BIZ Discussions (February 2023)

Improving one’s emotional wellbeing

Freshmo mouth wash

TINA CUPIDO

Challenges for many small businesses

Culinary kitchen

succeed in the law fraternity

Editor's Note

The new year is always a great time to start something new or to re-align your goals. Sometimes we know that we need help with goal-setting, building a business plan and a new strategy. Do visit RZD Coaching to see what is available for you and your business

In this issue we learn that we can explore any business venture, even if it looks “simple”, it can be profitable. Passion is not enough, we need consistency and a positive attitude with a willingness to learn

IMPROVING ONE’S EMOTIONAL WELLBEING

Emotional wellbeing refers to the awareness of our emotions, how we understand, and accept them as well as our ability to manage them. It refers to the way in which we feel about ourselves, our relationships and our life purpose

It is important that as human beings we keep in mind that our emotions play a significant part in our lives; the nature of life brings us both positive and negative life experiences; the truth is that these experiences will bring along changes in our emotional wellbeing over time. In both experiences, our emotional wellbeing plays a very crucial role in terms of how we navigate these.

The way in which we deal with our day-to-day activities and the manner in which we cope with life adversities is highly affected by the way in which we feel about ourselves.

ZakithiGShezi

As mentioned, that various factors which we experience on daily basis can have a negative impact on our emotional well-being, it is therefore important that we continuously reflect on our emotional state so that we can maintain the ability to handle multiple life stressors and adapt to change

Factors which may cause an imbalance in our emotional well-being could be a result of challenges we encounter from our home environment, family conflicts; marital issues, relationship problems, health challenges, parent-child issues, losing loved ones, and life adjustments or workplace challenges.

Acknowledge, process and ventilate your feelings – there is no quick escape.

Practice positive self-talk- be gentle and kind towards yourself – speak positively to yourself Adoptapositivemindsetandappreciatepositive things that are happening in your life – this will contribute towards your sense of worth and aboutyourself.

Allow yourself to be vulnerable – vulnerability allows us to reach a state of self-awareness as ourfeelingscometothesurface.

There are many signs which could be indicators that we are experiencing difficulties with our emotional well-being for example having a sense of hopelessness or a persistent feeling of sadness; feeling irritable or angry at most times, mood swings, withdrawing from your social circle and losing interest in most activities which you used to enjoy, difficulty in carrying out day to day tasks, neglecting self-care.

Emotional well-being does not necessarily mean that one is not experiencing any distress but rather it is a continuous decision of living a balanced and meaningful life by looking at ways of enhancing your well-being.

A good starting point is to take stock of your current emotional state, evaluate where you are at the moment and thereafter establish systems which you are going to implement in your life in order to work towards reaching an improved state of well-being

This is not a once-off exercise but a continuous activity that we need to engage on as life pushes us through different life stages. The following few strategies can assist one in restoring a balanced state of emotional wellbeing:

Reinforce positive relations – family members, close friendsandintimatepartner–thesewillinstillasense ofconnectedness.

Practice self-care - make time to rest and be still in orderforyoursystemstoprocessyouremotions.

Get good sleep – sleep is crucial for mental and physicalhealth–whenyousleepbetteryouareable tothinkclearlyandfocusbetter.

ZakithiGShezi

RestorehealthyeatinghabitsMove around (physical activity – declutter your homeorworkspace)

NB : A self-help activity would be to reflect and answer this question: When last were you kind to yourself and what act of kindness you performed to yourself?

Some insight to share : Bouncing back from the storms

Allow yourself to process your life experiences and - deal with the emotions as they come to surface

Adopt an attitude of non-judgement – you did the best you could in the circumstances reflect on your emotions/feelings as you progress through your recovery journey

Practice Positive self talk- be gentle and kind towards your self

Reach out for professional help for emotional and psychological support

My Private Practice offers the following services ;

Children, teens/ adults, couples and families: Trauma Counselling; Grief/ Bereavement Counselling, Anger management

Life Adjustment Issues, Anxiety, Depression & Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Survivors of abuse; Dread Disease Adjustment, Substance Abuse / Addiction

Couple / Marital Counselling , Parental Guidance/ Parent – Child Conflicts, Divorce Counselling

LegalSocialWorkServices:MediationforParentingPlans

InvestigationsonmattersinvolvingchildrenandProfessional ReportservicesfortheCourts

Employee Wellness Services : Workplace Critical Incident StressDebriefingSessions&IndividualCounsellingServices

Seek professional help when you experiencing difficulty or overwhelming emotions so that you can receiveemotionalsupport.

