Help I have a new Idea?

New ideas come and go as fast as taxi buses on the N2, but knowing which are good and which to let go is the difficult process that most people struggle with.  But help is at hand: The Innovation Wind Tunnel is now officially open for business.

The Wind Tunnel is a place where new ideas are tested against a number of different platforms to ensure they are robust and geared to withstand the stresses of the current marketplace. The first filter is a simple pitch to the panel: this is done at initial idea stage where you can pitch your concept, no matter how early in the idea phase, to get some solid expertise feedback. This feedback is designed to enable you to iterate the concept as many times as possible in the early stages of development to ensure your idea becomes as solid as possible before you begin to test it in the marketplace and cost you money.

On completion of the pitch, we offer two sets of reports that do solid research on the presenting problem you are addressing and another report to validate the product offering you are proposing. These two reports will form the base of your application for funding from TIA or similar institutions for seed funding that will address the POC or Proof of Concept development and any IP or Intellectual Property submissions.

For a more comprehensive look at these stages: check out our website on https://em-solutions.co.za/wind-tunnel/

By |2018-08-06T10:49:50+02:00August 6th, 2018|Business Resources, Entrepreneurship, Innovation|0 Comments

Win with the Business Partners Business Plan Competition

We are all aware of how tough the economic environment is for young people at the moment. Entrepreneurship is one of the ways we can equip these youngsters to consider their own businesses as an option.

All young aspiring entrepreneurs now have the opportunity to attend a one-day business workshop at no cost, when they enter our 9th Business Plan Competition, but we need your help to spread the message.

The 9th annual Business Plan Competition for young aspiring entrepreneurs is now open for entries.

All entrants will be invited to attend a full-day business planning workshop in centres throughout the country, to empower them to submit a business plan for the second phase of the competition. Everyone is a winner – even before the competition closes.

Regional winners will win mentorship support to the value of R6 000 and enter the national event as finalists, and the national winner will win R12 000 worth of mentorship support and R25 000 cash.

The BUSINESS/PARTNERS-SMETOOLKIT Business plan competition for young aspiring entrepreneurs closes 31 July 2018.

For more information, please contact the Entrepreneurs Growth Centre on tel 0861 763 346, send an email to smetoolkit@businesspartners.co.za, or visit the SME Toolkit website at http://smetoolkit.businesspartners.co.za.

For ease of reference, find the relevant links:

  1. Competition blurb: http://smetoolkit.businesspartners.co.za/en/content/enter-2018-business-plan-competition-aspiring-young-entrepreneurs
  2. Entry form: http://smetoolkit.businesspartners.co.za/en/content/2018-business-plan-competition-entry-form
  3. Competition rules: http://smetoolkit.businesspartners.co.za/en/content/2018-business-plan-competition-annexure-rules
By |2018-06-20T14:04:03+02:00June 20th, 2018|Business Resources|0 Comments

Entrepreneurial events this week

This week we have two exciting events for you to enhance your marketing and financial skills.

Cash Flow 101

If you have not yet heard of or played Cash Flow 101, then this is your chance to join us on Wednesday evening for a fun edutainment event. Robert Kiyosaki’s game has empowered countless of people to realise the basics of wealth management in the rat race. Come play, learn and go home more money wiser than before. We play at our offices in Woodstock (directions)

To book: call Amanda on 021 8739 2281

Weekly Wednesday Webinar @ One

This week we chat about customer profiling using various paper and online tools. We will begin to explore FaceBook’s new Customer segmentation tool that they recently released.

If you are in marketing or sales, DO NOT miss this one.

Join us at 13:00 on Wednesday online here: https://zoom.us/j/9071494212

By |2018-02-05T12:29:31+02:00February 5th, 2018|Business Resources, Entrepreneurship|0 Comments

Become a Game Changer for your industry

Become a Game Changer for your industry. Become extraordinary and a positive influence on those around you. Take your business to new heights

A Game Changer changes the way that something is done, thought about or made for the better. This could be you.

