Impossible, Yes, So Let’s Get to Work

The merest attempt at estimating, the slightest unconscious recording is shrugged off as an absurd association with some never-to-be-realised dream.... as an exercise in futility.... I manage to whisper my first thought (whisper, so the demons won't hear): "I know it's impossible. But I know I will do it." At that instant, the towers become…

A business that is not growing, is dying

Entrepreneurship is about taking risks, about innovation, about closing a gap in the market but importantly it is also about growth. Below is a summary of the fascinating story about a startup company called Métier based in South Africa: Métier Mixed Concrete is a private company that has been in operation since March 2007. The…

The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) Report 2013

The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) report for 2013 has been released and having read it, I thought I will summarise some of the highlights of the report (with more emphasis to sub-Saharan Africa economies): • GEM (Global Entrepreneurship Monitor) study represents over 75% of the world’s population and 90% of world’s total GDP. • Namibia…

Good ideas come from bad ideas

When someone says to me, "I don't have any good ideas.... I'm just not just good at that," I ask them, "Do you have any bad ideas?" Nine times out of ten, the answer is no. Finding good ideas is surprisingly easy once you deal with the problem of finding bad ideas. All the creativity…

Professional wrestling is fake – learning how to see.

Professional wrestling is fake. Now some of you knew that before, but some of you just heard it for the first time. When you learn to see wrestling differently, that moment when you realise that it was fake, suddenly you noticed the blood pack, you notice people pulling their punches, you notice that things are…

Fit In or Stand Out

There are countless people waiting to tell you how to fit in, waiting to correct you, advice you, show you what you are doing wrong. And no one pushing you to stand out. If you add up all the books, back-benchers, bosses, teachers, parents, co-workers, employees, religious zealots, politicians, and friends who can show you…

The Curse of Reciprocity

Its human nature. If someone gives you a gift, you need to reciprocate. If someone invites you over for dinner, you bring something; a bottle of wine, a bowl of salads or even dessert. If people give you a Christmas gift, you can't rest until you give them one back. It's reciprocity that turned the…

Three Ways People Think About Gifts

1. Give me a gift! 2. Here is a gift; now you owe me, big-time. 3. Here is a gift, I love you. The first two are capitalist misunderstandings of what it means to give or receive a gift. The third is the only valid alternative on the list. Some people think that you can't…

The Paradox of the Safety Zone

The resistance would like you to curl up in a corner, avoid all threats, take no risks, and hide. It feels safe, after all. The paradox is that the more you hide, the riskier it is. The less commotion you cause, the more likely you are to fail, to be ignored, to expose yourself to…

21st Century Sales Person One day Workshop

Overview, Programme and Quotation for the 21st Century Sales Person 1 day Workshop As an Entrepreneur, sales and selling your services or products will be one of the first functions you will have to master. Sales is a dynamic function that is forever evolving, the emergence of social media in the 21st century has further…

Be Humble: Don’t Let Success Go to Your Head

Their stories are all too common: After years of hard work pursuing their dreams, these self-motivated high achievers reach the pinnacle of success that’s so richly deserved. And, you guessed it, they let success go to their head. Whatever happened to being humble? These entrepreneurs think they’re so special. They buy expensive “toys” to show…