Networking 101 – Highlight the Benefits of What You Do.

 Networking 101 – Highlight the Benefits of What You Do.

By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

Craig Harrison says that the reason that Networking may not be working for you is because of the basic 9 mistakes that Networker’s make.  I will be going through these over the next few weeks and let’s see if this is what is holding you back.

The second mistake he says is “Poor networker’s don’t emphasize the benefits, but the features of what they do.  Too many job seekers focus on the features of their work instead of the end results.  Employers buy benefits, solutions and outcomes.  Speak their language by focusing on what you can do for them, not how you do it.  Example: project managers help companies save time and money (two benefits/outcomes) through expertly managing projects and people (features).”

Wow!  This is powerful stuff!  I have attended networking meetings at the Palazzo Hotel in Fourways over the years and thinking back now to all the folk who delivered their “speeches” on who they are and what they do, I can honestly say that about 70% of them are making this mistake.  In fact, a couple of them are so bad with their “speeches” that I have no idea what it is that they do.  It’s very confusing, to say the least.

Remember people cannot help you or refer you if they have no idea what you do.  Similarly, you have to focus on what makes you different and stand out in the crowd.  Taking the above example of Project Managers – there are hundreds if not thousands of these people out there – by saying that you help companies save time and money you are already being different to the rest who will waffle on about what they do to manage the project.

So think carefully about what you say when you are trying to sell yourself or your product.  You have very little time to make your point or make an impression.

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

Business Tips – 5 Tips on Cyber Security – Part 1

 Business Tips – 5 Tips on Cyber Security – Part 1

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd 

The time to make not only yourself but also your employees aware of some of the risks that pertain specifically to cyber-crime and cyber-security is now!

One of the most accessible platforms that cybercriminals use to access the company’s data is in fact the employees own personal devices.

According to a Fortinet Threat Landscape Report “Android-based malware now represents 14% of all cyber-threats.”  If that is not bad enough, how about this? “Direct attacks, the number of comprised websites, email phishing campaigns and malicious access points continue to grow exponentially, infecting unsuspecting users – regardless of their devices – with spyware, malware, compromised applications and even ransomware.”  

How scary is that?

Wherever you go today you see people on their phones – we feel completely lost without access to our phones. Yet the reality is that when (not if) any of your employees' personal devices become infected, they are in fact, a risk to your organization.

“And that’s not all . . . “

What about your clients and service providers who are also on their personal devices, on your premises, using your Wi-Fi?

Clearly, it is critical to the well-being of your company, that you and your employees receive training on cybersecurity awareness.

Here are some of the elements that need to be looked at.

1. Public Wi-Fi

Whilst we all may think that public Wi-Fi is perfectly safe, the reality is that it isn’t.

Here’s the thing, most smartphones nowadays automatically connect to the Wi-Fi at “Public Access Points.”  Criminals lurk in many of these spaces and when you connect to the internet through them, they intercept and gain access to all of your data, especially if you access online shopping or your personal banking.

Many smartphones and devices will also automatically search for “known” connection points, like your home router and when found will automatically connect.  Nowadays criminals sit outside of your homes and offices and “watch” for this behaviour and then simply “ask” the device what SSID they are looking for. When the phone tells them that it is “looking for its home router” the criminals use their devices to say “I am your home router.” Their phones then connect automatically and they gain access to all of your devices.  Blue tooth connections work in the same way!

You can combat this by naming your Wi-Fi access point before connecting. Do not allow anyone to connect automatically.  Taking the situation one step further you can also install VPN software so that your connections are encrypted and therefore more secure to its known services!

2. Recognize Phishing and Related Scams 

Be careful what you “click on.”  Don’t click on e-mail links or attachments that come from people or e-mail addresses that you don’t know. Don’t click on links in advertisements unless you’ve checked them out first!

Don’t click on anything that, at face value, you think (from the way it’s been worded), comes from your own team or even service providers.  Check the e-mail address that it has come from as well as who it’s been sent to.  For example, if you get an e-mail from your bank instructing you to “click on” something because you are entitled to a refund, or you’ve won something, but the e-mail has been sent to “recipients”, understand there is a problem! 

The problem is YOU because you tell yourself that it is a plausible issue and you click on what you shouldn’t.  Don’t “click” on anything like this.  Rather report it to your IT Department, your Risk Manager or your Service Provider.

This is why it is important to have an effective e-mail security gateway and web applications firewall solutions, that will also detect spam, phishing and malware.  This will also validate links as well as run executable files for both sandbox and personal mail.  This will ensure that malicious traps simply do not get through to any of the end-users.

Next time we will continue with point # 3 of the 5 Tips on Cyber Security.

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 – Stand Up and Be Counted

 Inspiration – Stand Up and Be Counted

By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd 

Isn’t it really wonderful, that no matter how much we like to complicate things – the fact of the matter is that life is really quite simple?  As much as there is something like 256 different shades of grey, there are no grey areas in life itself.

You see for every issue that we have to deal with as a society, life only gives us three responses.  Our response then dictates the results that we have to live with as a society.

Here’s the thing – we are either for something or against it or we do not have an opinion.  Not having an opinion is often called “sitting on the fence” or as I like to call it “Splitting the difference”.

Having any one of these three opinions will result in one of two effects.  That is either a positive or a negative effect or outlook.

Now, here’s the problem. Not having an opinion either way usually tilts the scales in favour of the negative effect – not so good hey?

So, waiting for someone else to make a decision for you will in all probability result in the negative occurring.

