In 1961 John F Kennedy proposed that the US "should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth." At the time of this speech, the furthest the US had gone into space was 116 miles, and they had stayed there for a total of 15 minutes. To achieve this feat, they needed to build…
In the Kalahari Desert, there are a group of people who haven't changed their ways for tens of thousands of years. These are the San people. They are the oldest continuous inhabitants of Southern Africa. One could say that they are the first successful humans. So successful were their methods that they still use them today. Their timeless techniques can teach us something about success, both in life and in business.…
To get the most from employees, you will have to give them what they want. Just like with your customers, your relationship with your employees is based on an exchange. Sometimes, this exchange is just about money, but more often than not it's about so much more. We have to ask ourselves why someone wants to work for us and if we can offer them what they are looking for. We…
Better experiences lead to higher prices It’s quite evident that we are willing to part with more of our money when dealing with a smiling salesperson than a grumpy one. We also have upper limits on how much more we’ll pay for a comparable item. Regardless of how wide the car salesman's grin is, you are unlikely to pay three times as much for a new car. To get your customer…
We've all come to this low point in business and often enough in life. We begin to wonder whether it's worth fighting on or if we should cut our losses and move onto something else. Maybe you think to yourself that you just not made for business. On the other hand, you may be asking yourself if you are quitting right at the bottom, and things will only go up from…
Affordable marketing techniques that pack a punch We see global brands like Nike with full-page magazine ads and highly produced TV commercials that don’t sell a specific product. These ads where the runner talks about spirit and competition but never mentions the shoes. These adverts are just there to get the name or brand out there. We assume this is the best example of modern marketing and try to follow in…
How to sell any small business for the best price possible Most small business owners have the bulk of their wealth tied into a single asset which is their business. It may have taken you 4 years or 40 years to get to this point, but you want to exit your business and realise the most value from the blood, sweat and tears that you invested. You may want to exit…
Have you ever wondered why some people seem to have all the luck in businesses and others can’t seem to catch a break? Scientific studies have shown that so-called lucky people are just like you and me except that they have a few different habits. They are more open to opportunities, maintain a positive outlook, try different things and listen to their gut. The great thing is that these habits can…
We buy things based on emotion and justify it with logic afterwards. We feel guilty for making emotional purchases, so we need to reason with ourselves. In this modern world of an endless supply of products, we rarely have to make decisions based on pure need. Neither the clothes on your back nor the food you'll eat for lunch is based on need alone. If we removed our emotions, then we…
Ideas are like birds in cages. You have to let them out to fly or die. Customers can't do anything with an idea of a new product. People don't want to buy your concept; they want to buy your product. I've been told that ideas are like rough diamonds. All you have to do is cut, grind and polish them into something valuable. The truth is with a rough diamond; you…
