GENDER PAY GAP: HOW TO NEGOTIATE THIS UP
The World Economic Forum Report 2017 states that women are paid less than men. This figure reflects the global amount and differences in the wages of men and women for the same work. Even men and women with equal qualifications earn differently. This phenomenon is highlighted now that more women are entering the job market. Why does this happen; Fewer women in top management position earning huge salaries More educated Men in the job market getting the high paying jobs Fear of sexual harassment Fear of termination Non-payment of domestic work done by women Cliques and Boys Club culture in most corporates Poor legislation and enforcement to ensure equality at the workplace The reasons may be varied but the net effect is that women earn less than men in the workplace. How can any woman climbing the corporate ladder ensure that this gap is reduced and eventually eliminated? The Corporate world is a typical example of “A MAN’S WORLD”. For a long time, women did not participate so the structures, rules, and culture are very male-centric. With the increase of women who have fought their way to top management how can they survive and thrive in this “Man’s World”? The main issue is CULTURE at the workplace that results in the Gender Gap. How can you manage and mitigate this when entering the job market? 1. Measure of performance The work culture of how output is measured is key. Work output should be based on results and not on hours spent. Using hours as a basis is not advantageous for women who may require time off to attend to children and family obligations. Women in Corporate positions should influence the matrix for assessment of performance to be more favorable to women. The measure should include the natural strengths of women e.g. customer retention, team cohesion, dispute resolution and sustainable growth. A reality is that after giving birth productivity is lower due to the natural hormonal response of our bodies to prioritize the child. This usually affects productivity. Perhaps, a different scale for 6 months (while breastfeeding) after pregnancy would help to equalize the scales further. Progressive jurisdictions provide extended maternity leave or flexible hours of up to 2 years without losing your job. 2. Flexible hours This is a strategy that can be used to ensure that women can contribute/work even while out of the office. Further, it allows the woman more balance in her life. This strategy however attractive should be used strategically as it can be used as a further tool to increase the gender wage gap. How? Women outside of mainstream job hours may be excluded from projects and decisions as they are not present. Until the culture of teleconferencing or virtual working is embraced fully, being in the office during work hours remains strategic. As a woman, you can negotiate times for meetings that are in tandem with your personal schedule. 3. Equal pay for same grade and qualifications The policy on job Grades should be based on responsibility and qualifications. For promotions, the name of employees should not be in the shortlisting process. Basically, the process should be purely merit-based. Further, policy on equal pay for the same grade and role should be implemented. A requirement to disclose salaries of co-workers could be a negotiated point. Another strategy is a cap on overtime as often women are not able to work overtime due to family life while their male counterparts can. 4. Promotion policy Negotiate the promotion policy to ensure progress/growth of the company. You can negotiate a promotion every 2 years based on appraisals. This is a sure way to ensure that you access the higher levels of management as years move forward. A maximum period to be in the same job group can also be a strategy to open up space for women in the top management. 5. Skills enhancement Skills enhancement and education incentives and opportunities should be included in the employment contracts. This allows women a chance to advance further and towards the higher job grades. This policy allows women to continued training on the job to increase their chances of being qualified for the top management jobs. 6. Boy’s club membership Women need to ensure that they can access all places that their male counterparts access to network and influence change e.g. private members clubs, sports clubs and golf clubs to name a few. Further, women need to network aggressively. For now, it may be a necessary affirmative action strategy to resort to GIRLS’ CLUB. Women need to support women in the corporate world. Influence is the catalyst for change. Women in top management need to be deliberate about getting influence and using it to get more women at the boardroom table. 7. Include the cost of domestic care While negotiating your pay, including the amount of support you will require to perform the domestic care while you are at work. Women do not include this cost of their time when negotiating pay and leave packages. This should be factored in. You may also negotiate Day Care facilities paid by the company or within the company facility. Many women say this is beneficial and could be a useful negotiation point. 8. Sexual Harassment The higher up the corporate ladder, the more acceptable sexual harassment is. Women are made to feel incompetent and unworthy when they complain of sexual harassment at such high levels. This causes many competent women to opt out of the corporate world due to this or accept to be passed over. It is important for there to be a clear sexual harassment policy. Further, there should be sensitization seminars often especially for top management to reinforce a positive culture. This can be a negotiation point for getting employment. 9. Gender training An awareness of gender issues including Gender Wage Gap allows for conversations, understanding and less resistance to gender mainstreaming strategies and policy. Negotiate this into the training schedule of the company to sensitize the team and
Chichi Equomah: Your experiences in the corporate world are relevant in your journey as an entrepreneur.