Therefore, if you want a positive action or reaction, don’t wait for other people to make the decision for you.  Stand up yourself and be counted.  Make a stand for what you believe in and what you know is the right thing to do.

Show the world that you have the courage of your own convictions.

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 . . .Your Staff Want to Strike – Part 5

 HR 101 – What to do When . . .Your Staff Want to Strike – Part 5

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd.

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

So far we have:-

1. Looked at when your staff cannot strike, and

2. We defined exactly what a strike is, and

3. We looked at when a strike is considered protected.

4. How to control strike action

Replacement labour is the topic on the table today.  Let’s have a look at the reality of a strike.

A strike can have devastating financial implications for a company.  Look at the results of some of the strikes that took place over the last couple of years.

Think about Pick ‘n Pay – the last really bad one that I remember is when shoppers were confronted with “Toi Toi-ing” staff as they tried to enter the stores to do their shopping.  I remember Jeremy Mansfield of Highveld Stereo trying to make light of the situation by saying something along the lines of “I have never felt so welcome in all of my life – there were what seemed like hundreds of people singing and dancing as they came towards me with arms open wide to greet me and welcome me into the store!”  Ja Boet – and I also believe in Santa Claus and the tooth fairy!  Jokes aside, many customers did not want to be personally “welcomed” into the store and despite assurances that they would not be harmed in any way, they chose to shop elsewhere.  I have no doubt that millions of Rands worth of turnover were lost by the company.

Now in this situation, Pick n’ Pay would have no alternative but to hire replacement labour if they wanted to have any kind of turnover at all and if they did not want to close their doors to the public.

It is a given, however, that replacement staff, irrespective of whether they have been supplied by a labour broker or sourced by yourselves or even if you use your own staff from other areas, will invariably be subjected to intimidation and even physical and verbal abuse in some instances.  So you need to ensure that the necessary precautionary steps are in place to ensure that your replacement labour is protected.

You can (and perhaps should) for example install some additional security surveillance such as CCTV type camera and video setups or hire additional independent security.  Whatever you do, inform the union of what you are doing or intend to do in order to re-enforce their responsibility to ensure that they control their members.

Be aware though, that all of these additional bits and pieces will have a financial implication too.  Don’t for a minute think that a strike is not going to cost you and ultimately prevention is always better than cure (and often a lot cheaper in the long run).

Next week we will look at what a ‘lock out’ is and the benefits or implications of having one.

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 – Write When You do have Ideas or are Inspired

 Blogging 101 – Write When You do have Ideas or are Inspired

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd 

I’m sure that by now, most of you understand that I do love to write.  Actually, if the truth be told – if I don’t write every single day, I feel as though something is missing in my life.  You know what I mean – that feeling that you have forgotten to do something, but you can’t think of what that "something" is.

The fact of the matter though is that despite the huge amount of material and ideas that I have for articles and stories – sometimes I am just not in the mood to write.  Sometimes, although the idea for the article is scrumptious and delicious and absolutely perfect – I’m not, and the words just won’t flow and as I once was so inspired, so uninspired I am right now. That’s usually when I fling my arms heavenward and declare “Someone has messed with my mojo!”

When I am in this frame of mind – well there’s actually no point in actually even trying to write!  I know because I have tried before – many times and all that happens is I’ve written a load of absolute drivel, messed up a perfectly good idea, then irritated and annoyed myself beyond reason.

Conversely, there are times when I can’t seem to stop writing – when ideas flow like running water and it feels like the pen won’t keep up with my thoughts or my fingers won’t move quickly enough over the keyboard.  When this happens, I can produce an article every 15 to 20 minutes and I have been known to write far into the night, often forgetting to eat or drink or even go to the bathroom.

I really do love it when I am in this space because this is the time when I write articles in advance.  The articles for my column in the “Your Business Magazine” (http://bizmag.co.za) may be written for the entire year, in one sitting.  Speeches for Toastmasters, or functions where I am the guest speaker or on occasions even new workshops that I have been asked to facilitate, are written during these times and are therefore ready long before they are actually needed.

There’s nothing quite like getting to a deadline knowing that the article has been written and that there is no need for panic or haste – especially when it is one of those times when I really don’t feel like writing about anything!

So use your time of inspiration to write to your heart’s content and put the ‘writings’ into your own pantry to be used as and when you are uninspired or just not in the mood. This way you can continue to love what you do instead of becoming irritated and resentful when you are forced to do something that you really don’t feel like doing.

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 – Speak Clearly, Don’t Mumble

  Networking 101 – Speak Clearly, Don’t Mumble

By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

Craig Harrison says that the reason that Networking may not be working for you is because of the basic 9 mistakes that Networker’s make.  I will be going through these over the next few weeks and let’s see if this is what is holding you back.

The first mistake he says is “Bad networker’s mumble. A mumble is a speaking stumble, people mumble their name, their occupation and their titles all the time.  Your name is irrelevant if we can’t hear it.  You’ve been saying your name all your life so you may be bored with it, yet we may only hear it once.  State your name clearly, slowly and in a way you can repeat it and remember it.  It’s your lifeline to contact.  Take care in stating it.”

This is one that I really struggle with!  Over the years and with the help of sinus and other strange lurgies that we all seem to fall prey to from time to time, I have lost some of the hearing, particularly in my left ear.  This often makes it difficult to hear, especially if there are other background noises.  Even at facilitated Networking events, I find myself continuously asking people to speak up or start their presentation again or I have a need to ask them to state their names again. Often I don’t hear their names or what they do on the second or even third attempt – at this point, I usually lose interest.

