Positive articles make you cocky. Negative articles make you shaky. Better not to read about yourself.
Didn’t get what you wanted?
Don’t get upset. Maybe you miss your flight, but it crashes after take-off. Maybe your taxi is late, but you miss an accident on the highway. Maybe an investor rejects you, but he is arrested for fraud a few months later. What’s meant to be is meant to. Work your hardest. Don’t get upset if…
What does a seven year waiting list mean?
In the 90’s, the national telecoms operator of India had a seven year waiting list for fixed lines. Seven years. That’s how long you waited before they would install your line. Eventually someone asked the minister of telecoms what he was going to do about this terrible service. His response was bemusement. “What do you…
Put the fire out in your house
If a crook sets your house on fire, what do you prioritise: Chasing the fire-starter? Or putting out the fire? Your instinct may be to bring justice to the crook, but by the time you return you won’t have a house left. Your job is not justice. Your job is to put the fire out…
Are you sure of your idea?
You have a great idea. You’re convinced it’s the right thing to do. You’re ready to fire the laser. Pause. Check again. Keep an open mind. Be ready to let go of your views. Sometimes your idea is not such a good idea. The only way you save yourself money, energy and angst, is to…
Get ahead of the train
Your job as an entrepreneur is to regularly check out where market is going. BEE, interest rates, property prices, whatever. Where is the train going? Then get yourself ahead of the train. Need 30% BEE? Get 40% BEE. Interest rates going up? Get out of debt. Property prices going down? Sell your properties. Get ahead…
If you’re not sure, do nothing
When you’re confused, the right thing to do is to do nothing. Go home. Sleep on it. Breathe. Confusion leads to fear. Fear leads to bad decisions. Calm down, find clarity.
You don’t want soft money
What is soft money? NGO’s, foundations, development finance institutions. Investors that invest for reasons other than “making profit”. Beware raising soft money. It’s all good and well whilst you’re not generating profit, the problem arises when you actually start making money. It’s at that point that your soft money investor will have clashing opinions on…
Pain fosters courage
Are you a coward? Are you afraid of losing money/reputation? The way to create courage is to do the very thing you’re afraid of. Afraid of losing money? Risk money on an investment. If you win, great. If you lose, you’ve taken away some of the fear you have for losing money. You’re still alive!…
Need creates fear
Do you know how to work hard?
Do you work for a company? Work evenings? Saturdays? You think you work hard? Before you rush out and start your business, think of this. Being an entrepreneur is a 24/7 life. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The entrepreneurs that you see living the dream are the lucky few. And before they…
Deal with challenges in a positive manner
You will face setbacks, challenges and problems. You have two choices how to deal with them: in a negative or a positive manner. The former leads to additional stress, possible new enemies and your business freezing until things are resolved. The latter leads to respect from others, and your business keeps moving forward. Which path…