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 […]
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 […]
Why financials are important even to non-financially savvy business owners
By Jannie Rossouw Head: Sanlam Business Market Many business owners manage the finances of their businesses by means of their bank account. This is a risky practice as the bank account does not provide a true reflection of the real cash flow status of the business. Here are four actions you can consider applying in […]
Business evaluation can lead to business optimisation
There is something to be said for making the time to investigate, evaluate and think about some critical elements impacting on the success of our businesses. In this article I will look into (1) Service Experience, (2) Business Premises, (3) Our People and (4) The Image of my Business. 1. Service Experience This subject matter […]
Where is my business heading?
As business owners we are often so busy working in the business that we fail to work on the business. We are chasing the next transaction, dealing with a dissatisfied client, negotiating terms with a provider, or having problems trying to balance the cash flow. Over the years I have learnt that one should put […]
Technology can be a business enabler
Article written by Jannie Rossouw, Head: Sanlam Business Market The first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency. The second is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency. Bill Gates Whenever I think about the application of technology […]
How to meet the expectations of your target market
Article written by Jannie Rossouw, Head: Sanlam Business Market “Exceed your customer’s expectations. If you do, they’ll come back over and over. Give them what they want – and a little more.” – Sam Walton. (Sam Walton was an American businessman and entrepreneur best known for founding the retailers Walmart and Sam’s Club.) I am […]
The value of reflection to improve business results
Article written by Jannie Rossouw, Head: Sanlam Business Market “Without reflection, we go blindly on our way, creating more unintended consequences, and failing to achieve anything useful.” (Margaret J. Wheatley – American writer and management consultant who studies organisational behaviour) These are very sobering words and make us realise that we might be chasing the […]
Do you know where to allocate business resources?
Article written by Jannie Rossouw, Head: Sanlam Business Market It is said that something well planned is 50% done. If this holds true, then I wonder why so many of us do not make an effort to plan our business activities in advance. To my mind there are numerous reasons why continuous business planning is […]
How your product/service guarantee can differentiate your business
Article written by Jannie Rossouw, Head: Sanlam Business Market A guarantee is a formal assurance (typically written) that certain conditions will be met; specifically that a product will be reinstated or replaced if it does not live up to the specified quality, or that a service will be reviewed if it does not deliver the […]