Networking 101 - Are You In Love With What You Do?

Networking 101 - Are You In Love With What You Do?

By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

Do you love your work?  Are you passionate about what you do?  Does it show?  Can people see how you feel about what you do?

If you have answered “No” to any of the above – well quite frankly you are in trouble!

I understand that there are some folk out there who have not yet found their passion, and on a personal level, that is one of the saddest things.  What is even sadder though, is that some people don’t know that they haven’t found their passion.  A quick test for me is to answer the following question – honestly!

If you had to win the lotto – say 100 million – once you have had the holiday and bought the dream house and car, what would you do?  For me it’s a ‘no brainer’ – I would continue to do exactly what it is that I do now.  The only difference would be that it would not be financially driven.  In other words it wouldn’t matter if payments were late, because I would obviously be financially stable, so I wouldn’t need to ‘chase’ money the way that I do now.

I am often told that my passion and joy of living is infectious!  Well if I’m going to be ‘infectious’, I would rather it be with my love of life than any other strange lurgy.  Actually I really don’t understand those around me who live in a perpetual state of ‘doom and gloom’.  Seriously, what’s the point?  Walking around with the world on your shoulders, being constantly sad or angry or both.  Sounds like too much hard work to me.

Think about it seriously for one moment – would you rather do business with someone who is obviously in love with life and who has a positive attitude towards life or would you rather do business with someone who is forever predicting a future that has . . . well no future?

I know which one would attract my business!

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

Business Tips - Rising to the Occasion - Part 2

Business Tips  – Rising to the Occasion – Part 2

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

Following on from last week, this week we will be looking as some of the solutions that there are to assist us with dealing with some of the challenges that we came across last week.

These are (but not limited to):

• Expecting difficulty:  People who stick their heads in the sand or who look at life through rose tinted glasses are always surprised when things go wrong.  Actually some of them look like frightened deer that have been caught in the headlights of an oncoming car!  I’m not for one moment suggesting that we should be pessimistic and always looking for things to go wrong and then nodding wisely and saying “You see, I told you it would go belly up”! What I am suggesting though, is that we become optimistic realists.  That we understand what can go wrong, that we are prepared for it should it go wrong, but that we always carry on as if nothing could go wrong – that way if it does, there is always a plan “B” and if it doesn’t – well that’s a bonus, don’t you think?

• Be proactive.  This for me is an absolute ‘no brainer’!  I find it extremely difficult to understand why people don’t get things going correctly (or even going in the right direction) in the first place.  This always necessitates them having to go back to correct it.  How crazy is that and how time consuming, not to mention absolutely frustrating.  It reminds me, many years ago, of the reason that I actually left the bank.  I was in the Internal Audit Division and each time there was a problem in a department, I would be sent in to sort it out and get it back to what it was supposed to be.  One particular department was notorious for not following procedures.  It got to a point where every three months I had to go back into the department to restore order – the straw that broke the camels back came, when that particular department head received a bonus for the manner in which their department was run (when we were audited externally by the International Internal Audit Department) and my efforts were not even acknowledged.

Deal with problems whilst they are still small enough to be handled effectively and with a minimum of fuss and ensure that you maintain your preventative measures.  Think about it for a moment – we usually don’t wait until the car falls apart in a heap before we send it in for a service.  We usually service regularly to prevent the car from falling apart in a heap!

Next week we will have a look at some more solutions

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

Motivation - Yes We Can

MOTIVATION – Yes We Can

By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd 

We’ve all heard these words at some point in our lives – hell, I’m sure that on occasion we have uttered them ourselves.  I know I have – in my youth when I entered some or other competition (usually sport for me) and I was up against someone who was really, really good, I would usually give myself a ‘pep’ talk of sorts that had the words ‘come on Viljoen – you know you can do it!’

So why am I telling you all of this?  Simple really – for your own good!  Ok, I’ll stop teasing and get down to it.

Somehow, when we are business owners, these words seem to fly out the window and we are left to our own devices, little puddles on the floor.  Scared witless, petrified that we will fail, that we will fall down, that we will embarrass ourselves and in doing so embarrass friends and family.  We take all the crap that the rest of society hands out like we are second class citizens in our own lives.

I don’t think that there is a day that goes by that we don’t have it thrown in our faces that businesses fail, the percentages of failed new start ups, the numbers flaunted in our faces and yet in the very next breath we are put under tremendously serious pressure when we are told that the economy is dependent on upon our success.  I mean what’s with that?  Why would you do that to somebody? Why would you put the weight of the world upon their shoulders and then just as they are about to take their first wobbly step out into the unknown you chop them off at the knees!

Oh and let’s not forget the big corporate companies, banks and even government who, stand on their soap boxes and pontificate to the world (and anyone else who wants to listen) on how they are assisting the SMME (small, medium, micro enterprise) and the entrepreneur.  All the stuff that they give away such as money, training, freebies and what have you and yet, behind the scenes they are actually crippling and even killing small businesses, when they don’t pay invoices on time and pay 60 or 90 or 120 days and even worse in some situations, which means in reality that the small business owner is ‘carrying’ the cash flow of the large corporate, on their shoulders.

What about the various banks who want to be ‘seen’ as doing everything for the SMME in terms of loans and guidance and whatever other words that they can sugar coat to get us to believe what they are saying, only to make it so difficult to qualify for anything that it’s easier to just, ‘go for it’ on your own because it’s a lot less hard on the nerves (not to mention the wallet) in the long run – oh yes, I’m sure they forgot to mention just how much you are going to pay for that ‘help’ that they so lovingly gave.

Often we are so bullied by our colleagues, our so called friends and family, who are just ‘looking out for’ us, that we begin to believe all the BS that get sprouted out of their ‘well intentioned’ mouths that we forget that we actually ‘can’ do it! 

Yes of course we can – actually we have been doing it from the moment we were born.  We have survived, we have grown (usually in length as well as in width *Sigh* as we have grown older).  We have learnt to crawl and learnt to walk and then to run, we have passed exams and played sport and learnt how to read and write and ride bicycles and ridden horses and learnt to drive a motor car, found ourselves a job and met and married the person of our dreams (or not) and had children of our own (or not) and gotten divorced (or not) and started our own businesses, which have succeeded or not and yet we have survived – often against all odds.

Let’s put it into a bit of perspective shall we.  There is this child, let’s call her Suzie – she is almost a year old and she is starting to walk.  Her family and their friends all clap when she takes a step or two, they all reach out to steady her if she looks like she is going to wobble or fall over.  They cheer and encourage her when looks like she is hesitating and they even praise her and tell her what a good job she is doing, even when she is actually falling flat on her face.  Here’s the important part – when she does fall flat on her face, they all encourage her to get back up and try again.

You don’t hear anyone saying things like ‘hey Suzie, this walking thing is overrated, most people never learn how to do it, why don’t you just give it a miss and let someone else carry you around for the rest of your life” or “hey Suzie, I don’t think this walking thing is for you, perhaps you should stick to crawling,” or “don’t you think you’re a bit young/inexperienced/wet behind the ears (insert your own issue here) to be doing this – perhaps you should wait a bit and learn from your peers or mentors” or my personal favorite “haven’t you learnt yet that you are going to get hurt – why do you continue to try?”

The worst of it is that by choice, we as SMME’s seem to take pleasure in surrounding ourselves with the very people who, in the name of ‘looking out for us’ are constantly putting us down.  We socialize with those, who have never owned their own businesses themselves and are therefore in no position to give any advice, and yet who constantly tell us how stupid, naïve, idiotic we are for trying to do this thing.  Why do we do this to ourselves?  Why, Why, Why?

