For the record . . . Viljoen Consulting cc closes today for the holidays, therefore there will be no new articles until 4th January 2010.
BUSINESS TIPS – Creating A Budget
By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting CC December 2009
For many of us who were employees before we became SMME’s or Entrepreneurs, creating a budget was something that we perhaps did on a monthly basis. It was all that we needed because we were assured of a fixed income at the end of each and every month.
As an SMME however, especially when we are starting out, we do not know what to expect. We can always theorize about what we would like to have coming in as income, but we do have quite a bit of control over what will be going out. It is really is a good idea to know exactly how much your need to be coming in to be able to pay the basic bills. So creating a 12 month budget is a good idea.
Having a 12 month budget will allow you to plan and strategize what you need and want to do for the following twelve months. Creating a 12 month budget is not something that you should do when you have some spare time, but rather something that you should allocate time to do. It should be seen as something that is critical to your business, rather than something that is viewed as a waste of time. It will assist you in ensuring that your business has a manageable and sustainable financial plan.
For me the challenge always is just to get started. If you are not sure about what you are doing, it is really easy to procrastinate. So book it in your diary and just get going.
First of all you need to know what your profit/loss format is. Don’t panic – it is not as scary as it sounds. You start with your income – take what you charge for your product and/or service, less your cost of sale (which is the cost of the goods sold or the cost to you, in order to supply the service), less your overhead expenses. This is your net income (also known as profit).
Don’t forget to list all of your expenses or the expenses that you expect to have during the next 12 months and also your projected income. Then in order to ensure that you don’t overstate your income, it is always a good idea to validate it. So for example if you predict that your income in July is going to be say R20 000.00, you need to list how that R20 000.00 is made up. In other words, what you are going to do in order to bring that money into the company. Be careful that you don’t underestimate your expenses – be realistic about your expectations – it is always better to come in under budget on your expenses and over budget on your income than the other way around.
Remember to compare your actual monthly figures to your predicted theoretical figures. This will be of real value to you, firstly to ensure that you keep your sales figures up and your expenses down and secondly it will assist you in the compilation of the following year’s budget.
As a business owner myself, I am all too aware of the demands on my time and how critical it is to manage my time effectively. That said, I have learnt the hard way, just how costly it is, both financially and also from a time point of view, if the financial side of the business is not managed effectively and properly.
If numbers and the financial side of things is not one of your strengths, I promise you it is in your own best interests to find someone (either an employee or a bookkeeper or better yet an accountant) to assist you or get yourself on some sort of “Financial Literacy” workshop so that you have the basic knowledge of what is happening in the financial side of your company. Believe me without it, you will be lost and that is surely the quickest recipe for disaster.
You are responsible for the financial well being of your company – at the very least you should be able to have a basic understanding of it.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
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Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
MOTIVATION - Firing Up Your Soul
MOTIVATION – Firing Up Your Soul
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC – December 2009
Jean De La Fontaine says “Man is so made that when anything fires his soul, impossibilities vanish.”
Oh Wow! I really like that one and I must admit, it really resonates with me!
You see, I am really passionate about what it is that I do (mind you – if the truth be told, I am really passionate about a good party too J) and I am so fired up about what I can do and the difference that I can make, not only in the lives of others but my own life too, that in the middle of this so called ‘recession’, my business has grown in leaps and bounds! How cool is that?
Yip, that’s right, it has actually grown. It has morphed into something completely different to what I first hand in mind almost seven years ago, but you know what . . . I like it even more.
I like how it feels, how it fits and I love how it makes me feel. I love the fact that right now, as I am writing these words, there is a smile on my face.
Truth is, I like it more and am more passionate about what I do (if that is at all possible) than I was when I started out.
Here’s the thing – my passion shows. People can see it and they often wonder what it is that I have that they don’t. Not only can they see it, but they can also feel it in the energy that comes from me. It shows in the way that my face changes and my eyes light up when I talk about the various projects that I am currently involved with and the ones that are in the pipeline. It shows when I get a new client or when I have met all the expectations, perceptions and requirements of an existing client.
It definitely does show when I have thought ‘out of the box’ and seen an opportunity that others feel will fall flat or that cannot materialize and I am sure you can understand just how much it does show, when I prove them wrong and get the whole thing going.
I know that it shows on the inside, when I achieve my goals and when I know that I have made a difference. It shows on the inside when I see someone’s eyes light up when they ‘get’ whatever it is that I am trying to show them.
Most of all though, my passion shows on the inside, when I receive the accolades from clients, institutions, colleagues, friends, family and even total strangers in recognition for sharing my passion, for being real and often for doing what everyone else thought could never be done.
Impossibilities turn into possibilities when your heart and soul are fired up by passion!
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC – December 2009
Jean De La Fontaine says “Man is so made that when anything fires his soul, impossibilities vanish.”
Oh Wow! I really like that one and I must admit, it really resonates with me!
