Don’t look where you are, look where you want to be

Riding a motorbike, ok scooter, each day to and from work in the Cape Town traffic has taught me a number of lessons in both survival and in business. This blog series will cover some of the important ones.
One of the first lessons I learnt about riding a motorbike is to never look at the road where you are, be aware where you are but always look ahead to where you want to be.
This is key to running a successful business: being aware of the current situation is important but looking ahead to where you want to be is crucial to getting there. We work with our clients in setting up and following a Future Focused Framework that details a 3 year plan for both their lives and their businesses. This helps keep the focus fixed firmly on the future and the desired destination, but to also remember where we are at any one time.
The current situation is covered by a number of dashboards, indicators and general perception. But nothing you do now will adjust the current situation, but always pay dividend to your future.
I love the life insurance advert that says “Your future self will thank you for investing today” The same can be said for the future business owner of your business. By keeping your eyes and focus on what lies ahead makes for good business decisions today and will ensure that tomorrow is not lost.
So, ride free in your business, be aware of today, but keep your eyes up and focused on the future you desire.

By |2016-11-01T10:20:29+02:00January 26th, 2015|Entrepreneurship|0 Comments

Take a Look at Your Business

How do new customers see your business? We become so complacent when it comes to looking and not seeing. Once we get used to something we take it for granted and it just becomes normal for us. So many Capetonians live and work close to Table Mountain, but so many of us just forget to look up and see the majestic beauty of what we have on our door step.
The same goes for things that are deteriorating or dirty or broken. We get used to a broken door handle or a blown light bulb or a dirty wall and it just becomes a part of our normal. This is true not only at home but also our places of work. We arrive in the office, mind busy, ready to work and forget to stop and look at things as if for the first time. One of our clients told me that they spend 5 minutes each week on the opposite side of the street to their restaurant just looking at how everything looks. This gave them a new perspective as to how customers see them when arriving for the first time. Simple things like a dirty entrance, weeds, fingers on the glass, crooked signs are just some of things that people pick up, even subconsciously, and rate the quality of the business before walking through the front door.
Take time today to step out of your business and look in as if for the first time. Make a list of issues, no matter how small, and then get things fixed, cleaned, straightened and looking as if the business cares enough about itself to care for the customers. And don’t forget the kitchen, stock room and back door. Enjoy, let us know how it goes.

By |2016-11-01T10:20:29+02:00January 14th, 2015|Entrepreneurship|0 Comments

Elgin Free Range Chicken

Jeanne Groenewald started her business on her farm, because she wanted to eat good tasting chicken. Her friends also wanted some, so she grew more chickens. Today Elgin Free Range Chickens process over 80 000 chickens a week having grown her back yard venture into a world class business. Recognized by the Western Cape Premier, Helen Zille as her choice of Entrepreneur of the Year 2014, Jeanne has displayed the true spirit of a community based entrepreneurial business.

We tracked her down from her busy schedule to come chat to us about how it all began and what her success factors are in developing a successful business.

By |2016-11-01T10:20:29+02:00January 6th, 2015|Entrepreneurship, Leadership|0 Comments

Where will you be in 12 Months?

The beginning of a year allows us the time to pause, plan and proceed into the next 12 months. Too often we set huge expectations on ourselves, often shared around the dinner table at some party, where we promise to exercise more, eat less and sort out our finances. But this rarely ever translates into any form of action or progress.

So If I had to ask you this: Where do you expect to be in 12 months from now? What would your answer truly be?  Could you say with any level of certainty that your would have moved forward in your life goals and be better off?

Watch this sort video to get some inspiration on setting yourself up for the next year.

Share with us some of your main goals for 2015. I dare you….

By |2016-11-01T10:20:29+02:00January 5th, 2015|Business Resources, Entrepreneurship|0 Comments

Year End Strategies – Thank You

A final blog from us this year just to say thank you to all those who have played a role in our success over the past 12 months. It has been one massive year for both myself personally and for the business. But it does not stop there, we already have a expansion plan mapped out for 2015 with some key focus areas and goals ready for launch next month.

Many blessings to you and your staff for this Christmas period. No matter where you are or what you are up to may this time be special for you. Land, refuel and get ready to launch in 2015.

By |2016-11-01T10:20:29+02:00December 18th, 2014|Entrepreneurship|0 Comments

Year End Strategies – Staff Leave

Having to send too many of your staff on leave during the holidays can place a huge burden on the business structures and often results in poor service to customers who are still expecting the same level of service from you. We chat about some of the issues and solutions around staff leave.

