The ten rules that entrepreneurs live by
The life of an entrepreneur is different from that of ordinary people in many ways, and one of the main ways in which it differs is that it is more challenging. This is mainly because the entrepreneur sees the world not as it is, but as it can be, and then sets about changing it, […]
Client knowledge can improve sales
By Jannie Rossouw Head: Sanlam Business Market What was first – the chicken or the egg? In some way we are faced by the same challenge in business. Should you endeavour to develop a new product or service before finding a market for it, or first choose a target market and then align your products […]
It’s time to prepare for the second half
For a spectator of a game of football, the half-time break is merely a chance to stock up on some beer, but for the captains, the coaches and the players, it is a crucial few minutes of reviewing and tweaking their game plan. In a similar way, businesses that do not use some time in […]
Sales versus marketing
By Harry Welby-Cooke From Action Coach for Sanlam Business Market Sales and Marketing is a term loosely thrown together and is used as if it’s the same thing. It’s NOT! Albeit related, it really is two very different things. In your company, like may others, it’s further confused in that it’s often the same staff […]
15 finalists named for the 2016 Entrepreneur of the Year® competition
Following a fiercely competitive preliminary round of the 2016 Entrepreneur of the Year® competition sponsored by Sanlam and Business/ Partners, a shortlist of 15 standout entrants has made it through to the final round of the competition, with the ultimate winners to be announced in September. We are thrilled to announce that we received 213 […]
Ten ways to hook investors onto your big idea
A great many excellent business ideas never get past the spreadsheet stage and into the real world simply because entrepreneurs fail to connect to the people with enough money and risk appetite to help them implement them. Finding the right investors and pitching your idea effectively is a business skill that can be worked on, […]
Your business is your economy
By Jannie Rossouw Head: Sanlam Business Market When I looked at the typical “hassle map” of a business owner, it dawned on me that we tend to focus on the things that we cannot control or have little control over. Here is a list of things we do have control over: My attitude: Do I […]
How business owners can drive SA’s youth entrepreneurship levels
The 2015/2016 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) report for South Africa shows an upsettingly low entrepreneurial involvement level among 18-to-24-year-olds, when compared to the average figure for Africa in the same age group. This is particularly alarming when considering the majority of South African school-leavers do not enter into tertiary education and therefore enter the work […]
Is your business continuity protected to survive a crisis?
By Jannie Rossouw Head: Sanlam Business Market www.businessdirectory.co.za defines a crisis as: “A critical event or point of decision that, if not handled in an appropriate manner (or if not handled at all) may turn into a disaster or catastrophe. Financial challenges in a business may come in many guises. For instance: A big contract […]
Should entrepreneurs pay attention to economic “noise”?
The South African economy had a bumpy start to 2016, impacting both small and large businesses alike. Recent attention grabbing headlines – from interest rate hikes, petrol increases and talk of a possible credit rating downgrade which has been averted – make it challenging for business owners to feel positive amongst the gloomy news. Gugu […]