Networking 101 – More on Branding – What Linda Hart Said

 Networking 101 – More on Branding – What Linda Hart Said

By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

So, I know that many of you have been waiting patiently for the whole week to hear what an expert has to say on the subject of branding, and here she is, over to Linda Hart

Linda Hart said... 

Nikki, great words of wisdom. No question that networking is a crucial skill to learn. You touched on the personal brand, which prompts me to comment from my perspective of a personal brand coach. When we talk about developing and communicating the entrepreneurial brand, this is so much easier said than done. One would think that it would be a cinch to haul out your passion and eloquently and emotively describe it to anyone who will listen - the truth is, for many of the entrepreneurs or solopreneurs that I work with, being succinct in defining the passion is a real effort and fraught with insecurities, lack of trust in a single message and in some cases negative or defensive "baggage" that causes confusion of messages. 

We are thinking and feeling beings, our only currency is the currency of language. The more accurately and emotively we are able to craft our message regarding ourselves, our service, or our "widget" and build the delivery that accurately depicts and delivers our brand positioning, the more solid, reliable, and trustworthy we become as personal brands. To your point about networking introductions, we want to be fairly certain that through the currency of language, we are getting the greatest return on investment from every introduction we make, if not in terms of tangible business then in terms of building a trustworthy and credible profile that can be referred for future business. To my mind, it’s about clarity and about consistency. I find many business owners are not as clear as they could be about what they really are all about - hoping that the listener might ask the right question and allow for further exploration which may lead to the chance discovery of some business synergies. Phew! What a lot of hard work and so many missed opportunities as a result. I call it "vocal mechanics" - throw in a whole lot of words in a random way and hope that it will somehow hit the right spot, or be able to solve the problem for the listener. People listen in very particular ways, mostly they are listening with the "what’s in it for me" ear. By being clear and focussed about your business, service, or consulting service, offering a clear, concise, and succinct message that is consistent not only in its language but also in its visual and graphic delivery goes a tremendously long way to building trust in the market that you are targeting. For that very reason, large, well-known brands have single messages. Why do we think that since we are relatively small players we need to have one for each market or occasion? Building a brand is about relationship building between you, your offering, and your market - but before all that, we need to build a relationship with ourselves, get in touch with who you are, what your passion really is, how will you best deliver it and to whom and then work on the language that will allow you to "orchestrate" your brand message in a unique way, clearly, consistently and with passion. Makes networking so much more effective and non-stressful, as you have no need to reinvent yourself for each networking situation. Rather you reinforce and bring to the top of mind your clear and consistent message every time you use your most valuable currency - your brand tone of voice and language. 

There you have it.  Thank you Linda for your insights, they certainly do bring a lot of clarity to the table.

Until next week folks, keep on Networking!

Business Tips – 8 Tips on Stuff you Should Know Before you Start a Business – Part 2.

 Business Tips – 8 Tips on Stuff you Should Know Before you Start a Business – Part 2.

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd 

Last time we looked at how vital it is to get clarity and to put a Business Plan into place.  Today we will be looking at a few more issues.

Research

I can’t begin to tell you the number of times that I ask people who their target markets are and they look at me as though I have come from a different planet and have lost my way because of course, their product or service is for everyone! Yeah right and the Pope is Jewish!

The reality is that you have to do some research.  Whether the research is on who the target market is or whether there is any market at all is obviously dependent upon what your product or service is and of course the geographics, the demographics, etc., must also come into play.  The old adage of ‘selling ice to an Eskimo’ in this case really does apply.

You see it doesn’t really matter how much you love and believe in your product or service, you have to find out if the people with the money to spend, feel the same way about it.

Then of course there will always be issues around cost.  Firstly and most importantly, you cannot sell your product or service for less than what it cost you, that’s just insane! So make sure that you do all the numbers correctly to ensure that you know what your “break-even” point is.  Once you have ascertained that you are in a better position to set your margins. 

Again -  be careful if your price is too low, prospective clients will question the value add or the quality or you may even attract the wrong type of clientele.  Too high and you may well price yourself right out of the market.

So where possible you need to do some research on your competition to ascertain what they are charging and what their value add is, for you to (at the very least) match their prices and their offerings or indeed better them.

Discounts

This was a trap that I fell into when I first started out and hopefully, you will learn from my mistakes.

Firstly, I had priced my services too low, which attracted the wrong type of clientele.  They were in desperate need of my services but they were also too far down the road to ruin and the stark reality was that they could not afford to pay me at all.  They negotiated and haggled and I lowered my already low prices even further.  The result – I ended up having to ‘write-off’ a great deal of money in bad debts that year because quite honestly they could not have afforded to pay me even if I came for free!

Giving out discounts like this also leaves a huge psychological footprint on your subconscious and that is one of “I’m not worthy”! If you yourself think that you are not providing worthwhile value then why would your clients?

You should look at this from a different perspective – one of ‘how to’ or bringing more value to your customers rather than simply discounting your prices.

Next time we will look at a few more of these points that should be taken into consideration before you even start.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za 

Inspiration – Peaceful & Calm

 Inspiration – Peaceful & Calm

By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

Today’s quote is one from Ralph Marston who says:

“You can choose to be annoyed by just about everything. But why would you wish to be annoyed by anything?

As easily as you can choose to be annoyed, you can choose to be peaceful, patient and understanding. Instead of putting your energy into being annoyed, you can put it into more valuable and productive pursuits.

Would you like to make yourself into a victim, or would you prefer to be firmly in control of your life? Peaceful patience, tolerance, and acceptance will keep you in control.

If there is a situation that needs to be changed, take action to make that change happen. Don't waste your time being annoyed.

The next time you encounter a situation that would normally annoy you, stop and remember that you have another choice. Instead of letting outside events control your attitude, choose to control it yourself.

Being annoyed is a waste of your life. Be peaceful, calm, and powerful instead.”

Man, oh man – does this ever pertain to me!  I have noticed of late that I am constantly challenged by the things around me, my pet hate at the moment being the lack of or bad service.  It really makes me see red!  My blood level rises along with the sound of my voice.  The sad thing is that it very rarely makes any difference to the situation at all, other than to just make me mad.

If it made any difference to the level of service that I was getting, then it would probably be worth my while, but it doesn’t.  The person doesn’t care two hoots about the service that they are giving me or not giving me (as is usually the case) and they just label me a difficult client.  Would you believe that they actually have workshops on "how to deal with a difficult client"?

Now that made me smile – you see I don’t think that I am difficult! If they gave me good service and exactly what I asked for in the first place, life would be easy and I would not have to be labeled a difficult client.  Perhaps they should run a workshop on ‘how to give good service to avoid making a client difficult’.  Now that one would get my vote!

In the meantime, here we still are with me being anything but peaceful and calm!  It doesn’t change the situation in any way, I haven’t made any difference to anything (other than my blood pressure) and quite frankly it is out of my control anyway – so what I should be doing is walking away and voting with my feet – just don’t go there or use that service anymore.

