Chances are, if you are an entrepreneur you will have experienced the inevitable creative slump in your business at some point or another. That moment in time when you have had your foot on the gas for so long that you start to feel burn-out coming on, and your ability to find the essential inspiration for new ideas starts to run out. It’s normal, but it can be frustrating at the time. However, there are some ways to re-energise and re-start your creative process. Firstly, get some perspective back into your life by giving yourself the freedom to try something new creatively that could open your mind and reignite your enthusiasm. Secondly, tune out all the negative noise in your business and personal life so you can really focus on regaining your positive energy and creativity. Thirdly, step out of your environment, get some fresh air and some fresh faces around you. Finally, don’t panic about your creative slump and your lack of new ideas. They will come again once you allow yourself to sit back, try new things, and open your mind to fresh approaches. That creative slump will be over before you know it.

The well known phrase ‘trust your gut’ can be applied to the world of entrepreneurship when it comes to making the right business decisions, because so much comes down to intuition. It could be intuition in terms of what might succeed in terms of new product or service innovations; or it could be gut feel about people - employees, clients, or partners. In business and in life, we get an instinctive feeling about things, but often we dispel that intuitive notion and instead make decisions based on other factors. Yet how often does our gut feel prove to be correct? Often we instinctively know what feels right, and we need to start trusting our intuition and that gut feel more. There is a well known saying that goes: “Never apologise for trusting your intuition - your brain can play tricks, your heart can make you blind, but your gut is always right.” 

Let’s face it, being an entrepreneur and particularly a startup means that you have to wear multiple hats every day - you are the creator, the promoter, the strategist, the accountant, the face of your brand. That’s why it’s essential that you set the right tone for the business and those you work and collaborate with by building good business habits from the start. One of those habits is punctuality - it’s amazing how many startups simply don’t show up on time for meetings and appointments. Yet from a business perspective, being punctual sends a clear and professional message to the person you are meeting that you are organised, trustworthy, reliable, and someone worth doing business with. Building good habits such as punctuality, answering emails and messages, following up with people timeously post meetings, are all ways of making a good impression on those you are looking to do business with, to partner with, to collaborate with. There is a great quote on the importance of building good habits in business by the legendary author, salesman and motivational speaker, Zig Ziglar, who says: “Motivation gets you going, and habit gets you there.” 

Two years ago, when the #ChooseArtisan campaign was launched, the aim was to get the world to recognise the real importance and value of artisan enterprise in contributing to global economic development, poverty alleviation and women's economic empowerment. The campaign certainly got people talking, and rightly so, about the incredible work being done by forward-thinking women artisan entrepreneurs, particularly in places such as Africa. However, what is exciting today is seeing a new generation of women artisan entrepreneurs emerging on the continent who are creating a new wave of companies and brands elevating artisan entrepreneurship in Africa to a whole new global level. What often start out as simple hand-made craft companies which harness the traditional craft skills handed down through the generations in specific communities, are now turning into global brands, supplying some of the major retailers of the world such as Macy's, Saks, and Anthropologie. Leading women artisan entrepreneurship brands such as soleRebels, Rain Africa, ZAAF, and AAKS are all wonderful examples of this new wave of companies and brands taking African craftsmanship to new heights. 

There is a famous Spanish saying which loosely translated goes, “Tomorrow is often the busiest day of the week.” How true! How often in business and in life do we find ourselves procrastinating, putting off tasks until tomorrow? Before we know it, tomorrow’s list of things to do is so long we have no chance of actually getting everything done, and it becomes simply too daunting - so we put it off again. Procrastination squeezes the life out of productivity and is also a morale crusher. It has no place in the life of an entrepreneur. So the question is, how do we banish procrastination from our lives? Well, the trick is to break down all those big goals and tasks into smaller, more achievable micro-goals and mini-tasks, that can be accomplished one step at a time. This stops that feeling of being overwhelmed by the enormity of what needs to be done and accomplished. When you start ticking off those goals from your wish list, and complete your long list of tasks one small step at a time, the bigger goals seem to be more attainable.

