Over the last two days our lives have been beaten up by gusting winds, hail and torrential rain. I have been pretty housebound during this time keeping watch on my home and garden.
Our actions during this time can be likened to how we act and react within our businesses during a time of crisis. I was constantly looking out the window to check the areas of my house than I did not have confidence in. These include newly build or renovated areas. A new addition to my garden includes a trampoline, this I checked regularly to make sure it was still in place, despite the rope attached to the closest tree.
The areas we are less confident with in our businesses should get the same treatment, constant management and checking. Keeping our finger on the pulse of our cash flow and the conversion of our marketing efforts to customers. The storms of the Cape come only during winter, the storms of business are constantly knocking on our doors. Lets develop a habit of keeping watch and managing the process to completion. Do not get caught off guard by a sudden down pour or high wind that may blow your entire business into the street.
The top 20 causes of immediate distress as defined by people in Cape Town and Jozy, published in The Shaggy Dog blog. Makes for interesting rading, Maybe SA is not such a bad place after all:
1) Getting gravel in your shoe 2) Being kept awake by the sound of a Christmas beetle buzzing and bumping into your bedroom walls 3) Trying to open the seal on a new toilet roll and only succeeding in ripping several layers to threads 4) Danny K 5) Running out of staples when you only have one thing left to staple 6) Citizens who use the word ‘peeps’ instead of ‘people’ 7) Overweight couples in matching Springbok rugby jerseys 8 ) Seeing someone throw litter from their car window 9) Construction company bakkies and pool service vans leaving large oil stains on your driveway 10) Those pointy Italian shoes for men 11) People who think Vodacom’s Dancing Meerkat is funny 12) Fear of crime 13) When a refuse bag splits open as you take it outside and the rubbish spills all over the place 14) Idiots in Hummers 15) Opening a Flake, Crunchie or Peppermint Crisp and finding it’s been broken 16) People who smugly proclaim “Oh, I don’t watch TV” when you tell them about a great new series 17) Spotting an obese person eating a waffle at Milky Lane 18) Middle-aged men wearing three-quarter pants. In fact, any man in three-quarter pants. The worst would be Danny K in three-quarter pants 19) Cyclists in coffee shops 20) When DStv gets affected by solar flares
This poem by Ian Macdonald is a great SA booster, thought I would share it with you to help lift your spirits. SA still rocks.
Why do I love South Africa?
I love her for the perfection of her days The crisp Karoo morning The Joburg winter noon The late summer Cape Town sunset The star-filled Free State night I love her for her people For our warm smiles For our resilience For our I-am-because-we-are I love her because she delights my senses Highveld thunderbolts Jacarandas in bloom Sunday braais African sun Icy sea I love her raw power, her intensity, her strength I love her because of how she makes me feel Sometimes angry, sometimes joyous Sometimes fearful, sometimes love-filled Sometimes frustrated, sometimes hopeful Always alive I love her because she intrigues me And challenges me The Chinese have a curse: "May you live in interesting times" I see it as a blessing I love her because she helps me keep things in perspective By reminding me how privileged I am Every day I love her for being a microcosm of the world A world in one country For what we can teach the world About compromise And sharing And forgiveness And tolerance And hope I love her because she's imperfect And full of opportunity And potential unfulfilled
I love her because she has come so far And has so much further to go And whether we ever get there Will all depend on us I love her because she's been so good to me And she inspires me to return the favour I love her because she's my country No matter what I love her because she's my home And where my soul is at rest
Dr. Susan L. Reid writes about looking at the Olympic throughthe eyes of a small bsuiness owner, HEre are her 15 points we can learn from the sporting event.
Be consistent. Become the very best you can be. Then deliver that level of excellence time and time again. Whether your event is table tennis, kayaking, or Taekwondo, practice your shot, stroke, or move until you can do it consistently well.
Be disciplined. Nothing takes the place of discipline. Not hard work. Not a perfect physique. Not even luck. Getting up each day and committing yourself to your improvement and the betterment of your sport is what it takes to win gold.
Come back from defeat. Don’t let defeat keep you down. Whether you have fallen from your horse, cracked your head on the diving board, or tripped while running, get back up. Keep going.
It takes a team to raise a champion. Even an athlete competing in an individual sport does not do so alone. Behind your success stands a whole team of supporters raising you up.
Listen to your inner knowing. Tune out the crowd. Whether they cheer or boo, go inward. Don’t listen to what others say. Tune into your strong inner knower, what I call your Inner Samurai, and let that be your guide.
