Checklist for Healthy Finances in 2023

November 20, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Ronel Jooste

Many people set New Year resolutions at the beginning of a new year. Some people aspire to lose weight, to exercise on a regular basis, to eat healthier, to spend more time with their loved ones or to start a new business. We all have more energy, new ideas and new goals at the beginning of a new year. It is also the perfect time to get your personal finances in order for the remainder of the year. Definitely a resolution that you want to turn into reality, because it will create financial security and stability for you and your family.

Being bullied and harassed in the workplace - My Story

November 20, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Teboho Seretlo

There have been a lot of articles, social media posts and research done on this topic of bullying and harassment in the workplace. It seems that this is a huge challenge festering and lurking out there and one is left wondering if, like issues of sexual harassment, discrimination etc, which some companies even go to the extent of having an HR Policy about, are the ones that occupy our minds more.

Helping mothers raising future entrepreneurs

November 13, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Isa Cumba

There are no perfect parents! Even those who managed to turn their children into functional and successful adults, certainly left a few scars their children need to heal from, because well...these parents are humans, thus they’re flawed. And that’s ok. Parenting really is the toughest job there is and that’s not really up for debate (Sorry!) So, I decided to share with my fellow mothers a few questions that I’ve been asking myself, as a mother and a daughter, hoping they will hopefully help us raise our future Elons.

Reflections when staring down the barrel of a (civil) lawsuit

November 13, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Nicolene Schoeman-Louw

Often when clients find themselves in a dispute, we are asked as attorneys to comment on the prospects of success, which is sometimes a challenging question to answer effectively. In South Africa, we follow an approach that all matters are based on a balance of probabilities (concerning civil cases). In simple terms, this means that the version the judge or magistrate is most persuaded to be most probable will succeed. But, of course, the legal requirements also play a role and should not be overlooked.

How to gain positive business exposure with zero to low financial investment

November 13, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Felicity Cowie, author of Exposure

In my earlier blog for LoA, What Exactly is Media Relations, I said there are at least eight mega benefits of media relations for any business to consider:

The Continued Business Case for Stillness

November 13, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Lori Milner

What does stillness mean to you? For most high achievers, it ironically creates a sense of anxiety because there is a belief that stillness equals stagnation. What if you replaced the word stillness with self-reflection, a strategic pause or personal mastery? What if I could convince you that stillness is the key to your success rather than something that prevents you from your goals? It's what master life coach Rich Litvin says, 'slow down to speed up’.

Is there such as thing as divorcing a client?

November 5, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Teboho Seretlo

I am an independent business consultant, meaning I earn my revenue from paying clients, who are prepared to pay for my time and expertise. I get most of my clients from word-of-mouth, followed by social media. In the last few years since I started this consultancy, I have realized that it is very important to know your worth and be confident in what you can deliver. If you don’t know your worth, you will be chopping and changing things such as your fees, the minute a client complains about your fees. You don’t want to get into such a debate with a client, especially if the client is not even one of those that contribute a lot towards your monthly revenue. Once you get into such a debate, then rest assured the client will always come back to you with this line of cornering you into lowering your fees.

How to Conquer Your Fear of Public Speaking

November 5, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Lori Milner

As much as you dread public speaking and presentations, this is one of your most incredible opportunities to demonstrate value and catapult yourself in your career. If it's not your strong suit, you'll shift away from speaking opportunities and convince yourself you're an introvert or prefer to be behind the scenes. How can you shift your perspective and develop these skills, whether conversing with a few people, presenting to your team or addressing an auditorium? Here are seven things to consider:

Going green is on everyone’s lips: How green is my valley?

November 5, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Eldari Visser

Amidst the huge outcry of global warming warnings and several energy crises looming, a group of big corporations and government sectors, NGOs and Greenpeace nature lovers are putting their minds together, to find the next best solution for our planet. Operation “Going Green” seems so be on all the agendas. Some agendas are very close to serious activism if you ask me. We read in newspapers from around the globe on some of action taking place, some even to the tone of tomato purée and art! Gosh…

Quiet Quitting: Setting Boundaries or Employee Engagement Crisis

November 5, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Kulani Shiluvah, Founder of Shiluvah & Chief Solutionist

Quiet quitting is the new hot topic in the human capital space and everyone and their aunty has their point of view, with the majority coming to two conclusions that quiet quitting is a result of an employee:

Setting boundaries with their work (chasing the elusive work-life balance we always talk about, or
The worsening employee engagement levels

So, what is quiet quitting and why is it causing such a global stir?

Just Get Started!

