Tag Archives: advice
Digital Customer Service: When Technology Misses The Human Element.
In a world where all people really want to do is look after themselves, individuals and companies that break the mold by caring or excelling in service will get noticed. One of the first jobs I had was working in a sporting shop. We had a section called customer care. It was the refunds and [...]
Book Review: Strategy That Works, Ian Mann
I read this book in one sitting. It’s not often that I do that, since I have around 10 books placed on my bedside table and rarely does one get my full attention for a sustained length of time. I swap and change, and generally poke in and out of the books that find themselves [...]
Strategy That Works: A Practical Guide For Entrepreneurs, Executives And Managers
Say goodbye to boring annual strategy retreats and pointless strategy documents that fail to grasp the uniqueness of your organisation. With the help of Strategy that Works, your strategy will become your organisation’s culture – applicable, accessible and implementable by all. In an ideal world, an organisation would be able to predict the future so [...]
Crafting A Business Plan, For Freelancers
So, you want to start a freelance business. Or, you’ve started one, and you want to formalise or clarify your offering in your mind. It’s business plan time. They aren’t just for the biggies; for the entrepreneurs aiming to sell 100,000 units of personalised coffee mugs during Q4. They’re a useful way to turn your [...]
New Generation Money Management Service 22seven Launches To Both Fanfare And Criticism
Independent online personal financial service, 22seven, launched last week into a world grappling with its fifth consecutive year of economic volatility. For consumers it’s tough and the question we are all asking ourselves, apart from how long is this recession going to last, is “how do we make ends meet?” 22seven was unveiled in Johannesburg [...]
Book Review: Bill Clinton ‘Back To Work’
Despite Clinton’s obvious human flaws, he’s shown a remarkable ability to thread his way through politics and public opinion with deft subtlety. This book proves he’s a smart guy – really smart – and if you want a lucid peek into the debate raging within United States politics, you’ll do worse than a light canter [...]
Book Review: Richard Branson ‘Screw Business As Usual’
Before I start on this review it’s worthwhile to mention that Sir Richard is a client of the digital marketing agency that I own so there may be a *small* bias. I read Branson’s new book ‘Screw Business As Usual‘ in two days, and am currently rereading certain chapters of it. I will aim to [...]
Welcome Back, Entrepreneurs: 5 Challenges To Get You Started
Well, it’s happened. Another year has rolled over, and 2012 marks the 7th year that Ideate has been championing South Africa’s entrepreneurs. We hope that this year will be a cracker for you, and that it will bring your dreams to reality. To kick things off, we want to challenge our readers to expand their [...]
Holiday Finance Tip: Protecting Your Valuables
This one’s more of a holiday checklist, but still super-important to ensure you don’t end up wasting your hard-earned money if something goes south this holiday season. First-off, if you’re leaving home on holiday, make sure that you don’t make it an absolute giveaway that you’re not there – holiday time is peak season for [...]
Sir Richard Branson’s Eight Ideas To ‘Screw Business As Usual’
Saturday night saw the South African launch of Sir Richard Branson‘s new book ‘Screw Business As Usual’, in Randlords Johannesburg. I attended with fellow Ideate reporter Yolandi Janse van Rensburg and managed to chat to the great man himself. He was his usual effervescent self, clearly loving the challenges of turning traditional business models on [...]