Entrepreneurship seems to be the new career wave. Do you agree? More folks are beginning to quit their corporate work to own their dreams, become their own bosses, and above all, do the things they love! This is particularly true of ladies who are brave enough to quit their job for their dream jobs. Chichi Equomah is one such lady. Chichi Equomah, now Chichi Yakubu is the CEO of NyoNyo Essentials, a food brand that celebrates Ghanaian food in style! Just google the top eateries to look out for in Ghana and NyoNyo Essentials is definitely one to pop up. From the humble beginnings of a food catering service, Nyonyo has expanded to a restaurant and the corporate go-to food services firm in the industry within a span of 3 years. Their client portfolio is already impressive, having catered to clients such as MTN Ghana, Cummins Ghana, National Petroleum Authority, Eische Life, Ghana Water Company, EIB Group of Companies and Cocobod to name a few– and with the recent opening of a restaurant, one can only imagine the way to the top. As an erstwhile HR practitioner at TNS, a multinational market research company, Chichi leveraged on her skills in communication and project management, and her lifelong passion for cooking and creating to develop NyoNyo Essentials. But that can’t be all. We caught up with Chichi to tell us about the relevance of her former traditional corporate jobs in her day to day running of NyoNyo Essentials. She talked about the lessons she learned and what existing and future SLAyers can pick up from their existing jobs before they make that full time transition into entrepreneurship. The mastermind behind the meals: How did the story of Chichi and NyoNyo Essentials begin? The story of NyoNyo began with my mother. My mother is an amazing cook, and she owned a thriving food business. I picked up after her when it came to cooking and I am a foodie too, so naturally I also wanted to venture into the catering industry. I grew up determined to start a restaurant, but life happened and it became a dream deferred. In 2014, I felt the inkling to pursue this dream again. I took some time off social media to lose weight, rebrand myself and strategize for this dream, and a year later, NyoNyo Essentials was born. How did you know the time was right to leave your job and fully invest yourself in NyoNyo Essentials? It was a rather gradual process. I worked full time at TNS at the time, when I started this food business. I spent my spare time catering to NyoNyo, but the business was growing bigger by the day mainly because of our social media marketing and excellent recommendations. It was becoming challenging to adequately balance the two. So one day after careful consideration, I packed my bag and baggage and decided to fully dedicate myself to NyoNyo Essentials. I have never looked back. There comes a point in life where you really have to decide what you want to pursue. It’s a decision you can only hold on for so long, but deep inside you know what your guts want, what you are yearning for and what fuels your passion, and eventually, you will have to choose. And I did. Looking back, what are the top 3 lessons you have learned from your roles in the traditional corporate world that have proved useful today? I spent four to five years in typical 8-5 jobs and I feel that’s enough for me to have pursued my dream now. My time and experience I garnered there are still very relevant and extremely beneficial to what I do today. The first thing I learned was to be accountable to a superior. I strongly believe that everybody has to be accountable to someone; accountability makes you upright and productive. I have also come to fully appreciate some other attitudes I learned during such time. [bctt tweet=”Be conscious of your time. It’s a priceless gift – Chichi of @NyoNyogh” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] I learned how to be punctual. From reporting to work on time and managing my work schedules, I learned how to be consistent with my time and also manage it efficiently so that I deliver on tasks promptly. Today, it’s one key trait that drives NyoNyo Essentials and how we operate. I still work at Nyonyo Essentials as though I am still being monitored by a superior and I encourage my staff to also work in the same vein. If we have a delivery at 2 pm, and you show up even 15 minutes late, your client is not going to be pleased. Besides, we deal with food so soothing a hungry and an angry client is double the work. [bctt tweet=”Another big lesson for me is that we are all replaceable, don’t get too comfortable – Chichi of @NyoNyogh ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] I am not the only employee at work. If I goof today, I am replaceable. If I make a big blunder, I can be replaced easily. The question that makes the difference is that what am I doing to be excellent and to constantly upgrade myself? This is same for Nyonyo Essentials. We are not the only one in Ghana’s culinary space- there are others chasing their dreams like just ours. This is why we are always challenged to be better with our food and our customer service. It also spurs me on to continuously set milestones for Nyonyo and find answers to this burning question at all times. “What can I do to make the NyoNyo brand relevant to our customers always?” [bctt tweet=”You can only do so much. Learn to delegate – Chichi of @NyoNyogh” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Before entering the corporate workforce, I found it difficult to ask others to assist me with basic tasks. The one thing I learned while working was that there is always a lot on my plate and I couldn’t do it alone no matter how hard I tried to multi-task. We work in teams, and it is