The reality is that “YES WE CAN” do it.  We can be successful, we have more often than not been successful in the past, and you know what, even if we do fall over, make a silly decision, trust someone that we perhaps shouldn’t, we are survivors.  We can overcome any obstacle, we can get up again and go forward and the best of all, we can surround ourselves with positive people.  People who will encourage us, who will reach out and steady us when we wobble.  People who will praise us, even when we fall flat on our faces and who will reach out to help us up again. People who will be telling us why we can succeed not people telling us why we cannot.

More importantly, people who genuinely care, instead of corporates and governments and people, with hidden agendas, who care only about how they are ‘seen’ and what they are ‘seen to be doing’.

I, for one am going to be making a whole bunch of changes in my life this year.  I will be getting rid of whomever and whatever causes chaos in my life.  I am going to surround myself with people who are trying to make positive changes in their own lives and in the lives of others.  I am going to be walking away from friends, relatives and colleagues who don’t add any value to my life and concentrate on those who do and who I can add value to.

I am going to hang about with those who encourage me and who I can encourage.  Who will you be hanging out with?

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 Need to Compile a Job Description - Part 3

HR 101 – What To Do When  . . . You Need to Compile a Job Description - Part 3

By Nikki Viljoen – N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd.

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

The one tip that we discussed last week was that the description of what the staff member needs to do has to be accurate and realistic.

The next tip is that the Job Description has to outline the job’s location, job purpose and content.  It also has to document the relationships involved, the authority involved and the controls and checks.

Let’s examine what this means.  Let’s take an Operations Manager’s position in a retail chain.  Now clearly in this type of scenario, there are many different types of Managers.  There would be store managers, Area or Regional Managers, Procurement Managers, Administration Managers,  (and that’s just for the stores, never mind what happens at Head Office.) and so on.  So if you were looking for an Operations Manager for the ‘stores’ as opposed to an Operations Manager for Head Office or the Warehouse or Factory, this would need to be specified and the fact that it is a Manager that is required and not an operations assistant or an operation’s clerk is of vital importance.  This would highlight that the “job’s location in the organization” is one of Operations Manager of the stores.  It stands to reason then that all the Operations Managers in the company would have similar, but not necessarily the same tasks to fulfill, so these need to be itemized carefully.

The job purpose and content would of course be to ‘Manage the Operational’ requirements of all the stores country wide and take responsibility for how well the stores run.  This would include, but not be limited to, the responsibility of the staff, the sales of the stores and the reaching of targets.  The projection of the company image to the public is also something that should be taken into account.  It would include things like staff training on product and sales training, setting of budgets and targets, the responsibility of ensuring that Government legislation is complied with and that the HR and Labour issues are met and controlled.  Issues of safety and health would also need to be controlled, not only for the staff, but also for clients. Merchandising of stock and procurement of supplies would also fall under the responsibility of the Operations Manager.  So be sure to list everything that needs to be done.

The relationships involved would include the staff who would report into the Operations Manager, who the Operations Manager would report into as well as what controls and checks would be in place to measure the Operations Manager performance. This would include, but not be limited to, targets and budgets being met and so on.  It would also be necessary to include things like the minimum requirements of the job, you would not employ someone straight out of school to perform this task, now would you? – what are the minimum educational requirements (for example, a minimum of matric and a Management diploma or degree or a minimum of x number of years working experience in an Operational Environment or Managerial position) and so on.

Clearly the expectation of both the holder of the job (in this case the Operations Manager) and their supervisor must be the same or similar.  They must equally understand exactly what is required, when it is required and how the job must be done.  Often issues of ‘expectation’ and ‘perception,’  not meeting in the middle is what causes the most headaches and conflict within an organization.

Next week we will continue with some more tips on how to write a Job Description.

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 or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

Blogging 101 - Why Blog?

BLOGGING 101 – Why Blog?

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd 

It was a request from a friend who lives far away – the ‘how to’ of blogging that is!

I must say, both the question and the request took me somewhat by surprise.

You see, although I am a technophobe who literally has no clue on how to actually set up a blog (mine was set up by a friend – a mentee actually), the value and content of a blog was not in question from the day that I heard about blogging.  It is an extremely simple concept and quite honestly I am confused by how complicated some people have made it out to be.

Simply put, it is an electronic journal that you can share with the world or not.  It can be locked up and accessible to specific groups of people (like a family who has been scattered to the four corners of the world) or even used as a means to share information with say senior managers in an international company, or you can leave it as an open forum and share the information with anyone.

Quite honestly, it is, in my opinion, one of the easiest and most cost effective ways to not only market yourself, but also provide “Joe Public” with information that they may need but not know where to go in order to obtain it or avail themselves of it.

In my opinion there is no a single solitary business on the face of the planet that would not benefit from having a blog and those that use the opportunity (note to self – get the ads up and running) properly and effectively, would also actually have an opportunity to make a lot of money whilst also actually making a profound difference in the lives of others

Each one of us, who run a Business, has something to ‘give’.  The more we tell people about what we do, the more they understand and the more they understand the more they become interested, the quicker we will ‘pop into’ their minds when they need our particular product or service.

Think about it for a moment – you may know of say 5 different bookkeepers.  They are all equally as good as each other, they all have excellent references.  One of the bookkeepers starts writing a blog that actually explains the different terms that bookkeepers and accountants use in a way that you understand and suddenly you start understanding the terminology.  Your bookkeeper decides to immigrate and suddenly you need to engage the services of a ‘new’ bookkeeper.  Which one would you choose?  I know that for me, it would be the one who has been blogging because, even though I haven’t physically engaged with them I have on some level engaged when I read the blogs.  There is now a connection with one bookkeeper that I do not have with the others. 

We are all experts in what we do or sell and sharing some of our knowledge and expertise as ‘tips’ will do more for our business than any expensive marketing campaign.  I actually find that doing the research for some of the articles that I write means that my knowledge is expanded too and that is always a bonus.

So – sharpen your pencils and start jotting down ideas on some of the things that you may want to write about or have an opinion on or even if you just want to write for fun – let’s explore the opportunity and see what we can come up with.

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 a Reputation

Networking 101 – Building a Reputation

By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

One of the greatest rewards for me, from networking is that I get to build a reputation.

My reputation (and yours should be exactly the same) is of the utmost importance, not only on a personal level, but also from a Business perspective.  You see my reputation is an integral part of my Branding.  Word of mouth or referral is the quickest way in which to Brand myself and believe it or not, perception is the quickest way to destroy it!

Some people say that your face is one of the biggest ways to build your reputation – by your face you are instantly recognizable.  I am constantly amazed by the number of people who come up to me and greet me by name and I have no idea who they are.  You see my face (and therefore my brand) is up on every profile that I am on, all over the web!

That in itself however, is not enough.  Everything you say or do is part of your branding too, whether you like it or not.  In short, YOU, the individual are your own brand both from a personal perspective and so too from a Business one.

During the course of this week I was paid a huge compliment by a very new client, who has just outsourced their payroll and Accounting.  They mentioned to the Accountant, that they had just undergone a compliance and administration audit and that there was a great deal to be done.  The individual who will be doing their books and payroll asked if by any chance the audit was done by “Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting” and when they confirmed that it was, this person apparently answered “ok that’s fine then, everything will be sorted out and resolved!”

Fabulous - don’t you agree?  Now here comes the clanger!  I have never, ever even heard of this individual or the Company! 

That’s my reputation!

A lesson I learnt as a very young child, under the age of 8 years old actually, was from my father who said “You cannot be held responsible for the name that you bring into this world, because it is the name that I gave you – but the name that you take out of this world is the one that you make for yourself!”

