Article by Mike Anderson (NSBC Founder & CEO)

As 2024 is closing in on us, now is the perfect time to ‘sharpen the pencil’. If your business is not doing what it should be doing and is spiralling out of control with debt, expenses, poor sales, it is now time to adopt the principle of lean and do things differently.

I like to call it “the washing machine effect” – Stick your business into the washing machine and clean it thoroughly; your strategic plan, forecasts, systems, sales, staff etc. Start a new business with the one you have, before it’s too late.

Get rid of everything you don’t need, large offices, expensive cars, poor performing or unwanted staff. Be brutal on the money. This exercise alone will bring relief and a refreshing approach.

Everything you do should be subject to scrutiny and revision, including your vision, business and marketing plans, budget, sales and expense expectations and more. It’s now all about creating a brighter, less stressful view of the road ahead.

Here are a few suggestions for giving your business a profit makeover:

Want to grow your eCommerce sales by 1470%? EIS, a successful 36 year old company partnered with Saleslogic to build their eCommerce solution. It is a decision which has gained 5425 registered customers over the past four years.

Written by Alan Shannon (Executive of Small Business Services and Private Clients - Nedbank)

To succeed in the future, entrepreneurs must embrace technology, social imperatives, and adaptability. With advancements in artificial intelligence, sustainability and decentralised finance, the business landscape is shifting rapidly. With this, entrepreneurs need to integrate cutting-edge technologies and adopt ethical and sustainable practices. Digital transformation and changing regulations have redefined traditional business operations, making geographical locations less important. This future requires a new breed of entrepreneurs who are lifelong learners, tech-savvy, and adaptable to change.

Executive presence. What is it? Is it something only for the chief officer of companies, leaders or people who have been in business for a while? The short answer is no. Executive presence is a skill that people can fine-tune and it may take some time, but anyone can have executive presence. Let’s take a closer look at what it entails and how you can work on having a better executive presence in your space.