Chidinma Emodi Chukwuemeka: Pitch your business proposition from the ‘why’ perspective, not the ‘what’
Chidinma Emodi Chukwuemeka is a seasoned entrepreneur with a specialty in Brand and Digital Marketing. In July 2017, Chidinma and her husband, Mr. Bentley Chuwkuemeka officially launched The Footwear Academy. The Footwear Academy is a footwear training and production school for individuals interested in the art of footwear production and sales. Their vision is to enable shoemakers in Africa starting with Nigeria produce exportable standard products. Her Start-up The Footwear Academy has pitched and participated in various local and international startup competition. They are the recent winners of the Proudly Made in Aba Hackathon – winning a grand prize of $50,000 from Ford Foundation. They also took 2nd place in 2017 at the Open Mic Africa startup pitch competition organized by Techpreneur Africa and MIT Legatum. Chidinma is an Alumni of Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI Regional Training Center) – Onsite Nigeria Cohort 4. She was awarded star of Business and Entrepreneurship for her cohort. She is self-driven and very passionate about helping brands and people succeed. [bctt tweet=”You have the ability to be anything you want to be ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”]
WEBINAR WITH YETUNDE SHORTERS: THE P.O.W.E.R OF PURPOSEFUL PERSONAL BRANDING (JULY 19)
What comes to mind when you hear the term ‘personal branding’? A perception of oneself? A unique identity? No matter the thought, your personal brand reflects your reputation, your legacy, the people you surround yourself with, your authenticity…the list is endless! Having a well-defined personal brand requires you to be proactive about how you manage it. This starts with thinking about what you want to be known for and then taking purposeful action to ensure that’s the image you’re creating. So, what does it mean to have a ‘purposeful personal brand’? How can it earn you top dollar without blowing lots of schmoney on stuff that won’t even do justice to your brand? Join Yetunde Shorters, on Thursday, 19th July, as she shares secrets that will earn you multi-six figures without spending a dime on advertising or marketing through purposeful personal branding. Yetunde Shorters helps the inspired go-getter create an authentic, purposeful and fun personal brand that helps you do what you love while helping others, in a way that creates financial freedom for you and your family. [bctt tweet=”Discover the #power of purposeful personal branding with @Yetunde on July 19th at 12PM EST! Register here: bit.ly/yetundes” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Some of the topics we’ll cover Identifying where your purpose comes from and get clear on it Ways to elevate your personal brand How to develop a brand statement that represents you best Secrets that will earn you multi-six figures without spending a dime on advertising or marketing Register below to get access to this opportunity and submit questions you would like Yetunde to answer. Webinar details: Date: Thursday, July 19th, 2018 Time: 12PM Miami // 5PM Lagos // 6PM Johannesburg Watch Part 1 below: Watch Part 2 below: About Yetunde Yetunde Shorters is an international publicist and an industry leader in helping women entrepreneurs discover their purpose and provide value to the right people to make profits. She is also the creator of ICY PR, the Afropolitan Chef and Founder of ICY ACADEMY and a 4-time Amazon best-selling author. With over 15 years of experience working and securing publicity for multiple Grammy Award Winning Artists, International Celebrities and Entrepreneurs, Yetunde has been featured in Elle, CBS, Zen Magazine, Tropics and more. She is masterful at connecting her client’s sense of purpose to prosperity. She also uses her skills to help emerging entrepreneurs create value, save time and increase productivity. In partnership with She Leads Africa, Yetunde is launching A Purpose Breakthrough 101 session, a 90 minutes intensive brand clarity session, where she delves deep into your purpose to connect it to profits. She also runs the ICY ACADEMY PERSONAL BRANDING MASTERCLASS, where you learn strategies that get results, techniques that save you time and access to a powerful network of go-getters who provide the support you need to thrive in your purpose.