This in turn makes them feel embarrassed and they lose their place or worse yet, they begin to stutter and stumble even more!

Perhaps it is because people are so busy trying to remember what it is that they want to say that they don’t realize just how softly it is that they are speaking.  It might be a good idea to write everything down clearly and in the order in which you would like to deliver the points that you wish to make.  That way you can concentrate on projecting your voice to every single person in the room and ensure that everyone knows exactly who you are, what you do and most importantly why they should be doing business with you or having you in their “circle of influence”.

Remember always, that if people can’t hear what it is that you are saying, they cannot recommend you or refer you, or even on occasion make use of your services or buy your products, simply because they don’t know what they are.

So slow down, speak more slowly as that will also help you to speak more clearly and get your desired message across.

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

Business Tips – Planning Ahead

 Business Tips –  Planning Ahead

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd 

John Demartini, on “Day 46 of the chapter entitled “The Law of Contingency” in his book “You can have an Amazing life in just 60 days” says “People who plan ahead, get ahead.”

Simple but profound!

I really do get a lot of “those” questions.  You know the one where I get a text or an email that says something along the lines of “I just want to own a little something, you know, just a little something that will make me rich!  What do I do?”

These questions really irritate and annoy me and on some level, on the right day, they make me laugh . . .  a loud belly type laugh.

They have no clue about where they want to be, how then do they expect to get there?

I do understand that there are those amongst us, who have no idea what their passion is and whilst that is really sad, it can be remedied.  That said though, even if you do know what your passion is and where you want to end up, you still need some sort of idea, dare I say the plan, to get there. I mean you wouldn’t set out for some remote location that most of us have never heard of without some sort of plan or map, on how to get there, would you?

You can’t imagine the number of people who have answered my “why” with a resounding “well I want financial freedom” and yet when I ask them “how do you intend to get there?” they cannot look me in the face, much less answer me. In fact, many of them don’t even know what “financial freedom” actually means.

Sadly most of those people will never get anywhere, much less be successful and are in all probability, destined to wander around for the rest of their lives with a slightly puzzled expression on their faces, simply because they have no clarity in their lives.

In my opinion, if “cash is King”, then surely “clarity must be Queen”, and if you are not clear on what it is that you want to achieve in life, then you won’t be able to plan on how to get there and if you don’t know how to get there, you will never arrive at your desired destination.

So take the time to be sure about what it is that you want to do with your life and once you’re clear about that, then make sure that you have a plan or a map on how to get there!

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 – Process

 Inspiration –  Process

By Nikki Viljoen of  Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

It is said that “it is a process, not an event, for one to become the person I want to be.”

How logical is that? It really would be a case of suspending belief if you thought that one day you would wake up and be a completely different person from the one you were when you went to bed the night before.  You don’t just become someone else overnight.

Like most things in life, changing who you are into who you want to become, is a process.  Like most things in life it is a process that has to be consistently worked on, tweaked, moulded, cried over, laughed about and then at some stage either abandoned as a bad idea or embraced and celebrated as a victory.

Whether you cry in defeat or celebrate in victory, is largely dependent upon the simplicity or complexity of the process, and your commitment to the changes that you want to take place.

The level of your commitment to the changes that you would like to make to yourself, is dependant on the internal hunger that you have, to see yourself in a different light, other than who you currently are.

It’s that hunger that drives you to achieve.

It’s that hunger that makes you strive to attain greater heights.

It’s that hunger that keeps you focused with your vision clearly before you and visible to you at all times.

Process for me is one of the most simplistic things on the planet to put into place.  Yet I am constantly amazed at some of the processes that some people put into place to achieve the most basic results.  Some of them are so complicated that you would probably need a degree of some sort to just be able to read it, let alone understand it on any level.

I think that we, as human beings, on some level seem to think that if things are easy and not complicated that they are not worth anything.  We couldn’t be further from the truth if we tried.

Instead of thinking “Well it can’t be that simple, can it?” we should be saying – “It is just that simple!”

So simplify all your processes, get where you want to go and enjoy life the way it was meant to be enjoyed.

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. 

Blogging 101 – Stealing Content & Ideas

 Blogging 101 – Stealing Content & Ideas

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd 

I was asked the other day whether I had ever ‘stolen ideas or content”? To be quite honest I was gobsmacked!  Now I can see you all shaking your heads and wondering if I have lost all of my marbles!

Here’s the thing, more often than not, (probably around 99.9999% of the time), something that I have heard or something that I have seen or something that I have read about, has sparked an idea for an article, in my mind.

Logic must tell you that it would be impossible for me to actually experience every single thing that I write about.  Of course, that does not mean that I cannot write about the lesson that needs to be learnt or in fact learn the lesson from someone else myself.

Look, let’s be honest here – I am not saying that you should plagiarize anyone’s work or not give an author credit for something that they have written.  That for me goes without saying.  Words that you use that were written by someone else should be correctly credited.  That’s not only a legal issue, but for me, it is also a moral one.

What I am saying though, is that words or pictures often spark another idea or are often the basis of another idea that will usually end up as an article.  Pretty much like the question that was asked, that has now become this article.

This is often one way that allows ideas to be shown in perhaps a different context or from another viewpoint.

The fact of the matter is that I have several websites that I visit on a daily basis and several newsletters that I get on one feed or another and I also subscribe to several magazines and am constantly reading books that pertain to business or biographies and even non-fiction.  The fact of the matter is that all of this reading makes something “click” and somewhere, something has made me think and that thought has resulted in an article being written.