You see, I am really passionate about what it is that I do (mind you – if the truth be told, I am really passionate about a good party too J) and I am so fired up about what I can do and the difference that I can make, not only in the lives of others but my own life too, that in the middle of this so called ‘recession’, my business has grown in leaps and bounds! How cool is that?
Yip, that’s right, it has actually grown. It has morphed into something completely different to what I first hand in mind almost seven years ago, but you know what . . . I like it even more.
I like how it feels, how it fits and I love how it makes me feel. I love the fact that right now, as I am writing these words, there is a smile on my face.
Truth is, I like it more and am more passionate about what I do (if that is at all possible) than I was when I started out.
Here’s the thing – my passion shows. People can see it and they often wonder what it is that I have that they don’t. Not only can they see it, but they can also feel it in the energy that comes from me. It shows in the way that my face changes and my eyes light up when I talk about the various projects that I am currently involved with and the ones that are in the pipeline. It shows when I get a new client or when I have met all the expectations, perceptions and requirements of an existing client.
It definitely does show when I have thought ‘out of the box’ and seen an opportunity that others feel will fall flat or that cannot materialize and I am sure you can understand just how much it does show, when I prove them wrong and get the whole thing going.
I know that it shows on the inside, when I achieve my goals and when I know that I have made a difference. It shows on the inside when I see someone’s eyes light up when they ‘get’ whatever it is that I am trying to show them.
Most of all though, my passion shows on the inside, when I receive the accolades from clients, institutions, colleagues, friends, family and even total strangers in recognition for sharing my passion, for being real and often for doing what everyone else thought could never be done.
Impossibilities turn into possibilities when your heart and soul are fired up by passion!
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Friday, December 11, 2009
HR - Desertion and the AWOL Employee - Part 1
ARTICLE 49
Desertion and the AWOL Employee – Part 1
By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting CC December 2009
It would appear that there is much confusion around this topic and also what the difference between the two is.
Let’s take it one step at a time.
AWOL (Absent Without Leave) is exactly that. It usually pertains to the employee who does not come to work and then does not phone in to advise why they are not at work. They could be away for one day or they could be away for several days, but they usually come back to work with some or other long story as to why they were not at work and why they could not phone in. Your leave policy should have a procedure to deal with this and the consequences for the ‘missing’ employee.
Desertion is when an employee just walks off the job or does not come into work at all and who has in all probability gotten themselves another form of employment and therefore has no intention of coming back, but just ‘forgot’ to tell anyone.
Both of these carry consequences and these consequences can lead to their dismissal.
So let’s bring in my favourite protagonists. Mike owns a retail store in a busy mall and George is the store manager. Sarah is a sales consultant in Mike’s retail store and she reports to George. Jane is the head of the HR department.
One Monday morning during the December rush, at about 09h30, Mike received a call from Sarah advising that George had not arrived for work and that all the staff were standing outside the door, together with clients, as they were unable to enter the premises. Sarah further stated that she had tried to contact George and that his cell phone went directly to voice mail.
Understandably annoyed, Mike instructed Sarah to wait at the store with the rest of the staff as he was on his way. Mike contacted Jane and instructed her to try and get hold of George and briefly explained the situation. Mike requested and received the spare keys to the store and made his way to the store.
Mike got the store started and then appointed Sarah as acting Manager until such time as they could ascertain what had happened to George.
Jane in the meantime had also tried to contact on his cell phone but the phone went directly to voice mail. Jane then tried to contact George on his home number, this also went to voice mail. Jane then tried to contact George’s wife and that phone also went directly to voice mail. Messages were now left on all three phones.
Nothing was heard from either George or his wife during the course of the day and Sarah managed the store and closed up in compliance with laid down procedures, in George’s absence.
That evening, Mike again attempted to contact George and his wife, to no avail. Mike left messages on all the phones again.
The following day, Mike instructed Jane to try and contact Mike and his wife again. Again Jane could not get through and again messages were left on all of the phones. Jane noted all of this in George’s personnel file. Nothing was heard from George or his wife during the course of the second day that he was absent from work.
On the third day, Jane again tried to contact George and/or his wife, again without any success. Again nothing was heard from George or his wife.
By the fifth day, having still not heard from either George or his wife, Mike made the decision to follow the correct procedures in sending a registered letter and a telegram to George’s home address instructing him to return to work. Again no response was forthcoming and a disciplinary was held in abstentia and George was found guilty of desertion and dismissed.
In this particular instance George never returned to work and Mike never found out why he left. It was rumoured from time to time, but the staff that George had been seen working somewhere else, so it was clear to Mike that George felt that he could not face Mike and hand in his resignation and he had just decided to leave. The matter was closed.
Next week we will look at some additional examples of desertion and/or AWOL.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Desertion and the AWOL Employee – Part 1
By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting CC December 2009
It would appear that there is much confusion around this topic and also what the difference between the two is.
Let’s take it one step at a time.
AWOL (Absent Without Leave) is exactly that. It usually pertains to the employee who does not come to work and then does not phone in to advise why they are not at work. They could be away for one day or they could be away for several days, but they usually come back to work with some or other long story as to why they were not at work and why they could not phone in. Your leave policy should have a procedure to deal with this and the consequences for the ‘missing’ employee.