Managing a business through all the phases of development calls for creativity, bravery and many different facets of skills: not all these can be found in books or online.  The Game Changers program offers those who are in the early stages of business development to come together to hone their skills and grow their businesses.

Signup for the next Game Changer program starting in February and join others on a journey over 6 months that will develop both you and your business.

First session:  Thursday 22nd February 09:00 – 13:00

Investment: R500 per month for 6 months: includes a file, notes and worksheets

Reserve your Game Changer place: call Amanda on 021 839 2281

By |2018-01-30T15:54:15+02:00January 31st, 2018|Business Resources, Entrepreneurship|0 Comments

Tax Season Scams – don’t get caught      

As we near the end of January we are busy completing a number of our client’s online tax submissions on eFiling before the 31st deadline on Wednesday. This is not a complicated process as the new ever-improving eFiling system is user-friendly and fast.

All one needs is the right information, documents and a little know-how in order to do the online submissions. The system gives you an instant review and an online calculator will give you an estimate on your result of a pay-in or pay-out.

After completing a number of these in our offices and then doing one at home for my wife, we have noticed a few issues that people just need to take note of in order to avoid being duped by scammers and phishing sites.

Firstly the banks and SARS will never ask you to do anything via an SMS. This includes validation of accounts, ID number or tax information.  Any queries that they may have will be sent to you via email and be detailed on the eFiling website.

Any refunds due will be deposited directly into the bank account you have submitted on your tax return. You will not have to do any further work, including verification of your details.

My wife got an SMS just a few days after her return was filed asking her to please click on a link and complete the bank details in order to facilitate the refund process. Firstly this is wrong and an obvious scam, but very interesting that it only took the scammers a few days to get her information from the SARS site and then set up this scam. A little scary to how insecure our information is in the SARS process.

Please be careful: if in doubt, contact us for any information about your tax returns or check directly on the eFiling site for any additional documentation or information they may require in order to complete your return.

Oh, and remember that the deadline for income tax returns for all provisional taxpayers is Wednesday this week.

By |2018-01-29T11:52:49+02:00January 29th, 2018|Business Resources, Financial Management|0 Comments

Stimulation through Simulation

Learning for life requires not only a bunch of theory exercises, but the application and implementation need to be included to complete the cycle of understanding.

When this comes to financial issues, we fail time and time again. There is always a bunch of ways to learn the theory of finances: we listen to talks, our financial advisor speaks to us and we read stuff. But we do not get time to practice through simulation. We put our real money into real investments and then often have to wait more than 5 years to see if we got it right. This invest, look and repeat process is a little too long to make mistakes and then try to rectify the situation when we are now bordering on the fearful investment period in our lives.

But what if we could stimulate our investment and money brains through simulation in a fun learning environment?

That is just what we will be offering you during our monthly Financial Games evenings. We have a number of financial games or “outcome-based fun activities” as the professional put it. These we will set up and facilitate with a group of participants each month as we have fun and learn all about money and money matters.

Join us this month on Wednesday 17th as we ‘play’ Rich Dad Poor Dad’s Cash Flow 101. This simple yet effective board game teaches us to understand and manage our finances within the rat race of monthly income and expenses and find ways to escape into financial freedom.

To book your place call 021 839 2281 or email marketing@em-solutions.co.za. R100 gets you a seat and an opportunity for a fantastic financial future.

By |2018-01-10T09:04:43+02:00January 10th, 2018|Business Resources, Entrepreneurship|0 Comments

Narrative Business Strategies – telling your story

Over the last 2 months, we have dissected and digested the methodology of storytelling in a business. Through this process, we have created a deck of story cards that are used in our workshops and can be used together with our workbooks and business strategy worksheets to develop a fully functional and sustainable business plan.

We also unpacked the joy of telling marketing stories and making what is traditionally boring stories come to life and invoke emotion and intrigue leading to better referrals and a wider online footprint for your business.