By |2016-11-01T10:20:29+02:00December 17th, 2014|Entrepreneurship|0 Comments

How to Survive the Festive Season

Surviving the festive season and year end for a lot of business owners has become a huge issue. This series will unpack some of the strategies that will help ensure that you are still around and in business in February.

 

 

By |2016-11-01T10:20:30+02:00October 23rd, 2014|Entrepreneurship|0 Comments

Getting Unstuck

So often we find ourselves stuck in a rut or situation that just does not allow us any way out. What can be done to get unstuck and gain new momentum again?

When life hits you with a curve ball, you need to hit back. Think differently and the results will change. The worst thing you can do is to just put more effort into doing the same old thing hoping for a new result. Einstein called this act Insanity. Be different, think different and the result will change. Then gauge if the results are what you need or want and act again and again until things start to get back on course.

Here are some simple daily acts that may help you gain new direction in your business:

  • Have a daily staff huddle and share ideas, thoughts and situations.
  • Listen to others who speak, often they see things that you are blind to.
  • Meet and chat to outsiders who may offer advice from their wisdom.
  • Move your office furniture around to gain a new perspective on how you see things.
  • Get away from the office for a day one your own or with staff to help think out of the box.
  • Meet with a coach and work through the problem systematically using some of their tools

Getting stuck is a natural part of the life of a business, getting unstuck is what a good business leader is designed to do. Recognise the rut and stuckness before it begins to erode the business and act today to find a way forward.

By |2014-10-08T09:49:46+02:00October 8th, 2014|Entrepreneurship|0 Comments

I washed my car with half a cup of water

The world has become a lot more green focused, we have all been prompted to use less water, recycle more, drive less, exercise more and reduce our presence foot print.

A lot of the new businesses we see are now falling into this new Green Business sector with some innovative ideas and products. So as part of the new green evolution, I tried out a new product from one of our clients Drip Free. This Pearl water-less car wash system consists of a squirt bottle and two micro fiber cloths. No buckets, hose pipes of sponges. And off I went.

I used half a cup of water to moisten the one cloth and then washed my whole car and scooter without using a single drop more. The simple spray on and wipe off method removed all the dust, grit, break pad dust and squished insects from both vehicles with ease. The hard wax component shone up well when buffed a little leaving my vehicles clean and shiny and ready for the new week. Impressed? Very, this is a simple effective way to was any vehicle in a water restricted place such as a flat or housing complex or office car park. No water wastage and drains being clogged with foam and dirt.

Innovation does not always have to be a new computer chip or robot; it can just come in a spray bottle and a cloth. Get more info on Drip Free and place your online order to support our new Green Entrepreneurs.

By |2016-11-01T10:20:30+02:00September 15th, 2014|Entrepreneurship|0 Comments

Disambiguation Strategies

The issue of being stuck in a rut is often the cause of confusion and lack of development for both individuals and businesses. Striving for clarity in this fog of confusion requires a set of disambiguation strategies that will lead you into the clear sky and back on track to progress. So what are some of these strategies that you can employ

One: Do something different to get a different result. Change something in your routine or how you are working. Do not implement wholesale changes, this will only get you more in trouble. Change one thing at a time and then look for results. These changes can range from simple activities like moving your desk around, change that way you travel to work, have a new hair cut. Often small simple physical changes will help trigger change in behaviour and thinking.

Two: Share with someone who cares. Sharing your situation with someone is just good therapy. We don’t necessarily need to pay huge bills for a therapist, just a friend or family member will do.  If it is a business issue then a coach or mentor may be able to shed some light on the situation for you by asking the right questions.

Three: Write things down. This simple effective activity allows our brains to place things in order. One of the common strategies amongst successful people is journaling. Taking time each day just to jot down things in a journal helps retrofit ideas into strategies. You could also just write a letter or email to someone sharing the situation, again sharing is therapy, even with yourself.

Four: Using one of the many thinking tools that are available. Mind mapping is one that has been great for me for many years. The simple exercise of mapping out a situation or new ideas gives clarity as the map develops. New online apps make this a very simple effective way to think in pictures linked to the way our brains work.

Five: Hire a consultant. This is often the first course of action for corporate and government, but could be costly for smaller businesses. But consultants have their place in a situation that requires specialist thinking and situations. If you are moving into areas that will find you way out of your depth in expertise, then the consultant route is the way to go.

Just some simple ways to work your way out from an ambiguous situation to clarity.

By |2016-11-01T10:20:30+02:00September 9th, 2014|Business Resources, Entrepreneurship|0 Comments
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