So whilst I don’t condone or promote “theft” of someone else’s work or that an article that someone else wrote be attributed to yourself, I do feel that we all get ideas from somewhere and even when we do “research” we are still using other people’s work to validate what we are doing.

Think about it for a minute – and then go and write your own article!

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 

Business Tips – What is Cash Flow

 Business Tips –  What is Cash Flow

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

So after my whole series on “how to manage your cash flow crisis,” someone wrote in and asked me “exactly what cash flow is”. Clearly, I should have defined it a little more clearly, so here goes.

We all hear the words every day – “Cash is King”!  Generally it is preferable to have physical cash in your hand than say a cheque or even money in the bank.  Why do you think that that is?

Firstly if the money is in the bank, then there may be expenses that still need to go off your account, you would still need to go to the bank to draw money or alternatively you may not have the card or the correct access codes to get the money out of the bank.  So having physical cash in your hand is always a good thing.

Let’s have a look at what cash flow is – exactly.  Quite simply, it is the physical money that you have access to at any given time.  It’s not the money that you are waiting to be paid.  It’s not the stock that you are waiting to sell – it’s the physical cash that you have access to at any given time.

Having a good cash flow is absolutely imperative.  As SMME’s (Small, Micro, Medium Enterprises) we need a good cash flow in order to purchase our supplies, to pay rent, to pay our staff and to pay our way in the everyday manner in which we conduct our business.  In short, it is that lifeblood that we need in order to earn our livelihood, without it we would whither up and literally die.

So how do we get this “cash flow”?

First of all, we need to get money into the business – this is usually referred to as a “cash inflow” and it is usually made of up four different components, these are:

• Sales of our products or services – well that’s pretty self-explanatory.

• Loan or credit card proceeds – this is either money that we have loaned from a bank or financial institution or indeed money that we have loaned our business in our personal capacity or money that is coming to us from sales that were paid for by means of credit cards or indeed money that we have ‘borrowed’ on our credit cards, even money that is owed to us by our debtors.

• Asset Sales – this would be when we sell assets (such as old computers or vehicles etc.) that were previously purchased by the company that we are now upgrading or even just getting rid of.

• Owner investments – these would be property or financial or business investments that we have made on behalf of our company.

Then of course money goes out of the business – this is usually referred to as “cash outflow” and again it is usually made up of four different components, these are:

• Business expenditures – these are of course the expenses that are raised in the normal day to day running of the business.  This would also include salaries and wages etc. for the staff, rent, office supplies, product etc.

• Loan or credit card principal payments – just as you got the money either from a loan or your credit card, now you have to pay that loan back or pay your credit card back.

• Asset purchases – again, just as you sold old equipment or equipment that you no longer needed, so now you have to buy new equipment or assets for the business.

• Owner withdrawals – again that is pretty self-explanatory and it is when the owner takes money out of the business for personal use.  These drawings are usually offset against the money that the owner has lent to the business out of their loan account.

Both the “Cash Inflows” and the “Cash Outflows” also fit into three main categories within the business and these are:

• Operating – this covers the sales of product or services of your business, together with the business expenses that you incur in the selling of your product or service.

• Investing – this would be all the assets that you buy and sell and

• Financing – this obviously covers all the loans and the repayments of the loans as well as the money that the owner has invested into their business and the withdrawals that they make for personal use.

So there you have it, basically what cash flow is and the “how” and “what” it relates to.

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 – Put Pen to Paper

 Inspiration – Put Pen to Paper

By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd - August 2009 

Even before I started my business in 2003 (yes I am a statistic – a good statistic), a friend at the time, kept telling me that I should write.  “Write it down, it will become your affirmation . . .” she kept telling me and I promise you, I really resisted – hard!

I resisted like you wouldn’t believe – you see, for many years, while working in the corporate sector, I wrote procedures – hundreds and hundreds of procedures and I felt stifled by the thought of having to write.  The mere thought of writing anything made my heart sink and my mind rebelled – so I resisted.  Silly me!

Several years ago I got really interested in blogs.  It seemed like everywhere I went, I heard about blogs and so began my research.  At some level, even if it was subconsciously, I understood that although the electronic age is upon us and many people don’t even know how to manually write anymore, information is critical and in order to share that information with people, other than one person at a time it is necessary to write.

And so my blog was born.  In view of the fact that I was so anti writing at this point, it was pretty limited to a networking tip, once a week.  The rest of my posts usually comprised of some or other interesting titbit which I then reproduced on the blog and made comment on.

As my reluctance to write dissipated, I found that I had more to say on issues relating to small business and more importantly I found that I was actually pretty good at writing and then horror of horrors, I found that I actually rather enjoyed writing and I allowed myself to expand my writing to several other topics.  Topics like Inspiration and Business Tips as well as Sales and Marketing, HR and of course my passion about Networking.  Hell, I even started writing new procedures again.

So what has this got to do with writing down affirmations?  Well, you see as I write and document my thoughts, I often find that I not only write about what I have researched or what my observations are, in terms of what the issues are that face small business owners, but I also seem to write down what I most need to hear.  The words do not only pertain to the facts and the figures, but also to the emotions and feelings that I happen to be experiencing at that moment in time and of course, don’t forget they also reflect my particular brand of humour.  

These feelings somehow appear on the page and they are in fact, my feelings, my hopes, my fears, my joys, my expectations and therefore my aspirations – but they are also often things that I need to hear or be told – ironically I am the doing the telling!  How cool (and a bit weird) is that?

Writing has now become a part of my life and I can now, no longer even imagine a day going by without me putting pen to paper.