Please review the last of these webinars (just 28 minutes) in the video below and follow the links to the other webinars on our community page in the series if you missed them:

Narrative business strategy workshops are run at our venue in Woodstock, Cape Town or online via Skype or Expertise. We deal with helping business owners develop a narrative approach to their business development and planning as well as create well defined functional sales funnel and marketing strategy. Through this process, we work through our business development roadmap and identify gaps, assumptions and develop a risk mitigation strategy as we go.

If you are interested in starting or growing a business then please give us a call or complete the form HERE and we will be in contact with you.

By |2017-08-24T12:33:55+02:00August 24th, 2017|Bruce on Business, Business Resources, Innovation, Marketing|0 Comments

What is your Story?

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We all seem to have a story to tell. It may not be the next best seller or award winning movie, but each day when our feet hit the floor we start another chapter of our life story. What does yours say?

Tragedy? Comedy of errors? Adventure Quest? Raiders of the Lost Ark? If you had time to share your story, the story of your business, how would it begin? Who would be the main characters? Who would die? Would there be a car chase with a climatic end as you close the big deal and emerge as the hero?

Business Narrative strategies is something we have been working on for a few months now and we now offer businesses the service of developing your own story board that translates into a full business plan, internal processes and a marketing strategy. And it is fun.

Knowing who your Hero is, what the Princess is and identify the Villains is our start: we then add the supporting characters and develop your story plot and structure. All stories have imagination; in business, we call these assumptions. We assess these assumptions with a risk mitigation process and develop a management tool to keep them in check. Then as the story unfolds and is told in different ways, the marketing campaigns come to light and identify new heroes and different plots. These we translate into blogs, videos, posts and memes to tell the story to customers and future prospects.

If you are struggling to get your business focused, realigned for the new economy or maybe just starting out: then join us each month on our Business Narrative Strategy workshop where we will help unpack your story and develop sustainable strategies for your business.

By |2017-08-02T09:07:34+02:00August 2nd, 2017|Business Resources|0 Comments

Marketing Strategies Give a business the Unfair Advantage

Learning Legend

For any business operating in today’s world of cut budgets, time constraints and failing economies, it becomes harder and harder to penetrate new markets. But with a clear marketing strategy that includes relationship building techniques and tools together with a focus on experiential and convenience as primary factors, these businesses are continuing to see growth in double digits.

So what are you doing? Do you have a clear vision and mission for your business? Do you have monthly marketing strategies and goals? Does your business plan to stay ahead or become a victim of the current economy.

Join us on Wednesday 17th May at noon to learn what makes up a strategic marketing plan and what your business needs to do to keep up with other growing organisations. Register below and make a difference to your future.

REGISTER HERE

https://expertise.tv/webinar/developing-a-marketing-strategy/landing/5330

By |2017-05-16T13:58:21+02:00May 16th, 2017|Business Resources, Entrepreneurship|0 Comments

Are You a Learning Legend?

Learning Legend

Last week we launched our online Learning Legends programme. This allows everyone on our current mailing list to have access to our wealth of information and programmes for developing both you and your business.

The first release was access to the book Exploit Yourself, a master class in personal networking techniques. This is delivered in audio book format to your email over a 7-week programme. We have already had a flurry of people taking up the offer. If you want access to this free programme, then simply click HERE and complete the form.

We want to make online learning and access to information as easy as possible for the busy business person. Our programmes will in future include email courses, online video and eBooks. All of these will be available from our website, some free, others paid for, but all worth participating in.

We would love to hear from you about topics and ideas that you would like to have covered and we can see what we can do to accommodate you.

Keep an eye out for specials and discount vouchers for upcoming courses. Do not forget to get your free Audiobook HERE

By |2017-03-13T11:12:54+02:00March 13th, 2017|Business Resources, Entrepreneurship|0 Comments
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