Let us take care of ourselves, make our wellbeing our utmost priority, when we are at our best we can go further in achieving our dreams!

Inspirational Speaker : as a seasoned inspirational speaker Zakithi uses her skills and soft approach to createaplatformformeaningfulconversationswhich leadtoself-awarenessandpersonaldevelopment.

Zakithi G. Shezi, (41 yrs) mother of three children, two boys and a daughter. She was born and bred in Ntambanana, in the outskirts of Empangeni, KZN. She has a Diploma in Business Information Technology and a degree in social work from the University of South Africa.

SocialWorkerinPrivatePractice Child&FamilyConsultant& InspirationalSpeaker PracticeNo.1037072 SACSSP1035941 0837278571

About Zakithi

FRESHMO PROMISES FRESHNESS IN YOUR POCKET

Oral hygiene is a very important part of our day and is often neglected after the first brush in the morning till the time before we go to bed. What happens in the middle? How do we refresh our breath and clean our mouths during the day? Well, Freshmo promises to fill that gap in an easy, portable and safe way.

Building FRESHMO

Paul Masilo (Director of Freshmo Brands) began this journey of portable mouthwash to initially address the freshness of breath at church during fasting periods.

Many people resort to gum and sweets to refresh their mouths during busy seasons, which is not very ideal as there is tooth decay. These 10ml Freshmo mouthwash sachets are quick and easy to travel with and can come to the rescue to provide oral hygiene conditions instantaneously. In five great flavours: Peppermint. Spearmint. Apple Strawberry and Watermelon.

Masilo has pursued business before, from corporate gifting solutions to designing solutions with a biblical inclination as well as in African languages.

After pursuing many ventures, in 2016, the portable mouthwash became a great idea However, there was a need for some seed funding.

The initial idea was to repackage some of the mouthwashes that already existed in the market However, these are owned by foreign companies and going into business with them would be very costly. So Masilo was challenged to explore a South African solution

This meant going into the lab and designing a mouthwash from scratch. They had to think of an original formula This needed investment financial and also knowledge. This was a village project with many people wanting to assist the vision and come to life.

The process of development began there with different parties coming on board, the University of Limpopo (Seda- facilitated testing by sabs and the university of Limpopo Research Centre), Bidvest (funding sachet and raw materials) the Innovation Hub, Ekasilab Grant was used for sachet design, SASOL who funded the initial formula production, Chemin for lab facilities.

After approval, there was more to still occur, the financial and legal aspects. Spoor and Fischer Firm assisted with the trademarking of the brand CHEITA is assisting with business training. SAICA has provided Financial coach Zoh Mashabane (RZD Coaching) This is to ensure the success of the business and the owner.

Challenges

Getting into large commercial retailers. has been difficult due to the comparison with the giants in the industry. There is a lot of admin and competition for shelf space in the retail space There is a need for large marketing and distribution budgets. However, they continue to pursue them To get it listed in the shops

Pricing. Once people know it is made locally, they want to negotiate the price Demanding discounts and overall entitlement.

Oral hygiene perception. People lack efficient education on the need for oral hygiene and its importance. It is often a taboo topic for many people because people are offended with these discussions. Studies say 50% of people suffer from bad breath It is a sensitive topic, which may offend people

Dr Chamurorwa Togo introduced us to Prof Katerere who undertook the formula development at the Tshwane University of Technology

We are not competing with traditional methods (toothpaste and bottled mouth wash)

Milestones

It has been an honour for Freshmo to have the backing of so many institutions believing in him Some of the milestones are the opportunities to exposure to world leaders like, having a chance to showcase Freshmo in Mozambique and having the chance to explaining what is Freshmo to South African embassodor in Mozambique Retired General Siphiwe Nyanda as well as the Mozambique prime.