We all know the phrase ‘retail therapy’ and we know that customers often make impulse purchases based on their emotional state at the time. But as entrepreneurs, if we want to really get to know what drives our customers to make the individual purchasing decisions they do, we need to understand the key reasons customers choose to buy. Firstly, there is necessity. If you are looking to enhance your sales, then provide products or services which fall into the essential category and which solve a common need on the part of consumers. Secondly, there is convenience. We are all rushing around in our busy lives, so if you can provide products and services that make things easier, less stressful, faster, then you are ticking key consumer boxes. Thirdly, there is a sense of belonging. Consumers are attracted to products and brands that connect them with a particular lifestyle or identity. Finally, there is the aspirant idea of a lifestyle that brings consumers to a brand or product line, for example, a fitness-wear brand that hints at a healthier life when worn as part of a daily exercise routine. Ultimately, if you are looking to connect to your customers, it’s essential to tap into the reasons that drive their purchasing decisions and then to communicate clearly how your products and services can meet those needs. 

We probably all know the phrase ‘same old, same old’, and in business, it’s all too easy to keep doing things the same way because it’s always been done that way, particularly in traditional business and industry sectors, or in family run ventures. But that doesn’t mean it’s the right way - things change, markets change, consumer needs change, technology changes. It’s important as entrepreneurs that we continually step out of our comfort zones and not just challenge ourselves as founders to think and do things differently, to keep things fresh and innovative, but challenge those around us too. Successful businesses are agile, they keep innovating, they are open to change and finding new ways of doing things, they challenge the status quo. As individuals, entrepreneur founders need to continually push the envelope, to question why they do things or think in a particular way. It’s how businesses grow and adapt to changing market conditions, leading instead of following the pack. So the question you have to ask yourself this morning is: when did you last get out of your comfort zone and take a fresh look at the way you do business? As the well known saying goes: "Great things never came from comfort zones."

One of the key challenges to being a successful woman entrepreneur is finding the confidence to make your voice heard in the marketplace whilst still remaining true to yourself and your values. Often there is a misconception that it’s necessary for women entrepreneurs to feel as though they have to adopt a male attitude towards business, becoming overly competitive, sometimes perceived as being more aggressive, when it comes to getting heard and noticed. But successful female CEOs believe that remaining true to yourself and finding your own voice are the keys to rising above preconceived expectations and societal expectations. Yes, you will still have to fight for your share of voice and to get access to markets, but you can do this without having to become someone you’re not. 

As entrepreneurs we are always looking for great networking opportunities, particularly events that will give us the best possible chance of meeting people who could be good for our business and personal development journeys. And, as good as events are at providing opportunities to meet new people, to learn new things, to network, they happen so quickly and will only provide the desired results if we prepare beforehand to get the most out of them. The best way of doing this is to create a list of goals and objectives to be achieved at the event, and then to use it as a guide to keep you focused. Do your research on the event programme, identifying key people you want to meet in advance. For example, you might list meeting a key speaker or panelist in person; or asking a question in open forum during one of the sessions; or meeting a future supplier that you want to form a partnership with; or meeting a potential future customer you have been trying to connect with. Events can be game changers for business owners, but just showing up doesn’t mean it’s going to pay off. You have to go with a game plan to get the most out of every event. 

What do many successful entrepreneurs have in common? Well, if you listen to global industry game-changers such as Elon Musk, they would tell you it’s finding their big idea early on, and then focusing 100% on taking that big idea to the next level to see if it is viable. These entrepreneurs are not just focused, but driven to think big, to try out new ideas and ways of doing things. They are not scared at the prospect of big ideas - instead, they run with them and see where they go. Yet, often it’s all too easy for those starting out on their business building journeys to think small, to take a safe approach to doing the same things others are doing, to not put their heads above the proverbial parapet and try something new for fear of failure. So, perhaps its time to find your big idea and see where it takes you? In the words of Tim Ferris: “Think big and don’t listen to people who tell you it can’t be done. Life’s too short to think small.”

