Exhibitors' Corner Issue 3

Exhibitors’ Corner

The platform to grow, connect and equip SMME businesses.

October - November 2019 - Issue #3

BUS. DEVELOPMENT MANAGER ( D I A M O N D B E R R Y C R E AT I V E A G E N C Y )

ADMINISTRATION

Nhlanhla Dabengwa

Charllote Mpofu Gugu S. Mabikwa

CHIEF EDITOR

MARKETING & SALES

EDITORIAL TEAM

DESIGN LAYOUT & BRAND COORDINATION

Mellisa Tshuma

Jennings Chibike Khayelihle Sibanda Anittah Munyaradzi Chidonhwe Loveness Mpofu

Gugu S. Mabikwa

David Papayi

DIAMOND BERRY ENTERPRISES

Suite 320 Africa House, 10th Ave. & Fife St. Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.

MARKETING & ADVERTISING

TEL: +263 29 226 2993 CELL: +263 71 570 0593 EMAIL: newsroom@excomag.co.zw , info@diamondberry.co.zw

PUBLISHED BY DIAMOND BERRY ENTERPRISES Exhibitors Corner www.diamondberry.co.zw / www.excomag.co.zw

Exhibitors’ Corner | 3

EDITORS NOTE

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Mellisa Tshuma

common quote usually said by people is you can do anything you set your mind to but it takes action, perseverance and facing your fears. Perseverance in business is all about not giving up and ensuring that your dreams hopes and envisions all take your desired route. Dare to make mistakes for from them we grow and learn to rise to our highest potential.

The most successful people are people who are not afraid of taking risks but rather take every opportunity as a gain for whether you make losses or

profits you gain more knowledge.

Vincent van Gogh once said “Your profession is not what brings home your weekly paycheck, your profession is what you’re put here on earth to do, with such passion and such intensity that it becomes spiritual in calling.” In this issue we review a story of passion, perseverance and adhering to our calling. A calling as many may presume is not only just spiritual but revolves on what one is destined to be living to our greatest potential. One starts to realize their calling mostly when they notice the void that a certain agenda or task fulfills. The bible says “though a man falls seven times he will rise again the eighth”, no matter how things may “seem” not to work out persevere in your called out business ventures and

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changes to society. We celebrate each one of you and will continue to help every businesses grow, interact and network to enable all to reach their fullest potential. Be inspired, be motivated and remember through perseverance the nail reached the ark!

Your profession is not what brings home your weekly paycheck, your profession is what you’re put here on earth to do

one day you will reap a hundredfold.

In this issue we’ve made a bolder, braver magazine to celebrate small, micro and medium enterprises (SMMEs) and give these important, varied new voices a place to talk about who they are and what they stand for. Sometimes it’s the small voices that bring about enormous

Exhibitors’ Corner | 5

Manager’s Remarks

MANAGER’S REMARKS Nhlanhla Dabengwa

Growth Strategies For Your Small Business.

So, first issue I did write about starting out and how it’s never an easy task, on our second issue I addressed issues to do with financing your small business. Assuming the transition has been possible and you have financed your small business, meaning you have begun and are already operating in the market, what becomes of greater concern then? How to grow beyond the point of start-up to a fully functioning SMME right?

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he reality of the matter is that most of all these big businesses, the Nyaradzo’s, Econet wireless, Nash paints and all, they all started out small in the past. They weren’t always the juggernauts that they are today. At some point, they also belonged to this relatively obscure but promising group we belong to as “Small Businesses/ SMME’s”.

Unfortunately, the reality is that only 2% actually do graduate beyond being small. What eventually made them, the big shots break out of that small business group and charge ahead of their counterparts? The likeliest answer, aside from determination and good business practices, is the application of business strategies.

We as SMME’s have several options to choose from in implementing these

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growth strategies, all this though is usually contingent upon your financial situation, competition, government regulations amongst other various factors.

I will look into some of the growth strategies that are applicable to us as small businesses, hoping to expand their operations and occupy a larger share of the market. Here are seven of them:

1) Market Penetration Strategy.

