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10 Things Successful SA Entrepreneurs Do Differently

11/30/2017

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Tips and tricks used by high-powered entrepreneurs to optimise their performance.

Strategy is 10%. Execution is 90%
    “The key to success is being able to take an idea and execute it.”

Vital Stats:

    Ivan Epstein is the founder of Softline, which was acquired by Sage Group in 2003. He is currently CEO Sage AAMEA (Africa, Australia, Middle East, Asia).

“Even though I can admit that I work six days a week, it’s still about the quality of your time, not how long you work. Never procrastinate, it’s a complete waste of time.

“The key to success is being able to take an idea and execute it. Strategy is only 10% of it. The other 90% of success lies in your ability to execute your great ideas. I’ve made a point of always surrounding myself with highly intelligent people who get the job done.”

“We don’t waste time. The art is in the execution. As a company we have always moved quickly. My MDs report directly to me, but they also have ownership of their autonomous business units, which gives them a sense of urgency.”

Start every day with a fist pump
    “I’ve always believed that the first person you need to build a reputation with is yourself.”

Vital stats:

    Marcel Klaassen is the Executive Head of Growth for FNB Business Banking.

You can’t project outward confidence if you’re trying to fix what’s inside. Your foundation is self-belief. I give myself constant affirmations that I’m doing well. I start the day with a double fist pump. It might sound silly, but try it one day. It’s an instant boost to your mood and confidence. I also make a big deal of my personal victories. I’ll even high five myself. It’s important to celebrate being true to yourself.”

“I’m also a big believer of the ‘crush it’ philosophy. Instead of trying to do everything well, give one thing your absolute all. Be the best at it and always be taking what you do to the next level. Focus on what you’re really good at and crush it.”

Rigorously debate big business decisions
Adrian-Gore

    “Some of the most amazing people I work with give me a sense that ‘it is possible.’”

Vital stats:

    Adrian Gore is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Discovery Group.

Adrian Gore always draws on the collective input of a strong team.

“Discovery’s Exco meets on average for seven hours a week every Monday. We go through everything. Sometimes it’s a bun fight. We don’t stick to the agenda. Some things we’ll spend three hours on, other things we won’t get to. There’s rigorous debate and arguments, but it means that every week 20 really smart people are all thinking and providing input.”

“No one is making buy/sell decisions. Everything is debated until consensus is reached. Reaching consensus is the path I prefer, even though I’m actually an impatient and frustrated person. I’ve got a thin skin. I don’t take criticism well. But because of that, I don’t like to command because I don’t like the push-back that I get. So I far prefer consensus.”


Embrace organisation – even if it’s not your natural inclination
Asher-Bohbot

    “I’m naturally an extremely disorganised person. But I’ve had to learn how to be organised. You can’t run a business if you procrastinate or you’re disorganised – ever.”

Vital stats:

    Asher Bohbot is the founder of EOH, which has an annual turnover of R5 billion.

“I’m naturally an extremely disorganised person. I’m the kind of person who would put off doing things until tomorrow, or do them at the last minute. But I’ve had to learn how to be organised. Being disorganised in business causes you stress and embarrassment. It’s something I had to work hard at because it isn’t my natural inclination, but having structure to my day reduces my stress levels and enables me to be maximally effective. You can’t run a business if you procrastinate or you’re disorganised – ever.”

“This carries through to everything I do. I even try to respond immediately to as many e-mails as I can. I don’t like leaving things hanging. In my experience, queueing things in my head only causes stress. So if I can reply with a definitive answer, I do. Then that item is out of the way and off my plate.”


Tech and multiple screens maximise productivity
Spartan-Kumaran-Padayachee

    “I have four screens on my desk, both at the office and at home, and I find it’s a huge time-saver.”

Vital stats:

    Kumaran Padayachee is the CEO of Spartan Technology Rentals.

“One screen is my calendar: It lists my appointments, reminders and lists, and gives me a constant perspective on my day, week and month. The second screen is Outlook, and the third is Explorer, with multiple tabs open, including our Intranet, Google and LinkedIn. The fourth screen is my current tasks screen — anything I’m working on.”