Much of my writing does not appear on my blogs or in the newspaper or in magazines – much is for my own pleasure and most of it is written by hand with my 40+ year-old fountain pen.  Much of what I have written has been very painful and much has brought about tears of laughter as I remember things, ideas, dreams and moments in time.  That said, ALL of it has helped me to see things more clearly, to grow both in my business and also within myself.

All of it has challenged me and stretched my mind and all of it has been beneficial to me as a person.

So let me be “my” friend to you – write down your aspirations, write them down daily or even twice a day or more.  Write them down and see how much more clearly you look at the world around you, look at how much you grow and how much easier you find it is to achieve your goals.

Just write it down . . . 

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 . . . Your Staff Want to Strike – Part 3

 HR 101 – What to do When . . . Your Staff Want to Strike – Part 3

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd.

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

Today we are going to look at when a strike is considered protected.  This means that there are certain procedures that the staff and unions have to follow before the strike can be deemed protected.

In terms of Section 64(I)(a), the first thing that needs to happen is that the employees need to have referred the dispute for conciliation.  They can’t just decide that there is a ‘dead lock’ in negotiations and they will therefore strike.  They have to refer the dispute to the CCMA or the bargaining council.  Clearly, it is incumbent upon the employees as well as the employer to try and resolve the dispute before any strike can take place.

After that, should a Certificate of Outcome, stating that the issue has been resolved, be issued or after 30 days (or any extension to this that has been agreed to by the employer and the employee) after the first referral was received by the bargaining council or the CCMA, employees will have the right to strike.  Remember that it is one of the two alternatives, not both.

The second thing that needs to happen is that the staff must give the employer a notice of intention to strike.  The employer needs to receive the notice of intention to strike at least 48 hours prior to when the strike will begin.  The notice of intention to strike must clearly state the starting time and date of the strike.  Please remember that if the dispute relates in any way to a collective agreement that was decided and completed, in a bargaining council then the notice of intention to strike must also be given to that council. In the instances where the employees are also members of their employer’s organization that is also a part or been part of the dispute in question, then the notice of intention to strike must also be given to that particular organization too.

The third thing that has to happen is that if the issue in dispute is about a refusal to bargain, the employees must obtain “an advisory arbitration award”.  This advisory arbitration award must be obtained prior to the notice of intention to strike being issued.

A question that is often asked is whether a strike can be called unprotected even if the procedures that have been documented above have been followed.

The answer, as always is as clear as mud – yes it can, depending on what the dispute is about.  Clearly, each case should be judged on its own merit because of the way in which things are “written” and documented.  It’s about the law you see, and usually, anything to do with the law means that some bright spark somewhere will find a loophole or something that has not been clearly (enough) documented.

Let’s have a look at an example of this.

George and his fellow colleague, have insisted on a minimum wage of R25.00 an hour.  Mike is prepared to pay R8.00.  Eventually, after much negotiation and name-calling, both parties agree that R10.00 per hour is a fair amount for the minimum wage, across the board.  The union then decides, well they think it should be R11.00 – nothing prevents them from asking for more than what has already been agreed to.  The Union now says that Mike is refusing to bargain and they proceed to put the procedures in place to start the strike process.  In this particular instance, a clause needs to be inserted allowing for an increase to the minimum wage.  This will negate the necessity for collective bargaining about wages increases at the shop floor level.  

As you, the employer can see, however, it is in your own best interests (not to mention the drain on your financial resources) to get a really good Labour Attorney involved in any of these types of discussions or negotiations as failure to cross the obligatory “t” or dot the “I” could result in costing you a lot of money in the long run.

That all said, there are also some instances where employees can strike without following any kind of procedures.

If Mike were to change the working hours, or the age of retirement or the benefits that have been documented in the Letters or Contracts of Employment, without entering into any kind of negotiation with the employees, George and his fellow workers could go on strike and because the regulatory issues governed in Section 64(4), if Mike does not restore everything to the way it was, they would not have to follow any of the procedures that would normally have to be followed before submitting a notice of intention to strike.

Next week we will have a look at some tips on how to control strike action.

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

Blogging 101 – Learn Something New

 Blogging 101 – Learn Something New

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

I must admit that there have been occasions when I have sat here in my office, word document in front of me, ready for me to just put something on it and nothing comes to mind.  I can’t begin to tell you the number of times, that that clean white block looks back at me, mocking me, bullying me, daring me, in fact doing everything nasty and horrible that you can think of to me.  The one thing that it never, ever does is inspire me!  That has to come from somewhere else and that somewhere else, for me is usually something that I have seen, read or listened to, and as I have often said, I usually have an opinion about most things.

Sometimes when I am writing an article on a particular topic, it feels like a chore – something that I was really on fire about, just a few weeks ago has become a chore, a pain in the rear end!  That’s when I really do procrastinate – trying to squirm myself out of writing the article with ‘I don’t feel like it or I want to do xyz now, or my own particular favourite one – I’ll just go and make myself a cup of tea and I’ll write it as soon as I get back.  Needless to say, when I come back or rather if I come back, there is always something else that I need to do first.  Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

What I have realized lately is that the reason that I am not inspired to write that particular article on that particular subject, is usually because I’ve gone off the boil.  I mean how many times can you say the same thing in a different way and sometimes people just don’t get it.  Now that’s not my fault, although to be honest it can be quite frustrating for me. 