Market penetration is possibly the first -almost default- option of small businesses hoping to grow and expand their operations. This works best in a scenario where there are no new products and no alternative markets to enter. Left with no choice, as an SMME you would then need to look into what you currently have, right where you are.

It’s pretty straight forward you will have to market your products or services in the same markets as the same big shots, with the aim of increasing market share, it’s a very competitive position to be in but very possible here’s how: • Price Reduction for your products/services • Aggressive promotions for your products/services to improve pull • Expand distribution channels to improve reach • Effective improvement of the product/service • Zeroing in on competitors’ customers, distribution channels.

Manager’s Remarks

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The reality of the matter is that most of all these big businesses, the Nyaradzo’s, Econet wireless, Nash paints and all, they all started out small in the past.

turing puts it high on the list of growth strategies for businesses. Acquisition is primarily considered as a big-business growth strategy, since it is the big businesses that have the resources to acquire other companies. Generally, small businesses are seen to have a markets or industry, which is distinct 2) Market Development. difficult time making acquisitions, confrom your core business. Simply put, sidering the large amount that will be Market development is a growth diversification refers to the expansion required to cover the purchase price. strategy that you as an SMME can use of business by entering into a comHowever, it would be wrong to comto identify and develop new market pletely new segment or investing in pletely rule out acquisition as a growth segments for your current products. In a business which is external to the strategy just because you are a small this strategy you are targeting non-buy- scope of the company’s existing company. If the acquisition turns out ing customers in the existing segments, product line. You can use this strategy to be a very good decision, then you you can even target new customers for managing risk and threats especan profit greatly from it. Many local in new segments. Giving for example cially during this tough economy. small businesses have grown that one business that produces popcorns There are two main types of diverway, this strategy helps your small and snacks for school children and sifications your small business can business secure a larger market share decides to develop new segments into undertake which are namely, conglom- and more revenue, it also enables you selling those snacks to corporate and erate and concentric diversification. to establish a dominant position in the birthday functions as well. However, market, made possible by market conthey are key questions you have to 5) Product Expansion. solidation and lastly it empowers you to ask yourself before implementing a break geographical and even political market development strategy like, is Product expansion, means exactly what boundaries and give you growth. it profitable, will it require the introthe phrase implies. There is no new duction of new modified products, market, but there is a new product, and 7) Leveraging Partnerships. is the customer and channel well that new product will be introduced to enough researched and underthe existing market to gain a bigger Small business can benefit greatly stood? If all boxes tick then go for it. market share. Giving for example man- from solid partnerships within themufactures of mobile phones do it all the selves. Aside from the stability of time and are prolific in churning out 3) Alternative Channels. knowing that there are parties or new updated models of their products. entities that will have your back, the The internet has opened up other An SMME can implement this strategy partnership may also help you cut channels for small businesses to by expanding product lines, adding new down on costs, increase efficiencies reach their customers and sell their features or existing features when the and, ultimately, help your business products. In fact, this has been greatly old becomes obsolete. But to be sucgrow. The main objective [of partbeneficial for small businesses and cessful in implementing this strategy, nerships] is the true synergy of one entrepreneurs, since they provided your business must be capable of plus one equals five instead of two, a platform where they can have a chance of competing against more established brands and companies.

Today we have the option to find Growth Strategies For Your and reach our customers and sell our Small Business products to them through the following: • Selling online. You can sell online by setting up personalised websites or partner with retailers like Amazon, eBay or our very own local ownai.

• Selling through subscription programs. You can alternatively formulate subscription and membership programs to find their customers and introduce your products to them.

• Selling through the use of mobile apps. Create a mobile platform that gives your consumers access to your products anytime, anyway which is a great way to integrate your marketing and growth strategies.

4) Diversification.

Diversification is a growth strategy that your SMME can implement to increase the market share and sales volume by introducing new products in new

1) Market Penetration Strategy.

2) Market Development.

3) Alternative Channels.

4) Diversification.

5) Product Expansion.

6) Mergers and Acquisitions.

7) Leveraging Partnerships.

the sum total of two efforts is greater than one. The four main advantages partnerships give you are your small 6) Mergers and Acquisitions. business will attract new customers and expand market coverage, build Mergers and Acquisitions, deals with brand awareness, broaden product the purchase of one company by and service offerings and finally another, and/or the consolidation, comshore up perceived weaknesses. bination or joining of two companies.