Here’s some interesting news - according to a new report out by Credit Suisse, when it comes to making money, it’s the family-owned businesses that seem to be doing it best.The report, surveying the principal members of 900 family-owned firms found that these firms made more money, generated more cash and generally performed better in the financial markets than their non-family-owned counterparts. According to Eugene Klerk, head analyst of thematic investments at Credit Suisse, he says: “Over time, family-owned companies very structurally outperform in every region, every sector, and for small and larger companies.” So, what is considered a family-owned business?  That’s any company where a founder or their descendants owns 20 percent of the company’s equity. Many of us automatically think that family owned firms are mostly small businesses — and they are. But there are many larger, more well-known companies that also fall under this definition too. Regardless of size, why are family-owned firms so much more successful? It seems that most of them, according to Credit Suisse analysts, are in it for the long term and aren’t afraid to forego quarterly earnings targets to fund research and development for the future. You certainly can’t argue with the results.

When most entrepreneurs embark on their journeys to turn their individual ideas into businesses, they have no idea just how long and fraught that journey might be, and how many twists and turns their venture might have to take before success is achieved. This is something that South African entrepreneur, Kerryne Krause-Neufeldt, founder of the hugely successful, award winning, patented eyeSlices brand knows only too well. On a mission to find an innovative solution to the problem of tired, puffy, red, aging eyes, her idea took her on what was to eventually become a 10 year marathon journey of research, discovery, and development. Her incredible business success today is testimony to sheer determination, self belief, a never-give-up attitude, and ultimately passion. Kerryne’s story is also a great example of what it takes to genuinely create and drive an innovative, high growth business, and why it’s so important to have the right mindset, understanding the necessity of being in it for the long haul. Read Kerryne’s story here.  

Yesterday morning, I was sat having tea and a catch up with the inspirational Ruka Sanusi, founder of Alldens Lane based in Accra, Ghana - she is on a whistle stop consulting tour of South Africa right now. We were talking about one of her favourite subjects, Turning Passion Into Profit, a topic she will be blogging about regularly on Lionesses of Africa shortly. Our conversation made me reflect on just how many women entrepreneurs in our network have done exactly that, doing big career pivots in order to turn their passions into successful businesses. We have lawyers turned artisan bread bakers (Babette van der Walt, founder of Babette’s Bread); environmental consultants turned chocolatiers (Vicky Bain, founder of Chocoloza); and lawyers turned artisan gin distillers (Lucy Beard, co-founder of Hope on Hopkins), to name but a few. These inspirational women are proof positive that it is possible to make the successful transition from the corporate world to entrepreneurship if you follow your passion and make that the foundation of your business. 

At this time of the year, as more and more entrepreneurs are gearing up for the final retail quarter and the holiday preparation season, the need to cut through all the market noise in order to reach those precious customers becomes a key focus. The just published 2017 Holiday Retail Outlook report published by Alliance Data has some useful findings that can help guide any entrepreneur and brand to that breakthrough. One of the most interesting facts is how customers are influenced to make purchasing decisions by much more than simple promotions in-store or online. 84% of buyers are influenced to buy a particular product or brand by family and friends - that means the customer experience is key to repeat sales. 79% are influenced by the product information on a company’s website - is your online presence impactful and engaging enough? 77% buy on the basis of great product reviews - are you getting that all important customer feedback to use for your marketing? And interestingly, 75% buy as a result of receiving a free product sample - are you using product giveaways to tempt your customers to buy? So, how are you planning to make your products and brand stand out and appeal to customers in this critical retail season? 

We have probably all done it, said to ourselves and those around us: “I’ll do it tomorrow; I’ll get to it tomorrow.” We set the key goals to be achieved for ourselves and our businesses, but we keep shifting the goalposts because stuff happens and we assign different priorities in our daily routines. The problem is that if we keep deferring, we never actually make the progress we desire in moving towards our big goals. Days and months can go by, and before we know it we look back and wonder where all that time went with no results in terms of the realizing the big picture. It’s important that as entrepreneurs we take purposeful steps to reaching our big goals each day, no matter how small those steps might be. Because the fact is that if we don’t make a conscious effort to preserve some of our precious time on a regular daily basis to move towards our goals, they will never happen, and we will look back with regret further down the line. There will always be a hundred reasons to tell yourself you can start tomorrow, but usually, tomorrow comes and goes without any significant progress being made towards achieving those goals, so do it today!