So how do I get back ‘on the boil’?  How do I get my ‘mojo’ back?  Well I can either look through all of my material that I have gathered over the years and believe me there is a lot of it – but the idea of getting some 20 odd boxes of notes and cuttings down out of the top corners of the cupboards is about as exciting and spark creating as watching paint dry (yet I still collect stuff all the time).  The quickest and least painful thing for me is to put the old headphones on, crank up the music (I am currently listening to Duffy singing “Distant Dreamer” as I type this) and go on an e-journey on the subject that I am wanting to write about.  I always find something that I never knew on the subject, or something that I can now look at from a completely different aspect and my spark is once again ignited, my mojo returns and the blank word page, suddenly fills up really quickly – just as it should.

Personally, I don’t think that we will ever know all that there is to know about a particular subject. I think that we often become overconfident about it.  That’s the danger!  So when you’re stuck, learn something new about the subject that you want to write about or about anything really.  Learning something new never hurt anybody and it can be a lot of 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 

Networking 101 – Identify People You Want to Meet

 Networking 101 – Identify People You Want to Meet

By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

Dr Renate Volpe, in her “Networking Tips” cards, says “Ask for the attendance list of events upfront so that you can identify the people you would like to meet.”

Some of the networking events will be facilitated or even semi-facilitated and when this is the case, it is easy to get hold of the list of people who will be attending.

For example, if you attend any of the Business Engage events, the list of hosts is generally e-mailed prior to the function taking place.  This ensures that, as a participant, you will be able to decide beforehand which ‘hosts’ you would like to meet, and engage with.

In Inner Circle meetings, however, you will never know who is going to attend upfront.  In many instances, people who have committed to coming to the meeting either don’t pitch up or phone at the last minute to say that they will not be attending.  In this instance, although you are present at the meeting, a list of attendees, with their e-mail addresses is mailed to all the participants during the course of the following day.  This means that you can contact these individuals if for some reason you were unable to engage with them during the course of the meeting.

The BizNetwork meetings sadly, are very informal – there is no facilitation whatsoever and it is up to the individual to engage with whomever they wish.  This, in my opinion, is just as bad, if not worse than cold calling as you have no idea who the person is or in what field they are.

BNI meetings, although very facilitated, usually engage with the same people on a weekly basis.

As an entrepreneur, it is essential that you actually find the medium that you are comfortable in and which allows you to engage with others, in the most comfortable fashion.

For me these are meetings like Women In Finance and Inner Circle – these are the meetings that are semi-facilitated and allow me the freedom to interact with people who I have met, or been introduced to, at the meeting.  BNI meetings for me, are too facilitated and too structured and meetings like BizNetwork are too informal. However, that’s not to say that you might not enjoy them – this is just my personal opinion.

Once you have decided on which meeting is best for you, make sure you are armed with enough business cards; there is nothing worse than running out of them when trying to network.

Should you wish to know more about Dr Renate Volpe and her cards please visit her website at http://www.drrenatavolpe.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 – You Are Not Alone At All

 Business Tips – You Are Not Alone At All

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd – May 2009

Starting your own business and keeping things on track and going in the right direction is probably one of the most daunting tasks you will ever attempt.

You are everything to all people – your clients, your suppliers, service providers, your staff, and even yourself.  Your accountability and responsibility increase dramatically, and the pressure, and stress that you put yourself under would be the same as asking someone to balance a fully grown elephant on the head of a pin.

There are instances where things go wrong, and you haven’t made any kind of provision for them, simply because you actually had no clue that they even existed, and there are other things that go wrong because – well actually, you messed up.  The bottom line is that sometimes things go wrong. 

These mounting issues and the way that you react to them actually will shake you to the very core of your being.  Your self-confidence takes a leave of absence, and you wonder if you should have yourself committed to the nearest mental institution because clearly you are not of sound mind, and judgment, to actually think that you could run your own business, and be successful at it!

Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?  I promise you, you are not alone – we have all been there, to hell, and back again.

Does this mean that you will no longer be passionate about your business – of course not!  What it does mean though is that you will start having to conduct some sort of reality check with yourself.

For me, the easiest way is always to write things down.  So make lists of everything.  Things like “what you have accomplished” and, “what still needs to be done”.  How about “all the opportunities that you have uncovered”? Then, of course, there are “issues” or, “things happening,” or, “things that could happen” in the business that could have a bad, or negative effect on your business.  Decide which are avoidable, and make a decision on how you are going to avoid them going forward.  Look at the ones that are unavoidable, and decide how best to deal with those too.

Put together a plan of action, and then give yourself target dates, and times to complete the task.  Be realistic.

Once you have completed these lists and the “how-to” of what you can, and can’t do you will have a feeling of absolute empowerment.  You see working through issues in this manner shows you that you will be able to work through anything.

Keep your head, keep your cool, calm down, and work through each issue . . . one at a time.

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 . . . Your Staff Want to Strike – Part 2

HR 101 – What to do When . . . Your Staff Want to Strike – Part 2

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd.

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

So what we now know, is when the staff cannot strike – let’s take a step back though and define exactly what a strike is:

Section 213 of the Labour Relations Act (LRA) says “The partial or complete concerted refusal to work or the retardation or obstruction of work, by persons who are or have been employed by the same employer or by different employers, for the purpose of remedying a grievance or resolving a dispute in respect of any matter of mutual interest between an employer and an employee, and reference to “work” in this definition includes overtime work, whether it is voluntary or compulsory.”

What does all of this actually mean?  

This means that in order for it to be termed “a strike” there have to be three definite components.