Pay attention to details. The slightest nuance will add or deduct tenths of a point. Pay attention to details. You can bet that’s what your competitors are doing.
Stay the course. No matter how long it takes, stay the course. Don’t give up on yourself, your vision, or your goal. So what if it takes many years to realize your dream? The feeling of achievement cannot be measured in years.
Do your personal best, no matter what. Even with water in your goggles, sun glare in your eyes, and fists flying at you, do your best. Then be proud that you did.
Have a game plan. Have a game plan and stick with it. Know how many strokes you need before the flip turn, how many paces between each hurdle, and when to pull up on your horse to clear the gate.
Be strong. Be strong physically, mentally, and emotionally. In spirit, thought, and word. Stand strong. Land strong. Stay strong.
Have heart. Have heart and don’t be afraid to show it. Scream, shout, and cheer your way to success. Put your heart into everything you do.
Finish what you start. Even if you know you are coming in dead last, finish the race. Complete what you’ve started. Let the world know you mean business.
Work with your nerves. Not against them. Nerves mean you care a lot about something. Embrace them. Let them fuel you toward greatness.
Prove them wrong. When you hear negative things said about you, rejoice! These negative words are a powerful ally adding fuel to your inner fire. There’s nothing quite so sweet as proving you can do what others say you cannot.
Leave a legacy. The Olympic athletes have shown the world that they know they are fencing, boxing, or rowing for more than themselves. They do this for their country. For those who have gone before and for those who come after them. For all that is right and good in the world of competition.
This week Cape Town hosts the Marketing Expo Markex.
I went along with Meagan and we enjoyed a 4 hour engaging time. We spoke to each and every exhibitor and collected almost 15KG worth of gifts and catalogues. My mind was spinning with ideas, not only for HEP Incubator but also for all our clients. A great way to discover new ways to promote your brand in a small business.
Today I has set aside the afternoon to go through the pile of 'stuff' on my desk, sort the needs and wants and begin to get back to those we saw some promising future with.
If you have not gone yet, go. Only R20 or free for trade and well worth the time.
We did find the drumming lessons in the main hall a bit too loud .
We may be down as a nation with our poor sporting results but we are defiantly not out. The weekend produced some great sport action from all across the world. The Rugby was superb, to watch the master of the fetch and turnover game McCaw in action. We saw Phelps win his record 8th gold medal and the China team keeps their dominance over the Olympics. Just what do they feed those people?
So Monday and we are back on level playing fields and if you are feeling at all depressed because of a game over the weekend then it may be time to reevaluate your core belief system. We cannot depend on other people, especially those we have no influence over to dictate our emotions and attitude. We are independent people who have control over our own emotions. Take yourself by the shirt collar and give yourself a firm speaking to. We are South African, We are Business owners and We will have a great day.
We look forward to this week, new business contacts, new customers, new relationships, maybe a medal for team SA and defiantly a new attitude to our attitude. Have a good one.
After my article in my newsletter this month highlighting the poor quality of service I get from Mugg & Bean, it has been the topic of discussion for many. Even though it is frustrating to be served at the Bean, i went back three times yesterday to meet with clients and potential clients. People kept asking me "Why do I keep coming back?"
The reasons are:
It is well known landmark and easy to find
The tables are numbered so I can sms new clients to find me
The price for office rental is only R10.80 for the whole day, free coffee included
The have internet access
Their apple pie is the best for a mid morning snack (no cream) to keep me going
But
Their staff seem disconnected to what the mission statement says
The good staff members have moved on to better jobs leaving some very poor service levels
The staff play the blame game pointing to others when things need done or go wrong (unforgivable in my world)
I am beginning to get sick of the coffee taste
But I just may keep going back to meet clients and use all this as great learning visual aids for others in the hospitality business.
Come on Mugg & Bean, get with it, you are an SA icon, do not let us down.
Last week I told you about James from Freeline Skates SA doing his thing for the brand. James has now released the first marketing video for the SA market. A bit of a teaser video leaving us with wanting more. Perfect, well done.
James just needs to get his leg fixed and out of plaster to continue his quest for skating dominance in SA. Looking forward to the next video.
Traditionally one in four small businesses will fail or face closing within the first four years of opening their door to the public. This foundation phase of any business is a tricky one to navigate is will unearth issues that the business owner never new existed at the beginning.
The entrepreneur Incubator offers access to our team of professional experts. Labeled our ‘Crack Squad’ each has pledged themselves to offering their services at a reduced fee to help hatch and develop your small business with in the incubator programme. Stats are indicating that 87% of incubation-birthed businesses are staying in business.
