Thoughts on Different Societal Issues

Being an avid reader and also one who is passionate about business, whenever I come across stories which show creativity and ingenuity- I can't but acknowledge such exploits. 1) Lere's Shoe Shine As a frequent traveller, I get to pass through the airport a number of times and something one never can miss after passing through the security check are the gentlemen doing shoe shine. All the times I see them I am impressed by the simple yet profitable venture. Same way there are quick massage, manicure and pedicure stations at airports, the shoe shine booths are a most welcome addition for mainly business travellers. Today I was even more impressed when I read the profile of the founder of the shoe shine stalls located at the South African airports. Lere Mgayiya owns and runs Africa's largest shoe shining business with a turnover of over R2.5 million per annum. After having dabbled in a number of ventures with different levels of success, he got his shoe :) in the ri...

As we go through our day to day lives there are a lot of things which we come across which are inconveniences, time wasters or pain points. What we however do not realise is that in these problems opportunities abound. Take a moment to think about all those things which bother you...it is highly possible that you are not the only one bothered by that same issue. Identify Business opportunities come about from being able to not only identify a problem, one needs to develop a solution for that issue and the solution needs to be implementable (practical and pragmatic). The solutions to problems do not always need to be complex or complicated- they just need to be an answer to the pain point which people have. Develop There is a famous quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” The issue (problem) can be likened to the tree, the axe is the solution to the problem and cutting down the tre...

We recently visited a couple we are friends with and the husband narrated how they met each other...at a prayer group. A close friend of the gentleman also met his wife at the same prayer group. As our conversation continued, I also brought up how I met my wife at a youth group meeting at church. Before some get the wrong idea- church is not a dating club- that's not what this piece is advocating. In all instances, we had all gone to these meetings without any intention that we would meet our life partners. In fact, I had already been part of the youth group for a while and at the very first meeting when my (now) wife came- that’s where it resonated in my spirit and in my heart that there was something special about this lady who I was seeing for the first time...well that’s a story for another day J As the conversation continued, I pointed out something which I always say to my wife regarding the issue of relationships- one needs to ‘go to the well’.  This statement is in r...

Most of us have a daily, weekly or monthly alert which comes via email. I get emails for mining industry, industrial development zones, personal coaching, personal health, home improvements etc. Today I was looking at a subscription I have to a mining industry publication which comes into my inbox and it got me thinking...I subscribed for this over 4 years ago when I was doing some research on the industry. Inasmuch I do enjoy reading about news from different sectors, the news was not relevant to the kind of work I am currently doing in the healthcare sector. This line of questioning led me to realise there are many things which we are receiving in the ‘inbox’ of our minds and lives which we might have subscribed to some time ago. At the time what we might have been receiving might have been relevant to the time and season, but it is no longer relevant to where you are. Since you are the one who initiated the subscription, those things will keep coming your way until you ar...

  Smartphones Smartphones can be in the hands of many, but not all the users are ‘smart’ with their phones. Data costs are a major headache to some because of not paying attention to the drains which happen. App developers are always fixing bugs or enhancing their apps such that almost on a daily basis there is need to update the apps. By switching your applications to update only where there is Wi-Fi access, you are saving yourself a lot of money. Service providers also charge exorbitant out of bundle rates i.e. R2/MB. It might be their way of forcing consumers to buy data bundles which are priced more economically. If you can’t beat them...join them- it is better to buy the bundles than to be faced with astronomical bills at the end of the month. Most packages come with minutes which restrict you according to networks. These packages also come at times with hundreds of SMS’s which in most likelihood you will not utilise due to the presence of different instant mess...

Contract add-ons A way in which retailers have become ‘cunning’ is by adding some charges which ordinarily one would not seek out. This is prevalent when it comes to store accounts, furniture accounts and other hire purchase agreements where you might be asked to sign up for some insurance or the other. Although you might be quoted a small amount such as R20 per month, you will actually be paying more as this amount increases your account balance on which interest is charged. Recently there are reports of investigations which were conducted by a Consumer watchdog of one of the major furniture stores. This article unpacks the story. Last month I decided to look at my vehicle insurance agreement and realised there is something I had signed up for which on second thoughts was not necessary. Included in my premium was a monthly charge of R56 (almost R60) for car hire in case my vehicle needed to go for repairs. This ‘small amount’ adds up- R60 in a year is R720. I decided to drop...

Subscriptions The advent of the technological age we are in has resulted in an increase in the number of products and services which consumers are bombarded with. Gone are the days when people would need to physically write out a subscription and post it via snail mail, with a few details and a click of a button you can become subscribed to these services. Small as the amounts might be which get deducted, these add up at the end of the day- especially if you have multiple subscriptions. Another contentious matter has to do with subscription to cable TV. In most instances, people are paying a lot of money yet they don’t necessarily watch all (if not even 80-90% of the channels). Paying attention to contract terms & conditions We are now in the second half of the year and up to this point we have managed to save some substantial amounts by looking closely at different agreements and contracts. A few months ago our vehicle was knocked by the gate at the complex ...

July being National Savings Month , I thought I should weigh in with some pointers which though seemingly obvious can serve you by saving you some substantial amounts. Most times people are more conscious about their spending when it is a large amount, but they never pay attention to the small amounts. If you are able to look closely into your finances there are a number of savings which can result. Although you might not agree with some or all of the suggestions, I want to draw your attention to areas you might have never thought of or have simply been overlooking. You can also read this article which was targeted at graduates. Coffee Though I am not a coffee person, I enjoy my cuppa tea, I have colleagues who drink a lot of coffee. I once did a rough calculation of the amounts people spend on a daily cup of coffee [here I’m assuming one cup even though two might be a more accurate reflection of reality]. Assuming a medium/tall average price of R25 in a five day working w...