Let’s hope we all have a peaceful, calm, and extremely profitable week!

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or www.viljoenconsulting.co.za 

 

HR 101 – What to do when . . . . You Want To Retire Staff?

 HR 101 – What to do When . . . You Want To Retire Staff?

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd.

Please note that this pertains to South Africa Labour Relations & Best Practice requirements.

The Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA) states clearly that each employment contract should stipulate the age of retirement.

The problem of course arises when employers have not given employees Letters of Employment, or worse – they have issued Letters of Employment, but the letter does not stipulate the retirement age.

This of course is where things usually go pear-shaped! You see the generally accepted age is 60 or 65 years and if nothing is stipulated in the Letter of Appointment you cannot suddenly retire someone at, say aged 55 or even worse, since the retirement age has not been stipulated, you cannot force them to retire at 60 or 65 either!

Once your Letters of Appointment have gone out to staff (with or without the relevant retirement age), you now cannot all of a sudden decide that you want to make the retirement age 57.

This now has to become a negotiation or at the very least, a consultation with your staff in order to reach a consensus.

Should you decide on your own, what age you wish for them to retire, this will be considered a ‘unilateral amendment of employment conditions’ and your employees then would have the right to either refuse the age or comply with forced retirement at the age that you have decided upon.

That said, as an employer, you do have the right to enforce a formal retirement age, at a certain stage, even if this has not been done consistently in the past, as long as you go the necessary consultation or negotiation course with your staff.

If, for example, the employer has not indicated the retirement age at say 60, then after a negotiation process the retirement age is fixed at 60, the employer now cannot go and ‘retire’ all of those employees who are already 60 and over.  This would be seen as ‘unfair’ dismissal.  What would need to occur is that the retirement age of 60 would need to be phased in over a period of say two years.  This would give the affected employees time to sort their lives out and plan for their retirement.

Clearly, the first prize would be to have the retirement age clearly stipulated in the Letter of Employment. For those of you who have employees nearing the retirement age, who don’t have anything stated in their Letters of Employment, now is the time to start the consultation.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or www.viljoenconsulting.co.za 

Blogging 101 – The Content – Part 11

 Blogging 101 – The Content – Part 11

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd - July  2011

As promised here is the final article on the “Content” of blogging.  I will certainly write some more articles on blogging at some stage, but this is it for now.

I think it is really important to understand that as bloggers, we are not just about blogging or about our blogs. We are (usually) business owners who are passionate about our businesses and what it is that we do and the value that our readers gain from reading our blogs comes from our own experiences – not only the experience gained from our businesses but the experiences that we have gained from life.  It’s about all that knowledge that we share about our lives, where we have been, and what it is that we have lived through.  It’s about the little things that have touched our lives and grabbed our interest and the big battles that we have fought and won (or lost) and why and how we won (or lost) them and how to do it better/faster/easier next time around.

So does this mean that we have to travel and trawl the four corners of the earth (strange that we say that don’t you think when the world is actually round ) to find new material and new experiences to share – of course not!  Fact is, we mostly have so much information that we already know and that we continue to harvest on a daily basis, that doing this is not necessary.  

What we do have to do though is ‘keep it fresh’.  If you want to keep your current readers or grow your followers, you have to keep it interesting, you have to introduce new material all the time.  You have to engage with people all the time.

In order to do this, for me, I have to read, read, and then read some more.  Stephen King, one of the greatest writers, in my opinion, says “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.” Many of my guests laugh at me when they visit me at home – I usually have between 8 and 10 books next to my bed – all being read at the same time and all at different parts of their particular stories.  I have magazines and books in both my toilets and also a book in the car (and no I don’t confuse the stories).  I love to read and usually live vicariously, through the characters in the books – it makes for an interesting life and I have no doubt that this has stood me in good stead as I continue to write my stories and articles for posting on my blog.

I have discovered that the more I write, the more I want to write and the more topics open up to me, stories and experiences just begging to be written and shared with people who are like-minded and who enjoy engaging in the story being told and who learn the lessons (or not) or who just read for the enjoyment of reading.

I have a friend who always says “Everyone has a story to be told” and for me, the magic is in the telling of that story, in the learning, and in the sharing.

So I encourage you to share your stories. We are all unique in our own way, we have all experienced life in our own way and since no two people are the same, it stands to reason that no two stories will be the same and here’s the thing, your readers will gain different outlooks and perspectives, each in their own way.

Let’s all share our stories, I know you have them in you and I certainly have a lot more of them in me.

So till next time . . . . keep reading and writing!

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za 

Networking 101 – More on Branding

 Networking 101 – More on Branding

By Nikki Viljoen - Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

Following on from last week, I promised to continue this section with Branding.  What is branding?  I don’t believe that there is any functioning human being on the planet that does not understand what Branding is:  

You need only look at the adverts on products like Coca-Cola, with its unique logo – it is instantly recognizable anywhere in the world.

But what does Branding mean to you as an SMME and to you as an individual?

For me, branding for my business is all about my logo, the name of my company, the layout of both of these.  For example, if you had a business that deals with plumbing you wouldn’t have a picture of a mother and a baby.  Similarly, you would not call yourself “Mother and Child” – you would have something more appropriate like “XXX Plumbing”.

Once you have decided on the name of the Company, the logo, or any kind of artwork that you have, this should be visible and attached to any and all correspondence that you may have with anyone.  Even if you are just sending an e-mail to your buddy down the road, this should be attached – this is advertising for your business.  If your buddy down the road, forwards your message, your joke, and/or whatever – your advertising goes with it. So please remember to only use this email for ‘appropriate’ correspondence.

Use every opportunity available to you, to get the name of your business out there.  Don’t go anywhere without your business cards.  Not to the cricket game, or to the pub down the road, or to your buddy’s braai.  Take your business cards with you – you don’t know where the next opportunity is coming from and you have to be ready.

Now on the personal branding:  How do you brand yourself on a personal level.  Well, this is the “image” that many people have a huge amount of stuff to say about like you have something like 8 nanoseconds to make an impression, etc, etc, etc.  Not being a professional on this subject, I will not make any further comment on this.  What I can say though is . . .  yes!  You need to make an impression and it needs to be something that will stick in the minds of people, long after they have forgotten your name.  Now that doesn’t mean to say that you need to do a dance naked on the table in front of whoever it is that you are meeting.  It just means that for me, it’s just about being myself, which means “Always”, and I mean “Always” thinking out of the box.

For those of you who know me, you know that I am a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl.  I don’t subscribe to the fashion magazines and quite frankly it is far too hot to dress in the obligatory corporate suits that most business women wear (I’m not knocking them you understand – I’m just saying that it’s just not me).  So I wear jeans and if, as in the case of the Business Engage dinners, my friend Geraldine does not allow me to wear jeans, I still wear my golf t-shirts!  I also love bright colours and designs.  Personally, I don’t think that we have enough colour in our business lives.  To me, business does not have to be dull and boring, in fact, it is fun, interesting, and exciting!  

