Tag: small business

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Without this, you won’t get your new business idea to fly

(Copyright © 2015 by Chesney Bradshaw, all rights reserved)
(Copyright © 2015 by Chesney Bradshaw, all rights reserved)

A small business owner has been running his service business for more than two decades and now wants to chuck it up and go into a niche in the tourism sector. It’s a promising new business idea which he has been working on for the past two years.

But will he ever get it off the ground?

There is a huge difference between coming up with a promising new business idea and implementing it. Virtually anyone can do some personal brainstorming and can come up with some promising new business ideas. But probably only one in 10 – or it could be far less – have the commitment to follow through. Without implementation, there is no innovation. Continue reading “Without this, you won’t get your new business idea to fly”

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Observation gets the ideas flowing

(Copyright © 2015 by Chesney Bradshaw, all rights reserved)
(Copyright © 2015 by Chesney Bradshaw, all rights reserved)

One of the best ways to find out if entrepreneurial ideas are working is to go out and look for yourself at real businesses in main street, morning markets or shopping centres. Rather than swallow hook, line and sinker the stories you read in small business magazines and newspapers, it’s good to get out there yourself and find out what’s working and what isn’t. It’s not only about the business idea itself but also about merchandising, store location and customer service.
Continue reading “Observation gets the ideas flowing”

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How do you stare reality in the face and admit your mistakes (before the sheriff rocks up to collect and sell your motor vehicle, furniture and property)?

Failure (song)
Failure (song) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It’s not pleasant talking about failure. But if you want to start something you love, something that matters or to build a side income you have to be dead honest with yourself.

An article recently gave a brutally honest account of 33 start-ups that died and what the founders gave as explanations for the failure. This was straight-talking honesty that didn’t pull any punches. The reasons for failure are warnings for anyone who wants to come up with a new business idea and turn it into a product or service. Continue reading “How do you stare reality in the face and admit your mistakes (before the sheriff rocks up to collect and sell your motor vehicle, furniture and property)?”

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Why are these small business owners so entrepreneurial in this city?

Cape Town taxi rank above train station
Cape Town taxi rank above train station (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I have to say that I must reveal my bias when it comes to new retail formats and new business ideas in Cape Town. The thing is that I lived for the better part of 20 years, growing up in Cape Town and perhaps have an inborn bias for the vibrancy of the city.

On a recent Saturday afternoon in Claremont I was looking for some basic art supplies and because there was no art shop in Cavendish Square I asked around at the information kiosk and was told to go behind the shopping centre where I would find an art shop. Continue reading “Why are these small business owners so entrepreneurial in this city?”

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Does the story of your small business turn customers on?

English: Fire stoking as at intermission of st...
Storytelling. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The local South African film industry is struggling to tell good stories but often they run aground. Mass audiences are more interested in escaping from the harsh reality of modern day life in the country and rather lap up the Hollywood blockbusters. A local film “Of Good Report” was supposed to open at a film festival last year but was not screened on opening night because the censorship board decided it was unfit for public consumption. “Hard to Get” is a hard-edged story which, as one film critic said could help to attract cyber kids away from their tablets and smartphones into the cinema. Going back many years even to 1973 films have had short-run lives. “Joe Bullet” was a groundbreaking movie for the mass market but was banned only after two showings because of its actors. Continue reading “Does the story of your small business turn customers on?”

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Are you making your advertising work harder for your small business?

English: Picture of an authentic Neapolitan Pi...
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

How do you make your advertising works harder for your small business without pushing so hard that you get accused of making claims that can’t be substantiated?

A report in a local newspaper asserted that the Advertising Standards Authority of South Africa received more than 1,700 complaints from consumers and competitors in the past year. Something like 42% of advertisers had contravened the Code of Advertising Practice by communicating misleading claims. A further 21% of advertisers could not substantiate their claims. In one of the cases cellular networks challenged advertising claims. One claimed that it was the “fastest network for smart phones” and won the case. But this same cellular network was unable to prove that it has the “best and widest 3G/3G network in the country”. Continue reading “Are you making your advertising work harder for your small business?”

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Smash through the procrastination wall with focus

Rustic Kitchen Island
Rustic Kitchen Island (Photo credits: West Elm)

The owner of a shoe factory in the KwaZulu Natal Midlands was forced to close down because of cheap imports. He has come to Johannesburg to start a restaurant in one of the suburbs. The restaurant is doing exceptionally well. Some nights he is fully booked and other nights tables flow out onto the pavement. At one stage he also won a contract to supply the kitchen requirements of a local sports club.

This small business owner is always in a rush. He has been working full out to establish his small business and never gets a moment’s rest. With the award of the contract to supply the kitchen of a local sports club he was running between his restaurant and the kitchen of the sports club. He had no time for himself as he is frantically established the other business. Continue reading “Smash through the procrastination wall with focus”

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Incidents like this can hurt your people and small business big-time

The flame test for sodium displays a brilliant...
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I was sitting in a small restaurant when I heard screams coming from the car park below. Black clouds of smoke started rising past the window. Not knowing what had happened on the street below, I picked grabbed my belongings, got up and walked out of the restaurant towards the top side car park.

When I found out what it happened, I went back to the restaurant, paid my bill and afterwards drove around to see the site of the accident. When I got there the two business people who work in the small sit-down and take-away restaurant were seated in chairs with severe burn marks on their legs. A gas fire had spread rapidly in the shop and they were closest to the source of the gas and suffered damage to their bodies. Fortunately, the shop owner above this restaurant knew first aid and was attending to these business people with burn gel while contacting the paramedics and ambulance service. This small sit-down and take-away restaurant business was trading only for over a year. Who knows when it will open again? Continue reading “Incidents like this can hurt your people and small business big-time”

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Can you really start a small business without a strong team?

Malaysia Lankawei 5
Malaysia Lankawei 5 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A Malaysian social entrepreneur went for a holiday at a remote coastal village and discovered that the local people were in need of homes. So he began to put a concept together of building modular homes that could involve volunteers assisting communities to build homes. But everywhere he went he could not find architects or civil engineers who could help him realise his vision.

Eventually after about eight months he was at a dinner with extended family and by chance he happened to mention what he was trying to do and one of the family members who owned and ran a construction company suggested that he meet with his management team and specialists to come up with a concept. Continue reading “Can you really start a small business without a strong team?”

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Is your small business dying? One dead giveaway that you’ve got it all wrong

(Copyright © 2015 by Chesney Bradshaw, all rights reserved)
(Copyright © 2015 by Chesney Bradshaw, all rights reserved)

Some time back in the early morning I wanted to buy magazines at a stationery and assorted non-foods and gifts store in a large shopping centre. It was 9 AM and the store was still closed. I waited together with a small group of other potential customers for the doors of the store to open. Staff were in the store as well as security but there was no sign that anyone was going to open the shop. After about 15 minutes I gave up as did almost all the other potential customers.

This flagrant disregard of customers was a worrying sign. The same chain of stores had a few years back gone into near bankruptcy and fortunately had been pulled back from the brink of disaster. Now one wondered what was going to happen next. Continue reading “Is your small business dying? One dead giveaway that you’ve got it all wrong”