“No one device can do everything. Once you realise that, the decision to have multiple devices is an easy one. For me, productivity is key, and so I want to always be working with the right tech for the job. Desktop PCs, tablets and smartphones all have their place. Microsoft Exchange links them all together, and so anything I do on one is automatically updated across the rest.”


Work during your most productive times
Divan-Botha

    “I’ve learnt my most productive hours are from 05:30 to 08:30 in the morning.”

Vital stats:

    Divan Botha is a corporate veteran, the owner of popular coffee shop The Whippet, and presenter on KykNET’s Winslyn.

“Everyone is different and experiences peak productivity at different times. Some people are night owls, others get loads done at the crack of dawn. Be aware of when you’re getting different kinds of work done. Do you think best earlier in the day? Are you able to concentrate the longest late in the afternoon? Do your neurons only wake up when the sun goes down”

“Develop a work routine that works around your peak productivity, rather than trying to force your productivity into the traditional eight-to-five workday.”


When it comes to e-mail management, it boils down to three choices
Adrian-Gore-Discovery

    “Keeping on top of your emails with a one-touch policy.”

Vital stats:

    Adrian Gore is the founder and CEO of Discovery.
    In 2013 the company listed operating profits of R762 million, and his worth was estimated at R2,2 billion.

Adrian Gore has a one-touch policy when it comes to e-mail management.

“Rather than browsing through your mails and becoming overwhelmed by the pile by the end of the day, week, month or year, do one of three things with every new mail: You either respond to the e-mail so that it’s dealt with, you delegate it to a person who will be able to complete the task, or you delete it.”


How to keep time on your side
Yossi-Hasson

    “I have a daily seven-minute huddle with my team, and each day someone different presents the brief.”

Vital stats:

    Yossi Hasson is the co-founder of Synaq, a company listed as one of Forbes’ Top 20 Tech Start-ups for 2012.
    In 2011, Dimension Data bought a 50,1% stake in the business.

According to Yossi Hasson, a fortune can be done in a small space of time, but tasks will extend to the full time allocated to them.

“Seven minutes can cover a lifetime of information if the structure is there. The time limit isn’t about being obsessive about time-keeping, but forcing people to be more concise and structured in their thinking,” he says.”


Everyone is different. Don’t fight it, leverage it
Miranda-Isaakidis

    “Getting the most from your staff is about working with what you have, and leveraging it.”

Vital stats:

    Miranda Isaakidis is the co-founder of high-end spa supplies company Indulgence Spa Products, and she is the Johannesburg Chapter Chair for The Women Presidents Organisation.

“I once had an assistant who possessed none of the skills required to perform her job. I complained to my manager, but rather than receive sympathy, I was told I was responsible for her non-performance, and that I should look at my management skills. That was a huge shock.”

“I went back to the drawing board and re-assessed her skills. She never learnt to spell-check properly – I had to keep doing that myself – but I discovered she had this extraordinary ability for getting me any appointment I wanted, which was far more valuable and useful for my position at the time. Had I stuck to insisting she brush up her word-processing skills, I would never have been able to take my work to the next level by booking the right meetings.”


Get outside!
Mandi-Fine

    “If someone hasn’t left their desk in days, I tell them to get up and get out. Go see what’s happening in the world and do something different.”

Vital stats:

    Mandi Fine is the CEO of multiple award-winning Fine Healthcare Group, a strategic healthcare marketing and advertising agency.

At Fine Healthcare Group (FHC), they believe that award-winning marketing ideas form everywhere except at your desk.

“We have a philosophy of ‘white space’, which is essential for good ideas.”

“We give our staff the time and space they need to be rejuvenated and creatively energised, so that they bring their best ideas and energy to the office. It doesn’t matter where your work gets done, so long as you’re meeting your KPIs.”