These words have stood me in good stead all of my life, and clearly they have made a difference to me and the manner in which I have built my reputation. This is evident in the way that people view me – my reputation appears to precede me.

What about yours?  Ask yourself – what is your reputation?  What is your Brand and if you don’t like what you see or what you have answered, how are you going to change it and turn it around?

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

Business Tips - Rising to the Occasion - Part 1

BUSINESS TIPS – Rising to the Occasion – Part 1

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

As small Business Owners and Entrepreneurs we all understand and are often touched by the adversity around us.  From political unrest and uncertainty to financial and economic recessions and troubles.  These are indeed, very trying times but also very exciting times.

Here’s the thing though – at some point in our lives, trouble will visit with us.  Even during the best of times, trouble comes to visit.  Trouble has many faces and many forms – trouble can visit in the form of an illness, or a fire or business ruin or financial challenges.  Whatever form trouble takes, it will visit.  The challenge of course is how we deal with trouble.

Many of us not only deal with every day challenges or the small irritations that life throws at us, but also have to do with some of the big things too.

Strangely enough though, it is the way that we deal with the small irritations in life that will usually determine the way that we will deal with the big things in life.

Disasters are big and in their hugeness, it is difficult to ignore them – they aren’t going to go away and you cannot hide them under the carpet or in the cupboard.  They are ‘in your face’ and you have to deal with them.

The real test though, for me anyway, is how to deal with the everyday little issues.  Those constant daily irritations that buzz around our heads like an army of mosquitoes?

Issues such as (but not limited to) getting enough rest or looking after our health or even spending quality time with our families and loved ones.  These issues are not the dramatic disaster kind and they don’t appear to be urgent, yet many of us ignore them hoping that they will go away.  For example neglecting your wife/husband and family won’t have any major effect in the short term. The long term effects though could be divorce or estrangement.  How sad is that?  In this particular example, it’s the small, daily, irritating mozzie that has grown into a tsunami that is causing the major problems.

People who are successful or who are high achievers, always expect challenges, in fact many of them welcome challenges because it’s in the dealing with the problem that they get to stretch their minds and their problem solving skills.  You will also find that most of these people, whilst they are realists – are also optimistic about life. They believe in themselves and understand their strengths and they are determined to put the changes in place.  They are determined to meet life head on.  They are also aware of the fact that as their success grows, so too will the number and size of their troubles. Most importantly too, is that they usually have a great sense of humour and know how to laugh at themselves as well as at life.

Next time we will have a look at some indicators on ‘how to’ solve your troubles before they become disasters.

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

Motivation - Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow

MOTIVATION – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow

By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

I’m not sure who penned this, but it says “Today is the tomorrow we were worried about yesterday.”

I have a friend (let’s call her Susan) who has a 7 year old daughter (let’s call her Jane) who has a slight problem.  She worries about everything!  Susan often has to go out of town on business and then Jane is left with her 28 year old brother – so it’s not like she is neglected in any way, but Jane worries all the time.  Susan now only tells Jane that she is leaving the day before she goes, to minimize Jane’s worrying.  Had Susan told Jane that she was leaving when the decision was made or when the travel booking was made, Jane would start worrying from that time.

The problem here of course is, that Jane would be so busy worrying about the fact that her mother was going away (not that anything has gone wrong for her to worry about this), that she hasn’t enjoyed any of the ‘now’.  All the fun things that they have done together, since the time that Jane got to know that her mother was leaving, have been negated because Jane was worried. 

What a way to go through life – not enjoying things as they happen, because she is worried about what might happen in the future.  Yet, most of us are guilty of this very same thing. Worrying about the future before the present even happens. 

I know I do it!  I often stress about things, like if I am called into a meeting by one of the clients and in my mind there is no need for that meeting to take place – I stress about it, dream about it agonize over it and then when it happens, it is usually something totally without any kind of merit and I could kick my own rear end for being such a baby – yet the next time it happens, there I push the panic button all over again.  In retrospect – what a waste of time!

Retrospect is a wonderful thing, don’t you think?  Looking back on what you did and how to change it – it’s in the ‘changing’, that we all need to do the most work – me included, actually it should be ‘me especially’ if the truth must be told.  I am a lot better though I must admit, but still not quite where I know I should be, because the panic button is still the first thing that gets pressed.

Logic tells me though, that worrying about something will not change the outcome.  What is to happen, will happen irrespective of whether we worry about it or not – so what’s the point of worrying?

Looks like I need to work on this a bit more – what about you?  Are you also a worry wart?

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 Need to Compile a Job Description - Part 2

HR 101 – What to do When . . .  You Need to Compile a Job Description - Part 2

By Nikki Viljoen – N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

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

Last time we had a look at the difference between an employee’s duties and the job description.

Here are some of (but not limited to) the things that you need to look at and take into account when you want to write a job description.

First of all you need to be accurate and realistic about the requirements of the job.

Let me tell you a story.  Many years ago I was employed by an insurance company, to capture all their hand written client data onto their computer system and in so doing, drag them kicking and screaming into the 20th Century.  They needed to get all of their client information into an electronic format, if they were to remain in business and have any sort of competitive edge.  At the same time, their own business Administration was in a state of total chaos, and they needed proper procedures and controls put into place to bring some sort of order into their lives.

A few days after I started, I was asked to perform bookkeeping tasks.  Now although I am a qualified bookkeeper, I have never done a full set of books for a client (other than my own, when I was young and stupid) and certainly never done a set of books in an accounting package.  You see they had seen that I was a qualified bookkeeper (as this information was on my CV) and they thought that they could get two jobs done for the price of one.

Don’t do that – the one job has nothing to do with the other and in this instance actually required two different people.

Make sure that what you require is realistic.

Then there is the case of the domestic worker – here is another story of how things go pear shaped. 
You cannot believe the number of small businesses who have hired their domestic worker as the cleaner/housekeeper/tea lady.  This in itself is not a problem at all, in fact I have done this myself.  What is the problem is that all of a sudden the domestic worker becomes the filing clerk and then the office administration clerk.

Now, giving someone the opportunity, if they are capable is absolutely fantastic.  Promoting someone to a position that is outside of their capabilities and then holding them accountable when they cannot cope or mess something up, is just plain irresponsible.  You cannot fit the Job Description to the person – the person must fit the Job Description.  So be honest about what the job entails and what your requirements are for that particular job and then find the person that fits those requirements.

Next time we will continue with some more tips on how to write a Job Description.

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 - Always be Yourself

BLOGGING TIPS 101 – Always be Yourself

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd  June 2011

I must admit, I really did have quite a chuckle when I read the article “Be Yourself” by Oleg Mokhov the other day.  You see I am a very literal person and the first thought that jumped up into my mind was ‘well how else could I be anyone other than myself?”  The thought of being or even trying to be someone else is absolutely repugnant to me!

After some thought (and of course reading the whole article through also helped), I got the point.

Mokhov’s point is that that he writes the way that he talks, which is in a ‘very relaxed and informal’ manner and very much like myself, he keeps it simple and easy to understand.

It appears that some people’s perception is that their own type of personality is not particularly successful and the result is that they then try and force themselves to become someone else and quite frankly unless you are an accomplished actor or actress, this just in not going to happen – remember also, even accomplished actors and actresses say the words and become the persona of someone else’s imagination.  So just don’t do it!

In the words of Mokhov “Are you funny, be funny.  Serious, be serious.  Angry, be angry.”

For my part, above all enjoy yourself and have fun – without that, there’s no real point anyway.