The first one of course has several parts to it and it revolves around the issue of work.  It is (but not limited to):

• “Refusal to work”.  This means that any refusal to work, whether it is a “go slow” or work relating to overtime or even if the employee refuses to “clock in/out” and so on.   So let’s take the example of George, who is in a production line at a factory.  George’s job is to pack the finished product into tissue paper, place it back onto the conveyer belt and from there it goes to the next person who packs the wrapped product into a box.  George abandons his station at the conveyer belt and refuses to wrap any of the product thereby refusing to perform any of his duties.

• “Partial refusal to work”.  In this instance, George stands at the conveyer belt and wraps only some of the product into the tissue paper and then also refuses to place the wrapped items back onto the conveyer belt.  In this instance, he is only refusing to perform some of his duties but not all.

• “Retardation of work.”  In this example, George continues to perform his duties but at a rate that is as slow as possible, without coming to a dead stop.  This is commonly known as “a go slow”.  George’s manager asks George to assist with the packing of the product into boxes, but George refuses as his contract does not specifically state that he must pack product into boxes.  This is known as “work to rule.”

• “Obstruction of work”.  In this instance, George does not wrap the product at all but does put the unwrapped product back onto the conveyor belt which means the product cannot be packed but must be removed from the packing area and taken back up to the point where it should be wrapped by George before any packing of boxes can continue.

The second component in terms of a strike is that a single employee cannot strike and it, therefore, has to be two or more employees that refuse to work before it can be considered a strike.

The final component in a strike is that there has to be a purpose to the strike which is usually to resolve a dispute or to remedy a grievance.  To resolve a dispute is usually around the issue of salary increases or benefits and a grievance is usually around issues of perceptions of unfair dismissal.  In this instance, George is dismissed for dishonesty in that some of the wrapped product ended up in his pockets or in his home without any of it being paid for.  George is disciplined, found guilty of misconduct and dismissed and his colleagues feel that he has been dismissed unfairly and go on a strike in an effort to force management to give George his job back.

Please remember that a grievance of any nature can be and is anything that is between the employer and the employee whether there has been a collection bargaining process or not.

Next week we will look at protected and unprotected strikes.

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

Blogging 101 – Have fun with it

 Blogging 101 – Have fun with it

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd 

At the last count, I noticed that I have now officially written in excess of 2000 articles. That’s quite impressive even by my standards.  Sure there have been times when I have written an article every single day.  There have been times when I have even been in advance – that means I have actually written articles before I needed or even wanted to post them.

On the other hand, there certainly have been times when I haven’t posted or written anything for days, or weeks, or even months.  Those have been times when life just “happened” to me instead of me being in control.  These have been sad times, or when my headspace has been wrong.  Those were times when I was unable to write because the writing was “just not fun”!

There is no logical reason to do anything that is not fun, and whilst I do understand that there are often tasks that need to get done irrespective of whether we enjoy doing them or not, the reality is that I cannot be creative if I am not enjoying myself, I cannot be creative if I am not having fun and quite frankly, I certainly would not have been able to sustain, or maintain the number of articles, or even more importantly the quality of the content of the articles if I were not enjoying myself and having fun.

So in order for me to enjoy writing the articles, it is extremely important for me to choose the niche that I am interested in.  The reality is that I write for my own enjoyment.  If what I am writing about is useful to others or if I can make money out of what I am writing about, then for me that is an added bonus.  If I had chosen a niche market in order to write purely for financial gain, I would have, in all probability found the writing difficult if not altogether painful.

Much is said about compromising between what you enjoy, and love to write about and what your readers would like to read.  If you only write about what you love, and not what your readers would like to read – well then you have a problem because chances are you will be the only one who will be reading what you have written.  Clearly, the trick is to either find something that you love to hear, or read as well as something that other people love to hear, or read, that you are comfortable with, and then go with that.

The old adage of “if you can’t measure it you can’t manage it” always applies.  You can’t improve if you cannot see that you are improving, or if you think that people do not value what you are saying.  So set targets, or goals for yourself so that you can track your progress, and as you see that more and more people are reading your blogs, so too will your motivation to write more increase.

As your confidence increases so too will your desire to monetize it.  Money is also a huge motivator, especially in the short term.  This can be done in a number of ways, and the two that readily spring to mind are to add opportunities or affiliate links.

Don’t expect to get rich overnight though – slow and steady usually wins the race.

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 is an Investment

 Networking 101 – Networking is an Investment

By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

Dr Renate Volpe, in her “Networking Tips” cards, says “Take a long term view.  Networking is an investment in a longer- term relationship, don’t be overly opportunistic.”

So many times, when I talk to people about networking and how it has changed my business, I get “the look” – you know that look that says it all.  Often “the look” is followed by the words – “I hate networking, it doesn’t work for me”.

Upon delving just a little deeper, I often find out exactly what the problem is.  The person concerned has been to exactly one networking meeting and the expectation has been that they will walk away from the meeting having sold their product or service to every single person in the room!

Let’s think about it logically – every person there has gone to the meeting with that exact same intention.  Let’s face it people – no one goes to a networking meeting with the intention of buying anything.  So you need to change your mindset – yes again!

I always like to say that networking is to building a business relationship as speed dating is to dating!  Ok, you can stop laughing now, let me explain.

When you go to a networking meeting or event, what you are actually doing is meeting the 20 or 30 people there in a very short space of time.  If you went out and did the cold calling thing – how long would it take you to physically meet 20 or 30 people?  Well at a networking event, especially if that event is facilitated or even semi facilitated, then you will be meeting 20 or 30 people in a matter of 2 to 3 hours.