Desertion is when an employee just walks off the job or does not come into work at all and who has in all probability gotten themselves another form of employment and therefore has no intention of coming back, but just ‘forgot’ to tell anyone.
Both of these carry consequences and these consequences can lead to their dismissal.
So let’s bring in my favourite protagonists. Mike owns a retail store in a busy mall and George is the store manager. Sarah is a sales consultant in Mike’s retail store and she reports to George. Jane is the head of the HR department.
One Monday morning during the December rush, at about 09h30, Mike received a call from Sarah advising that George had not arrived for work and that all the staff were standing outside the door, together with clients, as they were unable to enter the premises. Sarah further stated that she had tried to contact George and that his cell phone went directly to voice mail.
Understandably annoyed, Mike instructed Sarah to wait at the store with the rest of the staff as he was on his way. Mike contacted Jane and instructed her to try and get hold of George and briefly explained the situation. Mike requested and received the spare keys to the store and made his way to the store.
Mike got the store started and then appointed Sarah as acting Manager until such time as they could ascertain what had happened to George.
Jane in the meantime had also tried to contact on his cell phone but the phone went directly to voice mail. Jane then tried to contact George on his home number, this also went to voice mail. Jane then tried to contact George’s wife and that phone also went directly to voice mail. Messages were now left on all three phones.
Nothing was heard from either George or his wife during the course of the day and Sarah managed the store and closed up in compliance with laid down procedures, in George’s absence.
That evening, Mike again attempted to contact George and his wife, to no avail. Mike left messages on all the phones again.
The following day, Mike instructed Jane to try and contact Mike and his wife again. Again Jane could not get through and again messages were left on all of the phones. Jane noted all of this in George’s personnel file. Nothing was heard from George or his wife during the course of the second day that he was absent from work.
On the third day, Jane again tried to contact George and/or his wife, again without any success. Again nothing was heard from George or his wife.
By the fifth day, having still not heard from either George or his wife, Mike made the decision to follow the correct procedures in sending a registered letter and a telegram to George’s home address instructing him to return to work. Again no response was forthcoming and a disciplinary was held in abstentia and George was found guilty of desertion and dismissed.
In this particular instance George never returned to work and Mike never found out why he left. It was rumoured from time to time, but the staff that George had been seen working somewhere else, so it was clear to Mike that George felt that he could not face Mike and hand in his resignation and he had just decided to leave. The matter was closed.
Next week we will look at some additional examples of desertion and/or AWOL.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
The Power of Networking - Part 141
THE POWER OF NETWORKING
PART 141
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC. December 2009
One of the greatest things to come out of Networking for me, apart from all of my business, is my ‘Virtual Corporation’.
What does this mean essentially? Well it’s like this, in many ways my ‘Virtual Corporation’ is far more powerful than even the biggest corporation. You see my “Virtual Corporation” is staffed by small business owners – people who are specialists in their own fields and who are as passionate about their businesses as I am about mine.
So like a big corporation who have for example a Marketing Department – I have Nathalie Chinje of Upbeat Marketing (http://www.upbeat.co.za) – Nathalie hosts a Networking event entitled “Intra Africa Executive Breakfast” on a monthly basis. This is a platform for ‘across border’ networking and business opportunities and focuses on Africa and it’s potential. Fascinating stuff and I have met the most interesting of people, from Ambassadors to High Commissioners and the like.
Most corporate companies have their own IT department – I have Ian Grant of IG Computers (http://www.IGComputers.co.za) – oh and while I am on this subject and this site, if you would like to check if the name that you want as your domain name is available, go to Ian’s site and on the top right hand side of the home page, you will be able to do just that – at no charge.
Then of course most Corporate companies have their own web development department and I have Meryl Rosenberg of Pixelmagic (http://www.pixelmagic.co.za), Meryl has does some awesome stuff for me, including but not limited to my website or how about the branding on my e-mails, pretty powerful stuff that and I have received several compliments for it from all around the world. Then of course the branding of my ‘Twitter’ account and me on Facebook and where-ever you look, I am branded and it all links back to my website. How cool is that!
As most of you know by now, I write policies and procedures and have a Workshop entitled “A Basic Practical Guide to Starting A Business” and one of the things that I try and teach Business Start-ups – as well already operational Small Businesses, is about getting the various contracts in place, so just as a big corporate has a legal department, I too have one – but mine of course is bigger and better. Firstly I have a Kerry Jack of Cognosa who specializes in contracts and to make life easier for the SMME you can go to her site http://www.agreementsonline.co.za and actually download pretty much any kind of contract that you would need in your small business and if you wanted something changed slightly, contact Kerry and she will assist you to make that change and still keep it in legalese. Actually if the truth be told her contracts are so simple that even the average layman can understand them – how’s that for transparency? Although Kerry is a registered attorney she does not do litigation, but for that and all matters requiring litigation I have Noa Kinstler of Kinstler Attorneys and Noa, being a proactive attorney has a newsletter in which she gives legal tips and also tells us about the various legal issues that may affect us both in our professional and personal lives – an early warning if you like. If you would like to receive these newsletters please contact Noa on noa@kinstler.co.za
This is just a taste of what my ‘Virtual Corporation’ is about, more of my service providers are listed under “My Team” on my website (http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za) and many more from Accountants to HR and IR specialists, to Event Management, Writers or Wordsmiths and publishers to Entertainers, I have them all.