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 - The Benefits of Networking

Networking  101 - The Benefits of Networking

By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

Dr. Renate Volpe, in her nugget cards entitled “Networking Tips” says:

“Benefits of networking include:
• An enhanced power base
• Broader access to resources
• Expanding your sphere of influence
• Supportive mentorship of peers
• Successful new business transactions and relationships.”

Let’s have a look at these individually.

An enhanced power base.

Every time you get a referral from someone, or someone new comes to a networking meeting, your own database increases.  As you  increase your data base, so your power base increases and your own personal ‘value add’ increases exponentially.

Broader access to resources.

Now this is a really important one – with the broader access to resources, comes a much bigger value add.  One of my jokes that I tell at some of the networking events is that I pretty much have a contact for most requirements – that includes a brain surgeon!  That has always brought out the chuckles and often nervous giggles.  Last week I actually had to use that contact for a friend who has been in considerable pain for a very long time and who needed a reputable neuro-surgeon.  Imagine for a moment, how she must feel right now?

Expanding your sphere of influence.

Man oh man!  This is such a fabulous concept and so simplistic as well.  Let me give you some more detail – I have a friend and colleague by the name of Mirriam “Nuska” Zwane.  For those of you who don’t know her or of her, she is a multiple winner of the “Woman of the Year” award as well as numerous other accolades that she has picked up along the way.  Mirriam often sends me a mail, or someone will call me and say ‘Mirriam has asked me to contact you”.  I don’t question it, I don’t ask for motives or try and analyse why – I just set up a meeting at the soonest possible opportunity.  You see every time Mirriam sends someone to me, its guaranteed work for me and the other individual irrespective of whether it comes from each other or from our databases.  Mirriam for me, is a wonderful sphere of influence.  Go on – google her and see what comes out – she is a woman amongst women!

The powerful thing here is that Mirriam is known for her integrity and her credibility and I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that when she asks me to interact with someone, something very exciting is going to come out of that meeting.  So I often sit in the first meeting and say “I have no idea why I am here – Mirriam sent me, so tell me how can I be of help?”

Wouldn’t you like a ‘sphere of influence like mine’ – I am pretty sure that you would!

Supportive mentorship of peers

I often hear people (especially in the SMME environment) say how lonely it is in business.  This is often because they work on their own, and often the only source of interaction is with their clients.  Having a network of people and attending networking sessions allows for interaction with those people.  It is good for the soul – you will find that the problems that you encounter are usually the same problems that they too encounter.  The result of this of course is that you get to ‘brainstorm’ with like minded people and find practical solutions to the issues at hand. 

Suddenly you are not so ‘lonely’ in business, you have a sounding board (well several really) and you have a multitude of expertise and experience available on tap.

Successful new business transactions and relationships

Don’t you just love meeting people?  Don’t you just love talking to people?  Oh about all sorts of things – and as the conversation meanders through business expectations and then through personal transactions and as you get to know that individual more and more, you get to learn more about their dreams, their hopes and their wishes and so in return to share your dreams and hopes and aspirations and they learn more about you as an individual and so a relationship is born.  As that relationship grows, so too does your trust and commitment to that individual and as that grows, so too will the business referrals.  You don’t have to become personally involved with the individual – you can just maintain a professional  relationship and just as a good friendship is grown and maintained on solid honest foundations so too is a good business relationship.  They both feed and nourish the soul.

So when are you off to your next networking event?  Don’t you think you should start going, for your own sake and for the sake of your business?

For more information on Renate, please visit her website at http://www.drrenatevolpe.co.za

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

Business Tips - Some More Common Mistakes - Part 2

BUSINESS TIPS – Some More Common Mistakes – Part 2

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

Let’s be honest here, we all have good days and bad – we’re human after all and sometimes that’s just the way things are.  Of course that does not mean that we just sit back and do nothing!  What it does mean though is that we have to work extra hard at getting ourselves re-motivated.  Our lives and our businesses depend on it!

Instead of beating yourself up when you are feeling low though, try doing something different.  Do something that you absolutely love, or at the very least, do something that will take you out of the normal routine – go and watch a movie or take yourself ‘out for tea’ or ‘out for a meal’, or go for a massage, but take yourself away from your day to day drudge and troubles – chances are that when you come back you will be in an altogether different frame of mind and you can then get back onto the treadmill – ready to face whatever may come your way.

You need to understand that you will have to exercise great patience and tenacity when you have your own business.  It is more than likely that you will need to speak with someone whom you can brainstorm with or bounce ideas off or who can (and will) challenge you and keep you motivated and going in the right direction.  We all need a little help every now and then and having a mentor is usually a good thing – remember to ‘pay it forward’ though and help or mentor someone else too.

Keeping your emotions in check is also something that you will need to do, especially when you are making decisions that will have a huge impact on your business.

Decisions, of course, need to be made only after careful consideration, after a good deal of research and even more clear headed soul searching, in order for them it have the greatest beneficial impact.  Decisions made ‘on the fly’ or without any kind of deliberation could have serious negative financial implications, which could bring about the demise of your business.  So always think things through first.

A business needs to grow and that is a good thing – it’s a natural thing and it evidences that the product or service that you are offering is of value and that there is a demand for it.

Here’s the thing though that you need to be aware of and plan for.  When you grow, your will need more money to facilitate the expansion.  Ensure that your growth is measured and gradual and that you don’t grow too quickly as that will take more finance away from the day to day running and working capital of the business, which in turn would impact hugely on the cash flow and therefore the well-being of the company.

Whatever you decide to do and however you decide to do it, remember why you started the business in the first place and 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

Business Tips - Some Common Mistakes - Part 1

BUSINESS TIPS – Some More Common Mistakes – Part 1

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

I had the opportunity to speak with one of my client’s this week, whose eyes became like saucers when I expanded on things that she could introduce and do within her business that she hadn’t even thought about.  A bit sad that, because she had the idea, the basic idea – but she was so caught up in that basic idea that she couldn’t see the wood for trees – there were several different additional dimensions that she could also go to, but hadn’t.  She was being restrained by herself.  Don’t be scared to dream big!

One of the other things that I often see small business owners and entrepreneurs doing wrong, including myself, is the old 80:20 rule.  It’s not new, it’s not difficult and it certainly is one of the most basic rules that we should all know and yet I for one, often struggle with it badly.  I think that one of the reasons for this is that I am so ‘caught’ up in the moment that I don’t see it coming or that I am in the middle of it and it’s only when I am just about strangled to death by it, that I see what’s happening and then take the necessary steps to stop it and usually by that time, it has already caused the damage and I have to start again. 

Let me step back for a moment and explain what I mean.

When 80% of your sales or your income, is generated from 20% of your customers – your natural instinct is to spend the greater amount of your time with those particular customers.  The problem with this of course, is that because you are getting most of your income from these customers you are often coerced into giving them bigger discounts or freebies and that means that your margins are cut.  The bottom line is that you may be getting the lion’s share of the turnover from them, but you are also getting the least profitability from them.  There is also the very real danger that should you lose, even one of these customers, you have lost a very big piece of your income and that is never a good thing.

Balancing the 80% with the 20% is a very delicate thing and if you get it right your business with soar to incredible heights, but getting it wrong could also lead to your downfall.  It is something that needs to be kept in sight at all times.

Linking to the 80%/20% spilt is customer service.  If your 80% clients are running you ragged with all of their demands, and believe me some of those bigger clients can have a very lopsided view of what their money buys from you, chances are that you may very well have both little time or energy left for your smaller clients and their perception then is that they are not getting good customer service from you.

