BusinessWarriors  South Africa
 

South Africa's Leading Online Business Owner Community

We've been answering your tough questions since 2004

Tao of Business

This small business life is not what it seems. Most folk who are not small business owners think that a small business is merely a little version of a big business. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Unfortunately it means that much of the material that is written for small business reflects big business thinking. In fact, it ignores the most important aspect of small business: You, the owner.

A simple example: Money. The myth goes as follows:

  • develop a unique business idea;
  • draft a business plan;
  • visit a bank who will assess your business plan;
  • after consideration they give you enough money to start a business;
  • you get rich, list your company at some future date, and live happily ever after.

Let's look at the reality:

  • develop a unique business idea;
  • draft a business plan;
  • visit a bank who will ignore your business plan, but will assess how much you are worth;
  • they will then give you as much money as you are worth in return for you signing over all your assets;
  • you will think it is because they see merit in your business plan;
  • your chances of success are more or less as follows:
    • 50% of all start-up businesses fail in the first year;
    • by the fifth year eight out of every 10 start-up businesses will fail;
    • by the end of the first decade, only four of the original hundred start-ups will still be in business;
  • and as the business fails the you will transfer all of your accumulated wealth to the bank to pay them back for their "investment" in your business.

If that seems a little cynical, please forgive me. My reality is that I meet hundreds of people in the process of transferring those life assets. I started meeting them after I went down that particular road myself in 1992. It has been a fascinating journey full of insights that don't often make the printed page. As anybody will tell you, there is no money in selling failure.

I have been writing for small business owners since 2000, ever since I spent a very lonely six-month period in Australia. Right now I'm digging out the best articles, most relevant to our current economic situation. I will be posting them frequently.

Regards

Peter Carruthers



  • Free Recession Survival Course
  • What is a surety
    What the words in a surety really mean, and how ABSA, Nedbank, Standard Bank, and FNB know you can't understand what you're signing.
  • Why do Small Business Owners get Killed?
    Everything I read encourages me to think I am the next Richard Branson. That's not true. A small business is not a littler big business. They're different species.
  • Piloting Your Own Business?
    Running your own business is like piloting an airplane. Only tougher. But 96% of take-offs crash! We show you how to survive business closure.
  • Why CrashProof your Business?
    Most small business clsoures lead to bankruptcy/sequestration of the business owner/entrepreneur. We show you how to survive business closure.
  • Financing that Big Sale
    A look at the pitfalls of getting finance for a sudden big sale, and what to do about it.
  • Forced to sign surety
    True story of SA business owner forced to sign surety by FNB during recession, instead of refinancing his assets.

A Brief Profile of One of the Business Warriors

Toledo Consulting is a marketing strategy company, with special emphasis currently on brand building in our challenging times.


Rob Ward has been a Warrior since June 2004

 

Pring And Conditions for Business Warriors

If Peter Carruthers was 20 years older I probably would not have lost all my businesses in 1984. What a sobering thought! Neither would I have been sequestrated. I don't like to look back, I mention it simply to illustrate the power of what Peter Carruthers can teach you. It is business -- no, life saving stuff!


Julius Strydom has been a Warrior since August 2004 and can be found at www.hubit.co.za


A great place to test ideas and tap into a mine of information.


has been a Warrior since September 2006 and can be found at www.free2xchange.com


Since joining Business Warroirs in March 2004 I have used their advice to good effect. The most beneficial has been creating a family and share trust. Anyone, particularly in business must have a family trust. We all think "it will never happen to me" but in 90% of cases it does. Business Warriors has made me think more deeply about my business from a marketing point of view as this aspect of a building business is difficult to create. People don't build a house every day or extend their homes regularly. The knack is to reach them at the time they start looking for a builder. I am hoping that Business Warriors latest initiative regarding will bring home the goods.

Peter Carruthers is the most positive person I have had the pleasure of meeting. It is this positiveness that has helped me the most.


Arnold Weerts has been a Warrior since March 2004 and can be found at www.homebuilders.co.za


Hi Peter

To be able to connect with other small business owners and share/learn from each others experiences is invaluable 

The webinars turn out to be fantastic as I need to secure my cash flow for the years to come and learning how to make money on the internet is a great way to do just that!


Marc Kuster has been a Warrior since February 2009 and can be found at airwear@mweb.co.za