So do yourself a favour – start Networking. Not only will it bring in the business, but you to can add value to your clients and/or suppliers not to mention yourself, with your very own ‘Virtual Corporation’.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
PART 141
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC. December 2009
One of the greatest things to come out of Networking for me, apart from all of my business, is my ‘Virtual Corporation’.
What does this mean essentially? Well it’s like this, in many ways my ‘Virtual Corporation’ is far more powerful than even the biggest corporation. You see my “Virtual Corporation” is staffed by small business owners – people who are specialists in their own fields and who are as passionate about their businesses as I am about mine.
So like a big corporation who have for example a Marketing Department – I have Nathalie Chinje of Upbeat Marketing (http://www.upbeat.co.za) – Nathalie hosts a Networking event entitled “Intra Africa Executive Breakfast” on a monthly basis. This is a platform for ‘across border’ networking and business opportunities and focuses on Africa and it’s potential. Fascinating stuff and I have met the most interesting of people, from Ambassadors to High Commissioners and the like.
Most corporate companies have their own IT department – I have Ian Grant of IG Computers (http://www.IGComputers.co.za) – oh and while I am on this subject and this site, if you would like to check if the name that you want as your domain name is available, go to Ian’s site and on the top right hand side of the home page, you will be able to do just that – at no charge.
Then of course most Corporate companies have their own web development department and I have Meryl Rosenberg of Pixelmagic (http://www.pixelmagic.co.za), Meryl has does some awesome stuff for me, including but not limited to my website or how about the branding on my e-mails, pretty powerful stuff that and I have received several compliments for it from all around the world. Then of course the branding of my ‘Twitter’ account and me on Facebook and where-ever you look, I am branded and it all links back to my website. How cool is that!
As most of you know by now, I write policies and procedures and have a Workshop entitled “A Basic Practical Guide to Starting A Business” and one of the things that I try and teach Business Start-ups – as well already operational Small Businesses, is about getting the various contracts in place, so just as a big corporate has a legal department, I too have one – but mine of course is bigger and better. Firstly I have a Kerry Jack of Cognosa who specializes in contracts and to make life easier for the SMME you can go to her site http://www.agreementsonline.co.za and actually download pretty much any kind of contract that you would need in your small business and if you wanted something changed slightly, contact Kerry and she will assist you to make that change and still keep it in legalese. Actually if the truth be told her contracts are so simple that even the average layman can understand them – how’s that for transparency? Although Kerry is a registered attorney she does not do litigation, but for that and all matters requiring litigation I have Noa Kinstler of Kinstler Attorneys and Noa, being a proactive attorney has a newsletter in which she gives legal tips and also tells us about the various legal issues that may affect us both in our professional and personal lives – an early warning if you like. If you would like to receive these newsletters please contact Noa on noa@kinstler.co.za
This is just a taste of what my ‘Virtual Corporation’ is about, more of my service providers are listed under “My Team” on my website (http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za) and many more from Accountants to HR and IR specialists, to Event Management, Writers or Wordsmiths and publishers to Entertainers, I have them all.
So do yourself a favour – start Networking. Not only will it bring in the business, but you to can add value to your clients and/or suppliers not to mention yourself, with your very own ‘Virtual Corporation’.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
BUSINESS TIPS - Keeping It Real
BUSINESS TIPS – Keeping It Real
By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting CC December 2009
Dr Renate Volpe, in her nuggets on Leadership insights says “What do you have to offer the world other than your true self?”
I must say that this is a subject that is absolutely close to my heart. We are all here to do business. We are all here to earn an honest living and most of us are here to make a difference.
Perhaps it is something in the air, or a changing of the winds or perhaps it is just because it is that time of the year, but I get the feeling that there are some things that are just not as they should be. I seem to be being messed around much more than usual lately and quite frankly it is getting up my left nostril.
We’re all busy, we are all trying to get done before everyone leaves for the annual migration to the coast and yet in some ways I seem to be going round in circles.
People want to see me, they book the appointment, hell they even get me to move other appointments around because they absolutely have to see me and then at the last minute, they cancel. Well I suppose that I should be grateful that they did cancel and that I didn’t have to find out when I arrived that the meeting was no longer.
Here’s the thing though, if you are wanting to meet with me as a matter of urgency, then meet me – whatever else comes up schedule it for another time or another day, but meet me – my perception is then that you are serious about what it is that you want to discuss with me. When it gets to the point that the 3rd meeting in a row is moved, rescheduled or cancelled by the same person, my perception is one of - if you are messing me around at this early stage of our relationship, what on earth is it going to be down the line?