Talk to any successful entrepreneur and they will likely tell you that the only way to build a significant, sustainable company that can scale is to build an A Team to walk the distance with you. As a founder entrepreneur, you set the vision, you create the business plan and the goals, and your passion drives all of those things. But the bottom line is that success depends on your ability as a leader to build the right team and to keep inspiring each team member to work together towards a common vision. So how do you ensure that you make the right picks for your team, people who share the same values, have the right skills sets, and importantly, a shared passion? It’s a process of being always in recruitment mode, looking out constantly for people who seem to be a fit and who could bring something unique to your A Team party. 

When you are focusing all your energies on building a business and brand, and creating new products and services, there is aways the temptation to hold back from launching until things are perfect. Yet the thing to remember is that done is better than perfect. If you keep delaying from putting your business, brand and products out there because you want to keep tweaking and refining them until the point where you feel happy for them to connect with customers, chances are competitors will beat you to the punch. As Guy Kawasaki famously said: “Don’t wait for perfection. Life isn’t perfect. Do the best you can and ship. Real people ship, and then they test, and then they ship again.” Remember, on the entrepreneurial journey it’s all about striving for progress, not perfection. 

Whilst checking out piles of books this last weekend as part of my weekly research for our regular Essential Reads book reviews, I flicked through a copy of Brian Tracy’s Million Dollar Habits, a really interesting read. The premise of the book is that 95 percent of everything you think, feel, do, and achieve is the result of habit - and that success in business and in life comes as a result of developing the right habits each day, and importantly, losing the bad habits. According to the experts, it takes about 21 days to form a habit and to incorporate it into your daily life. So, if you want to build habits that will help keep you on track and to develop a roadmap for success, then it all starts with making a clear decision to change your mindset. Tell those around you that you are going to be practicing a new set of habits, it will help you to become more disciplined in implementing them. Visualize yourself performing those habits each day and they will become second nature, and create an affirmation associated with each habit to increase the speed at which they become unconscious actions. You will be amazed at just how quickly you can change the bad habits of a lifetime that may have been holding you back in business and in life.

As Guy Kawasaki famously said: “Success is a series of small wins,” and in life and business there is a lot to be said for celebrating the wins along the way, no matter how small those wins might be. Often one of the biggest factors that leads to success in business is the ability to stay motivated and to persist along the journey, and there is no doubt that celebrating each small win along the way, fuels that motivation. In the world of sports, reporters often talk about teams being on a winning streak, and you see images of them in the news celebrating their wins after a major game or performance - it’s part of the sports ritual. Often those teams seem unstoppable once they are on that winning streak, to themselves and to the opposition. But they understand that ultimate success comes not from one big victory, but from lots of smaller ones gained over time, each one celebrated on its merits and providing the inspiration to move on to the next challenge. There are lessons to be learned from this approach and applied to the business building journey - after all, everyone wants to be part of a winning team, and success is built one win at a time.

Read any newspaper or magazine, watch any TV show, and you will experience the full force of global brands that have achieved sheer market dominance and appear to be in a league of their own. Take Nike for example - it owns almost half of the American athletic footwear market and its domination of the basketball footwear market stands at a staggering 96%. So what’s the secret? You might be tempted to think it's all about the sporting superstars who endorse the brand in their ads, or the celebrities who lend their names and faces to the products. But actually it’s all about leveraging the power of storytelling - making an emotional connection with customers through highly emotive, inspirational stories. In reality, they’re selling more than a product; they’re selling aspiration and that’s a powerful motivator. The brand, through its powerful storytelling and accompanying tagline, Just Do It!, inspires us to believe in ourselves, to achieve victory through our hard work and effort, to overcome all challenges. And ultimately, that message sells. It’s a lesson that every entrepreneur and every fledgling brand out there can learn from. It’s all about harnessing the power of authentic and inspirational storytelling to connect on an emotional level with the customers you are trying to reach.