Start-Up Basics 101: Estimating Start-Up Costs
Starting a business is a bit like moving into a new house – you are usually well prepared for the obvious expenses, but the hidden extras can break the bank. During the start-up phase of a small business, the business owner needs funds for once-off costs as well as at least six months of working […]
Brand Development For SMEs – Volume 2
In continuing our segment on Brand Development and ‘How You Will Be Communicating With Your Customers And Build Your Brand’, we take a look this week at more components (which is free to implement in most cases) that you can include as part of your engagement with potential customers: Read More: Advertising for Small Businesses A Photographic Library of professionally […]
Brand Development For SMEs – Volume 1
One of the most important aspects to consider when you start a new business is ‘How You Will Be Communicating With Your Customers’ and build your brand. This week we take a look at twelve (12) components (which is free to implement in most cases) that you can include as part of your engagement with potential customers. […]
Advertising for Small Businesses
Advertising and the concept of establishing your brand as a new Start-up Business is one of the most important methods of attracting new customers. But, it can either be a great success or a disastrous failure. Advertising can be an extremely expensive exercise, so therefore the effort and message you wish to translate need to […]
Calling All Graduates and School Leavers!
Where do Graduates go from here? So, you’ve completed another exam period and are now eagerly awaiting the results of your efforts. Will you pass Matric or perhaps complete that degree? Whatever your personal circumstances, chances are you will join a group of young South African Graduates and School Leavers that are all faced with […]
12 Months A Year = 12 Free Marketing Tips
With the end of 2015 almost upon us and operations winding down for most small businesses, most entrepreneurs will be faced with the question: “What can I do different in 2016 to attract and retain customers”? Whether B2B or B2C, I believe passionately that good marketing essentials are the same. We all are emotional beings […]
The Lone Wolf – Solopreneur: When Is it Enough?
Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort. Franklin D. Roosevelt Trying to do too much by yourself can be detrimental to your business. Being a one-man band or solo entrepreneur (‘solopreneur’) has tremendous advantages: you can set your own schedule, and […]
Start-Up Businesses: Wrong Fiscal Assumptions
Forecasting is the art of saying what will happen, and then explaining why it didn’t. Anonymous (communicated by Balaji Rajagopalan) The South African landscape lends itself to the fact that many individuals have limited education and training on basic financial literacy skills. These individuals form part of the pool of prospective entrepreneurs. Without basic financial literacy and […]
Mastering Marketing Plan Success: Implement with JTB
Behaviour precedes belief – that is, most people must engage in behaviour before they accept that it is beneficial; then they see the results, and then they believe that it is the right thing to do….implementation precedes buy-in; it does not follow it.” Douglas B. Reeves Speak to any prospective entrepreneur and even existing business owners […]
Top 5 Reasons Why You Need A Business Plan
Anybody beginning or extending a venture that will consume significant resources of money, energy or time and that’s expected to return a profit should take the time to draft some kind of business plan. But there are many reasons to write a business plan, including the following five: 1. You want to start a business. The […]
Reputation – It can Make or Break Your Business
REP-U-TA-TION: The estimation in which a person or thing is held; especially by the community or the general public; repute: a man of good reputation. “A man (woman) of good reputation”. If you are like me then that is definitely how I want to hear people talk about me and how I conduct business. Reputation is everything in the Business World. Whether you’re an online company or a multi-billion dollar corporation, […]
A Little Competition Never Hurts Anyone
Although most Entrepreneurs dream of having a market all to themselves, it has been shown that you’re probably better off with having some kind of competition. People usually think that with no competition the entire market for their product or service will be theirs. If nobody is competing in your space, it’s probably save to […]