It is our pledge to increase this statistic and give rise to the new wave of business owners that will revive our economy in Southern Africa. More info on www.HEPincubator.co.za.
Today is the official opening of the Beijing Olympics.
We will all be glued to our TV screens for the next few weeks as we support our team and enjoy the spectacular sporting achievements from best of the best.
Our best wishes for those on our SA team. Go Green and Gold.
A special shout out to Nikki Mocke and her team competing in the rowing. HEP had the privilege of helping Nikki prepare mentally for this huge event.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you, don't forget to wave to the camera at the opening ceremony .
I am always in search of tools to help me with creative thought. I Google and read and buy and over the years I have collected a bunch of really great tools to teach and learn creativity. Most of these come at a price but just yesterday I got one of my best bargains. For just R2.65, no that is not a typo just R2.65 I got myself a bamboo back scratcher with massage beads and a little red string thing to hang it on the hook in my office. So all this and now I can sit back in my chair and scratch my back, my neck and get that bit of fluff from between my toes and all this while promote creative thought. In just a day and a half I have completed two proposals and typed up 26 pages of course notes for next week. All promoted by my new toy, I mean tax deductable creative management tool.
Fred Roed from Ideate has posted a video that he has termed ‘required viewing for any self-respecting Entrepreneur” I wish to change this and label it “compulsory curriculum for success”. We get so hung up on education, graduation, letters behind our names and certification. I have always said that unless you want to be a brain surgeon or an airline pilot, do not worry too much about going to school before you start to become. Doing will help you get to the being long before the stopping and educating will.
Take 15 min now and watch the video and be inspired Click click
One of our HEP entrepreneur clients James Thorburn of Cape Reality International has recently imported a crate of sample Freeline Skates to begin a new trend in X-sports in South Africa. We had him team up with Dream Catcher Productions yesterday to film a teaser video for the Freeline skates marketing project.
We had James whisking past the camera a high speed and then jump off to avoid going into traffic, trees and pavements. All was going well until the very last shot we needed. James whisked past with shouts of Yippee and then slipped in his power slide (the term used for 'turn before hitting tree'). The skates went bouncing over the tarmac, as did James.
James we wish you well and a speedy recovery. All in the name of marketing. Keep back here to see the final production video soon. You rock James.
Human Energy Programmes, HEP, announce the launch of The Entrepreneur Incubator Programme this month.
HEP, involved in human development, enables people to grow in all facets of life. HEP offers excellent programmes in Entrepreneurial and Leadership Coaching, Relationship Mentoring and Health, and Wellness Coaching. With their motto: Helping You Get Life, they have helped individuals, families and companies make significant and successful changes. “It has been a long road to this point but we are ready to help tackle the problem of sustainable job creation in Southern Africa,” says Entrepreneurial Coach, Bruce Wade.
The programme offers a phased development cycle for new starts in the business world. It provides a well-defined roadmap to success with personal support for the entrepreneur, so as to avoid the pitfalls in small business.
HEP offer a pre-incubator workshops designed for those who are thinking about starting their own business. For those who have a firm business idea or have already started, HEP also offers the multi-level Incubation Programme where entrepreneurs can apply for their businesses to be reviewed and then be invited onto the programme at the appropriate level. On this programme, each business owner will receive Personal Coaching, Business Development Structures and attend a joint teaching and networking workshop each quarter. This offers the business owner a defined structure for growth and expansion whilst simultaneously providing a firm foundation.
HEP Incubator includes access to a Crack Squad of professional consultants who are experts in their field, whether legal, financial, design, marketing or labour. Each Crack Squad member is committed to offering the same nurturing support to HEP clients at a reduced rate.
Businesses can apply to be reviewed, and if they meet the criteria, will be promoted to the next level of the incubator system for further growth and structural opportunities.
“We are very excited about having the opportunity to be a part of the new economy in South Africa,” says Bruce, “We hope to have a positive impact on the lives of many new business owners as they embark on the road to building successful businesses”.
Bruce spent his early life at sea followed by 20 something years in the IT corporate industry both locally and in Europe. Following this he moved to join the ranks of the entrepreneurial world and ran his own businesses from Consultancy, Graphic Design, NGO, Training, Life Coaching and now with HEP. Bruce brings his vast experience of human nature development to the team with his understanding of what makes people do the things they do and what makes us not do the things we should do. Bruce is an author and the creator of The Sphere of Mankind.