Getting out there…

People have shown love and interest in the sachets now it needs to go to the market The product has been approved and licensed. How has Paul and his team increased awareness? They use social media methods and word of mouth. There are some more plans to target other larger agencies for adoption under their enterprise development sectors

What's next?

Paul and his team aims to have good reception and establishment in the market. They want to explore with some herbs and produce an organic version of the mouthwash There are indigenous herbs that can assist, like Rooibos. This will benefit the home economy and create empowerment

How big is your team?

Family business, working with his two sons. One is going to the public relations portion The second one is in production manager. The plan to recruit more people once we secure the large quantities. Young people, through Chemi and incubation.

Team: Luckwell - Production Manager

Rafiq Rapelang- Trainee PR Manager

Paul Masilo-Director

Freshmo Brands

logosbranding@outlook.com

+27 84 273 7821and +27 61 945 9593

www.brandfreshmo.co.za

A HOSPITALITY BUSINESS SERVICING THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR

The CulinaryKitchen By Chef Linda

Thehospitalityindustryisaverywideand openindustrythatcancreateanumberofjob opportunitiesifutilisedproperly.Thereare severalrestaurantsandhotelsinSouthAfrica andgloballythatrequireyoungand upcomingChefstooccupyspaceandlead thehospitalityindustry.

Thehospitalityindustryrequiresconsistency, patience,passion,commitmentandlotsof discipline.AsI’mrunningmyownbusiness TheCulinaryKitchenI’velearntthatalot

For upcoming chefs:

AsayoungChefwhoiscurrentlystudying therearesoplentyofopportunitiesinthe industryexceptbeingatypicalchefinthe kitchen.Youcanbeanutritionist,adietitian, specializeinmenuplanninganddesign

There are opportunities in Food editing for MagazinesandbeingafoodStylistetc,thelist isendless.Ilovethefactthatwehavesomany diversestreetfoodshereinSouthAfrica that are playing a huge role in uplifting our economy and creating jobs. People must be creative and learn to use what is in front of themtobehappyinthehospitalityindustry.

Manyyoungpeopledon’twanttostudy hospitality,accordingtomyrecent research,becausethereisamisperception thattheindustrythatispayinglowsalaries Thisisnottrue.

Withaqualificationandpassionforgrowth inyourcareer,onecaneasilyoccupya veryhighpositionatahotelorrestaurant. Thosepositionscanbehighpaying.Ihave alsodiscoveredthatmalesaretheones whoaretakingupspaceinthehospitality industry,especiallyinleadingpositions.

The Culinary Kitchen

TheCulinaryKitchenprovidescateringservicesforallfunctions.IstartedthisbusinessafterI was retrenched from work. Besides, it was always my desire to have my own catering business TheCulinaryKitchenalsoprovidescookingandbakingclassesforpassionatepupils whocan’taffordfeesfortertiary.

Mylatedadwasalsosopassionateabout cooking but he had no qualifications, he was and still is my inspiration behind my cookingjourney.Myupcomingcookbook willbededicatedtohim.

TheCulinarykitchenhascreatedsomany jobopportunitiesfortheyouthinmy community.Italsoplaysahugeimpacton ourcountry’seconomyasitisaregistered businesscompany Itisimportanttohavea goodcompliancewithallbodies,inorderto functionwithinthelawsofSouthAfrica.

AsyoungChefswhohavestartedourbusinesses,wepray thatourgovernmentcaninterveneand helpusespecially nowaswearecurrentlyfacedwiththissevereload shedding.Asasmallbusiness,wecannotalwaysafford solutionslikegeneratorsorsolarpowersystems Assistanceinthatregardwouldbeappreciated.

chefilindamnikathi

Zibusiso Mnikathi

Chef Linda Mnikathi

ChefLindaMni

Cupido Consulting aims To change the world one word at a time

We had the pleasure of meeting with Tina Cupido, one half of the Cupido Consulting Team, a Training and Development organisation based in Cape Town. The Cupidos have an extensive background in training and development from corporate. They have built this organisation on four pillars:

The Thinking Game

Vision Board & Goal Setting

Communication & Conflict Resolution

Financial Stewardship

Where we come from?