The result of course is that I go to the Business Engage (www.businessengage.co.za) dinners and everyone is dressed to the hilt!  The women all look so gorgeous and stunning in outfits that cost the earth and. . . . they all look just the same.  Me, well I stand out in the crowd because I am different.  Ok, before I go any further with this – you also have to comfortable with ‘different’ – if you aren’t, then standing out in the crowd is not going to be comfortable for you!  Anyway, the point is that people remember me because of this.

I am not advocating that everyone looks like me either – heaven forbid. What I am saying, is find out who “the you” is that you are comfortable with and go with that.  We are all unique individuals and our own “inner selves” will shine our own particular light out.

I have asked my good friend and colleague Linda Hart from Image Craft, who is a Branding Specialist, to make a few comments that can assist you all, with finding out who and what your own particular brand is.  So continue to watch this blog, and get the opinion of an expert. Thanks in advance Linda.

I will continue this saga next time, with why we need to Network.  

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or www.viljoenconsulting.co.za 

Business Tips – 8 Tips on Stuff you Should Know Before you Start a Business – Part 1.

 Business Tips – 8 Tips on Stuff you Should Know Before you Start a Business – Part 1.

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

After attending my “Starting and Running a Successful Business” workshop, many delegates have asked questions about various issues pertaining to either starting a business or running a business.  Over time it has become apparent that there are universal questions that pertain, generically to both.

Let’s unpack them here and see how they impact you as a ‘new’ Entrepreneur or in your established business.

Clarity

I can’t begin to tell you the number of people who say “I want to run my own business – just a little something to bring the money in!”

What exactly does that mean?

Chances are that if you ask them that particular question they will have no specific answer for you and the reality, of course, is that such a business is highly unlikely to get started and if by some miracle they got it going, it wouldn’t be too long before it fell over!

Clarity is key!  It is essential that you know exactly what it is that you are going to be selling be it product or service.

The reality is that if you don’t know “where” you want to go, you will not be able to work out how to get there.

This clearly pertains to every aspect of the business, from marketing to sales, administration, operations, HR, or projects – the whole works.  Once you know what you want to do it will be easier to do the research to ascertain what you need to do in order to achieve your goals.

Whether you are starting a new business or trying to grow the one that you have, you need to know exactly what you want to do before you can decide exactly how you are going to achieve that.  

Business Plans

As with getting clarity on what you want to do, so to do you need a plan to get yourself there.

Business plans are badly underestimated and irrespective of whether you actually need one or not, for funding purposes, it is a good idea to have one.

Writing a proper business plan will ensure that you have worked out a sound strategy for your marketing and branding requirements as well as the calculations on forecasts from both income and expenses.

You will also be forced to look at the cold hard reality of what your costs are, literally before you even earn a cent, providing of course that you actually even sell anything.

A business plan also forces you to investigate and implement an exit strategy at the beginning of your journey before the emotional turmoil of dealing with trying to put together an exit strategy, when you are in the middle of the pain of closing your business down.

Issues around growing the business for sale down the line (or not) can also be tackled here and plans put into place to encompass these.

Remember a Business Plan should be a living, breathing document and it should be updated and tweaked on a regular basis.

Next time we will look at a few more of these points that should be taken into consideration before you even start.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za 

HR 101 – What to do When . . . You Want To Dismiss Staff - Part 9

 HR 101 – What to do When . . . You Want To Dismiss Staff - Part 9

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd.

Please note that this pertains to South African Labour Relations and Best Practices.

So the final piece in this particular saga is that of dismissal due to incapacity, ill health, or injury.

The first thing that we need to understand is that the employer is not obliged to keep someone on because they are ill or have been injured.  The employer also has rights and as long as the proper procedures are followed, these employees can be dismissed.

The employer would need to ascertain whether or not the incapacity of the employee on the grounds of ill health or injury is temporary or permanent.

If the employee is unable to work for a while, which would make it temporary, the employer would have to investigate all the different possibilities before considering dismissal.

When checking out what other measures may be taken into consideration, it would be a good idea to have a look at factors such as, but not limited to:

a. the nature of the job;

b. the period of absence;

c. the seriousness of the illness or injury; and

d. the possibility of getting a temporary replacement to take the place of the ill or injured staff member.

When the disability or injury is of a permanent nature, the employer would need to decide if there was any possibility of securing alternative employment within the company or if the work could be adapted to fit the capabilities of the employee.

Remember that in all instances the employee must be allowed to state their case or respond to any suggestions put forward or be assisted by a colleague or a union member.  The employee also has the right to request assistance from the HR department.

The extent of the injury or nature of the illness also needs to be taken into account and this too must be taken into consideration when deciding on whether the dismissal is fair or not.

Injuries that are sustained in the workplace are more difficult to process in terms of being fair or unfair as the courts appear to have more sympathy with the employee in these circumstances.

As usual, there is always a recommended process or procedure to follow.

In order for the dismissal not to be considered unfair, the employer needs to decide whether or not the employee is capable of doing the work.  

The guidelines for dismissal for incapacity due to ill health or injury are:

If the employee is not capable, the following needs to ascertained;

i) The extent to which the employee is able to perform the work – for example, John works in the warehouse.  His job is to pack stock onto the pallets.  Some of the bags or boxes weigh in excess of 40 kilos.  John lost his leg in an accident that occurred in the warehouse, when a number of pallets were not correctly stacked and they fell over, pinning him underneath and severing his leg.  There is an opening in the administration department for a filing clerk.  If John is dismissed in this instance you will be inviting trouble in through the door.

ii) The extent to which the employee’s work circumstances might be adapted to accommodate a disability, or where this is not possible, the extent to which the employee’s duties might be adapted – for example, Jane is the tea lady, who has suffered a stroke and as a result, she is semi-paralyzed down her right side.  She is no longer able to carry trays of tea or refreshments and the company refused to buy a trolley that she can push around.  If Jane is dismissed in this instance you will be inviting trouble in through the door.

iii) The availability of suitable work – for example, Alex is an Accounts Manager and he has had a heart attack and can no longer work under stressful circumstances.  There is an opening for an accounts researcher.  The hours are fixed, there are no deadlines and no interaction with clients, however, it is a junior position.  Alex is willing to take a reasonable cut in pay but the employer feels that he is far too qualified for the position and even with a reasonable cut in pay it will be more than they wanted to pay.  If Alex is dismissed in this instance you will be inviting trouble in through the door.

As you can see the topic is not one that you can just “quickly get it done,” due diligence needs to be done, all the alternatives need to be weighed up and considered carefully, and remember at the end of the day, you are dealing with a human being who not only has feelings but has the right to be treated with dignity and respect. Often the disability, whatever nature it may be, is stressful enough without the added pressure of the thought of losing their jobs and perhaps putting their families into a dire situation, especially when the disability is one that is not of their own making.