In all honesty, what is it that you are telling me by doing this – that your time is more valuable than mine, or that your clients/suppliers/friends (add anything you like here) are more valuable than mine, or that your business comes before mine, despite the fact that I have something that you want! Actually, what you are showing me is your true self, what you are telling me is who you really are and in the words of Dr Maya Angelou “Believe someone the first time they tell you who they are!”
So think about what you show the world, because sooner or later – the true self, the person that you really are, will come out.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting CC December 2009
Dr Renate Volpe, in her nuggets on Leadership insights says “What do you have to offer the world other than your true self?”
I must say that this is a subject that is absolutely close to my heart. We are all here to do business. We are all here to earn an honest living and most of us are here to make a difference.
Perhaps it is something in the air, or a changing of the winds or perhaps it is just because it is that time of the year, but I get the feeling that there are some things that are just not as they should be. I seem to be being messed around much more than usual lately and quite frankly it is getting up my left nostril.
We’re all busy, we are all trying to get done before everyone leaves for the annual migration to the coast and yet in some ways I seem to be going round in circles.
People want to see me, they book the appointment, hell they even get me to move other appointments around because they absolutely have to see me and then at the last minute, they cancel. Well I suppose that I should be grateful that they did cancel and that I didn’t have to find out when I arrived that the meeting was no longer.
Here’s the thing though, if you are wanting to meet with me as a matter of urgency, then meet me – whatever else comes up schedule it for another time or another day, but meet me – my perception is then that you are serious about what it is that you want to discuss with me. When it gets to the point that the 3rd meeting in a row is moved, rescheduled or cancelled by the same person, my perception is one of - if you are messing me around at this early stage of our relationship, what on earth is it going to be down the line?
In all honesty, what is it that you are telling me by doing this – that your time is more valuable than mine, or that your clients/suppliers/friends (add anything you like here) are more valuable than mine, or that your business comes before mine, despite the fact that I have something that you want! Actually, what you are showing me is your true self, what you are telling me is who you really are and in the words of Dr Maya Angelou “Believe someone the first time they tell you who they are!”
So think about what you show the world, because sooner or later – the true self, the person that you really are, will come out.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Monday, December 07, 2009
MOTIVATION - An Attitude of Gratitude
MOTIVATION – An Attitude of Gratitude
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC – December 2009
Brian Tracy says “Develop an attitude of gratitude and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step towards achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.”
I seem to having been writing a lot about gratitude over the last couple of weeks and clearly it has something to do with the fact that I am extremely aware of the abundance of opportunity that abounds.
I watched an incredibly spectacular sunset last night and as I marveled at the colours that spread themselves across the heavens I wondered at the ‘paint pallette’ of the Gods (whomever you profess them to be) and marveled at the visions that produced such a masterpiece and I gave thanks, and such a wonderful feeling of being at peace with the world engulfed me.
This morning, I was up early enough to witness the beauty of the sunrise. Dawn has always been the most special time of the day for me, but today I got a feeling of “all is well in my world” and again murmured thanks to the Universe for allowing me to live in this truly beautiful world. Just the memory brings a smile to my face and a knowledge that it’s a gift and like any other gift that we are given it’s the right thing to say ‘thank you’.
So stop, smell the coffee (and give thanks for the ability to be able to smell), pick a flower (and give thanks for the gift of sight), look around you and take it all in – the miracle of life, the gift of living and give thanks. It will resonate though all of your senses all day long.
What a way to enjoy the day!
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC – December 2009
Brian Tracy says “Develop an attitude of gratitude and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step towards achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.”
I seem to having been writing a lot about gratitude over the last couple of weeks and clearly it has something to do with the fact that I am extremely aware of the abundance of opportunity that abounds.
I watched an incredibly spectacular sunset last night and as I marveled at the colours that spread themselves across the heavens I wondered at the ‘paint pallette’ of the Gods (whomever you profess them to be) and marveled at the visions that produced such a masterpiece and I gave thanks, and such a wonderful feeling of being at peace with the world engulfed me.
This morning, I was up early enough to witness the beauty of the sunrise. Dawn has always been the most special time of the day for me, but today I got a feeling of “all is well in my world” and again murmured thanks to the Universe for allowing me to live in this truly beautiful world. Just the memory brings a smile to my face and a knowledge that it’s a gift and like any other gift that we are given it’s the right thing to say ‘thank you’.
So stop, smell the coffee (and give thanks for the ability to be able to smell), pick a flower (and give thanks for the gift of sight), look around you and take it all in – the miracle of life, the gift of living and give thanks. It will resonate though all of your senses all day long.
What a way to enjoy the day!
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Friday, December 04, 2009
HR - To Smoke or Not to Smoke
ARTICLE 48
To Smoke or Not to Smoke
By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting CC December 2009
This is one article that really is going to upset a lot of people and yet also make a lot of people very happy. This is definitely one for the employer!
