Entrepreneur Advice from Nkemdilim Begho: Don't worry about competition from the big players - there's room for everyone

October 8, 2014 Melanie Hawken

How do you cope with competition from the big players in the industry?....

"I always say there is a market share for everybody no matter how big or small you are. There are always people who need your services and will patronize you. All you need do is be at the right place. So, for me, it’s not a question of the big competition out there, though I must admit that I lost some jobs but I also win a lot of jobs. At the end of the day, it all boils down to building a brand, a reputation, and figuring out how I can stand out from the crowd. My unique selling point."

- Nkemdilim Begho is founder and Managing Director of Future Software Resources Limited, an IT solutions provider focused on online solutions, e-learning and IT security. As one of a few Nigerian women in the industry, her success is founded on a passion for driving innovative thinking, building a globally recognized technology brand and setting trends in the Nigerian Technology space.

Entrepreneur Advice from Nkemdilim Begho: Starting up lean and small is the way to go

October 8, 2014 Melanie Hawken

Starting up lean and small is the way to go....

"I went for a slim and lean way of working. I tried to make it as small as possible and all I had to do was build a website and then created a business card."

Nkemdilim Begho is founder and Managing Director of Future Software Resources Limited, an IT solutions provider focused on online solutions, e-learning and IT security. As one of a few Nigerian women in the industry, her success is founded on a passion for driving innovative thinking, building a globally recognized technology brand and setting trends in the Nigerian Technology space.

Entrepreneur Advice from Tara Fela-Durotoye: My top advice to any aspiring entrepreneur - Stay true to yourself

October 7, 2014 Melanie Hawken

This is the most important advice I always give out ....

"Stay true to yourself, stay true to what you are trying to achieve, otherwise you get distracted. Side comments, how people think you should do things, and I think that everyone wants to hear their own voice so you need to stay true to yourself. Before you come out of your house you have to decide, yes this is what I want to do. You still need counsel but you should be able to apply counsel to your own decision to be able to take insightful steps."

- Tara Fela-Durotoye is a Nigerian-born lawyer turned Africa's leading beauty and makeup entrepreneur. She started House of Tara at the age of 20, from her living room, whilst an undergraduate at university back in 1998. She's since gone on to launch Nigeria's first ever bridal directory in 1999, and in 2004 she opened the country's leading beauty academy. Today, Tara has over 3,000 reps spread across Nigeria and 14 stores to her name and she is steadfastly dedicated to realising her vision of building a globally respected beauty company of African origin. Tara remains an inspirational role-model and mentor to make-up artists and aspiring beauty business owners across Africa.

Entrepreneur Advice from Tara Fela-Durotoye: Build an enduring business that has spin-off benefits for other entrepreneurs

October 6, 2014 Melanie Hawken

You can build an enduring business that has spin-off benefits for other entrepreneurs....

"For us at House of Tara .... Creating a business that impacts and generates income, developing micro entrepreneurs who will grow their business and employ more people so as to make the Nigerian economy better is what's most important."

Entrepreneur Advice from Juliana Rotich: Stay lean when you start-up

October 6, 2014 Melanie Hawken

Act and stay lean for as long as possible when you start-up....

"Ushahidi ran a lean team of distributed members all over the world ... We often say as long as you are good and awesome, we don’t care where you live”

- Juliana Rotich is a Technologist, MIT Media Lab Director's Fellow, TED Senior Fellow and currently serves as Chair of World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on Data Driven Development. She is co-founder and Executive Director of Ushahidi Inc, a non-profit tech company, born in Africa, which specializes in developing free and open source software for information collection, interactive mapping and data curation. Ushahidi builds tools for democratizing information, increasing transparency and lowering the barriers for individuals to share their stories. She leads a team that is expanding its global footprint and making crowdsourcing tools available and useful, and catalyzing entrepreneurial initiatives like iHub in Kenya. She also serves on the advisory council of Microsoft 4Afrika and Waabeh Ltd. In 2011 The World Economic Forum named Juliana 'Social Entrepreneur of the Year'.

Entrepreneur Advice from Juliana Rotich: Smart advice on scaling a tech product

October 6, 2014 Melanie Hawken

Scaling your business is often a burning question for technologists. Just how can you expand your technology and products to more countries around the world?....

