Bakhithi, ziyakhala manje! Awukho umsebenzi! According to the latest StatsSA report, our economy is stubbornly shedding jobs. Kunakele!
Covid-19 issues and lockdown are still with us, and politically, there is too much noise and disunity among people. One wonders what the impact of all these concerns is to the mental health of the population. This is no time for finger pointing but helping to find a solution and lending a hand. By Nimroth Gwetsa, 31 August 2021. Continue reading
Remember this name: Mulalo Netswinganani, known fondly as Peace. Peace was an ordinary assistant to merchandisers at Builders Warehouse Fourways more than eleven (11) years ago. His primary role was assisting customers find electricity related products and explaining their application or usage. Unlike other assistants in the store, Peace was not trying to run away from customers by hiding but was eager to assist and advise whenever approached. He was then, though still is, exceptional.
In about 2003, Peace decided to focus on his passion of becoming an electrician and risked all by resigning and opening his company, Mulnet Projects, an electricity, CCTV, security and other residential and small business property installations, maintenance and compliance certification. I am delighted to have shown faith and support in him in his early years by appointing him electrician in my then renovated house. Today, Peace is highly in demand, does exceptionally well and has expanded his business to include off-grid solar power installation.
He remains professional, takes pride in his work and is still customer-centric just as he was as the shop floor assistant many years ago. Stories of people like Peace and the excellence displayed by small companies such as his Mulnet Projects are inspirational and worth publishing so others too could learn from them. By Nimroth Gwetsa, 30 June 2021. Continue reading
In my garage is a classic I bought seventeen years ago. For the past few years, it has been parked and not used regularly, but taken out once or so a week to maintain the health of the battery and other moving parts for lubrication and rust prevention. I know many will criticise the soundness of my financial management in keeping such a vehicle. We possibly have a “drug” of some sorts we obsess about, enabling us to be children again. Mine is the love I have for this modern classic.
To avoid having ownership headaches, I have honoured all its annual service maintenance requirements through the dealership of the original-equipment manufacturer (OEM). The move has thus far increased my confidence to have it as an option for any trip I wish to undertake, whether around the corner or over long distance. That my family shares in my confidence is another matter, suffice it to say when the OEM dealership presents me with a bill, I feel like swearing at people in the building, including the state of our governance in the country.
These people are not playing. They do not hesitate to present you with a bill equivalent to a budget of PPEs for a small village of migrant workers! But that is not the main reason for my telling you this story. By Nimroth Gwetsa, 30 March 2021. Continue reading
I strongly believe human beings are not designed to live in suffering. Mere loss brings unbearable discomfort to our lives. Just to see how we were not designed to endure suffering forever, just look at the amplified noise made when we suffer temporary losses as compared to praises and appreciation given to the bliss enjoyed for even much longer.
A brief mishap can easily feel like a lifelong disaster, while a lifelong good life may not even be felt but taken for granted and expected to occur by default.
If the biblical account of life is true, I’d argue trouble free life was before the fall of man. Thereafter, things went Topsy-curvy, and only life difficulties can bring development and advancement to our lives. Meaning, trouble, and suffering are generally default settings of life and goodness only obtained by grace and in other cases, earned. By Nimroth Gwetsa, 28 February 2021. Continue reading
In case you did not know, you are fast on the slippery slope to economic ruin if you feel compelled doing something you do not want to do, but are compelled by fear to do it. It does not matter if that fear stems from potential loss of an opportunity or your wish to avoid ruining a relationship. You did not start your business because of fear, for, you risked everything, probably leaving other opportunities with different and better rewards to pursue your business. Why then are you suddenly seized with fear of loss?
Fear is devilish emotional blackmail aimed at ensnaring you so you could deviate from your plans to focus on doing something else that may result in your ultimate failure. By Nimroth Gwetsa, 31 October 2020. Continue reading
If you want to be dependable, effective and build long lasting profitable relationships, learn to keep “it simple”. Many technocrats make the mistake of trying to prove their sophistication by complicating simple matters. Perhaps they are not doing this to impress. Maybe they want to win by instilling fear and silencing opposition and those proud enough to ask for explanation of jargon used.
Business problem solvers must do their best to keep it simple, for having it any other way will result in strained relationships. By Nimroth Gwetsa, 30 July 2020. Continue reading
No doubt, our challenges are many and mounting as we speak. Indications from different perspectives and sectors show we have grave problems and are heading for even the worst of times. Government and big business alone do not have sufficient resources, capacity and even credit rating to resolve many of these challenges facing society. But these important role players can enable extensive socioeconomic development to occur rapidly, thereby reverse our current malaise sooner. Such progress is achievable if attitudes and behaviour are changed. By Nimroth Gwetsa, 30 April 2020. Continue reading
For a long time, I had been a proponent of textbook styled strategies, methodologies and principles on business administration and leadership. In big corporations, no initiative would be approved or considered unless it has supporting business case and matrices to prove the viability of the opportunity. Quite often, inordinate time passes before the opportunity could finally and favourably be considered. Many a small business entrepreneur may be unable to spare such investment in time.
Having little time to spare doesn’t mean SMME entrepreneurs choose to be flippant about conforming to business administration “basics” and ascertaining viability of prospects. Many entrepreneurs are not always driven by accounting and economic matrices alone in their decision making, but other considerations too such as having and relying on a hunch and a little faith among others. SMME entrepreneurs are more agile than their corporate counterparts owing to their low overheads, fewer “touch-points” and division of work.
Though many SMME entrepreneurs may find it onerous and eventually stop compiling important matrices, they should at least do some informed study on their customers to improve their understanding and offerings accordingly. Every product design embodies inherent assumptions after all, whether deliberate or implied, about the target market. Such assumptions have a direct and significant bearing on the uptake of the product. By Nimroth Gwetsa, 29 February 2020. Continue reading
The last thing an entrepreneur eager to develop their business want to hear is advise to slow down to avoid burnout. For many, their busyness is not deliberate, but circumstances forcing them to have less rest. Such circumstances could be owing to limited capacity, resources, facilities, time, skills or even eagerness to convert an important yet elusive sale.
I fully understand why many are sleep-deprived, forced to work long hours, have fewer social interactions and have little time for many other activities, much less important ones. This then often leads to them becoming easily offended, irritated, impatient, secluded, indifferent and begin to live sedentary lives to the detriment of their health and general well-being. Spare a thought or two for these struggling entrepreneurs and perhaps quietly and proactively help them relieve their tension and stress. Such can go a long way than piling on their woes with presumptions, debates and questions. By Nimroth Gwetsa, 31 January 2020. Continue reading
When wrestling difficulties of expanding the business, protecting it against major setbacks that could result in its premature closure, may be the last thing and least priority on the owner’s mind.
Documentaries have been created detailing stories of economic difficulties of life during world wars, and those who lived long enough in this country, can also attest to difficulties of life for many during apartheid. But life in South Africa today, especially for the youth, is difficult to bear. Coupled with their parents lacking material resources to help them, and burdened by heavy debt of trying to improve their education and skills, many are still faced with bleak prospects of being active participants in this poor economy.
The high increasing costs of living, much less, rising property prices, have made life extremely difficult for many people and much worse, the youth in this country. If there ever was a time for wanting to make a difference and having meaning in your life, this is it and it is now urgent that we truly come together to turn our hopeless situation around. By Nimroth Gwetsa, 31 December 2019. Continue reading