The role it plays in corporate restrucquick responses to market changes.

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Cover Story

KATHY MWANZA FOUNDER - CAKE FAIRY

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Cover Story

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ave you walked into the magnificent Cake Fairy shop in the heart of Bulawayo and indulged yourself and sense with that red velvet cake/muffin or whichever your favourite is? Well if you have a sweet tooth and haven’t been to Cake Fairy then you missing out a great deal. Cake Fairy or the baker’s paradise as many would know it, is a one stop shop specialising in Cakes and baking supplies.

Want a top of the range, delicious and magnificent cake? Her recipe is definitely the best.

The founder and owner of this striving and popular brand is Kathy Mwanza, an outspoken cake artist, entrepreneur, trailblazer, mother of two and a Christian. She is a proud holder of a Bcoms in Marketing (Nust) and a Master of Science in marketing (Nust).

Kathy recalls how Cake Fairy did not start as a business but rather as a calling. “I had a passion for cooking so I went to do a cake decorating course and that is when I started baking cakes for family and friends. Little did I know that what I was doing will turn out to be a business since people kept calling me requesting for my services” she said.

Even though she had a dream job, she couldn’t shake off the feeling of emptiness and boredom of doing the same thing over and over again. She even turned to playing golf for a whole year, in pursuit of satisfaction and inner peace but all in vain.

“I then remembered I had a passion for cooking; so I went on a cake decorating course and from there I started making cakes for my friends, family, colleagues and I did all this as just looking for a hobby; and I never imagined that it would be a business.

The next thing my phone was buzzing with orders and before I knew it I didn’t have a social life.”

It was her passion for baking and the joy of making people happy with what she does that made her discover her purpose in life. Talking about purpose, the journey to self-realisation was not an easy one. She found herself stuck

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My team motivates me and keeps me going.

Most importantly God is the one who makes it happen for me.

between the pleasures of a well-paying job and her strong passion for baking.

Well, although leaving her dream job was a hard decision to make, she had found her purpose and consequently being a risk taker was one of the entrepreneurship skills that made her grow a successful business.

This shows that many times businesses that stem from passion and for a good cause prosper and flourish than those that are solely/intentionally for purposes of money making.

privileged in the academic field as she has roped in and mentored a student from Sizinda Vocational Centre into her business on attachment.

On a parting note she urged upcoming business people to know how to treat their customers well and also choose one area of speciality and perfect it till they reach their zenith heights with it and mostly to follow their passions.

Kathy Mwanza says she owes her success to her team mates, colleagues.

“My team motivates me and keeps me going. Most importantly God is the one who makes it happen for me” she says as her face lights up with a smile.

When quizzed about the future she expressed optimism that her business will be a force to reckon with in the region. “5 years from now we want Cake Fairy to be the leading supplies shop in Zimbabwe as well as in the region. I wish to have a shop at every corner” she said.

Regardless of her being a businesswoman she strives to give back to her community. She has assisted the less privileged from Thembiso Children’s Home and Sandra Jones. She also helps the less Exhibitors’ Corner | 9

Profile

SOMESHA DIGITAL

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frica has one of the fastest growing populations in the world. 77% are youth. Faced with multiple issues, Africa needs to produce high calibre academics and innovators in order to turn the tide. At Somesha, they firmly believe that innovation is an attitude bred from the ground up, that information and education are the key to achieving this goal.

Somesha is an education start-up, based in Zimbabwe and operating in a few schools. The platform partners with the students, parents and schools in Africa to optimise the learning journey using technology. Students can use the Somesha platform to prepare for examinations, watch educational videos, keep track of their records and interact with other students across the African continent.

What we do ...

Why?

Partners, who?

We create tools that transform, grow and make educational institutions better using the best and latest technologies.

Because better education systems equals better societies. with our passion for technology we seek to create and build education software for a better tomorrow.

Joining hands with the great teachers enables us to create the best tools for them to transform nubile minds for the better. We pride ourselves in partnering our clients in fulfilling their vision which in turn brings our dreams to reality.

