“Finance is effectively the rhythm section of a company. It creates the company cadence that every company needs.” (John Baule, CPA and ecommerce expert) You can’t grow a business without a clear handle on your numbers. But too many business owners still confuse bookkeeping and accounting. These roles do have Read more
“Financial planning causes a struggle between the rational brain and the emotional brain.” (Michael C. Finke, author of Money Management Skills) You didn’t start your business to become a psychologist. But understanding the way emotions creep into your decisions could be the difference between plain sailing and struggling to stay Read more
“Networking is not about just connecting people. It’s about connecting people with people, people with ideas, and people with opportunities.” (Michele Jennae, business coach and author) Most entrepreneurs know they should be building a network, but not many know this should be a core business strategy. Building and maintaining the Read more
“Too many businesses only realise the value of intellectual capital when a key person leaves – or a competitor copies what they’ve built.” (Alicia Mendes, author of Futureproofing Through People) In the rush to raise capital, improve profitability or streamline efficiency, business owners often miss what truly drives their success: Read more
“Defining your target market is about understanding motivations, challenges, and goals. Without this, your messaging falls flat and your marketing budget burns fast.” (Elena Kwan, Founder of MarketLens Consulting) Fundamentally, businesses start because business owners believe they see a gap and aim to fill it. Their target market is built Read more
“When people are financially invested, they want a return. When people are emotionally invested, they want to contribute.” (Simon Sinek) Employee engagement. It determines so much about the direction of a company, its staff productivity and how likely it is to succeed. According to a Gallup poll just 23% of Read more
“Trust the young people; trust this generation’s innovation. They’re making things, changing innovation every day.” (Jack Ma, Co-Founder Alibaba Group) South African businesses are always looking for ways to foster growth and innovation while still reducing costs. One way to achieve both is to employ young people. Young workers Read more
Last month’s Budget 3.0 withdrew the contentious proposed VAT changes. This resulted in inflation-linked fuel levy increases of 16c for petrol and 15c for diesel, from 4 June. Other tax proposals from March’s Budget – including static personal tax thresholds, reduced transfer duties, and sin tax increases – remain unchanged. Read more
“Too often we hold fast to the clichés of our forebears. We subject all facts to a prefabricated set of interpretations. We enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.” (John F. Kennedy, former US president) Humans are creatures of habit. We form opinions and sets of actions Read more
“Clients do not come first. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients.” (Richard Branson) Whether you call it May Day, Labour Day or International Workers’ Day, 1 May is an opportune time for businesses to consider and prioritise their workers. Read more