As an ex smoker myself, I am constantly aware of all the smoke, the cigarette smoke, the cigar smoke and even the pipe smoke that is constantly around me, invading my space. I am aware of the damage that I have done to myself and the damage that smokers are doing to themselves (and us ‘passive’ smokers too) on a daily basis.
As a business owner, I am also aware of the fact that I have to protect my staff from smokers in terms of the Tobacco Products Control Act. As you are all aware I am sure, there is “No Smoking” allowed in public places – restaurants and pubs have to have designated smoking areas and smoking is not allowed in malls and indeed in most office buildings.
Here’s the thing though, no where in the law does it state that as an employer, I have to pander to the smoking requirements of my smoking staff! I don’t have to give my employees ‘smoke breaks’, in fact I can actually make them work the time in that they take as ‘smoke breaks’ without having to pay them any kind of overtime at all or alternatively, I can tally up all the time that the smoker used on ‘smoke breaks’ and deduct it from their wages at the end of the week and/or from their salaries at the end of the month! How cool is that?
I can ban smoking from the building altogether and I can choose exactly which area can be used for smoking purposes and there is no where that it is written that I have to provide shelter from the elements either. So if I choose to designate the car park as the smoking area and it is bucketing with rain – well quite frankly, sorry for you!
Think about it for a moment, as an employer I don’t have to provide my alcoholic employee with a ‘drinks break’ so why would I feel the need to supply my smoker with a ‘smoke break’ particularly if I am as anti smoking as most other ‘ex smokers’? Both are addictions? Both take time out of the workplace which impacts on the bottom line and both have serious health implications.
Now surely that is an incentive for smokers to quit, whilst they are still ahead!
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
To Smoke or Not to Smoke
By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting CC December 2009
This is one article that really is going to upset a lot of people and yet also make a lot of people very happy. This is definitely one for the employer!
As an ex smoker myself, I am constantly aware of all the smoke, the cigarette smoke, the cigar smoke and even the pipe smoke that is constantly around me, invading my space. I am aware of the damage that I have done to myself and the damage that smokers are doing to themselves (and us ‘passive’ smokers too) on a daily basis.
As a business owner, I am also aware of the fact that I have to protect my staff from smokers in terms of the Tobacco Products Control Act. As you are all aware I am sure, there is “No Smoking” allowed in public places – restaurants and pubs have to have designated smoking areas and smoking is not allowed in malls and indeed in most office buildings.
Here’s the thing though, no where in the law does it state that as an employer, I have to pander to the smoking requirements of my smoking staff! I don’t have to give my employees ‘smoke breaks’, in fact I can actually make them work the time in that they take as ‘smoke breaks’ without having to pay them any kind of overtime at all or alternatively, I can tally up all the time that the smoker used on ‘smoke breaks’ and deduct it from their wages at the end of the week and/or from their salaries at the end of the month! How cool is that?
I can ban smoking from the building altogether and I can choose exactly which area can be used for smoking purposes and there is no where that it is written that I have to provide shelter from the elements either. So if I choose to designate the car park as the smoking area and it is bucketing with rain – well quite frankly, sorry for you!
Think about it for a moment, as an employer I don’t have to provide my alcoholic employee with a ‘drinks break’ so why would I feel the need to supply my smoker with a ‘smoke break’ particularly if I am as anti smoking as most other ‘ex smokers’? Both are addictions? Both take time out of the workplace which impacts on the bottom line and both have serious health implications.
Now surely that is an incentive for smokers to quit, whilst they are still ahead!
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
SALES - Increasing the Number of Your Customers
SALES – Increasing the Number of Your Customers
By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting CC December 2009.
Much has been written about the ‘how to’ of increasing your client base, so I doubt very much that anything that I have to say here will be new or any kind of revelation. That said, I have found over the years that sometimes we need to be reminded of things and sometimes it takes ‘just one more telling of the story’ before we actually ‘get’ the plot – so here it is.
We know that in order to increase the number of clients that we have, we have to:
· reach new potential clients with the offering that we currently have – be that product and/or service
· reach new potential clients with a new offering – be that product and/or service.
But how do we do this?
Well we need to ask ourselves some serious questions – these are (but not limited to):
· Who is our target market? Who are the people that really have a need of our product and/or service. Does our product and/or service meet the need of the potential client? Does our product and/or service save them time or give them some sort of additional value?
· How badly do our potential clients need our product and/or service? In other words, how much time do they spend on a daily basis, trying to find what ever it is that we are selling? In fact do they even know that the product and/or service that we are selling actually exists?
· How many of these potential clients are there and how do we actually reach them?
Clearly, in order to answer these questions honestly and fully, we would need to do some market research. In fact, before selling anything it is always a good idea to do some market research – it is the only way that we can accurately ascertain if there is a need for the particular product and/or service that we are offering and it will also educate us on what we actually need to know about our potential customers, like who in the organization is the best person to speak to, who are the decision makers and what we need to know in order to tell them about our product and/or service.
Knowing the culture of our potential clients, their likes and their dislikes, their needs and their desires, will make our quest to engage with them that much easier.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting CC December 2009.