“For us the biggest lesson in scaling was translation ... It was important to make sure the product was available in a language that people could connect to.”

Entrepreneur Advice from Juliana Rotich: Developers need to prioritise function over form

September 22, 2014 Melanie Hawken

Juliana Rotich, co-founder and executive director of Ushahidi — **Juliana Rotich,** co-founder and executive director of Ushahidi

Budding developers and entrepreneurs need to focus on utility over appearance....

“It’s not just about what looks pretty .... Software needs to work for each situation and solve a problem.”

Entrepreneur Advice from Alexa Von Tobel: My biggest money lesson

September 16, 2014 Melanie Hawken

Alexa von Tobel, founder of LearnVest.com, on 'Financial Risk Management for Entrepreneurs' — **Alexa von Tobel**, founder of LearnVest.com, on *'Financial Risk Management for Entrepreneurs'*

Putting every last penny of your personal savings into your startup is a bad idea....

"That is one of the worst things you can do... take so much risk that you can't think clearly. If you are literally blindly desperate because you are worried that if the business does not work your entire family, house, whatever goes under, you're not going to be in a clear, steady position of power. And that's what you need to be in when you're running a business,"

- Alexa von Tobel is the American founder and CEO of LearnVest.com, a leading financial-planning and lifestyle website. Alexa, a certified financial planner, was recently selected as one of Fortune's Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs and highlighted in Inc.'s 30 Under 30 list of cool young entrepreneurs. Her company has raised $69 million to date.

Entrepreneur Advice from Rachel Sklar: Pay attention to what you are doing wrong

September 13, 2014 Melanie Hawken

Rachel Sklar, New York-based writer and social entrepreneur, on 'Leadership for Entrepreneurs' — **Rachel Sklar**, New York-based writer and social entrepreneur, on *'Leadership for Entrepreneurs'*

If you want to keep learning and evolving as a leader - then pay attention to what you are doing wrong....

“There’s a lot of talk about being a born leader … having natural leadership. I think that’s a myth. My experience is that if you are not paying attention to the things you’re doing wrong, then you’re not evolving and learning. I would say that leadership is something that is learned. It can be learned and should be learned. Leadership is something you’re always honing and learning and reflecting to see ways you could have been better at it. Anyone who thinks they’re a natural leader is probably horrible to work with.”

- Rachel Sklar is a writer and social entrepreneur based in New York. She is the co-founder of Change The Ratio, which increases visibility and opportunity for women in tech & new media, and TheLi.st. A former lawyer who writes about media, politics, culture & technology, she was a founding editor at Mediaite and the Huffington Post. Rachel was named to the Silicon Alley 100 in 2009, 2010 and 2011, FastCompany’s “League of Extraordinary Women,” and listed on Forbes’ “Women Changing The World”.

Entrepreneur Advice from Kathryn Finney: You don't have to have all the answers

September 12, 2014 Melanie Hawken

Trust your instincts to lead....

“Most people think leaders are some sort of ‘all-knowing-beings,’ but in reality we often don't know the answers. The difference is that leaders trust their instincts to lead them to an answer.”

- Kathryn Finney is an American entrepreneur and the founder and managing director of digitalundivided (DID), a social enterprise that develops programs that increase the participation of urban communities, especially women, in the digital space. DID’s programs have reached over 4 million people. In 2013, Kathryn received the Champions of Change Award from The White House for her working in increasing inclusiveness in tech. She was also named one of AOL’s Top Women in Money and Black Enterprise’s “40 Stars Under 40″.

Entrepreneur Advice from Laura Vanderkam: Rejuvenate your work energy levels

September 10, 2014 Melanie Hawken

Laura Vanderkam, internationally recognised author, on 'Lifestyle Management for Entrepreneurs' — **Laura Vanderkam,** internationally recognised author, on *'Lifestyle Management for Entrepreneurs'*

You need to find ways to rejuvenate yourself and your work energy levels....

“You need to hit Monday ready to go ... To do that, you need weekends that rejuvenate you, rather than exhaust or disappoint you. Cross-training makes you a better athlete, and likewise, exercise, volunteer work, and spiritual activities make you a better worker.”