This concludes the series on Fair Dismissals.  Next time we will be starting a new topic.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

Blogging 101 – The Content – Part 10

 Blogging 101 – The Content – Part 10

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd 

I think that one of the things that are truly visible in my writing is the fact that I really enjoy writing.  Sure it can become a pain in the rear end, especially if I am pressed for time or I don’t have anything prepared and I am running around like a mad person trying to get everything done – pretty much like today - but generally speaking, I really do enjoy writing!

Working on my own often means that days go by, where I don’t see anyone, let alone speak to anyone.  Don’t get me wrong – I have set it up that way and I do like and enjoy it that way.  What this means though is that when I write and watch the words appear on the paper, I am engaged in dialogue – the fact that it is a dialogue with myself is an entirely another matter and I am sitting here with a very big smile on my face as I can just imagine the thoughts going on inside the heads of some of you.

The bottom line though is that as time goes by I am getting better at writing, at the way that I express myself, at the way that I look at things, and also the words that I use.  I know that you, the reader, can see that I have been having fun and that I really enjoy the fact that I am writing and that is always contagious. I am pretty sure that the minute the writing of my blogs lost its magic for me, the reading of my blogs would lose its’ magic for you.

So, if you are really consistently not enjoying the writing – don’t do it.  Rather give it to someone else who loves to write.

Never forget though, that as a ‘blogger’ you are one person giving out information to a (potentially) large number of people!  There are times when your blog, specifically the topic that you have written about, will inspire someone and when that happens to me – it is absolutely stunning.  You have to remember though that by writing and posting that article, you have opened the door to a conversation and that means that you should continue to take part in that conversation.  So try and respond to each person’s comments. Irrespective of whether you agree with what they have had to say or not, the fact is that they have taken the time and trouble to read your blog and respond.  Respect them for that!

And now . . . .  for the not so lovely part about blogging – the spammers!  In my opinion, spammers are the vilest, reprehensible people on the face of the planet – they are lower than the low and certainly lower than shark Sh*t!  They are the people who ruin a perfectly good blog or website with their inappropriate postings of offers for Viagra or porn-related video clips.  What about those who respond to your article with a post advertising whatever it is that they are selling, irrespective of whether it has anything to do with your article. Because of them, your blog and indeed your website needs to be constantly monitored and you need to delete all of their rubbish on a daily basis.

Next time we will have the final episode on the content of your blog – until then – happy writing! 

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za 

Networking 101 – Building Your Brand

 Networking 101 – Building Your Brand

By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

So now you have found your passion and you are rushing around madly trying to find work, build relationships and then do the work.  What’s next? The next step in my opinion is Building Your Brand and I did this mainly through Networking.  Let me explain . . .

Since I have discovered that the majority of people are not natural networker’s, I turned to Helen Nicolson’s book “Networking: The Unwritten Rule of Business you need to know” for inspiration, and discovered that it would probably be a great idea to zone into and then emulate what Great Networker’s do.  Helen writes:

 “Great Networkers:

• Identify and zone in on their strengths,

• Build their brand around their top 10% strength base.”

So what does this mean to me, as a natural networker?  Giving this some thought – remember I like to simplify things and  I am going to use myself as a case study (God forbid I should use someone else and get sued for something like slander or liable or one of those uglies!)

In my opinion, some of my strengths are (and if you know me and have a different opinion great!  Keep it to yourself though, because remember – “other people’s opinions of me are none of my business!)

1. I am a ‘doer’ – I get so sick and tired of going to meetings that just go around and around and no decisions are made.  Going to a meeting to set up another meeting, makes no sense to me whatsoever and wastes my time.  So get the ball rolling, make a decision and get going!

2. Making quick decisions, based on the information that I have available at the time that the decision is made.  Another pet hate of mine is people who agonize over making a decision.  Then before the decision is made they ask everyone and anyone, what they should do, until they hear an answer that sounds vaguely like what they had in mind.  Then that’s their decision – you see they can then abdicate the responsibility if something goes wrong because they got advice from somebody else and they will be very quick to name and shame the person that they got that advice from!  For goodness sake, make a decision and if it’s wrong – correct it and move on!

3. Change!  It’s going to happen whether you like it or not.  If you don’t get with the program it will drag you along with it or you will get left behind totally.  For my own part, it is easier on the nerves to keep up and not be like a salmon and swim against the water flow!  Look, let’s be realistic – I am not going to change something just for the sake of change – it definitely has to have a reason and the result must be either the same as what I have or better – or no change.  Be prepared to have an open mind though.  Someone else may be able to do it “better” than you or have a better idea than you.  

4. Judgement!  Don’t be so quick to judge someone by the way that they look, or speak (or don’t).  You don’t know them.  You have no idea what their lives are like or what trials and tribulations they have gone through in life.  One of my best clients today is someone who I met in a pub, wearing dirty shorts and a stained, dirty, smelly, torn t-shirt.  He had just come back from a fishing weekend and they had run out of beer and he was dying for an ice-cold one.  The man runs 4 businesses, has a yacht, a helicopter, and several speedboats!  Don’t judge until you know the person better.

5. Listening.  My friend Geraldine always tells me that her mum used to tell her that “God gave us two ears and only one mouth for a reason”.  If you are talking all the time, you miss out on listening to not only what the other person is saying, but also what they are needing.  Quite often, what they are needing is some help in their business which either you can give to them or one of the people in your database can assist them.

6. Opportunities.  I can go crazy when I hear people saying “ work is scarce”.  Actually, it is the other way around – there is a huge abundance of work out there and an even greater abundance of opportunity out there – it’s just a matter of recognizing it.  Once you have recognized it – do something about it.  It’s not going to just fall like manna from heaven into your specific lap!

7. Networking.  Because I am a natural networker – it stands to reason that networking is one of my strengths.  During the course of my ramblings on the subject, you will get to understand hopefully the nature of the beast and be able to work with it.

 Remember if you would like to buy a copy of Helen Nicholson’s book “Networking:  The Unwritten Rule of Business you need to know”, please mail her at helen@helennicholson.co.za.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or www.viljoenconsulting.co.za 

Business Tips – Being in control of your money.

 Business Tips – Being in control of your money.

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd – March 2014

Spending is out of control! The need for credit is out of control! Well, that is what all the experts are saying here in South Africa.

It appears that we will have to once again pull in our belts.  There is the ever-hungry and controversial e-tolling situation and of course, the petrol price that bounces around month after month, not to mention the cost of all the strikes that we seem to be having, one after the other and of course let’s not forget the exchange rates that seem to have more “bounce per ounce” than a regular yoyo!

So how do we control our money when there are so many external factors that we have very little if any control over.

Well, the reality is that we very much do have control over what we do spend, however, the problem is that we often don’t know where the money has gone because we are spending money without taking notice of what we are doing.

Sure, most of us usually have budgets in place that cover things like rent or bond or levy and many of our accounts are automatically paid by debit orders and of course, we are acutely aware of these, especially if our cell phones ring or ping when money goes out of our bank accounts.

Here’s the thing though – how many of us actually know exactly how much we are spending and what exactly we are spending it on and I mean to the last cent? I know I didn’t until I started keeping a monthly journal.

