persuading and begging people to use your product.
Consider what your problem is that you are trying to solve and then realign your product around this and the affected people. Then re-launch with the focused effort of problem-solving rather than market manipulation.
We have some more tools and tips on problem-solving on our social media pages this week and next week we start looking at our customers in greater depth. #90DayBizSprint

By Bruce Wade|2016-09-21T07:13:39+02:00September 21st, 2016|90 Day Sprint|0 Comments

90 Day Business Sprint – What is your Problem

I remember as kids whenever anyone did something wrong or weird, we would ask them “What is your problem?” Who knew that this would become a cornerstone to building a business?
Getting to know and understand the identified problem is always one of the first steps of coaching we do with new business owners. And often we revert back to this for existing businesses to better understand their market and find new opportunities for business.
So, what is the problem you are trying to solve? Why does the problem exist? Who are the people involved? What are the causes? What are the effects? What would be a better outcome? What is the ideal solution?
Using the 5 WHYs and keep asking the What, why, when, who and where questions assists in a full analysis of the problem. This is always done before the ideation around a product or solution. The key here is to firstly fully understand the whole problem, look for potential opportunities and then begin to formulate a strategy that will result in a solution, but more on that next week.

By Bruce Wade|2016-11-01T10:20:05+02:00September 19th, 2016|90 Day Sprint|0 Comments

90 Day Business Sprint – Week 1

Week one of the business sprint is all about you. Who are you as an entrepreneur and what makes you tick. We will look at your strengths and required support structures to make you complete and what you can do to be a fully focused functional entrepreneur and business owner.
So, some questions to ask and answer before we can kick this week off:
Who are you? Not just name and age, but have you really ever asked yourself who you really are. At your very core?
What about: what are you? A little harder to answer, but this often get to the root cause of the purpose of your life and what needs to be done in order to fulfil this purpose.
We also need then to ask: What is it that you do? Doing is Being and Being is Doing. To be just a spectator to life is not being fully engaged in adding value and just leads to entitlement and a non-participant lifestyle.
We end off with: What is your impact on society, both positive and negative. How effective are you each week, each day at making the world a better place because you got out of bed?
So journey with us this week and we peel back some of the layers to yourself and look deep within to discover your true self.

By Bruce Wade|2016-11-01T10:20:05+02:00September 12th, 2016|90 Day Sprint|0 Comments

Welcome to the 90 Day Business Sprint

With just over 90 days to go until the end of the year, we thought we would offer you the opportunity to gather up the final burst of energy you have left to make the rest of the year awesome for both you and your business.

So welcome to the 90-day business sprint. This will be a 13-week journey, each week with a focus and theme. Each day with a new tool, insight or tip. Following this for the next 90 days will give you a list, a boost and a new focus on your business. Growth is imminent.

Here is the introduction video:

By Bruce Wade|2016-11-01T10:20:05+02:00September 12th, 2016|90 Day Sprint|0 Comments

Our New Arrivals

005 Our office has two new faces together with new offerings of talent and skills for our clients.

Womba Khapwale (Left) has just extended her internship with us until the end of the year. Womba is assisting us in developing and upgrading all our training material as well as developing material for the high school’
s projects that we support through Teen Entrepreneur. Womba comes from a business and supply chain education from University of Natal.

Ayanda Mpongwana (Right) started today as our new Office Administrator. She brings a host of marketing and event experience to our office as well as her organisational and process talents. Ayanda will be looking after the front desk, client relationships and bookings as well as the workshops logistics.

We wish both ladies a huge welcome at Entrepreneur and Management Solutions and trust that our clients will get to know them both as helpful resources to their businesses as much as they are to us. Welcome ladies.

By Bruce Wade|2016-11-01T10:20:05+02:00September 6th, 2016|Entrepreneurship|0 Comments

Start Something Today

Is it not time to get that idea in your head onto a piece of paper and into action? I am amazed at how many people we meet that have had brilliant business ideas in their heads for years and never had the inclination or opportunity to do anything about them.

We have a solution for you, in fact, we have two: Each month we run a short half day programme called “Introduction to Entrepreneurship”. This workshop will give you all the information and confidence you need to get out of the starting blocks and headed in the right direction. The next session is just a few days away on the 15^th September. DETAILS HERE

The second option for your future is our 6 module Start Up School. This programme offers a full day workshop every 3 weeks and walks the journey from initial idea through to the business launch pad. We cover all the required checkboxes, issues and compliance matters that you will need to be aware of in developing a new business. This is for you if you have an idea and need it to get to market. To book or get more info email me HERE.

Never let your ideas take up residence in your head; they will only breed regret and frustration. Better to try and refine your ideas and test them in the market before giving up on your dreams. Our success rate is far too high to ignore.

Your future awaits your action today. DO IT.

By Bruce Wade|2016-11-01T10:20:05+02:00August 30th, 2016|Business Resources, Entrepreneurship|0 Comments

Spring into action with a marketing revamp

With winter coming to a close here in Cape Town, the weather is getting warmers and the gaps between the rain and storms a little longer. So is it now time to do some changes and spring cleaning?

One area we see a lot of people needing in their business is a revamp of their marketing. Too many companies we see do the same old same old marketing and sales cycles over and over again. Then as insanity defines, we expect different results and an ever increase in the bottom line.

We have revamped our marketing offerings ready for your new business approach to accessing the market ahead of the end of the year season. We now have two-valued and fun filled workshops: Blue Water Marketing strategies and Narrative Marketing that we have on the schedule for the next few months.

If you are ready to relook, revamp and relearn what your marketing is all about then we are ready for you. Please go HERE to check out for dates and details and get your place booked.

Remember: if you change nothing, nothing will change.

See you at the next workshop.

By Bruce Wade|2016-08-30T14:15:56+02:00August 30th, 2016|Business Resources, Entrepreneurship|0 Comments

SARS Provisional Tax Deadline 31 August

SARS Provisional Tax

It’s the middle of the tax year and time to pay SARS his due. The provisional tax deadline is the 31 August 2016.
SARS is concerned that if you wait until the end of the year and pay all your tax in one go, you won’t have enough money available to pay everything. (It’s quite possible it will have been spent on new clothes, school fees or that iPad you’ve been eyeing). So they insist that we pay SARS at least twice a year, in the middle and at the end. These interim returns and related payments are called provisional tax returns. A final income tax return is also submitted, but only after the end of the tax year, once everything is wrapped up. You can then top up any tax you short-paid in the provisional tax returns.

Who should submit a provisional tax return? If you are a director of a company or a close corporation you need to submit provisional tax returns twice a year, or if you have any income other than salary and interest or dividends from investments. Other sources of income might include rental, freelance income, consulting fees, any kind of business, even if it’s just on the side.

If you are a company director and you only earn a salary where PAYE is deducted each month, then there may be no additional tax payment required this month. In that case the provisional tax return is merely a formality – but still necessary. Otherwise, you will need to pay tax on the profit you make from your other sources of income. This means that you can offset your expenses relating to the income before calculating the tax.

If you need help submitting your return or calculating the tax before the deadline, contact EM Solutions for support.