- Laura Vanderkam is a internationally recognized writer who questions the status quo and helps her readers rediscover their true passions and beliefs in pursuit of more meaningful lives. She is the author of What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast, and 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think. She blogs at www.lauravanderkam.com.

Entrepreneur Advice from Sibongile Sambo: Want to be a successful entrepreneur? Then you must do these two things

September 9, 2014 Melanie Hawken

Two key things you must do to be successful as an entrepreneur.....

"One, you need to persevere on the business you’re running. Two, you need to network; you can’t stay in isolation. You need to network at conferences at the same level. This also gives you an opportunity to give input to other people and stay abreast of politics."

- Sibongile Sambo is a pioneering woman of South African aviation. She is founder and Chief Executive Officer of SRS Aviation Ltd., the first 100 percent black, female-owned aviation services company in South Africa. Launched in 2004, SRS is an integrated provider of private aviation services offering South African and international clients professional and personalized flight options including VIP Charter, tourist charter and helicopter services, to destinations around the world. Today, the company also provides maintenance, sales and fleet management services to private jet owners.

Entrepreneur Advice from Minda Zetlin: Want to beat procrastination? Here's how

September 3, 2014 Melanie Hawken

Minda Zetlin, author, speaker, and journalist on 'Productivity for Entrepreneurs' — **Minda Zetlin**, author, speaker, and journalist on *'Productivity for Entrepreneurs'*

Here's how entrepreneurs can avoid procrastination when tackling that big project....

"Procrastination often happens when you feel flummoxed and overwhelmed. Breaking the project into manageable chunks, as well as getting help and advice, will get you over the hump."

- Minda Zetlin is an American author, speaker, and journalist whose work has appeared in publications from Inc. to New York Magazine to Computerworld. She is the author or co-author of several books, most recently The Geek Gap: Why Business and Technology Professionals Don’t Understand Each Other and Why They Need Each Other to Survive. She is the president of the American Society of Journalists and Authors. Check out Minda’s blog Marriage & Other Adventures about life, love, long-term relationships, and relocating to the Pacific Northwest.

Entrepreneur Advice from Khanyi Dhlomo: What is the key to success?

August 22, 2014 Melanie Hawken

What is your key to success?....

"Focus, hard work and being good to others and to yourself.”

- Khanyi Dhlomo is the Managing Director of Ndalo Media, which she founded in 2007. She is also the founder of DestinyConnect and the founding editor of Destiny Magazine. Before starting her own media company, Khanyi was editor of True Love magazine for eight years. In 2013, Khanyi ventured in retail and launched Luminance, a high-end fashion and lifestyle department store. Khanyi was named most influential woman in South African Media by The Media Magazine in 2003 and made the 2011 Forbes list of 20 Young Power Women in Africa.

Entrepreneur Advice from Carrol Boyes: As your business grows you will need to share some management responsibilities

August 20, 2014 Melanie Hawken

As your business grows you will need to extricate yourself from an all-encompassing management role ....

“As the company got bigger and bigger, I began to realise that I was really good at some things and less so at others. The day-to-day supervision, for example, is something that I leave to my management team. My function is to steer the direction and vision of the company and to drive the creative side.”

- Carrol Boyes is an iconic South African designer who has built a global brand. She founded Carrol Boyes (Pty) Ltd in 1991 combining her artistic flair and talent in sculpture with her jewellery experience to create an extensive range of distinctive homeware, giftware, flatware and table top products. Today, her company designs and manufactures a meticulously crafted product range of well over 1000 items and sells over a million items every year. Products are always imbued with Carrol's trademark artistic flair and finesse. The brand is available through her 35 branded shops in South Africa and in over 30 other countries around the world.

Entrepreneur Advice from Carrol Boyes: Getting into the export market is always a challenge for African startups

August 20, 2014 Melanie Hawken

Exporting your product as a startup business is always a challenge, but you can get it done....

“Exporting is one of biggest challenges for any South African (startup), .... It requires endless patience and persistence, the resilience to compete in a world in which you are completely unknown, and more financial resources than you ever anticipate.”

Entrepreneur Advice from Uche Pedro: You must stand for something

August 19, 2014 Melanie Hawken

You must stand for something....

“If you stand for nothing, you’ll fall for everything....What I write is instinctively positive....It irritates me that people criticize but don’t do anything."