Once I knew how much I was spending and what I was spending it on, I was then able to make a conscious decision about where I wanted my money to be spent and equally important (if not more so) how much I wanted to allocate. In this way, I am able to control what I spend and where I spend it.  This is more of a spending plan – it’s spending your money on paper before you spend it in reality.

Now that I knew where the money was going and how much, I was able to convert my monthly spending plan into an annual spending plan.  What I did then was to create categories (along the lines of my general ledger in my company books) and split up the allocations.  So quarterly requirements were split into 2 (so I could put away money on a monthly basis instead of having to suddenly come up with a lump sum every 3 months) and so on.

Now here is the fun part.  Each and every cent of your income must be allocated!  Yep – that’s each and every cent.  You should have zero difference between your income and your expenses.

I can actually see the pained expression on your faces, but here’s the thing -  you get to allocate everything and that means it can be allocated to a savings account or a holiday account or a deposit on a home account.  You are the person who tells it where to go.  You are the person who is in control of where it goes and where it is allocated.

You are the person in control of your finances!

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za 

Inspiration – Making Peace With Who You Are.

Inspiration – Making Peace With Who You Are.

By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

Today’s message comes from Doris Mortman who says “Until you make peace with who you are ... you'll never be content with what you have.”

How many times have we looked at extremely wealthy people who are obviously driven and who seem to be frenetic about making more and more money and we think to ourselves “When is enough, enough?”  I know I have.  Yet they don’t seem to know "when enough is enough" and they continue to strive to make yet more money.  People like Bill Gates and perhaps Donald Trump come to mind.  I am sure that if either of them lives to be 100, they could not spend all that they have accumulated and yet they both seem driven to add to their already huge piles of money.

And it’s not only about the money, what about the beautiful supermodels that we see prancing about on the runway and we think to ourselves (well I do anyway) “they look perfect!”  Yet they are constantly going on new diets and primping and preening in an effort to look yet more gorgeous!

Let’s pick on the actors and actresses as well – there are many of them that are famous, they roll around in the money, the accolades, the famousness (if there is such a word) and yet they strive, cajole, steal from under the nose of others, a part that they “just have to have”!  Why – what drives them on and on?

And it’s not always about the money, there are people who live in extreme poverty, and in the midst of that, they strive to give yet more of themselves to others.  Mother Theresa comes to mind here – what is it about these people that there never seems to be an end to what they desire, what – for them seems to be a never-ending quest to achieve, whatever it is that they have sent their minds and their hearts to?

I suspect that I am about to put the cat amongst the pigeons here, but I think that for some it is because they have made peace with who they are and others haven’t yet.

For some, making peace with who they are and accepting who they are in the face of all adversity means being able to achieve more and more.  But that is in terms of achievement, money is a secondary thing.  They are driven by their need to perform, or their need to achieve, or their need to inspire.  They are caught up in the passion of what they do and who they are.

For others, it is about making the money.  They, on some level question who they are, what they are about, and what they can do.  Despite being famous and rich they are insecure about who they are as individuals and so they desperately strive to be the best.  They are never happy in their own skins or in their own minds and are driven to prove how good, fantastic, clever (insert whatever you wish here) they are – not to the world in general, but to themselves.

Which category do you fit into?  Have you accepted who you are or are you still trying to prove to yourself, to yourself, and everyone else?

Who are you?

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za

HR 101 – What to do When . . . You Want To Dismiss Staff - Part 8

 HR 101 – What to do When . . . You Want To Dismiss Staff - Part 8

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd.

Please note that this pertains to South African Labour Relations and Best Practices.

Today we are going to look at Incapacity and Poor work performance and the guidelines for dismissing someone for this:

To ensure that the staff member is given every opportunity to improve the following must take place, where appropriate:

- the staff member’s work performance should be evaluated on a regular basis,

- staff should be given instruction that is in a clear and concise language that is easily understood, so as to avoid miscommunication’

- staff should be given training that pertains to the position that they work in,

- staff should be encouraged to have mentors within the organization who would be able to guide them and steer them in the right direction,

- should the employer still find that the employee is struggling to meet laid down requirements or criteria, counseling sessions should take place in an endeavor to get the staff member to render satisfactory service.

“In the event that a new employee fails to meet the criteria in terms of work performance, the employer should not dismiss the employee until the employee has had an opportunity to state their case or to respond to the allegations.” In other words, the employer would need to follow the usual disciplinary procedures.

A new employee should also not be dismissed unless the previous requirements in terms of evaluation, instruction, training, guidance counseling, etc., had been met. Should the staff member still continuously fail to perform in a satisfactory manner, disciplinary procedures must be followed prior to the dismissal.

As always the procedure leading to the dismissal must include an investigation to establish the reasons for the unsatisfactory performance. Both the employer and the employee should try to think of other ways to remedy the matter – other than dismissal. Dismissal should always be a last resort.

The employee also has the right to be heard and has the right to be assisted by another employee, colleague, or union member. The employee also has the right to seek assistance and guidance from the HR department.

The guidelines for dismissal for poor work performance should also include but not be limited to:

a. whether or not the employee failed to meet the performance standard or criteria for the position that they fill,

b. if the employee did not meet the required standard or criteria whether or not this was not met because,

i. the employee was aware, or could reasonably be expected to be aware of the required performance standard – for example, Joe used to be a waiter at the Wimpy where the cutlery was wrapped up in a paper serviette and placed on the table for patrons to help themselves. Joe now works in a 5-star hotel restaurant, where the waiters are expected to lay the cutlery out in a specific manner for specific courses. Joe has no clue what the difference is between the cutlery and what it is supposed to be used for. If Joe is dismissed at this point you will be inviting trouble in through the door.

ii. the employee was given a fair opportunity to meet the required performance standard – for example, Jane has never worked an electronic touch till before and the salesperson who installed it showed all the staff members how to operate it in a 15-minute demonstration. There are no operator manuals with instructions and Jane is completely out of her depth. If Jane is dismissed at this point you are inviting trouble in through the door.

iii. if the dismissal was an appropriate sanction for not meeting the required performance standard – for example, Alex started as a data capturer in the financial department in a large corporate. Alex has only done data capturing on Pastel and can capture 150 units a minute with consistent accuracy. This company uses SAP and after the first month, Alex’s speed is only at 50 units a minute. If Alex is dismissed at this point you are inviting trouble in through the door.

Clearly from the above, it can be seen that dismissing someone for poor work performance can be done and it is not that difficult, providing of course that you follow the correct procedures consistently.

Next week we will have a look at Dismissal due to Incapacity and Ill Health.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or www.viljoenconsulting.co.za 

Blogging 101 – The Content – Part 9

 Blogging 101 – The Content – Part 9

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd - July  2010

My being a specialist in terms of being an Internal Auditor means that I am a ‘generalist’ in most of the other fields that I write about. Does that mean that I don’t have a clue about what I am talking about when it comes to those articles – of course not!  What it does mean though is that I will usually have to do some research in order to check my facts.