Quick Maths (1): How to generate income to start a business with FDSH Asset Management
Smart moves early in life can pay BIG long-term….. Now, what’s the point in looking good and slaying when your bank account isn’t smiling back at you? Listen. This is the year to SLAY 100%, and we’re ready to show you how to make money moves the right way. So, are you ready to cash out like Cardi’s got nothing on you? We are partnering with FSDH Asset Management Ltd to share with you a 4 part downloadable guide to enable you to boost your finances. We want to make sure that every Motherland Mogul is prepared to master the money world. [bctt tweet=”Learn how to generate funds to start your business with @FSDHCoralFunds. Click here for more: bit.ly/FsdhGuide1″ via=”no”] Topics this 4 part series will cover: Seed Money: How to generate income (capital) to start a business. Diversifying: Different ways to save and protect savings (for low and high-income earners). Bottom Line: How to use your business net income to your advantage Emergency Funds: Why you must have some investments. Now let’s talk about you. You’re about to start a business but you need capital to begin? Girl, we’ve got you! In this first downloadable guide, we’ve done some Quick Maths for you, highlighting how you can generate capital for your business or launch your new project. First, you need to understand that money does not come for free, as a MotherlandMogul, you have to know what your options are, and work towards them. After reading this first downloadable guide, you’ll understand what moves to make to get closer to your money goals. But what’s next after you get that capital and the bills start rolling in? We have more juice coming your way. To continue learning basic principles that will lead to a happier and healthier financial you, get prepared for our next guide. Because girl, we’re going deeper. FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD – FSDH AM is a wholly owned subsidiary of FSDH Merchant Bank Limited. They are one of Nigeria’s leading asset management and financial advisory firm. FSDH AM is versatile in financial transactions and investment strategies that meet the need of investors in an emerging economy like Nigeria. They recognize that today’s investors need the services of dedicated and expert professionals to provide them with intelligent investment counsel. Therefore, their strategies are dedicated to preserving investors’ wealth while maximizing the value that they receive. Once you’re through with this guide, visit FSDH Asset Management Ltd to know more and get all your pressing questions answered. Getting access to this guide is easy: just fill out the form below to join our community and get access to this guide, remember this is only part 1, there’s more to come – so stay updated. By joining our community, you also get to enjoy our AWESOME weekly content as well.