Schools can manage student attendance, payments, timetables, academic records and reports. Somesha aims to reimagine how students across Africa are educated and ensuring fair access of education across the continent.

The company is available across all social media platforms and on their website www.somesha.io

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Profile

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wide Veggies is a cash-on-delivery vegetable supplying company. Zwide Veggies was founded by media personality, Emma Nxumalo popularly known as Nguni Princess, the company supplies restaurants, retail shops, schools and hospitals in which presently they supply two major retail outlets. On top of that the company is also into charity works and has awards to testify to it, beneficiaries of its programs are Queen Elizabeth, feed the city initiatives to mention just but a few.

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Profile

Exhibitors’ Corner | 13

Teamwork

THE POWER OF TEAM WORK

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mall to medium enterprises’ efforts to transform the local community and nation into a hive of economic activity go unnoticed and there is need for them to clutch on to fundamental principles of team work in their respective areas so as to immensely contribute towards community development.

All personnel within a particular business initiative need to work together for both business and community betterment as not doing so will serve a death knell to their entities and subsequently their nation building goals.

In this article we will share with you some of the reasons why Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) must embrace team work in their trades.

1) Improved Business Outcome 4) Builds trust.

6) Sense of Ownership

Teamwork leads to better business results because a team brings more against business challenges. Team members equipped with various skills get to bring in knowledge that can be used fight albatross around necks of businesses. Various departments get to coexist in harmony thus breeding a good business organizational culture which in turn leads to growth of SMEs

Team work builds a sense of ownership among employees. When employees are appreciated and are always heavily involved in all aspect of the entity from planning to implementation they tend to feel a sense of ownership. They feel like they are very important to the organization hence it is their mandate

2) Efficiency There are more business accomplishments when a team works together.

This is coupled with little wastage in terms of resources chief among them capital and time. An efficient entity stays competitive in its market hence there are prospects of high turnovers at the end of the business year.

3) Peer based support.

Having team mates means you have a support system which you can easily understand and reach out to. Team members get to motivate each other and highly motivated individuals work even harder for an increased production.

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Teamwork is essential in building trust among members within an orgainisation. Business which embraces team work gets to have employees who trust each other work better and efficiently with each other. Trust leads to rampant growth of an SME and fast realisation of its goals.

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All personnel within a particular business initiative need to work together for both business and community...

5) Balanced decision making Team work results in a balanced decision making. Everyone within the team gets to air out their views. This results in the drastic removal of monolithic views of a few selected individuals. With a spread out decision making mechanisms employees get to work better under favorable conditions resulting in a happy working environment. Happy workers tend to be more productive and creative ultimately leading to extraordinary growth of an SME.

to keep the company going. They start treating their day to day business with care as their consciousness will be telling them that the company is also theirs. This leads to people who are motivated ad serious about their work. With such serious it means the entity’s outputs begging to rise.

7) Creativity Creativity is enhanced when people work as a team. This is so because different individuals bring about different ideas and business concepts which are new and attractive to both the entity and the market.

Inspiration

WHAT IS THE PRESCRIPTION FOR ANY CIRCUMSTANCE, EVEN THOSE ROOTED IN THE PAST?

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...influence always flows from identity hence if you know who you are; you know your own self-worth...

Lady Profound

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e all learn to be by imitation or indoctrination. Parents and media cannot help us but train us to be carbon copies of themselves. So then knowing who we really are or what we should be, is just an understanding of whose costume we wear on most days but it is amazing how we do not look like what we have been through. Just like a moon shining in the darkest time, despite it being scarred, we still have the gift of being beautiful regardless of the

circumstances life has thrown at us.

An emotional wound can become a reason not to view life from a different perspective, a reason for not changing for the better, which it is often determined by your past . Even so, influence always flows from identity hence if you know who you are; you know your own self-worth. Sometimes your heart needs more time to heal, to accept what your mind already knows because an emotional wound requires the same priority attention as a physical wound

in order to reach our greatest potential.

Often a times when asked, “How are you?” We are bound to say, “I’m fine.”