I don’t care if I go into a shop every single day or once a year – I want good service.  If that is how I think, then surely my clients are entitled to the same.  Giving consistently good service to ALL of your clients will result in loyalty.  Loyalty in a client means that not only will they come back time and time again, they will also recommend you to all of their friends and word of mouth referrals are the best kind of marketing you can have.  Believe me too though, when I tell you it is also the worst type of marketing you can have, if you have upset a client.  Remember that ‘bad’ news also travels faster than ‘good’ news does and it has a bigger impact.  So be sure to give consistently good service to your clients. 

This of course, does not mean that you have to become a doormat for nasty and bad clients – those you should just get rid of anyway.  Give value for money and good service and you’ll always have business coming your way.

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 - Don't be Scared to Ask for Help

BLOGGING 101 – Don’t be Scared to Ask for Help

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd September 2010

Many of the people who I encounter on a daily basis, look at me as if I have lost the plot, when I suggest that they should blog.

I am not sure if it is because they feel insecure about themselves and what they do or indeed if it is merely because the very thought of “I have to write something” scares the crap out of them.  The look of absolute terror on their faces pretty much resembles those of a buck that has been caught unawares in the headlights of an oncoming car – pretty much ‘frozen’ in terror they are!

Yet it is these self same individuals, whose faces light up in animation and with intense passion as they verbally describe who they are and what it is that they do and why you should purchase their product or engage their services.  Why is that do you think?

What is it about the written word that sends people into an absolute tizz?  I mean, at some point we all have to document things, proposals or Business Plans and what have you – why is it so difficult to document something that we are really passionate about?

I actually have several clients and colleagues who have grasped the ‘idea’ of writing blogs, but who are doubtful of their ability to communicate in the written word.

We sat down together and I ‘talked’ them through it.  They made lists of all the topics that they wanted to write about and then we broke them down into sub topics and  then further into bite sized chunks that would easily fit into articles of around 300 words or so.

Ideas of what they actually wanted to share, were jotted down and then the whole exercise of writing could begin.  Once the article was written, they sent it to me to read and critique.

For most, what started out as a monthly blog has now become a weekly blog and I suspect, it won’t stay as just a weekly blog for much longer and some have even added a monthly newsletter to the mix.

To be quite honest, in many ways I feel like a ‘proud’ parent as I watch their writing grow from strength to strength and as I watch their style of writing morph and flourish and become more about ‘who’ they are.

Well done to them I say – for taking that first step into a whole new, exciting and magical world of the written word.

Well done!

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 - Never Abuse Your Network

Networking 101 - Never Abuse Your Network.

By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

Dr. Renate Volpe, in her nugget cards entitled “Networking Tips” says:

“Never abuse your network.  Be respectful and request permission where indicated.”

You have no idea just how important this is, if you want to stay in the networking game.  Let me be a little more specific.  The world is no longer a huge place.  Each time new technology is written/developed/invented or however you would like to put it – the world shrinks a little more.  In the old days a journey by ship took years, then we got aeroplanes and it took, at worst days or hours – now we can travel the world in seconds.  Today I spoke to my Russian friend in Greece, my friend in Arizona in the States and my brother in Australia on SKYPE and because we all have camera’s we can all see one another as we talk, thousands and thousands of miles between us and yet we talk and we can see one another as if we are sitting next to each other – the world has indeed, become a very small place.

The world of the SMME has also become really small too, especially if you confine it to the country or the state and even the city or town that you happen to be living and networking in – this means, and listen very, very carefully now – this means that if you abuse your network - within seconds many, many people will know about it and as much as referrals are your best form of obtaining business, they can also become your worst nightmare.  The grapevine works in both directions and believe me when I tell you, that once your name is mud on that grapevine, you will be shut down faster than you can blink.

Here’s an example of what not to do:  During the early part of last year, I met a fellow (lets call him George)  at a networking event.  Subsequent to that meeting, we had a one on one and I gave him a long list of referrals.  People who would not only be interested in his product, but also people who were ‘connected’ who could also send him to other people who would be interested in his product. 

Now those of you who know me, know that I don’t just give out a bunch of names and contact details – I send an e-mail to the person that I am referring you to and to the person who has been referred.  I introduce the two on the mail and give a brief outline of what each one does.  It is obviously time consuming, but it turns into a warm call and a referral and each party knows what to expect.

About four months later, I met George at another networking event and we ended up after the event having a drink together and again I gave him some more contacts (remember I had had six months to grow my data base and my circle of influence).  Again I took the trouble to e-mail both parties and introduce them to each other.

About six months after that – I bumped into George at yet another networking event.  At this one he was bemoaning the fact that he was not getting much work out of the networking events that he was going to.  Perplexed (remember I had given him a huge bunch of referrals – people who would have had great value out of the product that he was selling), I asked him, which of my contacts had not ‘come to the party’?  At this point, I  was on the brink of phoning my contacts to ask them what the problem was as I was that sure that his product would assist them greatly.

He smiled very sweetly and said “Actually Nikki, I haven’t contacted any of them and actually it’s been such a long time since you sent the mails to me, could you send them again?” I’m sure you can just picture me standing there with my jaw hanging open!

Needless to say he never got those e-mails re-sent and in fact he will never get another one from me either!  Apart from the fact that I very nearly sent him an invoice for 6 hours of work in which I wasted my time and the time of my contacts, who read the mails and then sat waiting to be contacted, this man will never, ever get any kind of referral from me!  To make it even worse, I will tell everyone that I come across, not to give him referrals because he does absolutely nothing with them!

How rude!  How disrespectful!

Remember, each time you get a referral – you will be getting work based on someone else’s credibility.  If you mess with that person’s credibility – you also mess with yours!

Treat referrals as the “golden nuggets” that they are, or you may find yourself “nuggetless” and with no new “nuggets” in sight.

For more information on Renate, please visit her website at http://www.drrenatevolpe.co.za 

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

Motivation - Today, Tomorrow & Yesterday

MOTIVATION –  Today, Tomorrow & Yesterday

By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

Today’s quote comes from an anonymous person who says “Today is the tomorrow we worried about yesterday.”

Ooh, ooh, ooh that’s me!  My hand should be up first in the class for this one!  The worse thing about it though is that it drives me nuts!  Fortunately I do recognize the fact that I am a work in progress, so I do know that I am constantly trying to work on it and one day, I’m sure I’ll actually ‘crack the code’ and put it behind me – it’s such a useless waste of energy!

The thing for me though is that I have a very active brain.  So when I am presented with something or if I have done something that I know is going to have a nasty consequence or even entered into an argument with someone, it all spins around inside of my head and often it spins around hard and long and fast enough to give me a headache!

I take a careful look at what was said and then look at the various consequences that could arise, then I take a careful look at what wasn’t said and then look at the various consequences that could arise, then I look at the various possibilities of what could have been said and then should have been said and by now I am sure you have a very clear picture in your own head of what is happening in mine – or perhaps not!  Pretty soon I’m all riled up and worked up.  My blood pressure is through the roof, I am angry all over again and literally quite cranky with the world in general.

Here’s the thing though, ultimately I cannot change what has already been done and whatever the consequences, I will have to accept them.  No amount of playing anything over and over in my head, in all the different scenarios and all the different consequences is going to change in any way what was done or said.  The only thing that can change is the way that I choose to look at it or accept that what is done is done.

Usually I am left exhausted from lack of sleep.  Wound up tighter than an elastic band and generally speaking not fit for human consumption for at least a few days.  Angry, dejected and alone – a punishment of my own making (it’s really not a good idea for me to be around people as I irritate myself) I might add, I usually feel beaten up and thrown away. I am completely drained!