Much has been written about the ‘how to’ of increasing your client base, so I doubt very much that anything that I have to say here will be new or any kind of revelation. That said, I have found over the years that sometimes we need to be reminded of things and sometimes it takes ‘just one more telling of the story’ before we actually ‘get’ the plot – so here it is.
We know that in order to increase the number of clients that we have, we have to:
· reach new potential clients with the offering that we currently have – be that product and/or service
· reach new potential clients with a new offering – be that product and/or service.
But how do we do this?
Well we need to ask ourselves some serious questions – these are (but not limited to):
· Who is our target market? Who are the people that really have a need of our product and/or service. Does our product and/or service meet the need of the potential client? Does our product and/or service save them time or give them some sort of additional value?
· How badly do our potential clients need our product and/or service? In other words, how much time do they spend on a daily basis, trying to find what ever it is that we are selling? In fact do they even know that the product and/or service that we are selling actually exists?
· How many of these potential clients are there and how do we actually reach them?
Clearly, in order to answer these questions honestly and fully, we would need to do some market research. In fact, before selling anything it is always a good idea to do some market research – it is the only way that we can accurately ascertain if there is a need for the particular product and/or service that we are offering and it will also educate us on what we actually need to know about our potential customers, like who in the organization is the best person to speak to, who are the decision makers and what we need to know in order to tell them about our product and/or service.
Knowing the culture of our potential clients, their likes and their dislikes, their needs and their desires, will make our quest to engage with them that much easier.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
The Power of Networking - Part 140
THE POWER OF NETWORKING
PART 140
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC. December 2009
So what exactly is it that makes connectors so popular in a Networking environment?
Simple really, as their name suggests they connect people with one another – people who can do great, profitable business. People who, under normal circumstances, would never even realise that they have any kind of synergy are connected in ways that they never even thought about. Connectors are able to see/think out of the box and because they understand the true essence of Networking, they are able to, not only see the connection but also facilitate it.
Connectors build huge networks around themselves, so it’s little wonder that many people would love to get to know them, to have access to their network and/or data base, if nothing else.
Connectors are people who are trusted by their networks and/or data bases and since they are well known and trusted people often do business with one another, without knowing, or on occasion, even meeting one another. You see the relationship has already been established and built by the connector.
You will always find at least one connector at a Networking event. It’s not because they need to meet yet another bookkeeper or another coach, it’s because they need to meet and have access to all the people that that bookkeeper and/or coach know in order to facilitate the connections that they need to make.
Connectors are driven to move the value that they know and trust is in their networks from one contact to the other, connecting one person to another. They understand that making these connections will also benefit them. They also understand that Networking isn’t about instant gratification but rather of adding value to their Network and over time they will reap the rewards from making these connections.
Connectors understand that it’s about finding synergy between people they have known for years and the new people that they are constantly meeting.
Connectors instinctively Network where ever they go, with everyone that they meet.
Connectors know and appreciate that their Networks are in fact a professional asset to their businesses.
Is your Network a professional asset to you? If not, perhaps it is time to make it one of the goals for you for the coming year.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
PART 140
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC. December 2009
So what exactly is it that makes connectors so popular in a Networking environment?
Simple really, as their name suggests they connect people with one another – people who can do great, profitable business. People who, under normal circumstances, would never even realise that they have any kind of synergy are connected in ways that they never even thought about. Connectors are able to see/think out of the box and because they understand the true essence of Networking, they are able to, not only see the connection but also facilitate it.
Connectors build huge networks around themselves, so it’s little wonder that many people would love to get to know them, to have access to their network and/or data base, if nothing else.
Connectors are people who are trusted by their networks and/or data bases and since they are well known and trusted people often do business with one another, without knowing, or on occasion, even meeting one another. You see the relationship has already been established and built by the connector.
You will always find at least one connector at a Networking event. It’s not because they need to meet yet another bookkeeper or another coach, it’s because they need to meet and have access to all the people that that bookkeeper and/or coach know in order to facilitate the connections that they need to make.
Connectors are driven to move the value that they know and trust is in their networks from one contact to the other, connecting one person to another. They understand that making these connections will also benefit them. They also understand that Networking isn’t about instant gratification but rather of adding value to their Network and over time they will reap the rewards from making these connections.
Connectors understand that it’s about finding synergy between people they have known for years and the new people that they are constantly meeting.
Connectors instinctively Network where ever they go, with everyone that they meet.
Connectors know and appreciate that their Networks are in fact a professional asset to their businesses.
Is your Network a professional asset to you? If not, perhaps it is time to make it one of the goals for you for the coming year.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
BUSINESS TIPS - How To Manage Cash Flow
BUSINESS TIPS – How to Manage Cash Flow
By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting CC July 2009 December 2009
Last week we looked at exactly what cash flow is and this week we will look at the ‘how to’ of managing cash flow. For me as usual, it’s the simplest method of ‘how to’ that I will be sharing, so please just be aware that there are many more components and levels of complexity to this subject.