Most people do not listen with the intent to understand and read between the lines. They listen with the intent to reply. Hence, half the time, the answer is not entirely true.

Most probably because it is easier to say so or you just do not know the root cause of your misery or maybe pouring your heart out makes you feel exposed, weak and vulnerable.

The damage of saying, “I’m fine”, even when we are not, is far worse than we think. Even more worse when you build a wall around you in an attempt of protecting yourself from negativity by attacking others either physically or emotionally. No wonder why we have so many broken relationships and broken dreams, the rate of criminality and abuse is skyrocketing. It is because of the profound wounds that were never taken care of in the first place. Yes,we are not perfect, hence, it is ok not to be ok.

Quit defending yourself by attacking others and be packaged right for where you are heading. It could be exploring your talent or relationships in all aspects etc.…because people do not buy what you do, they buy why you do it and what you do simply proves what you believe Some people have a great potential in soaring to great heights but they are just not packaged right because of the circumstances they have encountered, whereas the person who makes it in life, is the person who keeps going after what everyone else has quit.

The moment you accept total responsibility for everything in your life, is the moment you claim the power to change anything. You have only two choices, to give up on yourself or to be exceptional. A good attitude can bring success; whereas a poor attitude can bring destruction. Straighten out your attitude and package yourself right for what’s to come.

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Key Performance Indicators

KEY PERFOMANCE INDICATORS (KPIS) FOR YOUR BUSINESS.

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s a founder, owner or manager of an SMME, it is your responsibility to pay attention to every detail of the business. From employee satisfaction to growth indicators, you need to be on top of how your company is performing at every turn. While there is an extensive range of KPIs available to you, knowing where to focus your attention when it comes to evaluating your business can make you more effective and make the best use of your time.

Understand what the matrix are telling you, to be effective your KPI’s should be relevant, balanced, understandable and shared within your colleagues. Also consider the following when choosing areas to monitor like, field you are in, business size and location, business cycle, your goals and any unique personal circumstances you have. Let’s look at some of the KPI’s for your SMME.

1) Cash flow Forecast.

Cash flow forecasts let businesses assess whether their sales and margins are appropriate, and are consequently one of the most critical KPIs for small companies to track. Savvy business owners perform regular cash flow forecasts so they can identify problems in the early stages and make necessary adjustments.

Cash flow forecasts can help businesses anticipate future surpluses or shortages. They can also help with tax planning and loan applications.

2) Gross profit margin as a percentage of sales No business can achieve success if it’s paying out more to suppliers than it’s netting in sales. Gross profit margin as a percentage of sales demonstrates total profits compared to revenue. The advantage of tracking this KPI over time is that you can easily quantify how much money you’re keeping against the amount paid out to suppliers.

3) Funnel drop-off rate Your funnel drop-off rate assesses the number of inquiries your business gets and in the process of it all are dropped or abandoned in the conversion process or sales of process before completion, for example if you have a bakery how many of these

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inquiries you get are dropped in the process of inquiry?. By identifying when prospective buyers abandon the conversion process, companies can identify problems and make necessary adjustments to boost sales.

4) Revenue growth rate Revenue growth is a financial KPI that refers to the rate at which your business income, or sales growth, is increasing. To find revenue growth rate, begin with your business’s total revenue for the current year. Next, divide current income by total revenue from the previous year to find the rate of growth. By calculating the revenue growth rate regularly, you can assess whether growth is increasing, decreasing, or plateauing, and by how much.

5) Inventory turnover Inventory turnover measures the number of units sold or used in a given period and is valuable because it reveals a business’s ability to move goods. Inventory turnover can be found by adding up the cost of sold inventory, then dividing that total by the value of the inventory remaining at year’s end. Businesses should want to pursue a high turnover rate, but not by slashing prices significantly.

6) Accounts payable turnover A company can’t keep its doors open for long if it fails to pay suppliers.

Accounts payable turnover is a measure of the rate at which your business pays for goods and services in a given period. Once you know how much you spend on suppliers, you can determine if you need to take steps to reduce spending.

7) Relative market share One of the most crucial performance indicators, relative market share shows you how much of a given market your company controls. Unlike internal metrics, relative market share reveals how a company is performing relative to its competitors in the same space. A small bump in profits may matter less if your company is falling behind its competitors.

