Innovation Theorist, Author & IP Entrepreneur
I would appreciate it if you read this article with the intent of contributing in the comments. Thank you.
We all want a successful life. We believe working hard is one of the ways to get there. I want to investigate the other ways other than hard work; i.e. the attitudes to carry, the rules of engagement to adopt, the urge that drives people to be unreasonable.
A good friend of mine was in town for business Read more
Good day minister Zulu. First congratulations on your appointment on the new department.
This article has been in the writing even before it became known that the Department of Small Business Development would be. I’ve been chasing perfection with it, but I guess like entrepreneurship is about operating in ever ideal-less situations – it will never be perfect.
I hope there are many entrepreneurship activists like myself who are publicly raising their suggestions for SMME growth in South African, to the department. I believe more ideas, especially from different people give depth to solutions.
Below I list a few things which I believe frustrate entrepreneurship growth and acceleration, in South Africa. I have also included some ideas on how entrepreneurship can be fast tracked to strengthen and enlarge South African owned economic activity – which in the popular sense is economic prosperity for all.
And in no way am I implying solutions vest majorly on government.
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As South Africa’s GDP is the largest in Africa (actually now it is second to Nigeria), but with more unemployment than some countries with a lesser GDP and more people, who then is enjoying a bigger chunk of the GDP?
Through analyzing our exports versus imports, we can tell that foreign investors are enjoying our GDP through mostly: consumables (phones, clothing, cosmetic, soft products) and other innovations.
If the import gap (through work of course) is lessened a bit to the favour of local goods, this is simple better life most South Africans.
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The growth of a country’s banks depends on the growth in the amount of monies they handle. For more money to be handled, the GDP has to grow. Or a case of more people, who didn’t have money before, now does. Or they managed to attract internationals to bank with them.
A banking industry’s growth is Read more
Let’s be honest, do you support local than what you love (which is mostly international stuff)? If you do, you are an uncelebrated hero.
Even the unions’ (Cosatu, Num, Numsa etc.) investment arms do not invest in local young start-ups. I do not know these for a fact – I am an ars…
I used to own and run 2 Read more
I wrote 10 points on how authors can market their books for my other company www.BulaBuka.co.za which converts books into ebooks and distributes to e-store like Amazon, iBookstore, Kobo and others.
It follows below
I have sold have sold over a 1000 copies of my 2013 self published book ‘Forget The Business Plan Use This Short Model’ since the start of its marketing in April 2013. This is 600 + ebooks via e-stores such as Amazon, iBookstore, Kobo and others. The other is hardcopies sold straight from me through either couriering or personal meetings.
eBook sales were mostly international. Anyway, for a self published South African, I am proud of these online sales given our ebook market in only now developing. A Kanye West like rant is deserved, so good I should spit Ultramel custard – khotha so hard. It says to me I can do much better this year, which I am hard working on.
I have helped publish a number of South African authors Read more
Answer by Tiisetso Maloma:
Im only becoming a success is business now. I have failed a lot. Part of the failure was because i marketed to everyone and that is expensive, it let me to closing my clothing business (gabble heights). I had exhausted all the money i had on marketing.
What seems to be working now is, in all my businesses, the model is: identify who is likely to buy my product, i then give them a priority based on who is likely to buy the quickest.
The ones with high priority are those i approach first. That is where cash flow comes from. This leads to my businesses being sustainable and with repeat customers. Im able to grow with cash flow coming in.
Available at my webstore (South Africa), Takelot.com, Bargain Books and Exclusive.
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Township businesses typically begin with either strategic products or passion products.
Read moreWhenever the economy is not going so well, I often observe the blame being laid on consumers. To the contrary, I believe we South African consumers do save. I understand the reserve bank has to curb things or encourage them, by stepping in now and then.
To farce a bit, my cousin is still waiting for my response on an invitation to join their ‘wedding fund’ stokvel. You see, South Africans save. I speak for my black community, I don’t totally know of white folks. Definitely Indians save.
Below are some reasons I say South Africans save, some are a bit outlandish, but I will interject with reasons as to why. Read more
Find this book on Amazon, my webstore (if you’re in South Africa), Takelot.com, or in South African bookstores (Bargain Books, Exclusive Books, Protea, etc.)
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This is an extract from this article here
Wikipedia says: “A business model describes the rationale of how an organization creates, delivers, and captures value (economic, social, cultural, or other forms of value).”
Therefore a business model is primary for entrepreneurs to understand. As it’s the magic of creating and/or innovating value in products, turning revenue (profit) on the value and growing your venture.
Think the TV series Breaking The Magicians Code, the business model is the trick (not actual magic) which the magician devices, hoping it will give people transcending entertainment. I guess a good magician comes up with new tricks or innovatively recycles.
Us the audience, see the trick in its final form, now as magic (oh such joy and intrigue Read more
Networking is supposed t be a maneuver wherein one links with people in one way or another; with the intention of deriving or attracting future value, through putting out information which might benefit them-people, even if you don’t directly gain. This is hard for me to explain, but I trust you get the gist of what networking is.
I’m becoming less of a terrible networker. Maybe it’s because I know how I add value to processes, businesses or people. So when you ask me what I do, I just shout how I help out where I help out.
At The Hookup Dinner a while ago (it’s a networking event for entrepreneurs ok), I heard the networking queen (Helen Nicholson) say, when you tell people of what you do, say something like: I specialize in helping businesses achieve one two three. Not her exact words, but you catch my drift. This way of explaining exudes trust, and is welcoming, and leaves room for further conversation.
Un-networking
This is something perhaps a lot us of do unaware. We tarnish the value we possibly possess/portray, or chances of attaining any value. Read more
Keep going. This is the generally given advice on tackling and choke-slamming doubt, and the feeling of ineptness that creeps in on one, when one’s executed actions towards a goal aren’t proving fruitful.
I did this with gabble heights Clothing, I even paused/abandoned other business pursuits to zone my focus on one unit of enterprise. Months went by; sales weren’t that great or even improving. Other income opportunities were lost of course, now came in the daunting and depressing feeling of not affording one’s self: shelter, food and R45.00 for a six pack of Windhoek beer.
Mentally I wasn’t ok, physically I was doing well (exercise is good for the mind), but I was ‘keep going’. Read more
Dear single ladies
1. As you are pretty and, you look after yourself, guys will approach you.
2. Their approach will entail trying to be interesting or building interest.
3. In exchange you will respond however (positive or otherwise).
4. Regardless of the response, they are probably talking to you because you are pretty. That’s A; B is, its up to you if pretty is the operative foundation of what will be. If so, then getting a taste of your prettiness will be the roof (the end). Then you will feel used (maybe).
5. If a guy is trying to interest you, if you like him, put across your interesting-ness and integrity.
6. Your integrity challenges a guy to stand up and act worthy of you.
7. Therefore, a solid relationship is based on exchanging interests and integrity, and the differences not pulling the other down, but up!
With love!
Bro T (I could be wrong)