October 30, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Nontobeko Mbuyane

We all have big dreams, big goals, and big ideas on what we think our life should look like, or how we think life will end up. Some of us meticulously plan out our lives, envisioning and letting ourselves daydream as we think about all the stuff we would love to accomplish. The problem is, a lot of us have trouble reaching the potential we have set for ourselves. Time kind of flies by, and we end up looking back and wondering what went wrong. Well, one reason stands out like a sore thumb: We never really get started doing the things we truly want to do.

Let’s trade, shall we? Part 4: Human resources in business

October 30, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Tsitsi Mutendi

This week we continue on our journey with Ms. Olivia Simbajena. Ms. Simbajena is a businesswoman whose business falls under the category of SME and MME. Hers also falls under the category of Family Business. As we have defined before Family Business is a business started by an individual for the benefit of his or her family and is then run by the individual to serve the interests of their communities as well as those of their family. Family Business’s main characteristics are that a family owns the majority shareholding of the business. However, from the characters and their situations, although fictional, we are starting to see that there are dynamic intricacies that effect Family Businesses. Laying down a foundation by introducing our fictional business owners will help to establish context when we go in-depth and unpack more problems and solutions for Family Businesses.

Would you consider employing someone with a criminal record?

October 29, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Jenny Reid

In 2018, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) partnered with the Charles Koch Institute to launch research on individuals with criminal records in the workforce in the USA. In 2021, they revisited the topic with some interesting findings. Recently the 2021 Getting Talent Back to Work Report was issued by SHRM. Whilst the findings are US based, it is worth unpacking the main elements of the report.

Your friendship with yourself sets the tone for every other relationship you have

October 29, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Lori Milner

The relationship with yourself is the foundation upon which every other aspect of your life develops. Your health, wellbeing and happiness are directly proportional to how you treat yourself. If you want a different life, it's nothing to do with more money or career success. It is all about making decisions that are in your best interest. I remember asking my coach for the unconditional self-love and acceptance checklist; I wanted an excel spreadsheet with a bullet list I could work through and tick off each item. By the time I'm done, voila – a new friendship with myself!

My ABC of Business - 10 Things I learnt after 10 months in our first retail shop

October 23, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Lizl Naude

Having a retail space is a huge responsibility and not one I thought I would get so soon. But in October 2021, I was offered a great deal on a small space, and I decided to take the leap of faith and open up shop! I was both terrified and excited at the same time! After a few weeks of renovation, we officially opened on 19 November 2021.

Inside Customer Care

October 23, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Helena Naitsuwe Amadhila

Our businesses exist to serve customers. As entrepreneurs, we should know our customers inside out to be able to serve them better, and to meet their diverse and unlimited needs. Customers are unique people and this calls for entrepreneurs to care for their customers in a unique and individualized manner. This will ensure provision of tailor-made services and products to customers which will results in customer satisfaction and retention. These customers could also share the exciting customer care received and recommend the business to other people and as a result, there will be increase in customer base. Entrepreneurs should also know that customer care requires patience, discipline and the ability to learn, adapt, adopt, adjust and implement.

Let’s trade, shall we? Part 3: Family structures in business

October 23, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Tsitsi Mutendi

This week, we continue on our journey with Ms. Olivia Simbajena. Ms. Simbajena is a businesswoman whose business falls under the category of SME and MME. Hers also falls under the category of Family Business. As we have defined before, a Family Business is a business started by an individual for the benefit of his or her family and is then run by the individual to serve the interests of their communities as well as those of their family. The Family Business’s main characteristics is that a family owns the majority shareholding of the business. However, from the characters and their situations, although fictional, we are starting to see that there are dynamic intricacies that affect Family Businesses. Laying down a foundation by introducing our fictional business owners will help to establish context when we go in-depth and unpack more problems and solutions for Family Businesses.

The ultimate goal is to outgrow bad habits, not break them

October 23, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Lori Milner

A bad habit is a pattern of behaviour that sabotages you somehow. The language associated with habit change is that you want to start a good habit and break a bad one. Breaking a habit assumes that the problem is with the habit, but really, it's about your beliefs, triggers and actions about what this habit will give you.

How emotionally intelligent is your team?

October 15, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Anja van Beek

As we enter year three of the pandemic and confront global difficulties that force us to live in a state of uncertainty, empathy in the workplace is now taking on a new level of significance and necessity.

Stepping-stones to your goals

October 15, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Dr Alison Hofer & Angelique Adcock

When students ask me how they should go about achieving their life goals, my answer is always “Work Backwards”. Sometimes you are fortunate enough to have wise people around you to support and guide you. Sometimes you must figure it out yourself, and this is where the “Work backward’ method is just genius.

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