Click here for the article on Entrepeneurmag.co.za


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Global travel trends that will help position SA as a sought-after travel destination in 2018

11/21/2017

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According to Martin Wiest, chief executive of Tourvest's Destination Management division, the South African tourism industry stands to benefit from global travel trends such a desire to visit off-the-beaten-track places, a greater social and environmental awareness and growing interest in activity-based tourism. These will allow the industry to position South Africa as a sought-after travel destination in 2018.
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Millennials driving change in travel

Driving many of these trends is the millennial generation, now in their twenties and thirties, who have emerged as a key source demographic. “Millennials are well known for their social and environmental conscience, and will shun countries with poor human rights and environmental practices while seeking to support those travel companies, whose values mirror their own,” says Wiest.

At the same time, according to Wiest, these travellers are seeking new and authentic travel experiences, no longer content with visiting well-travelled destinations. “They want to see lesser known and relatively un-commercialised places, with Cuba, Iceland, Croatia, and South Africa highly recommended by respected travel websites and publications,” he says.

“Additionally, travellers are looking for new experiences instead of mundane sight-seeing tours and South Africa emerged as one of the best adventure travel destinations in 2017, with its wide range of offerings such as safaris, canopy tours, animal interactions, quad biking and hot air ballooning.”

Wiest says technology is also having an impact on travellers’ purchasing behaviour with new websites aggregating the best deals across thousands of booking sites and tailoring options based on a person’s search history and preferences. In this environment, travellers have become more price conscious, and destinations that offer the best value for money will benefit.

SA ticking all the boxes

“South Africa is ticking all the right boxes in terms of its affordability, conservation tourism experiences, an original and sophisticated culinary scene, and the very best in adventure offerings,” he says. “We also expect to see an uptick in local tourism with more young South Africans taking advantage of the world-class offerings in their own backyard.”

Other trends to look out for

Other travel trends to look out for, says Wiest, include the growth in solo travel, particularly with the rise of women-only retreats and travel agents, “bleisure” trips, with more companies including trips as incentives in employee benefit packages and multi-generational travel with more grandparents holidaying with their grandchildren.

Read the article online on BizCommunity
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Quarter-life crisis? You’re not alone

11/20/2017

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According to a LinkedIn research, 75% of 25-33 year olds have experienced a quarter-life crisis, often related to feeling as if they were at a crossroads in their career. Women and men alike have experienced it (73% vs. 76%, respectively), with 85% of those in Arts & Culture having had a quarter-life crisis, followed closely by IT & Telecoms, at 84%. The average age of a quarter-life crisis is 27 years old. Globally, nearly 80% of those aged 25-33 have felt under pressure to succeed in relationships, career or finances before hitting 30. Finding a job or career that they’re passionate about is the top reason this age group feels anxious (61%), even more so than about finding a life partner (47%) or dealing with student debt (22%). Nearly half (48%) of respondents feel anxious when comparing themselves to others. The online survey was conducted by Censuswide on behalf of LinkedIn from Oct. 31-Nov. 3, among 6,014 respondents across the United States, United Kingdom, India and Australia.
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Read the article on Linkedin
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TRVL: Shaking up the online travel industry with Jochem Wijnands

11/19/2017

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Another shared economy, technology-led disruption is on the cards for the travel industry and it's coming to South Africa. TRVL gives everyone access to a world that has been inhabited by travel agencies only - until now. According to a TechCrunch article, "If TRVL has its way, it's the travel agencies' turn to tremble."

We had a chat with Founder and CEO Jochem Wijnands - the same Dutch entrepreneur who built the Prss digital publishing platform which became Apple News - about his latest startup that is set to cause a stir in the travel industry.
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What is TRVL and how does it work?

TRVL is a peer-to-peer booking platform that gives everyone access to the travel agent world. We’re lifting the curtain of the travel industry and revealing what is behind it.

First: We pay you a travel agent commission on every booking you make (yes, really!)

Second: We give you access to industry deals with discounts of up to 65% - that you won’t find anywhere else. This is as good as it sounds.

Third: You can get personalised advice from other travellers who’ve experienced a destination first hand.

TRVL acknowledges that you’re acting like your own travel agent, and we’re paying you the commission a travel agent would normally get.