Profile

CLASSIC EVENTS.

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dentified by the tagline – The events people talk about.

At Classic Events we understand that each event is different. We create, develop and manage your event and you get to keep the memory. After identifying your target audience, we formulate the event concept, planning and overall logistics of the event as a whole.

For Hire: (12x20m) stretch tent, white bride and groom chairs, 20m white isle carpet runner, desert bowls, champagne glasses, wine glasses, juice zombie glasses, white and gold underplates, white dinner plates, yellow kango plates, cups and dishes, gold and silver cutlery (forks, knives, table spoons and teaspoons,), ice buckets, 3 legged pot size 20/30, cooler boxes and many more.

Contact: Sihle Mabikwa: (+263) 73 389 7261 Email: zwclassic.events@gmail.com

HAND-IN-HAND ZIMBABWE.

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he Vision for Hand in Hand Zimbabwe is “Poverty alleviation through job creation” and its Mission is “To eradicate poverty amongst the poor with the focus on income generation, capacity building and empowerment through supporting enterprise development”. Hand In Hand Zimbabwe is presently operational in seven districts namely Bulilima, Chikomba, Chirumanzu, Gwanda, Lupane, Nkayi and Shurugwi.

Contacts: 73 Heyman Road, Suburbs, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.

Tel: +263 8677 114443 / +263 29 223 1047-8 / +263 29 225 0388

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SMME Corner

WHAT IS AN SMME?

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any of us assume that SMMEs are businesses run from a basement/ garage or some shady/dodgy office, with one or two employees and generate a few thousand in revenue every month. This is inaccurate as many “big” businesses are still classified as SMMEs. In fact, many of the products that we use on a daily basis are produced by businesses that are still classified as SMMEs. SMMEs are the seed-bed of business growth, innovation and pillars of employment creation.

Not all businesses will be listed on the stock exchange. SMMEs play a critical role in achieving economic growth and moving a country forward. We decided to explore what defines an SMME in the Zimbabwean context.

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Myth: SMMEs are low revenue generating businesses.

Categories of SMMEs according to Research Council of Zimbabwe and ZIMRA. 1) Micro Enterprise.

• Between one to five employees, usually the owner and family • Annual turnover- less than USD0.15 000 • Informal - no license, formal business premises • Basic business skills and training.

Potential to make the transition to a viable formal small business.

2) Small enterprise.

• Less than 100 employees • Annual turnover- less than USD 250 000 • More established than very small enterprises, formal and registered, fixed business premises.

• Owner managed, but more complex management structure

3) Medium enterprise.

• Up to 200 employees • Annual turnover- less than USD 2 million • Still mainly owner managed, but decentralised management structure with division of labour.

• Operates from fixed premises with all formal requirements.

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Government has prioritised entrepreneurship and the advancement of Small, Medium and Micro-sized Enterprises (SMMEs) as the catalyst to achieving economic growth and development. With the assistance of other government departments and institutions, like the Ministry of women affairs and smmes, ZIMTRADE, SMEDCO to mention a few which take the lead in implementing SMME-related policies, export facilities and funding to ensure that adequate financial and non-financial assistance is provided to the sector, for its long-term prosperity and that of the country as a whole.

Diamond Berry Creative Agency through its division which is this magazine has been set up to assist SMMEs with providing a platform to grow SMME’s on various business challenges.

SMME Corner

CAS_RYNOS DESIGNS & ACCESSORIES.

COOKS’ REPUBLIC

ULTRA ENERGY

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bespoke design and accessories SMME, with various packages on offer, using unique and special material called sinamay to design fancy hats and fascinators. The hats are designed for special occasions like weddings, kitchen teas and church conferences. A wide range of accessories are on offer too and these include necklaces, clutch bags, sun hats and earrings. Beyond that we design tailor made and fit African wear using Ankara material but not limited to.