Ironically, the reality of the actual consequence usually has far less impact than the one I’ve conjured up in my mind.  How’s that for a mind *&^+?

The bottom line, what have I actually achieved at the end of the day – well not much on the positive side, but I sure as hell have made a real dent in the negative aspect.  I wasted precious time, used oodles of energy that could have been put to much better use. Beaten myself senseless, irritated myself into a coma and all for something that is a perception that is inside of me and that more often than not, no-one else on the planet will ever even know about.

Talk about worrying over nothing – I have to be the worlds champion at this.  What about you?  Do you do silly stuff like this too?  If so, are you also trying to stop?

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 Need to Compile a Job Description - Part 1

HR 101 - WHAT TO DO WHEN . . . . You Need to Compile a Job Description - Part 1

By Nikki Viljoen – N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

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

In my experience, one of greatest challenge in any small business is getting the paperwork right, particularly in the HR arena.

Issues of paperwork seem to pale into insignificance, when the focus is on getting the sale of the product or service, in order to ensure that there are sufficient funds at the end of the month to pay the bills.

Ironically, it is the lack of proper ‘paperwork’ that usually becomes the downfall of the Company and this is especially true when it comes to the HR side of the business.

Landing up at the CCMA, with a difficult staff member, who has all the weight of the law behind them, because you – as the business owner – have not put all the requirements in place, could mean the demise of your business as the fines paid will eat into your hard earned cash flow.  Some businesses and  business owners never recover.

Ensuring that your staff have been notified, in writing, of their job descriptions and their duties is a legal requirement.  The law is there to actually protect the employer as well as the employee.  That, perhaps is the first thing that we all need to understand.

The next thing that we all need to understand, is the difference between a “Job Description” and the “Duties” of the employee.  Most people that I come into contact with seem to think that it is one and the same – beware – it isn’t.

A job description is exactly that – it describes the job. 

Employee duties is exactly that, it describes the duties that the employee is expected to perform.

Let me simplify this a little more for you.  In some Companies, particularly small businesses, an employee may be expected to perform several duties, for example Jane Doe, may be employed as the PA and the Bookkeeper and she may also be responsible for shipping and sales as well.  So her duties (which is what goes onto the letter or contract of employment) are that of PA, Bookkeeper, Shipping clerk and sales assistant.  Therefore Jane Doe actually should have four different Job Descriptions – one for each of the duties that she performs and despite the fact that there may be ‘overlaps’ on each one of them – in this instance for example, she may be required to liaise with clients for issues pertaining to each individual duty, the fact remains that they are four extremely different jobs and each one must have their own Job Description.

In a big Corporate, often there is one Job Description for several employees.  Take for example a Company that has several hundred sales assistants.  Each assistant would have the duties of a ‘Sales Assistant’ on their letter of appointment, but there would only be one Job Description involved and that would be the Job Description of a Sales Assistant.

Writing Job Descriptions for me is not a difficult thing, but then that is because of the way that my brain is wired, however it has become increasingly evident that for others it is one of the most difficult and challenging things to write – especially if the person writing it has no knowledge of what the actual job entails.  For example, George is an extremely talented designer and if asked could probably tell you to the nearest cm, how much fabric is required to make a particular garment.  That said, George in all probability would have no clue how to run a set of books properly.  Oh don’t get me wrong George would understand the basics of how to cost the garment and what have you, but the ‘nuts and bolts’ of bookkeeping would not only bore him to tears, it is something that he would not understand.  Could you therefore imagine George writing a Job Description for the bookkeeper that he would need to employ?

In the big Corporate Companies, the person writing the job description is usually the Line Manager, and it would be written in conjunction with the HR Manager.  The Line Manager would understand and have experience in every aspect of the job or position that he would like fulfilled  and the HR Manager would have the experience of how to put those requirements into a Job description.  In a small business, the business owner is usually the one who does everything that needs to be done, often without fully understanding all the requirements of the job as is evidenced by George the talented designer.

Next time, I will list some of the basic requirement.

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 - Growing Your Visitor List

BLOGGING TIPS 101 – Growing Your Visitor List

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd May 2011

I started writing blogs purely for my own enjoyment.  It was a way for me to engage with the creative part of who I am.

As I became more confident though, and as more and more people joined the list of people “following” me – I quickly realized how blogging could be turned, not only into a marketing exercise but also a source of revenue generation.

Clearly I needed and wanted to grow the list of people following me and in order to do this, logic tells me that I have to, not only entice new visitors, but also convert visitors into dedicated readers.

This is obviously a ‘two pronged approach’.  To entice ‘new’ visitors I would need to write about something that they were interested in and in order to do that, I expanded the topics that I write about.  I also started driving readers to my website by using Facebook and Twitter and LinkedIn  and it worked.  The number of visits to my website increased and the average amount of time spent on the website also increased.

Enticing visitors to become dedicated readers is also not that difficult.  If you are giving people ‘more’ of what they want, logic tells you that they will be back for more.  So giving people what they want rather than what I think they need is very important (incidentally this is how this particular series on blogging started, someone asked for it).

Tag onto the end of that - I asked people to let me know what topics they want information on or by using the day to day life experiences with problems and issues that I encounter, I research and write about these individual requirements and share what I have learned.  You would be surprised at the number of similar experiences people in the world of SME’s, Startups and Entrepreneurs, share and strangely enough we always tend to think that we are the only ones going through this.


The length of time that people spend on my website reading my blogs evidences that people are in fact reading what I write and it evidences that the visitors are becoming dedicated readers.

So my message today is this – find out what your readers would like to read about and do something completely different . . . .  give people exactly what they want!

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 - Often Less is More

NETWORKING 101 - Often less is more

By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd.

Dr. Renate Volpe, in her nugget cards entitled “Networking Tips” says:

“Often less is more.  Don’t overload people with information.  Keep it simple!”

Aah!  This is absolute music to my ears! I seem to run around like a mad person telling people to keep things simple - simple procedures, simple English, simple, simple, simple!

In days gone by when I still worked in the Corporate world, I remember everyone in absolute hysterics with me, when during a senior management meeting, in absolute frustration I blurted out “We should have a sign made that says, “Our new mission statement is ‘Why simplify things when we can make them as difficult as we please!’ ”

I mean think about it for a moment – we wouldn’t travel from Johannesburg to Durban, via Cape Town – now would we?  (Well I suppose some bright sparks would!) Yet somehow we persist in doing things the hard way, making it difficult for ourselves.

I am sure we have all heard the words “It can’t be that simple – can it?”  Well actually people – it is and it can be. 

So make notes for your ‘elevator speech’ and again for a bit of a longer introduction.  Make sure that your information is clear, that the sentences flow into each other and that they actually make sense.  Keep it as short as possible – the longer discussions should take place on a ‘one on one’ basis.  Make sure that the message you are trying to get across is understandable.  Remember you know (we hope that you should know) intimately what you do and you carry that picture in your head.  What you are trying to do is put that picture into as few words as possible and hoping that as you say those words, the picture that you have in your head will magically appear in the heads of the people around you.  Be clear and careful about this, there are a few people who I have seen and heard at networking meetings over the last ten years, and I still have no idea about what it is that they do – their messages are really very complicated and unclear!

Now here lies the challenge – how do I refer someone, when I am absolutely confused about what it is that they do!

So here it is:
Be clear
Be concise
Keep it short
Keep it simple.

Happy networking!

For more information on Renate, please visit her website at http://www.drrenatevolpe.co.za

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

Business Tips - Planning to Succeed - Part 2

BUSINESS TIPS – Planning to Succeed – PART 2

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

Following on from last time, let’s look at some of the other guidelines that can be used by SMME’s to plan for the success of their business.