With a high profile job in one of South Africa’s leading banking institutions, Tina still wanted more fulfilment from the work she does, “I loved to speak and train people, yet in corporate, there were some restrictions and the subject matter was strictly the institution’s products.

People were always eager to tell me their personal stories and that made me want to go further with my training and understandmoreaboutthem”shesays

With a tough upbringing in the heart of the Cape Flats in Strandfontein her parents believed in a greater vision for her and her siblings. They instilled the principle of education and hard work and they were able to live a better life now they aimtoassistothersandalsohavebetteropportunities

Starting Cupido

Working in one of the leading banks, a big office with a beautiful view, deciding to quit was not easy nor did it make sense to many people. However, “it has been deeper than money and I was not fulfilled. I wanted to have a greater purpose although I was making an impact in the classroom, I was restrained.

I needed to be amongst my people.” Tina says firmly. The life we live often gets derailed and quickly stuck in a position or in a role, yet there is greater potential. Cupido wanted to help people realise their true purpose and realise they have dreams.

After leaving corporate, she was freelancing and earning her stripes After freelancing for a while and tending to build her family Cupido was launched in 2020 officially They create their own courses from experiences and research

Building a business during a pandemic

Starting a business in 2020, meant that the COVID-19 pandemic had drastic effects on the running of the business. With a lack of physical meetings and a new virtual normal They had to be quick-thinking and began running courses online. Tina had begun making videos, lectures and short clips that were posted on social media People responded positively to that and she continues doing them for marketing purposes.

Other challenges included marketing. This is often a challenge for many small businesses which do not have a huge following or a marketing budget How does the business get itself out there? Well, Tina utilised social media to really penetrate the industry and reach more people with a low budget.

Those videos have assisted in building an online community which in turn refers her to others and more work is received that way Cupido consulting relies on social media, radio interviews and word of mouth to get new business.

Another challenge is the lack of money from the target market Many other small businesses or community groups who need the courses may not always be able to afford them. That is where the greatest impact is had and the Cupidos are determined to get funding to assist smaller businesses.

Advice for new entrepreneurs

Trusttheprocessanddonotbedelusional.You arenotgoingtobetrustedbyeveryone immediately Understandthatitwillnot happenovernight.Thatishowitissupposedto be.Ittrulydoesworkoutandpatienceis important Itdoestaketimeforpeopletorealise thevalueofyourbusinessandtosupportit

Bewillingtochangeandagileandadapt Resilienceisneeded.Whenthebusiness needsadifferentstrategy,allowitto happen Doyourresearchandmoveina differentdirectionforthegrowthofyour business.

Milestones

Investinyourselfandinthe business.In2021,Tina becameaCertified reinventionpractitioneran internationalcertificate thatwasveryexpensive. Yet,shesaysitwasthebest decisionforthebusiness becauseithelpswith assistingsmallbusinesses andowners.Tohelpthem getahead.

SpeakingatCornerstone Instituteforthewomen andleadershipseries.The relationshiptochange.

What is the future of the business?

Tina would like to build a “safe house” or institution for girls who have experienced a hard life and have been discarded by the community

To teach them how to dream, how to communicate, how to have financial literacy. For people to understand that ‘ you do not have to be your trauma and there is a life waiting for you ” .

For the business, Cupido consulting plans to grow and gain more influence To create more courses and a training facility

082 461 7913

tina@cupidoconsulting.co.za

Cupido Consulting

cupidoconsulting

Tina Cupido

https://cupidoconsulting co za/

Cupidoalsofacilitateda successfulBusinessreinventioncoursein2022. Knowingthefinancial constraintsthatsmall businesseshave,they designeditsuchthatitis easilyaccessibleforsmall businessesinthecapeflats. Itisamorepractical questionandfacingthe rightquestionsandhaving agreaterimpact.