Contact: D. ShoShore (+263) 77 315 9083 Ernest (+263) 71 588 2762

MESSAGE COMICS

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aunched in March 2019, the story of Cooks’ Republic began. As herbs and spices consumption has increased over the years, the need for affordable quality spices has also continued to grow. Cooks’ Republic aims to provide affordable quality produce for all cooks. The company has a vison to be the first choice in the spices and herbs business in Zimbabwe. The republic provides cooks with quality spices, herbs, micro greens and other cooking condiments, that allow their customers to enjoy food from the earth that’s good for the table. Cooks’ Republic stands on five core values that define to the world and themselves on what they stand for and who they are, and these are Passion, Integrity, teamwork, Continuous improvement, customer focus. Surely you must be wondering where to get these mouth-watering products, worry not. Cook’s Republic has an online store and offers delivery to all CBD clients, not only that, their products can be found at Rumtage Fruit and Veg, Ascot Complex at Royal Entertainment, Morning-side shops.

Online store: www.cooksrepublic.co Mobile: (+263) 78 636 5563

EQUINITIVE BUSINESS SOLUTIONS

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HO IS MESSAGE COMICS? Message Comics is a creator owned Comic Book Company.

We plan to be an independent publisher doing our own publishing for the production of the books and do our own distribution when we get the books printed.

Our goal is to grow into a publishing, printing and distribution company. The name of the first comic book projects are Themba and The Omega Watch.

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e are a tailored business solutions firm that provides flexible, cost effective accounting solutions that support you in maximization of internal resources and streamline business management. We also offer financial planning, management advisory, accounting information systems, audits, tax advisory and tax audit support.

ltra is a locally owned private enterprise specialising in the supply of alternative energy solutions both locally and regionally at sustainable and affordable rates, construction and road engineering. We are a company active in the promotion, planning and implementation of alternative energy systems and engineering projects. All this is achieved by partnering with local and international organizations to execute various projects?

Ultra Energy Solutions is one of the 3 thriving Ultra Biz Pvt Ltd operating business units, others being Ultra Driving School, Ultra Contract and Ultra Human Capital Management all these established in 2012.

MOBOTECH E-PUBLISHING

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oboTech E-Publishing is a digital initiative for authors, to provide a platform that can expand authors market globally without concern of their books being pirated and allowing local mobile financial services as payments for purchases. The start-up has a target for self-publishing authors and already published authors willing to expand their market by selling encrypted digital copies of their copies of their books online through mobile financial services. MoboTech aims to help aspiring writers graduate to being authors at the minimum cost without having to pay for printing costs and to easily reach global readership. Its services are not limited to providing a platform, they offer Manuscript development in the form of book editing, proofreading, acquisition of ISBN number, cover designing, type setting, author website development and marketing coupled with prep writing events through the Authors Hub.

Exhibitors’ Corner | 19

Business Tips

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TIPS THAT WILL HELP YOU BEAT YOUR COMPETITOR.

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usiness can be brutal because… well, that’s business, it’s in the nature of the business. For every success you have in growing your market share, another business or other businesses will inevitably lose ground and the opposite is true.

Here are 10 quick and easy business tips to gain a competitive advantage over your rivals and insulate yourself from the threat of new entrants in the market.

1) Don’t sell products, provide solutions.

2) Always optimise your pricing.

Like it or not, good people, consumers out there aren’t searching for your brand, they’re just looking to solve a problem or find a particular type of product that provides a need or solution to them. In this economy which is characterised by diminishing purchasing power for the consumers, the scope of choice for products is limited and driven by necessity than mere products.

Price optimisation is the process of finding that pricing sweet spot, or maximising price against the customers willingness to pay. Companies up and down the supply chain, both in B2B and B2C settings, rightly dedicate a massive amount of time towards price optimisation to ensure that their products will sell quickly at the right price while still making a decent profit.

Dropping prices doesn’t necessarily

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raise sales, for instance, if you position yourself as a premium brand, then your customers aren’t necessarily valuedriven in the first place, not to mention that cutting prices could even tarnish your brand.

Business Tips

3) Hire friendly customerfacing staff.

Yes, it sounds obvious, but it’s so very important! Whether consciously or not, people are more likely to buy a product if they like the sales person who’s attending to them. While the employee’s personality obviously has no bearing on the price or your product’s ability to serve their needs is irrelevant. Friendly customer-facing staff will always attract more sales.