Organizational Chart

Contrary to popular belief, an organizational chart is not just about knowing which staff report into which departments or which individuals head up the various departments.  Having a proper organizational chart makes it that much easier for business owners to see or visualize the company with all its various divisions and compartments.

This in turn makes it easier to put strategy and infrastructure in place and it will also allow business owners to respond to changing markets, trends and opportunity, a lot faster and more effectively.  Having a plan or chart clearly visible has a great impact – much more than something that is merely a thought or an idea and that is kept only in the mind.

The organizational chart also means that intensions are clear and well defined and this makes it a lot easier to communicate these intentions to your staff.

Positional Contracts

Although all the staff need to have their own contracts – having contracts that are specific to a position is always a good thing.  Apart from the fact that the staff member concerned will be under no misconception about what their role in the company is, the business owner also gets to define that particular role and make their expectations clear.

The easiest way for me (and I suspect that this is standard practice) is to start at the top of the organizational chart and work your way downwards.

Remember of course to have the list of requirements for each task readily at hand and make sure that your expectations and requirements are clear.

KPI’s

KPI’s of course are “Key Performance Indicators” and they are how the performance of the staff member is to be measured.  Remember the old adage “If you can’t measure it you can’t manage it?” Well here’s the thing – it’s true and the best way to set those measurements and implement them is in the KPI’s or job descriptions.  That way, as the business owner, your intention is made clear from the start and the consequences of not meeting your expectation is also documented.

Just make sure though, that when you hire someone for a position that they are capable of performing the required task or you will be responsible for setting them up for failure.  The days of hiring someone because they had cute dimples or because they had long gorgeous legs and then dismissing them at some stage because you discovered that the work was not being done, are no longer here.  You, as the business owner also have a responsibility for ensuring that the person you hire is qualified and capable of doing the work.

How-to Manuals

It is of the utmost importance – most especially if you have staff – to document ‘how to’. Ensuring that your staff all complete tasks in the same way will ensure that things get done properly and consistently and will also provide you with something to measure their performance by.

Actually if the truth be told, even if you don’t have staff, having checklists for yourself for all the tasks that you perform will ensure that you don’t forget to do things when you are interrupted by the phone or a client.

Documenting your ‘how-to’ will also remove all sorts of emotional issues like (but not limited to) “but I thought you meant” or “I thought I would do it like this today” or my personal favorite “But I always do it like this!” Instructions that are simple and clear provide the groundwork for work that is correctly and timeously performed, leaving little room for error and oversight.

So, there you have it – the basic plans that you should have in place as you venture out into the world of Business Owner.

Don’t forget to check your plans and goals on a regular basis though – not only to see that you are still going in the right direction, but also to ‘tick off’ your accomplishments as and when you realize them.  Then of course there are always the little ‘tweaks’ that need to be done as you change direction due to market trends and legislational requirements.

Good luck on your new venture and don’t forget to have fun along the way.

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

Motivation - True Value

MOTIVATION - TRUE VALUE

By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting (Pty). Ltd

The quote today comes from Jim Rohn, who says -  “You don't get paid for the hour. You get paid for the value you bring to the hour.”

Oh, I do like this one!  As a Consultant, who charges and gets paid by the hour, this is like manna from heaven for me.  Not only does it make absolute sense to me it also takes into account my Intellectual Property (IP)!  I can just see all the eyebrows shoot up – well it does, and they do.

Ok, let me try and explain this on paper.  When I sit with a client, in a meeting and then charge them for that hour (or more), I am often looked at like I am crazy. Why? If you go to a doctor or a lawyer, you would expect to pay for that hour – why would my time be any different?  So, I don’t have a whole bunch of letters behind my name to say that I am a doctor or a lawyer, so what right do I have to charge anyone for my time?

Well it’s like this – yes a doctor or lawyer has studied for x number of years to gain their knowledge, which they use in order to address whatever problem it is that you have.  Well so have I – I have gained my knowledge through experience.  For the last 40+ years, I have had on the job training – I have lived, slept, eaten and . . ok let’s not go there.  Suffice it to say that I know exactly what I am doing, how to do it and when it needs to be done.

So when I sit in the client’s office, in a meeting, answering questions – I am giving that client the benefit of my 40+ years of business experience and like any doctor or lawyer who has studied, I deserve to be paid for the value that I have brought to that hour of discussion.

Take time to remember this, the next time you have a meeting with someone whose brain you are ‘picking’. 

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 Need to Conduct a Disciplinary

HR 101 - WHAT TO DO WHEN . . . . You Need to Conduct a Disciplinary

By Nikki Viljoen – N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd.

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

The mindset of most individuals is that the conducting of a Disciplinary hearing is a ‘waste of time”.  Whilst that may be the perception – it is really the only way that both parties, the Employer and the Employee, get to do battle in a way that is completely fair and without any emotion.

The Basic Conditions of Employment Act is very clear on the subject.

Staff can no longer just be summarily dismissed – the staff member is thereby protected from an employer hell bent on dismissal.  Staff members, no longer get to do as they please and then get away with it – the employer is thereby protected.

There are now rules and regulations governing how things get done – this is called the Disciplinary Procedure.

Many cases that have landed up in the CCMA, and been lost by either of the parties because the correct procedures were not followed and not necessarily because of the alleged transgression.

They are not difficult, they are completely fair and they can ensure a fair outcome.  If the employee is dismissed and feels that justice has not been served – they can firstly ‘appeal’ the decision and if they still do not feel that justice has been served they can then take the whole issue to the CCMA.

Let’s step back a moment and see what the procedures are:

·                    The staff member must be served with a Notice to Attend a Disciplinary Hearing.

·                    The charges must be clear and concise. 

·                    The staff member must be given a minimum of 48 hours to prepare their case from the time that the Notice is served to the time that the hearing takes place.

·                    The staff member has the right to have representation (this means someone inside of the company – no lawyers at this point)

·                    The staff member has the right to have an interpreter if there is a need.

·                    The staff member has the right to call any witnesses, if there is a need.

And guess what – the Employer has the same rights.

The Disciplinary must be chaired by an impartial person, who has not been involved with any of the issues leading up to the hearing being called for.  This way, both cases get to be heard without any pre-conceived perceptions.

The Chairperson must hear both sides of the story, before making a ruling.  The Chairperson can ask as many questions as they feel the need to, in order to reach a decision.

And finally the penalty must fit the crime. 

Next week we tackle a new issue.

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 - Always Proof Read

BLOGGING 101 – Always Proof Read

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting CC July 2010

Just because you are writing on a blog, or posting on twitter, or even on some of the social sites such as FaceBook, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t view or treat your writing with any less respect than if you were say, writing an article for a newspaper column or for a magazine.

I am sure that I would be absolutely on the money if I were to assume that articles of this nature would be checked, several times to ensure that the spelling was correct or, that the links actually worked, or that the language that you used was grammatically correct.

I know and understand that common sense is in really short supply these days (if not altogether a rare commodity) but logic should tell you that, at the very least, the article or post should be read over again, at least once.

For me, often the thoughts and ideas come at me in bits and pieces and usually over a period of time.  Additionally ideas ‘pop-up’ while I am busy writing and rather than lose the momentum, I jot them down either on the page (if I am writing by hand) or on the screen page (if I am writing directly onto the computer).  This, of course means that the piece will not flow. The sentences will not be in the right order and arguments, discussions or even points to ponder, will seem stilted, all over the place and not always make any kind of sense (except to me of course).

Obviously, I have to go back and put everything where it should be or change things around so that the story unfolds correctly.