There are occasions where I may want to (or indeed need to) quote from something that someone else has written or base my writing upon an article that I have read.  When I do this, I obviously need to give recognition to the person who either wrote the article or the person who I am quoting.  Come on people – it really is the right thing to do.  I know just how angry I would be if I found something I had written under someone else’s name – that’s just not right!

If you are going to be writing blogs that are technical in nature, it is very important to list where you did the research as well, particularly if like me, you are a bit of a technophobe.  That way, not only will you give yourself that added bit of credibility but you also allow the reader to familiarize themselves with your source – and that is always a value add to both.

If what you are writing is merely an opinion and not necessarily a fact, then that also needs to be documented – clearly. There’s nothing worse than taking what someone has written to be absolutely gospel (and then spouting off at the mouth about it) only to find out later that it is a load of nonsense and that they were merely voicing their opinion.

Next time we will look at some additional points on the content of your blog.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za 

Networking 101 – Networking with Passion

 Networking 101 – Networking with Passion

By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

I have been asked several times, over the last few years or so a question that has caused me great pain in my personal capacity.

The question is: “How do you find your passion?”

For those of you who know me, you know that my passion is possibly one of my greatest strengths.  I have been doing what I do best for in excess of 40 years now, and I have no idea, and cannot even begin to think of what it would be like to do something else!  So living my passion as it were, is something that is natural to me, and whilst I can understand to some extent that many people do work or operate in a field that they are not passionate about, due to financial constraints, lack of education, or opportunity (or whatever other reason there maybe), I still find it terribly difficult to understand how they could not know what their passion is.  My question in return is always “How do you go through life, without a passion”.  On some level, I understand that I am very fortunate to be able to do the work that I am passionate about, but then I guess I also believe that to some extent, you make your own “luck” and that you are drawn in some inextricable way to what you are best suited for.  For me that was a ‘no brainer’ for others it appears that it is something that they haven’t even thought about.

My answer to the question posed above, is usually “Well if you had to win the Lotto and money was no longer an issue, what would you do for a living?”  For me the answer is very easy as I would continue to do exactly what I do now – there is no question about it!  For some, the answer has been a ‘blank stare’ which leads me to believe that they don’t even dare to dream, let alone have any dreams.  Again this is very sad and difficult for me to understand.  What do you have in life, if you have no dream?  In my opinion – you merely exist!  For others, the answer is “Well, I would never have to work again, so I would do nothing”.  Again for me, this is a very confusing answer – I could never do ‘nothing’, and even going on holiday and leaving my laptop behind, poses quite a challenge for me.

So how do people find their passions – perhaps you all can assist me with this one?

You see, without your passion, you cannot brand yourself properly and until you are in the branding process, networking effectively just doesn’t happen!

Pause for a moment and ponder, how would I refer someone who had no ambition or branding or passion – in short someone who has no idea who they actually are and what they do – to someone who may need a service or a product?  What kind of work or service would that person give.

In referring someone (let’s call her Jane) to perform say a bookkeeping function to someone else (let’s call him Mike), what I am doing, in reality, is telling Mike that Jane is a good bookkeeper and that she is reliable and that she will take pride in her work and will work diligently on his books and will not steal from him.  I am giving Jane my credibility and endorsement.  I am adding value to the service I supply in my own personal capacity, to Mike.  Because I am passionate about what I do, I am diligent in what I do and my deliverables are of a high standard.  That is the only measure that Mike has, so he will automatically assume that because I have referred Jane, the standard of Jane’s work will be the same as mine.

Now the next question’ of course, would have to be – “Is the standard of Jane’s work as high as mine”.  The reality of this is that it would be highly unlikely that it is.  Why?  Well because Jane does not really enjoy what she is doing, she is not going to give it her full attention or focus, which means that the work will probably be half-hearted and mistakes would probably be frequent.

What does that do to my credibility?  Will Mike take a referral from me again or will he wonder if I am going to send him someone who is of no use to him as he has to double-check everything that she produces?  I doubt it!  Where is my "value add" now – pretty much down the toilet!

So quite clearly, in my opinion, the first thing that you have to know before you even start to think about networking successfully, is what your PASSION is. 

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or www.viljoenconsulting.co.za 

Business Tips – What Is Security - Really?

 Business Tips – What Is Security - Really?

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting  (Pty) Ltd 

So what does security mean to you as a small business owner?  Does it mean that your success will be guaranteed?  Does it mean that Joe Public will be blown away by the products that you want to sell or desperate for the services that you provide?

Whatever your idea of what your security actually is – how long will it last?  Is it long-term or short-term – seasonal or here for the duration?

Well here’s the reality – the answer to all of the above is actually “who knows”?

Security is more fickle than the most high-maintenance person that you know or probably are ever likely to know.  What may be absolutely fabulous today and selling like hotcakes may die a brutal and lonely death tomorrow.

So how do we protect ourselves from this “lack of security”?

Well quite honestly there are several ways and I am going to share some of them with you now.

1. Firstly we have to keep evolving, growing, changing, morphing – looking at new ways to do things, keeping up with technology or business trends.  We do this by researching, reading (not the heat type magazines), but what is in the newspapers and business magazines.  Read blogs and articles online.  Take a course or two – meet with like-minded individuals and discuss what is happening around you. Keep up to date with what’s in and what’s not.

2. Don’t ever give up – be tenacious – find ways around obstacles (whether that means you go around them, under them, over them, or even through them).  Collaborate with people who do/sell similar things to you or team up with people whose strengths are your weaknesses and visa versa.  If it is worth fighting for – fight back.  If it isn’t then perhaps you need to change direction or owning your own business is not actually for you.  Make a decision one way or another.

3. If you have the staff or are part of a team, work together.  Pull in the same direction and not against one another!  Be clear on what everyone has to do and choose people who have the same goals and aspirations as you do.  It’s a lot easier than you think and a lot more productive than you are on your own.

4. Be ready for the unexpected!  Things often happen that were not factored into the equation – don’t let those things trip you up.  Stop – look at the situation calmly (and without any drama and emotion), do the research, and make an informed decision.

5. Understand that there is nothing to be afraid of.  A previous mentor of mine always used to say that the only thing you have to be afraid of is your own fear.  Face it, head on and squarely and I promise you it (the fear) will back down!

Remember that you are a special person and the mere fact that you have gone into business on your own, should tell you that you are stronger than you have ever given yourself credit for.

So be proud of yourself, proud of your achievements, and go forward knowing that you can do this!  Oh, and of course – don’t forget to have fun!  Always, always, always – have fun.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za 

Inspiration – Making Opportunities

 

Inspiration – Making Opportunities

By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd 

I have no doubt that the average South African who owns a TV, will remember the advertisement about the guy who moves into his new office, all bright-eyed and bushy tailed, at the beginning of the day.  As the day progresses, he continues to watch the phone, which is clearly not ringing, and eventually, in frustration, he picks it up to check whether there is a dial tone or not.  The look of absolute disappointment on his face says it all when there is obviously nothing wrong with the phone.  His expectation certainly did not align with his reality!