6) Give something for nothing. (or very little) Why not give your happy customers a voucher with their purchase to redeem on your products and services? If they love what you do already, they’re only going to love you more for this. This is very good as this will ensure repeat business from them and also a healthy spread of word of mouth.

4) Stay open even longer Say you’re run a hardware store and you’re getting a rush of customers as closing time approaches, why not close up an hour later? Make it a routine that you offer such a convenience which will not only attract the working class but also a reputation of clientele relations While this may cause disgruntlement among staff, solve this issue by getting creative with rosters and paying lucrative overtimes.

7) Give back to the community.

Local businesses can arguably connect with their unique communities with much greater authority than any global chain. A local retailer, hair salon or gardening company can sponsor a kid’s sports team and offer deep discounts for Old people in the community. Our very own cover personality, Cake Fairy gives back to the community in their anniversary celebrations.

5) Don’t make customers dig for contacts, be reachable.

Even in the digital age, some customers will always prefer to contact you by phone rather than email or Facebook.

While many online companies with tight margins eschew manned phone lines altogether, it’s worth giving customers the option of having a voice-to-voice conversation with your brand. By all means, slash the time and cost spent responding to queries by funnelling customers to standardized, pre-existing responses on your webpage (i.e., FAQs). Put your phone number where they can easily find it and get in touch with you.

8) Use Social media smartly.

Social media is a great medium through which to build a solid relationship with customers – just don’t forget what ‘social’ actually means! Soul-less corporate shop-talk won’t work on Twitter. Develop a tone of voice that aligns well with your brand identity.

Seek to inform, help, entertain or amuse. And most importantly given the dire PR consequences don’t patronize, try too hard to be funny, or tweet after a few alcoholic drinks.

9) Own your niche.

Sometimes it’s better to be a master of one discipline than a jack of all trades. Admittedly, multiple revenue streams do spread your risk: if one falters, others can take up the slack.

Nevertheless, consumers often associate ‘specialists’ with higher quality products or services than generalists. And with good reason, too: specialists typically invest all their resources into perfecting a single product or service.

10) Be Humble.

Don’t ever get too satisfied with your business. You can always improve – and improve you must!Don’t get me wrong: without the odd moment of smug satisfaction, what’s the point? Do relish in the successful launch of a gamechanging product or take pleasure in positive customer feedback. But don’t let your customers hear you banging on about it time after time!

Exhibitors’ Corner | 21

Compliance

THE IMPORTANCE OF COMPLIANCE AS A BUSINESS

T

he business world can have or has an overabundance of rules that it must follow to remain compliant. In its business sense, “compliance” refers to a company meeting its legal obligations, often to protect the health, safety and welfare of others. Simple examples of compliance include obtaining a business licenses, registration and paying your taxes.

The importance of compliance is more evident as issues become more complex when your business grows. You will have expanded responsibilities regarding your workers, covering hiring, firing, discrimination, harassment, safety, wages, payroll and benefits. Remaining compliant is incredibly important in the financial services industry. It not only protects you, the business owner, but it protects your customers as well. It allows the market to stay fair and reduces the risk of financial crime, high product returns etc

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The importance of compliance is more evident as issues become more complex when your business grows.

Quality improvements: A good compliance program will help to prevent errors before they occur or notify them at an early stage, this reduces the need to repeat or re-do tasks which in turn greatly reduces the time & cost.

Greater Efficiency: Operational efficiency is significant for many businesses and it has been found that compliance is embedded within the DNA of business operations, rather than including separate department or function makes the task more efficient.

Better Collaboration: Incorporating compliance management into business processes will enable executives within the organization to focus on elements which have the greatest positive impact on organizational development and make them work towards achieving goals.

Builds trust: Always being compliant with the rules and regulations and putting the companies profile in a public domain leaves a little or no room for the fraud or misconduct to take place and eventually gets all the public trust.

Therefore, the companies which are serious to operate and who would stay for a long period in business and won’t run away take the compliance seriously and thereby gives a sense of security to the persons of interest.

22 | Exhibitors’ Corner