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Articles by Anton Ressel
Unathi Nuku: Building a new era in IT Original
Advertise your job vacancies Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and founder of Grameen Bank, Muhammed Yunus, highlighted, "Social entrepreneurship is the pursuit of sustainable solutions to neglected problems with positive social impact, with the ultimate goal of changing society for the better." Unathi Nuku, the founder of New Era IT, embodies this magnificent description.
Franchisees embrace multi-franchise arrangements Original
The franchising landscape in South Africa over the years has witnessed a significant shift as more franchisees embrace multi-franchise arrangements to ensure sustainable income in the face of inflationary pressures.
Profit and purpose: The twin engines driving social entrepreneurship
Search jobs In the last twenty years, social entrepreneurship has garnered growing attention and acknowledgement. The notion of blending profit generation with beneficial social outcomes has ignited a worldwide movement, disrupting the conventional belief that these pursuits are incompatible.
What does it really take to be an entrepreneur?
Share this with your network When you listen to a podcast about what it takes to be an entrepreneur and the secrets behind success, or Google ‘The traits of successful entrepreneurs’, the usual and expected themes come up – things like passion, resilience, vision, confidence, inspiration, focus, strong leadership abilities, optimism and a willingness to fail.
Don't fall for the myths: How to succeed with your small business startup in SA
1. Myth one: you can't start a business without a business plan Millions of small businesses worldwide have been started without a business plan. The action of starting the business is what matters. Once you have started and tested the concept, you can then develop a business plan to focus the strategy, share the vision with others and build a compelling case for accessing finance or partnerships.
How one small business secured a coveted contract with Shoprite Checkers
Nigel and Christynn Jacobs, founders of Jacobs Jam | image supplied What no one tells you about entrepreneurship is that success does not happen overnight, your family will probably call you crazy (and not behind your back) and you will want to quit. These are things Nigel and Christynn Jacobs know all too well.
Circular economy: Businesses that change the world see more than just making a profit
In more recent times, the concept of businesses doing good has become very much a part of mainstream society, and many of today’s very successful businesses are what can be classified as social enterprises. Well-known examples include Ashoka, Grameen Bank, the Bodyshop and Toms Shoes.
The psychology of pricing - How to arrive at the 'right' price for your products or services
This is not surprising, because unlike costing - which is a more precise and exact science - the psychology of pricing is murky and influenced by many factors. These include the nature of the product or service, the target market, brand equity and positioning, distribution strategy, the scarcity or availability of the commodities in question, right down to factors such as packaging, product quality, originality and even current economic and inflationary trends.
4 things entrepreneurs really need for success
It is a popular belief that if you are to make it in business in the long run, you need the courage of a lion, the skin of a rhino, the posturing of a peacock, the wisdom and dexterity of an octopus and the passion of a bull during mating season. Is it any wonder that almost 90% of South Africans elect to seek gainful employment rather than pursue an entrepreneurial journey?
Tips for local entrepreneurs considering an investment in a franchise business - Part 1
One must understand that this might not be a good fit for all aspiring entrepreneurs, but it can be a wise strategy if the motivation, vision, and desired outcomes are well thought out and well-aligned. Remember, most successful franchises started with a vision of individual success and later became ‘franchisable’ businesses, allowing the founder/s to transform from simply running a business to being franchisors.
Unemployment is all our problem - good intentions are not enough
By 1h ago By Catherine Wijnberg & Anton Ressel, Fetola YESTERDAY, the South African government released the latest unemployment figures. They’re not unexpected, but they’re harrowing – and damning. At 34.9%, South Africa has the highest official unemployment rate in the world. Add the expanded definition that includes discouraged job seekers and others who are not economically active and it’s a staggering 46.6%.
Steinhoff, Bosasa et al: When bad business is bad for business
This week saw the reappearance in Parliament of Steinhoff executives, following the completion of a 15 000-page report by PricewaterhouseCoopers into the affairs of now-notorious Steinhoff. The Hawks were ordered to provide weekly updates to Parliament on their progress. Also in recent weeks, news broke that African Global Operations, better known as Bosasa, was going into voluntary liquidation following the closure of its accounts by several local banks.
Cape Town entrepreneur scoops national award
Despite having turned the ailing, loss-making company she bought in 2010 into a highly successful business with an Africa-wide footprint and a multi-million rand turnover, when entrepreneur Muriel Jansen received an invitation to enter the Standard Bank Top Women Awards earlier this year, she initially brushed it off. "I read the criteria and looked through the list of the past winners, and thought ‘What do they want with me?'" she explains with a laugh.
This coffee's kick isn't just in the caffeine
I Love Coffee, a Cape-based social enterprise that trains and employs deaf baristas to work as front-line staff in its stores, has recently embarked on a bold expansion drive that will potentially see it opening as many as five new outlets over the next twelve months. The company started with successful move earlier this year, to its current location within the Publicis building in Harrington street.
Supplier development: It's time to move beyond box-ticking
As a business consultant and mentor, I have noticed a disquieting trend in the supplier development landscape over the years. A lot of companies seem quite comfortable doing the bare minimum to satisfy their scorecard needs. Others take it further, trying to beat the system in a number of ways.
Chivas Venture recognises SolarTurtle's social punch
Johannesburg - The SolarTurtle, a locally designed and developed solar energy kiosk, has been selected as one of five regional finalists for the Chivas Venture – a global social entrepreneurship competition that recognises and supports business ideas that have the potential to make a significant positive social impact.
From pressure to profit: Lessons from a latent entrepreneur
Are entrepreneurs born or made? High-flying Cape-based entrepreneur Muriel Jansen suggests that it may be a bit of both, having put her years of experience of working for others into practice when buying and growing her own business. When minority shareholder Muriel Jansen decided to buy her partner out and take over the reins of stationery and cartridge business Tracktone a little over six years ago, the company was making a loss and the whole sector was under pressure.
SA’s social enterprises falling through the cracks
Cape Town - The donor landscape has changed considerably over the past few years. Increasingly, the concept of "social entrepreneurship" is replacing traditional non-profit funding models, with the promise of greater self-sustainability and easier exits for donors, two key reasons why corporate and other donor agencies are increasingly turning their focus towards these hybrid organisations.
Free career guidance app aims to close the gap
Cape Town - “My nephew’s teacher advised him to choose Maths Literacy, because he felt that Mathematics would be too difficult for him. This was however not the case, and as a result his career options were suddenly limited and his entire future affected.
Tech start-up space not for the faint hearted
Cape Town - The technology start-up space is a major drawcard for many of the world’s brightest and most ambitious young minds. Lured by the prospect of developing the next Facebook, Google or Instagram, these techno-whizzkids constantly create and launch new apps, platforms and other tech-based product offerings, in the hope that one of them will fly, be sold for a billion dollars and they can retire to their island paradise and sip margaritas all day.
Winds of change blowing through the PPE sector
ONE INDUSTRY sector that does not seem to receive the coverage and focus that it deserves is the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) sector. This is surprising, since a recent research report undertaken by MarketsandMarkets, one of the premium forecasting and market research firms in the world, found that the PPE industry looks set to grow globally by nearly 7% per annum, to reach a value of over $52.4bn by 2020. Those are some serious numbers.
Anton Ressel
Anton Ressel Senior Consultant at Fetola Location:Cape Town, South Africa Profile Anton Ressel is an experienced business development consultant, mentor and SME specialist. He is the Senior consultant at ED and CSI specialist agency Fetola (www.fetola.co.za ), a winning mentor on the SAB Kickstart Entrepreneur Competition, and a published author across multiple publications. His passion is helping small businesses become big ones. Follow @antonres on Twitter.
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