Desire Isiguzo: School fanned my flame for farming
We do not find a lot of young people who are eager to take up farming as a career but this is what Desire Isiguzo loves to do and she’s making a business out of it. She started growing oyster mushroom indoors which produced a good yield. After graduating from the University, she began to grow plants and study their growth behavior. Now, she has acquired plots of lands to move her business to another level. Desire helps to strengthen the local market by purchasing crops from the women traders. She then processes it into high-quality bean flour. She’s now is growing her agricultural brand- D’Yucca to be one of the prominent agricultural brands in Africa meeting both local and international standards. [bctt tweet=” Farming is what I think about daily. I can’t stay a day without learning something new about it – Desire Isiguzo” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] How was growing up for you? Growing up was everything for me, I was happy and I got all that I wanted from my family. My mom was a farmer and a civil servant. Back then, I hated following her to the farm because I hated working in the blistering sun but I was made to follow them still. I was given seeds of corn to plant and I would dig up the soil. I was lazy about it, I felt it was stressful and it would make my hands dirty. When I saw my seeds sprout for the first time, I was excited to see that I had created something. When did you realize that Agriculture was something you wanted to do? In 2010, I started out planting plantain which I did to earn some money for myself in school. Later on, it began to turn into more than just an avenue for money. I realize that farming was something I thought about daily and I couldn’t stay a day without learning something about it. Why did you study Plant Science and Biotechnology? Did it influence your farming business? Initially, I wanted to study Agriculture, which did not work out. Non-traditional agriculture opened my eyes to different aspects of farming. During our industrial training, we were taken to large farms, where we saw the practicability of what we were taught. We were also able to practice what we saw even though we were not paid. Biotechnology teaches you how to stay in business in agriculture. I think school fanned my flame for farming. What is the role technology plays in innovation and planting? It solves a lot of problems. In storing cassava the conventional way, it can only last a day or two before it gets bad. But with Biotechnology, you can bury them in sawdust and sprinkle water on them and like they were never harvested, this keeps them preserved. This is a post-harvest management technique. Other methods include seed bank preservation, which is preserving seeds by freezing. We also do seed multiplication with mushroom. In hydroponics, you get to regulate the environment of your farm: temperature, pest, sunlight, and water thereby deciding what gets in and out of your plant. This gives you a better yield for business. Where did your distinct brand name – D’Yucca come from? In school, I was battling with a name for my brand. While I was thinking about it, I stumbled on a plant that is always green. I started reading about it and I found out that it is called Yucca. This plant can survive fire, drought, and flood. Its tenacious characteristics made me name my brand after it. After my internship, I started making bean flour. I got an excellent grade for my project and begin to think that maybe this was credible and doable. Did you experience challenges as a young Agropreneur? Yes, I did. After my first mushroom project yielded a result, I put in all of my money into the second project and I did not harvest a thing. I made a mistake in culturing the sawdust used for growing the mushroom and all the plants died. It was a painful loss but I learned not to skip on my precaution process again. Capital too is a constant challenge for me. Where did your business capital and funding come from? My mom! She believed in me and encouraged me. A lot of people tried to discourage me when I asked for funding. They said I won’t go through with it, that I was too young and I was a girl. Why do you choose to specialize in growing Mushroom indoors? Growing up we would gather mushroom from fallen trees in the farm. We would cover them in cocoyam leaves. My mom had a special way of roasting it and I loved it. Growing mushroom at home reminds me of old times and of course, gives me the chance to eat it whenever I want to. Mushroom is also very healthy and it can easily replace red meat in the diet of diabetic people. How did you find people to support you and join your team? Every member of our team has their strength and I leave them where they are the strongest. They are all part-time now. Everyone has been part of the process, sharing ideas and critiquing my ideas. I also have friends who are good in business whom I seek help and advice from. Where do you see D’Yucca in 5 years? Our logo typifies what D’Yucca is all about. The thirteen leaves signify the various aspects we want to branch into in future. In five years we would have used up three of these leaves: tomato production, processing, and edible oil production For young entrepreneurs venturing into Agriculture, what do you say to them? Start small. I already talked about my experience of losing my entire savings in a haste to do something big. Don’t pause because consistency is key. Keep getting your
