Tag: startups

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Heavens open up and save us from windbag

Photo by Clinton Naik on Unsplash

On a recent afternoon in Pretoria, after hearing several speeches at a function, a windbag gave the vote of thanks.

Instead of doing the task that he was asked to do, the windbag went on and on. He brought in his own thoughts on the topics that had been discussed, put forward his pet theories and droned on about his tired, worn-out ideologies.

In fact, he put all the attention on himself when he was supposed to thank those that made the event possible. Continue reading “Heavens open up and save us from windbag”

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How to promote yourself and your business without TV appearances and display ads?

We’ve all seen the rise of the celebrity entrepreneur, business people who have been able to create public personas that help them promote their products, services and brands.

The exposure of a company on TV is worth millions. Just think of entrepreneurs such as Sir Alan Sugar, Donald Trump, Sir Richard Branson, Simon Cowell and Martha Stewart who have chalked up many accumulated hours’ worth of television coverage. Continue reading “How to promote yourself and your business without TV appearances and display ads?”

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One overlooked secret to generating new ideas

It’s Tuesday today – the day that’s furthest away from Monday, the day when many feel at their lowest point of energy. It’s not for nothing that even songwriters have written about Monday blues such as “I don’t like Mondays”, “Manic Monday” and “Blue Monday”.

Interesting that songs about Tuesday are more upbeat: “Ruby Tuesday”, “Groovy Tuesday” and “Hooray for Tuesday”.

Mondays can drain our energy as we try to break away from the relaxed state of the weekend and recoil ourselves for the first day of the working week. Continue reading “One overlooked secret to generating new ideas”

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New Year’s resolutions for your startup

English: Two New Year's Resolutions postcards
Wish New Year’s resolutions were this simple (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

About the most stupid thing I’ve heard about New Year’s resolutions is: my resolution is to not make any New Year’s resolutions.

That resolution usually comes from someone who bumbles along from year to year with a trail of usual problems – overweight, excessive drinking, heavy smoking and unfit, not to mention being an obnoxious loudmouth.

Continue reading “New Year’s resolutions for your startup”

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Are your customers satisfied with your service?

Weevil
Imagine  opening your pack of pasta only to find it covered thick with weevils (Photo credit: John Tann)

The food came late. The meal tasted awful. The unsmiling waiter kept us waiting for the bill. The restaurant manager wasn’t there to listen to our complaints.

This isn’t about customer gripes. We all have our own tales of service woe:

• Deliveries that come a week late.
• Waiting on the call centre line for up to half an hour to speak to accounts for your utility bill and getting cut off and having to call again… and again. Continue reading “Are your customers satisfied with your service?”