You have now been introduced and when you make contact with them it is no longer a cold call.  Now when you contact them, you have common ground on which to build – you met them at the XYZ event and you would like to set up a follow-up meeting so that you can explore synergies and business opportunities.

You still have to build the relationship mind.  Just because you have met them at one meeting doesn’t now make you bosom buddies!  

Even at your subsequent meeting, don’t go in with the expectation that you are going to sell them anything – go in with the expectation that you are building a foundation for a solid relationship.

I usually ask them the first question (just because I am a natural networker and because I can) and that question is usually – “How can I help you – tell me a bit more about your business and what it is that you do?”  

Listen carefully, making notes (it makes it easier for me to remember) on what the person does and what their needs are.  Ask questions about who their target market is, or what their expectations are etc and then think carefully about who, in your database, you can match them up to in terms of synergies.

Follow up – always follow up!  I usually send a mail to the person that I met giving them the details of who I want them to get in touch with, and a copy to the person that I am introducing them to, with the details of the person that I met.  In this way I am effectively introducing them to one another on an e-mail – again it is not a cold call and does away with the awkwardness of such a call.  

Don’t expect anything in return – it will come at some stage, and when it comes, it will be in a flood!

Remember it is a relationship that you are building, build it one step at a time and build it solidly.

Should you wish to know more about Dr Renate Volpe and her cards, please visit her website on www.drrenatevolpe.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 – How to Manage Your Cash Flow Crisis – Part 5

 Business Tips – How to Manage Your Cash Flow Crisis – Part 5

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd  

In the last 4 articles, we have looked at and dealt with the fact that there are only 3 reasons why you will find yourself in a cash flow crisis.  To remind ourselves, there were:-

1. You’re not making enough money.  

2. You are not getting your debtors to pay you and

3. You are spending too much money!

We also looked at the first step that should be taken and that was to get clarity on what you owe, and what is owed to you, and we did this by means of a debtors and creditors ageing analysis.

Then we looked at cutting costs, discussed putting a budget together, and then making arrangements with your creditors to pay what you owe.

We have pretty much dealt with parts 2 and 3 from the list above, and so today we look at your sales.

Here’s the thing - it doesn’t matter how well you collect the money or how you cut out all of the expenses, the reality is that if you don’t sell the product or service there will be no money coming in to collect!

So you need to sell, sell, and then sell some more!

The fact that there is money to collect attests to the fact that you can actually sell. You just have to replicate what you did before when you sold, and then just keep on doing that better and better.  

The more you believe in your product or your service, the more “believable” you are, and the more you will sell.

Make sure that the value of what you are selling is in line with what you say you are selling.  

Make sure that you deliver on time and that you deliver what it is you say that you are selling or delivering.

Look at your product or service, and see how you can do it better.  Doing it better will also increase your sales.

Always ensure that you are giving your clients what they want and need rather than trying to sell them what you have, or what you think that they may want or need.

Start with your existing clients and ask the question, especially the one that goes “Is there any other way we can help you?”  More times than not, this will get you results, and because the relationship is already there, the “selling” will be a lot easier.  So start there, and then broaden your reach out into the open market.

Remember that you need to measure in order to manage, so it is very important to have a plan in place.

Some of the things that you need to look at or implement when you are putting your plan together are (but not limited to):-

- Plan a sales strategy

- Put a sales plan into place, and this should include things like:-

• A list of all your products or services, and how these are of benefit to your clients.

• A list of your target markets, and your perception of “the perfect client”

• Your sales processes from cradle to grave

• Your sales tools

• Your sales scripts

• How to handle objections, and how to turn cold leads into sales.

To delve a little more deeply into these aspects let’s break some of them down a little more.

Sales Tools

We all need all the help we can get, so it is a good idea to invest in a basic sales tool and this should include the following:

- A Website - in this age of technology having, at the very least, a basic website is of paramount importance.

- Business Cards - besides telling clients, and prospective clients who you are, they bring a certain level of professionalism to the table.

- Brochures – great for giving a visual aspect to your products or service.

- Presentation – always useful to help close a sale

- Templates or samples of your products, or service

- Sales management systems or CRM’s or similar – as you grow the number of clients it becomes easier to lose track of where you are with clients.  So this is very useful.

Sales Process

It’s always a good idea to have everybody doing the same thing in the same way.  Having a documented sales process will ensure that not only does this happen, but also those certain requirements or important information is not forgotten about. Your sales process should also contain the following:

- Leads -  how, and when to make contact

- Prospect – exactly what product, or service that they are interested in

- Presentation – has a demonstration been done for the client or is it still to take place, and when.

- Objections received - what they are, were they handled by who and how.

- Negotiation – what will work best for the client, and you - how will you go about getting the right balance so that a win/win situation is created.

- Finalization - have the authorizations been received, are contracts agreed to and signed off. How many sales were “won,” and why, (goes to replicating a successful strategy) and how many sales were “lost,” and why

- Monitor  -  the sales process should be monitored carefully, and updated on a regular basis.  You need to know how many leads you have, how many have been contacted, how many have been converted into sales, and exactly where you are in the process with each lead and sale.

Finally!  Prevention is always better than the cure, and I have no doubt that once you get yourself out of your cash flow crisis, you will never have any desire to get yourself back into this mess again.

Ensure that the measures that you have implemented to get yourself out of the mess are continued, to ensure that you never go there again.

Measure and monitor what is taking place on a continual basis, and then make the necessary adjustments as, and when they are required.

Remember that according to Parkins’s law, your expenses will always rise to meet your income.  So make sure that your expenses are always under control

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