Insight-driven growth for business and lifestyle
Chesney Bradshaw
When my father was big in fishing and the fish in those days were more plentiful it was very tempting to become a professional fishermen. So tempting, in fact, that several people who had full-time jobs did so. One youngster who came fishing with us wasn’t particularly motivated to work for a boss and learnt as much as he could from my father about how to fish professionally. Continue reading “Who would you go to for advice on starting a business?”
An economy like this one we have puts start-up founders and entrepreneurs to the test. When the economy is good fast sales tend to mask underlying problems in your business that may not be getting the attention they deserve. Suddenly problems start surfacing and you can very quickly get yourself into trouble and even end up shutting your doors for good.
The other day I heard a business coach being questioned by a radio journalist about the type of problems that most businesses are facing. The coach mentioned that one of the biggest issues is cash flow. This comes as no surprise because in this hard economy customers who have credit with small businesses are paying later and suppliers want to be paid sooner and are more reluctant to dish out discounts. But the real issue is sales. When sales are slowing because customers are postponing purchases, making do with what they’ve got, sales tend to take a nosedive. Continue reading “What are the top three issues in your business?”
When we look back on what we have achieved, how far we’ve progressed and what we’ve done in our life and business, we know that we have had help along the way. Out of all the people that you have known in your lifetime who has helped you most or influenced you most?
Sometimes we forget those early influences. I remember one point in my life when I was considering doing a degree. I had no support from family or friends where I lived because in those days many of the youngsters were not going to university but are decided on trades and clerical positions. I had this yearning to learn more and be more and thought that a bachelor of arts degree would give me a leg up in life. Continue reading “Who helped you most on your life’s journey?”
I stood in the big open hall of the old Olympia bioscope in Kalk Bay on my first day to learn karate with Peter Brandon, our instructor.
It was my last year of high school and I wanted to do something to keep fit and find the inner discipline to make it through what would be a tough year. Although I put it out of my mind as being far away, the reality of being conscripted into the military hung menacingly over my future.
Continue reading “Find your inner strength to guide your way”
Chris Preston, an Australian surfer who damaged his shoulder a few years ago, has come up with a motorised surfboard for injured surfers would like to surf again.
Preston and his co-director, his wife Natalie, are launching Power Boards which will sell about 20 boards a month. Board prices, depending on board length, range between $4,200 and $4,700.
This is a great start-up story of an entrepreneur who spotted an opportunity and is motivated enough to make a go of his idea. It interesting that his idea came out of his surfing experience.
A surfing experience also led Anna Jerstrom, a Swede, to an idea for the Calavera range of bikinis designed to stay on no matter how rough the surf while on a surfing camp in Costa Rica. Continue reading “This entrepreneur didn’t need an incubator to hatch a motorised surfboard business”