A fulfilled attorney life for Palesa Bopaki Seema

PalesaBopaSeemaisaseasonedattorneyin thepropertyspace,aqualifiedConveyancer and Notary, a Director and shareholder at Stupel&BermanoneofSouthAfrica’sleading lawfirms.

Sheisasinglemom,andaspecialistexperton shows like Kukithi La (MOJA Love) and Mtase (MzansiMagic).Herknowledgeisvastandher impactisgreatandfar-reaching.

A career in the law space

ItallbeginswithaFouryearLLBdegreeata University.Shewarnspeopleoffallingforother institutionsthatmaynotbeaccredited.Upon completion,youmayservearticleswhereyou undergotrainingunderstrictmentorshipfor2 years

Thereareboardexamsthatyouneedtopass inordertoqualifyasanattorney. Theseare Court Procedures, Administration of Estates, Attorney’sPractice(Ethics)andAccounting.

What kind of person is best for law

Lawchoseherbecauseshehadbeengroomed foracareerinthesciences,andbeganwitha BachelorofSciencetowardsstudyingmedicine. However, there were many barriers like language Lawfeltsaferforherandpursuedit

Info@stupelbermn co za

porsche la pulsar

Stupel and Berman

https://stupelberman co za/

The Tembisa-born attorney made emphasis thattosucceedinthelawfraternity,youdonot need to be a gifted person or have special intelligence,youneedtobeastudiousperson whohasanalyticalthinkingcapacity

011 776 3000

Apersonwhoisnotlazytoread,research,and continuously develop themselves. To practice law, you need ethics, to be a person who understandscorevaluesanddiligenceforthe work. The fraternity is highly regulated and thorough,leavinglittleroomformistakes

She encouraged people who are disciplinedandbelieveinhardwork to be good candidates. Reputation mattersalotwithintheindustryand mustbeadheredto Theconfidence comesfromtheknowledge

Itispossibletobesuccessfulintheindustryhoweverthereare manydynamicsatplay.Raceandgenderstillmatterinthe fraternityregardlessofcompetence Moralscanbecompromisedassomanypeopleare corrupt Evenwhenbiddingthecompetitionisnot alwaysfairbecausethereisalotofunderhanded transactions.Ethicalandhighmoralinstitutionsthat donottakebribesandkickbacks,finditdifficultto out-competethosethatdo.

Cybercrimeishighinpropertylaw,thereforeat times,theconveyerhastobeabletobea detectiveaswell

Milestones

Beingadmittedasaconveyancerandnotary in South Africa as a black female is a huge milestoneforherasanindividualandforthe fraternity at large. The pass rate is low (8%) andevenlowerforblackfemales.

BeinginvitedtomediaplatformslikeuKhozi FM to assist people in isiZulu. As a seSotho girlraisedinQwaqwa,itmeantalotforher tobeabletoassistinisiZulu.

Beingthelawexpertandspecialistfor8 seasons of Moja Love’s Kukithi La is applaudable and she really managed to inform people, increase knowledge aswellasassisttheelderlycommunity.

Challenges of being in the law business

Gate keeping within the industry There are systematic methods in place to ensure it is difficult to qualify in certain specialties and in certainfields.

Empowerment of previously disadvantaged groupsandspecialgroupsisnotveryextensive. Alotmorecanstillbedonetoensureequality andfairness.

The lack of an Age limit is a concern as no matterhowoldyouare,youcanstillpractice therefore the old guards are still within positions that the youth should be taking Thereisnoroomfornewpeopleandgrowth.

What is next for Palesa?

Tocontinueworkingforthepropertyindustry and reaching ew heights in her career To continue using media spaces to increase knowledge and help people Media spaces likeradioandTVarestrategicpoints.

Palesahasapassionforhelpingpeopleand takes it upon herself to train candidates to reachtheirgoals.Tobeabletobeaguardian angelinsomeonedevelopment.Shedoesthis in her personal capacity as well as as a trustee at the Copper Trust. A trust that locates people that are in need and require assistanceintheirstudies.Youthdevelopment isimportanttoher.

Bopaki Palesa Seema

DirectoratStupel&BermanInc