- Uche Pedro is founder of BellaNaija.com, a company that develops and delivers exciting online content aimed at Nigerian and Pan-African audiences. Uche’s savvy grasp of media trends has led to BellaNaija.com becoming the go-to lifestyle, entertainment and fashion portal in Africa. Her website has established a loyal following amongst the young, cosmopolitan, upwardly mobile set in Nigeria, with over 1 million unique visitors and 9 million page views each month.

Entrepreneur Advice from Wendy Ackerman: It takes hard work to get ahead

August 14, 2014 Melanie Hawken

You'll need to push yourself to get ahead....

“I don’t tolerate fools, I’m afraid, or laziness. I have never been lazy and I have always pushed myself. I don’t know where the stamina comes from”

- Wendy Ackerman is one of the founders and an Executive Director of Pick n Pay Stores. Together with husband Raymond Ackerman she helped build up one of South Africa’s pre-eminent FMCG retailers, consisting of over 450 stores including 121 supermarkets and 14 hypermarkets. Operations are in food, clothing, and general merchandise sectors as well as financial services. The company operates throughout South Africa, southern Africa and Australia and employs around 49,000 people. Today, much of Wendy's boundless energy is devoted to her family's philanthropic endeavours and her personal work for the underprivileged.

Entrepreneur Advice from Pam Golding: Don't be put off by the state of the economy - start your business anyway

August 13, 2014 Melanie Hawken

Don't let state of the economy put you off starting your business....

“I started the company when South Africa was going through a recession, and people said I was crazy to go on my own. But I rarely take notice of things such as recessions! I was determined to succeed and that is half the battle already won.”

- Pam Golding is one of Africa's most successful women entrepreneurs and an icon of the real estate industry. She founded Pam Golding Properties in South Africa in 1976 with no start-up capital and just a single sales assistant. The company now has over 300 offices in Africa as well as international offices in the UK, Germany, France and Mauritius. It is one of South Africa’s largest independent property trading companies with 2010 turnover of US$1.7 billion. Pam is now retired from active management, but remains the Life President of the company she founded.

Entrepreneur Advice from Pam Golding: Trust your instincts

August 13, 2014 Melanie Hawken

You should always trust your instincts...

"I went for a slim and lean way of working. I tried to make it as small as possible and all I had to do was build a website and then created a business card."

"For us at House of Tara .... Creating a business that impacts and generates income, developing micro entrepreneurs who will grow their business and employ more people so as to make the Nigerian economy better is what's most important."

"Ushahidi ran a lean team of distributed members all over the world ... We often say as long as you are good and awesome, we don’t care where you live”

“For us the biggest lesson in scaling was translation ... It was important to make sure the product was available in a language that people could connect to.”

“It’s not just about what looks pretty .... Software needs to work for each situation and solve a problem.”

“Most people think leaders are some sort of ‘all-knowing-beings,’ but in reality we often don't know the answers. The difference is that leaders trust their instincts to lead them to an answer.”

“You need to hit Monday ready to go ... To do that, you need weekends that rejuvenate you, rather than exhaust or disappoint you. Cross-training makes you a better athlete, and likewise, exercise, volunteer work, and spiritual activities make you a better worker.”

"One, you need to persevere on the business you’re running. Two, you need to network; you can’t stay in isolation. You need to network at conferences at the same level. This also gives you an opportunity to give input to other people and stay abreast of politics."

"Procrastination often happens when you feel flummoxed and overwhelmed. Breaking the project into manageable chunks, as well as getting help and advice, will get you over the hump."

"Focus, hard work and being good to others and to yourself.”

“Exporting is one of biggest challenges for any South African (startup), .... It requires endless patience and persistence, the resilience to compete in a world in which you are completely unknown, and more financial resources than you ever anticipate.”

“If you stand for nothing, you’ll fall for everything....What I write is instinctively positive....It irritates me that people criticize but don’t do anything."

“I don’t tolerate fools, I’m afraid, or laziness. I have never been lazy and I have always pushed myself. I don’t know where the stamina comes from”

“I started the company when South Africa was going through a recession, and people said I was crazy to go on my own. But I rarely take notice of things such as recessions! I was determined to succeed and that is half the battle already won.”

“I also believe you should trust your instincts. I did when I started Pam Golding Properties over 30 years ago.”

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