It is important to understand that most of the money that you generate as an inflow should be from the sale of your product and/or service. It cannot be from investing and/finance – if this is the case you are going to be very deep in the smelly brown stuff without a shovel to dig yourself out. So sales are obviously key, irrespective of whether you are selling a product and/or a service.
It is also important to understand that the inflow and outflow of your business tells the story of how healthy or unhealthy your company is. That is one of the reasons that I believe it is so important to have the services of a really good accountant to assist you. The understanding and ‘reading’ of the story of your business can only be done by someone who is experienced in these matters and someone who will tell you where you are going wrong and guide you back onto the correct path. My someone, is Nico Labuschagne of Labuschagne & Associates and I am quite happy to share his contact details on (labuschagnassoc@lantic.net).
That said it is also very important to understand that cash flow is a ‘real time’ issue as opposed to having your books done on a monthly basis – by the time they get to the bookkeeper/accountant they are already a month or so old and are therefore a ‘reactive’ issue. You cannot wait for a whole month to then realize that you have no money to pay the bills that are coming in and are due, right now! In terms of cash flow, you have to be proactive – you have to know what is happening right now!
To create a cash flow statement, and remember that it is a living breathing document and it changes all the time, you need to take all the business inflows and subtract all the business cash outflows. This is usually done on a monthly basis but it can be done for any specific period. Obviously doing this manually is a pain in the rear end and by using an accounting package to generate financial statements and thereby producing a Cash Flow statement, would be the simplest way to do it (another reason for a Nico in my life, I don’t have to invest in expensive software accounting packages.)
When you work out your budgets, it is extremely important to use ‘cash flow projections’, because if you as a business owner, do not understand the way that your cash flow operates, you will find yourself in a cash flow crunch, where you will be waiting for funds to come in, but have operating expenses that need to be paid now.
This is particularly true if you have or run sales on account (hopefully you are then registered with the National Credit Authorities as a service provider), or alternatively have clients who pay 30 or 60 or even 90 days. You need to make provision to ensure that you have enough cash on hand to pay your bills while you wait for monies to come in.
As SMME’s, I am sure that you will agree that this is a very difficult position to be in and this is why it is vital to firstly know, what is happening from a financial prospective, in your business and secondly to understand what happens when you have cash flowing both in and out of your business.
Understanding and knowing where your money is coming in from and where your money is going out to, is key to controlling your cash flow.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting CC July 2009 December 2009
Last week we looked at exactly what cash flow is and this week we will look at the ‘how to’ of managing cash flow. For me as usual, it’s the simplest method of ‘how to’ that I will be sharing, so please just be aware that there are many more components and levels of complexity to this subject.
It is important to understand that most of the money that you generate as an inflow should be from the sale of your product and/or service. It cannot be from investing and/finance – if this is the case you are going to be very deep in the smelly brown stuff without a shovel to dig yourself out. So sales are obviously key, irrespective of whether you are selling a product and/or a service.
It is also important to understand that the inflow and outflow of your business tells the story of how healthy or unhealthy your company is. That is one of the reasons that I believe it is so important to have the services of a really good accountant to assist you. The understanding and ‘reading’ of the story of your business can only be done by someone who is experienced in these matters and someone who will tell you where you are going wrong and guide you back onto the correct path. My someone, is Nico Labuschagne of Labuschagne & Associates and I am quite happy to share his contact details on (labuschagnassoc@lantic.net).
That said it is also very important to understand that cash flow is a ‘real time’ issue as opposed to having your books done on a monthly basis – by the time they get to the bookkeeper/accountant they are already a month or so old and are therefore a ‘reactive’ issue. You cannot wait for a whole month to then realize that you have no money to pay the bills that are coming in and are due, right now! In terms of cash flow, you have to be proactive – you have to know what is happening right now!
To create a cash flow statement, and remember that it is a living breathing document and it changes all the time, you need to take all the business inflows and subtract all the business cash outflows. This is usually done on a monthly basis but it can be done for any specific period. Obviously doing this manually is a pain in the rear end and by using an accounting package to generate financial statements and thereby producing a Cash Flow statement, would be the simplest way to do it (another reason for a Nico in my life, I don’t have to invest in expensive software accounting packages.)
When you work out your budgets, it is extremely important to use ‘cash flow projections’, because if you as a business owner, do not understand the way that your cash flow operates, you will find yourself in a cash flow crunch, where you will be waiting for funds to come in, but have operating expenses that need to be paid now.
This is particularly true if you have or run sales on account (hopefully you are then registered with the National Credit Authorities as a service provider), or alternatively have clients who pay 30 or 60 or even 90 days. You need to make provision to ensure that you have enough cash on hand to pay your bills while you wait for monies to come in.
As SMME’s, I am sure that you will agree that this is a very difficult position to be in and this is why it is vital to firstly know, what is happening from a financial prospective, in your business and secondly to understand what happens when you have cash flowing both in and out of your business.
Understanding and knowing where your money is coming in from and where your money is going out to, is key to controlling your cash flow.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
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