The Art of Customer Service every business should adopt
As important as branding and advertising are, one of the most important elements of selling a product/service is customer service. Excellent customer service puts your business ahead of the competition as it is something that is often missing from the a lot of countries, especially the Ghanaian business model. Small businesses tend to jump straight to digital marketing or advertising without taking a moment to fully understand their business model and industry and how their product (or service), pricing, place (online store or brick & mortar store) and people (service personnel) intertwine and affect the overall brand and ROI. In case you didn’t know, people are one of the most important aspects of the business, that is service personnel across the production line or yourself if you are running a run man show. Customer service does not begin and end at the point of transaction and as a small business owner, you must consider the pre-purchase experience, purchase experience, and post-purchase experience So what does this mean for your business? Pre-purchase experience This refers to the experience your customer has with your brand before they decide to purchase anything. Is your website appealing? Does it have enough information to allow the customer to make an informed decision – or are your photos outdated? How is your advertising? Are people speaking positively about your brand? Purchase experience This is the actual moment of transaction where you exchange the product (or service) for payment. If you run an online store, you must consider your interface – is your website easy to navigate? How does your customer pay for their purchase – do you have Mobile Money integrated? Can they use a Visa Card? There are many services in Ghana that allow you to develop a website that allows your customers to shop online. A personal favorite is Storefoundry, it works very well for small businesses in Ghana. If you run an actual brick & mortar store, what is the ambiance like? Is it easy for customers to locate the products in your store? Are they on high shelves and do they always need an attendant to help? Is your store so small that your customers can only come in one at a time? Is your shop attendant interactive, willing to help and offer alternatives? Or are they constantly on their phone? Post-purchase experience This covers your follow-ups and interaction with the client after the transaction. Are you bombarding them with irrelevant SMS messages and emails? If you provide a delivery service, was your delivery driver dressed appropriately? Below are practical tips you can put into action to make sure your customer service is top notch. Recruitment & Training – Recruitment and training is the beginning of providing excellent customer service. Even if you are running a run man show, you need to stay up to date on customer relationship trends and train yourself to always put the customer first. If you are hiring others to handle the customer interaction, make sure you hire people who know and understand the vision of the brand and are willing to be brand ambassadors both inside and outside the workplace. Personnel must also be conversant in the industry-speak as well as in the product itself, in order to serve as a salesperson. [bctt tweet=”Hiring the right people will allow you to build the right company culture that is well aligned with the brand” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Go the extra mile – The data you collect from your customers serve many purposes. One of the main ones is to compile a mailing list for your newsletter but another important use would be to study your customer’s purchasing habits and stay a step ahead of them all the time. Group your customers by date of birth and send out a personal message to them via text message or Whatsapp, which has become a popular medium for business communication in Ghana. Get to know your customers personally, are they parents? Do they celebrate religious holidays? Make sure to reach out to them accordingly. [bctt tweet=”Reminding customers that you have them on your mind will make them feel involved with the brand. ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Feedback is key – Receiving feedback from your customers at least once a quarter is important. Simple tools such as Google Forms or Survey Monkey are helpful for designing easy to use surveys which gives you direct feedback from your customers and clients. This way, your clients feel involved with and connected to your brand. Appearance – You and your staff’s appearance is one of the most important elements in building a strong brand. Ensure that staff (and yourself) look the part at all times. Customers appreciate a smile and a helping hand, as difficult as it may be on some occasions. The best way to make sure your customer service is on point is to align the pre-purchase, purchase and post-purchase experience to ensure a smooth transaction! Go forth and provide an excellent service!