 Tell us about the technology powering TRVL and what led to its creation?

We’ve integrated API’s from five brands (and counting): Booking, Expedia, Agoda, Priceline and Hotels. Your dashboard keeps track of all commissions you have earned and all trips you have booked. With our proprietary chat, you can share information with other travellers, on-demand and in real time. In the near future, we’ll start adding other products such as activities, tours and rental cars.

TRVL is revealing the Secrets of the Travel Industry from TRVL on Vimeo.

 What is TRVL’s goal?

Simply put: to make it better for the traveller.

Today, researching and booking your trip online takes a lot of time and can be frustrating and tedious. And it is too expensive. TRVL acknowledges that you’re acting like your own travel agent, and we’re paying you the commission a travel agent would normally get. We’re connecting millions of travellers with each other so you can always find first-hand information about your destination when you need it most: when you’re making a booking.

 What value does TRVL hold for travel writers/bloggers? And what has the response been like from regular travellers who can also use TRVL?

TRVL is for all travellers, no matter what type of traveller you are. Some of the travellers that join TRVL like to become a travel curator and make money from home, and with TRVL they can set up shop. For travel bloggers, this is a no-brainer because they already reach a large travel savvy audience and they need to monetise their blog.

 How will it change the travel industry?

To put the traveller first and give them an earning model and access to the travel industry world that is normally off-limits to them, is new and disruptive. TRVL is emancipating travellers and empowering them to take matters into their own hands. This is very exciting, and we’re convinced it will change the travel industry for the better. It’s a logical next step. We want TRVL to be the next normal.

 What does the future hold for TRVL?

Continuing our global rollout, adding new products, expanding our community features and growing our user base. Our growth is organic, it’s word of mouth, one traveller tipping off another.

We’re hoping to win the popular vote.

Read the article on BizCommunity
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The Battle of Positive and Negative Reviews

11/14/2017

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Why is it that consumers are more likely to talk about negative experiences than positive experiences? It may be due to emotion, negativity bias, unmet expectations, the increasingly rapid pace of life, or a combination of these factors.
 
According to a ZenDesk survey, bad news travels fast. The study revealed that 95% of customers shared bad experiences with others, while 87% shared good experiences. It also showed that verbally, 54% shared bad experiences with over five people, and 33% shared good experiences with over five people. Meanwhile online, 45% shared bad experiences, and 30% shared good experiences.
 
Another survey found that 71% posted complaints online due to failing customer service. They also found that 30% of people posted online to vent negative feelings, while just 23% posted purely for vengeance.
 
So why are there more complaints?
 
Some of the reasons that consumers may be more likely to leave a negative review rather than a positive review on platforms such as Hellopeter include the following:
•    Emotions play an important role. Disappointment and frustration are often strong drivers, prompting people to vent. It takes a matter of seconds for someone to bash out an angry post after a bad experience.
•    People typically have a negativity bias. This means that we receive and hear negative information more quickly than positive information. We also process and remember negative information at a faster rate than positive information.
•    Expectations are not managed. Consumers have come to expect brands to deliver a high quality of product and service. As such, positive experiences are not seen as something over and beyond basic service, but rather something that is par for the course. Those loyal to a brand may want to share a good experience, but others may assume that good service is a given.
•    Consumers are often busy and pushed for time. Adding to expectations, consumers feel justified in speaking out about experiences that cause delays. When things do not work, consumers feel that their time has been misspent. This in turn increases the negative emotions.
 
What can businesses do to encourage positive reviews?
 
They can ask for reviews, for starters. Businesses can encourage customers to share their feedback, and in doing so, it will make it easier to generate positive reviews. Another way is to strive for a culture of transparency, accountability and proactive thinking. If businesses make it harder for customers to leave bad reviews by giving excellent service, they will certainly see a reduction. If businesses make it easier for customers to rethink their reviews by resolving the problem, they can turn a negative experience into a good one. Above all else, learning how to truly listen to customers is key.

Do your bit by giving credit when credit is due.

Article published on Hellopeter.com
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