Sadly, for many South African SMME’s and Entrepreneurs – this is their reality – the silent phone – and it has nothing to do with the phone being out of order.  In my opinion, it has everything to do with their mindset being ‘out of order’.

I know that I have said this before and I have no doubt that I will say it again, many times over – I am seriously confused as well as really exasperated by the sense of entitlement that some (actually make that many) people have.

Like the chap in the TV advertisement, many people think that because they have made the decision in life to open their own business/office/shop (insert what you like here), that Joe Public, who has never met them before and in all truth, has no idea of their very existence, will suddenly be overcome by some mysterious malady, that is air/water/thought borne and they will now miraculously flood though their doors or ensure that their phone rings off the hook as they try frantically to purchase their particular product/service.

Please people – get a grip!  And I would suggest that it is a very large and ‘real’ grip on reality.

For someone to walk through your door, or phone you – you yourself will have to do something!  There has to be an action of some sort on your part!

Absolutely, categorically and without a doubt, there are opportunities out there – in fact, again in my opinion – there are probably more opportunities than there are people on the planet, but there has to be some sort of action on your part, to make or turn that opportunity into a successful, viable reality.  Oh and . . . opening an office and staring at a phone, willing it to ring just doesn’t cut it!

You have to go out there and ‘create’ your opportunity.  You have to take your idea or your product and do something about it.

You have to use your talent, your strengths and go knocking on doors, attend Networking meetings, write blogs or articles for newspapers or magazines.  Get yourself interviewed on the radio or TV.  Create a stir so that people will sit up and take notice!

Obviously, as an SMME, you do not have access to a huge budget for marketing, so you have to be innovative and creative in finding different ways to get your name, your brand, your product, your service out to the people you want to sell it to.

Not only that but if you are really smart and wide awake, you will ensure that whatever it is that you are peddling – product or service –  will be something that Joe Public actually wants as opposed to what you think Joe Public wants.

Whatever it is that you decide though – you can be sure, your actions will determine how successful you are.

Good luck and oh . . . remember to have fun!

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

HR 101 - What to do When . . . You Want To Dismiss Staff - Part 7

 HR 101 - What to do When . . . You Want To Dismiss Staff - Part 7

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

Please note that this pertains to South Africa Labour and Best Practice requirements.

Today we are going to look at what the guidelines are if you want to dismiss for misconduct.

Employers should consider the following before dismissing a staff member for misconduct:

Whether or not the employee failed to comply with a Company rule or Company standards governing conduct in the workplace or whilst they were representing the Company and

If the rule or standard was broken or not met, whether or not:- 

i) the rule or standard that was broken was a valid or reasonable one for example – the Company is a nursery and they have a standard rule that employees dress up around a theme for “Spring day”. This year the theme is ‘pot plants’ and George refused to dress up as a pansy. Dismissing George for misconduct would be inviting trouble through the door.

ii) the employer was aware, or could reasonably be expected to be aware of the rule or standard – for example – Jane has been on maternity leave for 3 months. During the time that she was away the Company took a stand regarding “Facebook” and a memorandum was issued stating that staff could no longer access “Facebook” during working hours as it affected productivity. The first thing that Jane did when she got back to work was log onto “Facebook” to catch up with all of her friends. Dismissing Jane on the grounds of misconduct would be inviting trouble through the door.

iii) the rule or standard has been consistently been enforced by the employer – for example, George and James are both store managers in a retail chain. George was caught “borrowing” money out of the till for taxi fare. It was George’s first offense of this nature. George is the top salesman in the Company and his store consistently over-performs. George is counseled and is given a written warning. A month later James is also caught “borrowing” money out of the till for taxi fare. It is also James’ first offense of this nature. James, on the other hand, is a trouble maker. He is always stirring up trouble with the unions and the staff. His sales are very poor and his store’s turnover is always below target. If James is dismissed for misconduct at this point, it would be inviting trouble in through the door.

iv) dismissing the staff member for misconduct, the punishment must “fit the crime” for the rule or standard that was broken – for example, let’s use the retail environment again. The till float in James’ store, very seldom balances. It is usually out of balance by a minimum of R1.00 or less. Dismissing the cashier for misconduct in this instance would be inviting trouble in through the door.

As you can see from the above, it is very important to dismiss someone for misconduct for the right reasons as opposed to just seeing an opportunity for getting rid of someone and using that.

It certainly is not difficult to dismiss anyone, but the correct procedures must be followed.

Next week we will look at dismissing someone for Incapacity: Poor work performance.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

Blogging 101 – The Content – Part 8

 Blogging 101 – The Content – Part 8

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd 

I don’t believe that I am any different from anyone else who loves to read and one of my biggest pet hates around reading (apart from the fact that I hate starting a book and I hate finishing a book), is when there is an abrupt interruption of the story.  Don’t you hate when that happens, you’re reading away, minding your own business, following the twists and turns of the story, engulfed in the plot, hardly daring to breathe as you turn the page and . . .  well nothing!  As you begin to read the next page, nothing that you are reading makes any kind of sense and you glance down at the page number and then look at the previous page number and in total disbelief, you find that someone has torn out several pages – or even worse – you turn what you think is the last page only to find that someone has stolen the last few pages and after reading a thousand-odd pages you have no idea how the story ends!  Grrrrrr – that makes me mad as a snake!  

Clearly, this does not apply only to the books that you read but also articles that you read, whether those articles are in magazines or on a blog, makes no real difference – you want to know the whole story, well at least I know that I do.  You want to know how the whole thing started and what happened then and then the result or consequence. Look, let’s be reasonable, we understand that unless your full-time job is the writing of blogs, your time and energy is stretched and that that means that you probably won’t be able to research every single article to the ninth degree, but you also need to understand that the readers really do need to have closure. They need to know how it ends.  They have to at least understand the basics of what it is that you are trying to say.  Think about it for a moment, it’s like people walking around and starting a conversation, uttering half a sentence and then walking away leaving everyone looking at them with very perplexed looks on their faces. Remember the basics that you learned at school (well I did), that every good story has a beginning, a  middle, and an end.  

If you don’t at least follow the basics and leave your readers feeling confused and frustrated, they won’t be returning any time soon, and not only will they not be returning, but they will also not be sending any new readers or referrals your way either.

So make sure that you follow this basic principle!

Next time we will look at a few more points about the content of your blog.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za 

Networking 101 - Why I Network

 Networking 101 - Why I Network

By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

Networking is a daily part of my life, in fact, I could not imagine how my life would be if I were not able to ‘network’! I am a ‘natural’ networker and it is at times excruciatingly difficult for me to understand that this is not the case with many people!  How they ‘manage’ is beyond me, which is probably why I keep threatening to write a book which I will entitle ‘The Reluctant Entrepreneur!’   Most people burst into nervous laughter when I make this statement, I suspect because they never know what next to expect from me, but to illustrate my meaning, I would like to relate the following true story:

During the latter half of 2005, I was fortunate enough to attend a workshop that included Nadia Bilchik as the main speaker.