There are times too, when perhaps an explanation needs to be expanded to make the point clearer or additional material needs to be added to make the piece complete.

Often it is only by the fourth or fifth reading that I am satisfied with the ‘unfolding’ of the story and then, although I usually correct spelling mistakes as I go along, I read it again to check for any more spelling mistakes or grammatical errors.

After this comes what I call the ‘audience test’.  Here’s the thing – reading something quietly in your mind is not the same as reading it out loud, to a captive audience, where you pause at the required moment to add emphasis to what you are saying and put all the correct inflections on the words as you say them.

Forget for a moment  that my ‘captive audience’ is usually my cat, who may or may not be fast asleep on the couch in my office – there are usually a few more changes to be make at this point.  Changes made, the cat gets to hear it all over again and once the words roll off my tongue, without pause to correct or add something else, and the meaning is clear, then and only then, is the piece complete and ready for posting.

Think about it for a moment – you want people to take the time to read and understand what it is that you have written – not so?  Then it stands to reason that you should take the time and trouble to make that reading experience an enjoyable one.

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 - Make An Impact

Networking 101 - Make an Impact

By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

Dr. Renate Volpe, in her nugget cards entitled “Networking Tips” says:

“Make an impact!  Walk into a room knowing that you have something important to offer, that is worth sharing.”

As usual Renate is spot on the money!  This is a great tip indeed.

I know that, since I have finally ‘got’ the whole networking thing and actually, I walk into a room differently and people have noticed.  It’s like I have a secret weapon and whilst I am quite happy to share with anyone that wants it, it is actually mine and that is a very powerful emotion to have.

It’s like having your ego constantly stroked and it certainly puts me on a ‘high’ (without the use of any kind of other substance). 

You see, in most instances – I know something that those people don’t know and that makes me a very special person.  The fact that I am willing to share my secret with anyone and everyone – well that makes me kind of unique, don’t you think!

What ‘anyone and everyone’ does with the secret that I share with them of course is an entirely different thing altogether and that often is very sad.  Actually I used to get very upset and frustrated, when people didn’t understand the whole networking context – now I understand that sometimes things just are what they are.  So I share with those that want to hear, to learn and to understand and the rest, well life will take care of them I guess, and at the end of the day it really isn’t my problem at all.

I look at the world differently and I see people differently, and it has nothing to do with whether I like someone as an individual or not, it has to do with that person’s circle of influence, who they are connected to and who I am connected to.  It has to do with adding value to people’s lives and having value added to mine. 

It has to do with having a secret that I am dying to share with you – would you like to hear it?

For more information on Renate, please visit her website at http://www.drrenatevolpe.co.za

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

Business Tips - Planning to Succeed - Part 1

BUSINESS TIPS – Planning to Succeed – PART 1

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd 

It’s no secret that in order for you to succeed in life, there has to be some sort of plan and obviously this also applies to business success as well.  In fact I would even go so far as to say that the ‘devil is in the detail’.  The more information and detail in the plan, the more you can ‘measure’ yourself to see how you are doing and the more likely it is to succeed. Clarity is King!

The problem of course is that many folk have no idea what needs to go into a plan and this statement is backed up and evidenced by the many businesses that fail because individuals have failed to make plans or set goals of any kind.

Here are some guidelines on what you need to look at in order to plan properly.

Vision
Your vision, of course, is your dream or your intention.  It is the ultimate goal.  It could be something as dramatic as having your particular product in every home in the country by xxxx date or as simple as providing training to 500 SMME’s (small, medium, micro enterprises) on a monthly basis.

What it should perhaps include however is what kind of product and why it should be in every household or what kind of training and why it will make a difference.

Mission Statement
For me, the mission statement is a simple plan on the ‘how to’ achieve your vision.  So how do you intend getting your product into every household or how do you intend getting the SMME’s into your training.  At this stage I wouldn’t go too in depth but rather have the basics down as these can be fleshed out at a later stage or as and when you get to the information that you need.

At this point it is also a good idea to start getting your figures in place – the budgets.  Number crunching is not always as difficult as we seem to think it is – just start with the basics and then the detail can be fleshed out from there.

Culture Statement
I must admit, when I ask this particular question, I am often met with a very confused look as well as the statement -  “The What . . . . ?”  Every business has a culture and pretty much like we are ‘masters of our own destiny,’ we also have a choice about the type of culture we want our businesses to be.  The way that you deal with customers and your suppliers or your staff would largely affect the type of culture that your business will become. In many instances, the culture of the company is determined by ethnic or religious influences but whilst we may be influenced by these external factors, it is equally important to ensure that our ethics also influence the culture of the company.

Often, it’s “Who we are” and our beliefs (and I am not talking about religion here), that are what attract people to do business with us.

Goals
Whether we want to admit it or not we all have goals – some of them are really simple and we make them without even thinking, like “I need to get to work by 08h30am this morning”.  Of course that is a goal – is it one that you need to write down – not necessarily.  Some of them can be seriously difficult and complicated, well actually – if the truth be told, we make them seriously difficult and complicated.

For me the easiest way to put my goals into perspective is to break things down into bite size chucks.  Where do I want to be in a year or two years or three years or even five years.  That’s the end goal – then break it down into the components – what do I need to do to get there and how long will that take me.  Once you have written all of that down, it is easier to set goals with time lines, be those timelines hours, days, weeks, months or even years.

Let me give you a simple example.  I want to paint my home and I want it done and completed at the end of say 6 months.  What do I need to do to get that done?  How many rooms are there, in which order will I paint the rooms.  What has to be done before I can paint (preparation), how long will that take me for each room (preparing the walls, covering or moving furniture, purchasing paint, brushes, etc.)?  What has to be done once the room has been painted (clean-up and uncovering and moving furniture etc.).

Now I have an idea of all the tasks that must be done and I can assign a time frame to each and if my time frames are reasonable and I stick to them, I can complete my task within the time period that I gave myself or not – you see here I can now adjust my ‘end result’, if that is what is required.  I have documented my goal and set a plan in place in order to achieve my goal – I can measure myself at every step along the way and see how I am doing.

In the same way and in every aspect of your business, this simple type of goal setting and planning can be implemented to ensure that you achieve whatever it is that you wish to do.

Next time we will have a look at the rest of the guidelines that I spoke about at the beginning of this 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

Motivation - Understanding Ourselves

MOTIVATION – Understanding Ourselves

By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd

Carl Jung says “Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves”.

I know that one of the lessons that I learnt in life at a very young age, is that the “cute” things that first attracted me to a potential love interest was also the first thing that irritated me to such an extent that I ‘fired’ their butts at the first opportunity.

It wasn’t until years later however, that I began to understand the reasons behind this.  You see it’s the things that others do that irritate me that I mostly need to change in myself, be it a physical trait or a mindset that needs a change or even a tweak.

For myself, the greater the irritation, the greater my own need for me to change something within myself.

From my blood pressure rising as I drive and try and negotiate the traffic in Gauteng, to losing my sense of humour as I watch in disbelief, yet another stupid advert.  The manner in which I react to any given situation reflects my attitude at the time as well as my choice (or lack thereof) to react in the manner that I have.

So the next time that you become irritated by something someone does or says – stop for a moment and think about why it is that you are irritated.  Look into yourself, into your heart and the very core of your being, and if you are honest - brutally honest with yourself, you will understand what it is about yourself that you need to change.

In that understanding, a decision is made and in that decision being made an action to change takes place.

In making that change, the direction of your life will also change and you will grow as an individual.

Who would have thought, that the irritating presence or irritating action of a person has brought about some of the most significant changes in my life!

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