Revealed: The Secret To Staying Motivated
The year is almost halfway done, and chances are, the energy you started with is most likely not as powerful as it is now. Being motivated for a whole year can be quite challenging when life is constantly throwing us different surprises. Even then, motivation can only take you so far when trying to achieve your goals. So, how do you stay motivated amidst all? The secret is – drum rolls please – ‘Find your Vision’! Your vision will guide you and keep you going on your journey to success. Vision ensures that you don’t go around in circles and get frustrated when things go left. But how do you find your vision? The following tips offer a few steps on how you can find your vision and stay motivated. 1. Listen to your inner voice To have a clear idea about your vision, you must look inside yourself. Vision comes from within, from the spirit or subconscious, whatever you choose to call it. Everyone has a vision that is unique to them, and you are no different. When searching inside, you should yourself questions such as what stirs you? What is your greatest desire? What kind of dreams do you have? Once, you ask yourself these questions, chances are your vision will start become clearer for you. 2. Prepare yourself mentally Your vision begins in your mind and heart. It is something that burns within your soul. it should be greater than your all of your past memories, mistakes, and accomplishments. If you know what your vision is, you will have a purpose and won’t get lost on your journey. Sometimes, when you don’t have a distinct vision, it is easy to become distracted. If you don’t know where you’re going or how to get there, the journey will seem a lot longer and harder. To avoid this, make surer you prepare your mind for challenges ahead. 3. Surround yourself with people who have a clear purpose Greatness breeds greatness, and it is for this reason that you should seek out the company of others who can appreciate and support your vision. Network with winners and it will keep your motivation high. 4. Develop your vision Do you want to be the next Bill Gates but because of the way your bank account is wired it may seem impossible? The truth is, there are times when it is hard to understand how to apply your vision to your life in order to reach your goals. Don’t worry, all visions start from scratch! Your vision will grow from your experiences, talents, dreams, and desires. So don’t worry if your bank account is not growing as fast as you would have wished. Great visions take time to develop and perfect. Allow your vision to slowly but surely reveal itself to you. 5. Keep a notebook and pen handy All too often, we come up with great ideas and thoughts and by the time we want to write them down, they are forgotten. With that in mind, you never know when your vision is going to come to you, you have to keep a small notepad with you at all times. Even on your nightstand when you sleep. Write down whatever comes to mind, no matter how silly it seems at the time. You may write down a hundred crazy ideas but number one hundred and one just might be the vision you were searching for. Don’t try to filter right now, just write down everything that comes to mind. 6. Follow your vision The vision you are seeking will most likely come to you in ways that you won’t fully understand at the moment. That’s okay. Even your friends or family might not understand it. That too is fine. Just follow as much of your vision as you can right now, and more will be revealed to you as time goes on. All truly successful people have a vision that they follow, no matter what challenges they may face. Begin following the above steps to seek your vision today and remember that true, lasting success will never come to you until you know what your vision is and how you will follow it. And you will be unstoppable if you combine your personal vision with a healthy dose of motivation. This article was originally written by Tariro. If you’d like to get featured on our Facebook page, click here to share your story with us.
Side hustle 2.0: Tips for starting a side hustle in South Africa
With the way the economy is (well in South Africa), it is getting tougher to make ends meet. So, much like my last article, some turn to a second income in the form of a side hustle or business, while others, run their side businesses out of passion and enjoyment and not necessarily for the income. For those who do not have businesses up and running yet, it may seem like a daunting task to get started but it honestly isn’t – it just needs one to put on their admin hat and take it one step at a time. In this article, I will discuss how to kick-start your business in the South African context. 1. Register your company In South Africa we use the CIPC, which reserves a company name for you as well register your company, doing both only costs you R175. To register on the CIPC all you need is the amount, your ID number and your company’s name. Once you create a customer account, you then move over to the TRANSACTION tab and click on “REGISTER A COMPANY”. From then on, it’s a walk in the park. 2. Get a logo Others may not design a logo right away and I suppose that it is dependent on what you do, for example, if I am looking for a contractor to remodel my bathroom, I don’t really care for his logo. On the other hand, businesses like clothing brand ’s will require a logo especially when it is needed for labels and packaging. I believe a simple design is always best for logos, it can stay with you for a long time, without having to rebrand. 