For those of you who can remember that far back, Nadia used to be an M-Net Anchor Lady during the 1980s and 90s, here in South Africa.  My favorite memory of Nadia was her character in the “Crunchie” ad’s although she also appeared in several South African movies over the years.

The story goes (and this came from Nadia herself) that Nadia has always been a ‘people’s person’ who chatted easily with everyone with no thought of race, colour, social standing or, gender.  A real networker!  Nadia made friends where ever she went.  During this time one of the people that Nadia always touched base with was the Security chap at M-Net.  What possible reason would she have for doing that, you may wonder, but read on and find out!

In 1997, Nadia’s husband was to be relocated to Atlanta Georgia, in America and Nadia’s little world fell apart!  Her whole support group of family and friends, who she had built up over the years were here in sunny South Africa and now she would have to move to an unknown part of the world, where she knew no-one! Not only that but being a ‘big fish in a little pond’, Nadia would be moving somewhere, where she was not known at all!  Imagine if you will, her distress.  Where would she work and how would she get into the kind of work that she was used to?

Nadia told anyone who cared to listen to her dilemma, including the security guard.

The security guard (let’s call him George), unbeknown to Nadia, had been on some or other course, with security guards from all over the world.  Don’t ask what the course was …… I have no idea!  Anyway, I digress – George had, during the course of his course, met a security guard from . . . .  you’ve guessed it, Atlanta Georgia (let’s call this chap Mike) and not only was Mike from Atlanta Georgia, but he also worked at the CNN studios there!  The rest, as they say, is history!

What happened was, that George contacted his buddy Mike and told him all about Nadia back here in South Africa.  Mike promised to help.  George got Nadia to do a videotape of herself in glorious technicolour and when Nadia got to Atlanta, Mike handed said tape to the people who count at the Studios there.  Nadia landed herself a fat job and now has her own slot on CNN, all because Nadia was a friendly, natural Networker!

Powerful stuff wouldn’t you say – who would have thought!

Now because I have discovered that not everyone knows how to network, I have decided that I will be giving out some useful tips on the blog on Networking.

I recently had the privilege of meeting Helen Nicholson, the Guru of Networking.  Helen has written a book entitled “Networking: The Unwritten Rule of Business you need to know”.  Although I consider myself a ‘natural networker’, meeting Helen in person the other day for a chat and then reading her book, without pause, showed me that I too have a lot to learn!

I have my own signed copy of the book and strongly suggest that you get your own copy.  

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or www.viljoenconsulting.co.za 

Business Tips – When to Give up Control

 Business Tips  – When to Give up Control

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd 

The Concise Oxford Dictionary defines ‘Entrepreneur” as ‘Person in effective control of commercial undertaking; one who undertakes a business or enterprise with a chance of profit or loss; contractor acting as an intermediary and “Manager” as ‘Person conducting a business institution.’  As you can see they are quite similar but very different.

All the Entrepreneurs that I know have a dream.  They are also particularly skilled in whatever it is that they do – but here’s the question – does that mean that they are skilled in "the Business of Business"?  The answer, if I am, to be honest, is most definitely not.  It’s not from a lack of passion you understand – it’s just that they are usually not particularly interested in the ‘running’ of a business (unless that is what their passion is) and therein lies the dilemma. 

You see, at some point, they are faced with a decision and that is "should I continue to manage the company or stick with the dream?"

Whilst the company is small and they’re working out of their garage or one of the bedrooms in their home, this is not really a problem – as the business grows, however, more and more time will be spent on "the business of business", which is the running of the business and less and less time will be spent on doing what they love, which is what fueled their passion in the first place.

Here’s the thing though, if you are for example a photographer, it doesn’t mean that you know "how to" do the make-up or the books or the HR or even the marketing for that matter. As humans, we can never be ‘everything’ in the business and a lot of what we do that is not our core strength or passion comes at a cost to ourselves as it takes away from what it is that we are passionate about or what it is that we do love to do.

So when is it the right time to hand over the reins and the running of your business?  Many folks say that there never is a right time, some say when you are looking for investors or outside capital.  To each individual who has faced this particular dilemma the timing and when it should be done, may differ, but what does not differ is the difficultly in making the right choice.

Part of the problem is that many Entrepreneurs are themselves good managers, but that may not be their passion or their dream and most of them think that they can ‘do it all’ themselves.  Personally, I think that the first decision that has to be made is ‘how big do you want to grow the company’.  How big is the dream?  Is it one that will provide you and your family with enough income for you to live adequately or is the dream to own an empire – perhaps it is somewhere in between?  Whatever your decision, it is really tough for anyone to relinquish their dream and hand it over to someone else to manage.

Once the decision has been made though, finding the right manager or management team to help you realize your dream is the next step and that often comes with its own particular set of headaches, so making sure that you are clear about what you want and where you want the business to go is of paramount importance.

Ultimately though, it will allow you, the Entrepreneur to do what you do best and that is to ‘dream’ and to turn those dreams into realities.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za 

Inspiration – Make Good Things Happen

 Inspiration – Make Good Things Happen

By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd – July 2009

I was chatting to a colleague the other day, who is going through some really big trouble.  Actually, it’s a web of intrigue with doing business with family and not having contracts in place and there may be quite a few issues around non-compliance with Corporate Governance and all sorts of other things as well.  During the conversation, she said to me that this is not the first time that this sort of thing has happened to her and that every time it knocks her to her knees she gets up with a ‘thicker skin’!

I asked her if she had not yet learned her lesson and that perhaps the better (read easier) road to travel would be to do things differently (read the right way).  There was a moment of stunned silence as she digested what I had said and then she agreed.

Now, I have no idea if she will take her own advice or if she will continue down her particular path in life, but here’s what I do know.

You cannot help a drug addict or an alcoholic until such time as they admit that they have a problem and then once they have admitted that they have a problem THEY have to do something about it. Yes, we can be there for them and give them encouragement, but THEY have to make the changes themselves.

No matter what my intention, I have to act on something in order for something to happen.  Things don’t just happen by themselves, they happen because of something that someone has done!

We can live our lives as victims or survivors and personally, I choose to be a survivor – being a victim is just really hard work, emotionally.  In order for me to be a survivor, I have to live my life in that manner.

We can live our lives as pessimists or optimists – I choose to be an optimist.  It makes my life ‘lighter’ and I get to see some really cool things like the beauty of the sunrise and the magnificence of a sunset.

We can live our lives sadly or with a sense of humour – I choose to live my life with a sense of humour, even if it means that often what I say goes right over the heads of the people that I am saying it to – it still brings a smile to my face.

We can live our lives allowing ‘bad things’ to happen to us on a continual basis or we can make good things happen in our lives.  I choose to make good things happen in my life.

Remember though we have to MAKE it happen and we do that by the actions that we perform, whether it is by a decision that we make and how we act on that decision or by taking up one of the many opportunities that constantly knock on our doors.

Making things happen is my choice today, what’s yours?

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za