3. Create Social Media Pages This is easy to do and often helps get your brand out there. Social media is also helpful when you don’t yet have a website, they act as your point of contact when you cannot engage with potential customers face to face. The key rules for social media as I’ve learned are: Create engaging content, make your followers tag a friend, comment, rate or vote on something. Keep things short and simple on twitter and this is a great platform to engage/chat with followers. Instagram is visual, use beautiful and great quality images (also on all your other social media accounts). Facebook allows for more text and longer pieces. ALWAYS direct all social media posts to your website (if you have one) eg: “for more info, follow the link to read more about the other products that we sell” 4. Advertise When you’re getting started, social media and your friends and family will be your advertising. If your budget for paid advertising is low, you could offer your products/service to influential people at a discounted rate. For example, if you want to start a branding company, find a company who you feel could really benefit from your services and offer your services at a lower rate. Another example, as a chef you could start selling your signature dishes at a food market or offer dinner dates for couples. A makeup artist could offer to do school play’s cast to showcase your work. There is a world of ideas and opportunities to advertise and sell your products and services! 5. Create templates for your quotes, invoices etc I cringe when people send their quotes as a text or in a poorly constructed Word document. Some businesses allow you to have a standard price list, so if your prices never change, invest in a well-designed page, that has your logo, all your contact details, social media pages, price list, payment details, lead times and everything people normally ask for. Never mind being neat, it saves you time from having to type out your price list every time. Never make your customers work for your details or to make their purchase/appointment, you have to make it as easy as possible! Chances are, they’re ready to make a purchase, don’t slow down the momentum by having them ask for payment options. The greatest part of invoicing (especially when your customer base grows exponentially) is that the invoice numbers help you keep track of who has paid and who hasn’t, while a quote will explain what they will be paying for and what is and is not included. 6. Keep track of your product or service offering. Returning customers are the best, if they aren’t happy – try to rectify it. The simplest way is a post-purchase survey, where they are not in front of you and have the freedom to critique you honestly. If it can be done anonymously, even better, but the option of leaving their names is useful, especially for those issues that you would like to address afterward. A few questions could be sent out to clients or you could use ratings, I believe Facebook offers this, which also works to your advantage if the ratings are good. Never delete poor ratings, they bring an element of “realness” to the page. Although kick-starting a side hustle may seem like a full-time job, it isn’t at all! If you plan and get used to the flow of things, it becomes clockwork, but if you ever feel overwhelmed or confused, have any ideas you’d like to discuss, questions, or would like advice, please click on my bio and reach out to me. If you’d like to get featured on our Facebook page, click here to share your story with us.
Master the art of Hunting for Opportunities: Adeng Leek
Many people believe that getting opportunities is just about luck. This is true to a large extent. But most times, getting opportunities is about hard work. You cannot afford to be lazy when searching for opportunities. In life, it is your responsibility to develop yourself first before others do. Adeng Leek, a passionate young African from Sudan and founder of Opportunities for South Sudanese Initiative shares a few steps on hunting for opportunities. [bctt tweet=”You need to make sure opportunities are running behind you and you are not running behind them – @adengmalual” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] But what does it take to find opportunities? 1. Know who you are and what you want It is very easy to say I know who I am. But the truth is, it takes ages to discover yourself. Knowing yourself is a process that requires you to sit down and answer a few important questions. You need to ask yourself questions such as: What is my purpose? What are my goals and objectives? How will I bring them to reality? Once you have answered these questions, then it will be much easier to execute your goals. It will also ensure that when you get distracted or sidetracked, you will still have a way of getting on track. 2. Read, Read and Read I don’t think I can emphasize the importance of reading enough. How many times do we ignore reading articles, stories, and other material because we don’t have the time or are not interested? Reading is quite important as it can widen your experience. Many people such as bloggers share inspirational stories and tips that if you read, they can help impact your life. Through reading these articles, you may find solutions to help you overcome any obstacles and challenges you’ve faced in your journey. 3. Network Networking is very essential. From meeting people in the same field you are interested in or meeting other diverse people, it is important to widen your sphere of influence. These different people can help and mentor you towards achieving your goal. On the other hand, networking is not only about getting but also about giving. If you can, it is important to also be of help to others. Perhaps you have a connection that can help a friend or a networking event that you could invite someone to. 4. Share the opportunities you receive When we get opportunities and succeed, it is often quite easy to forget that others are searching for the same opportunities. Once you see an opportunity that others would benefit from, always try and share them with as many people as possible. This is what inspired the creation of my blog ‘Opportunities for South Sudanese Initiative’. Through this blog, I share opportunities from different websites. These opportunities not only benefit me, but they benefit a wider group that will eventually impact the whole nation. [bctt tweet=”No matter how old you are now. You are never too young or too old for success or going after what you want – Pablo” username=”SheLeadsAfrica” This article was written by Adeng Leek. If you’d like to get featured on our Facebook page, click here to share your story with us.