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

Quick Pools c.c., established 1986, manufactures In-Ground Vinyl Liner Swimming Pool kits. These we supply to clients within South Africa, and export to Tanzania, Uganda, Namibia, Bulgaria (Yes, that's right!) Kenya, Australia and wherever cost concious clients pop up from. Pools from small back-yard ones, to our speciality Lap Pools, and ¼ Olympic size for Schools, Clubs etc. (They work out at less than a third of the price of other types of construction).

More importantly though, for the market in SA, and Sub-Saharan Africa, we manufacture a range of Water Storage tanks, up to half a million liter capacity. Again, with Steel Walls, and Vinyl Lining. As these are in DIY kit form, they, like our pools, are easy to transport, and relatively simple to install.


Jim Facey has been a Warrior since August 2005 and can be found at www.quickpools.co.za

 

Pring And Conditions for Business Warriors

I have been reading Pete's Weekly from inception and truly appreciate the pragmatic business advice on topical issues relevant to running a small business. The concept of running the Business Warriors community is really unique and most useful.

The advice on sales and marketing and the series on website design and content criteria are truly extremely useful in avoiding the many pitfalls, sometimes expensive ones that can be made in business.

Pete's ability to share ideas through the community using the web is unique including even sharing sources where he learnt, innovated and leveraged ideas.


Robert Mulder has been a Warrior since December 2006 and can be found at www.iami.co.za


Business Warriors is like having a daily updated encyclopedia on hand.  Any question you may have whether it is business advice, security trends, marketing ideas or anything for that matter, chances are that a few hundred Warriors have already discussed it and came up with a number of solutions.  And if it’s not there, just ask and you’ll get it – same day!  And it's fun too. Thank Pete.


Nick Davel has been a Warrior since October 2006 and can be found at www.greatkayaks.co.za


I have been to many seminars by Peter Carruthers and I have found him to be one of the most inspirational people I have had the privildge to meet.

The Business Warriors group has brought Peter's immense knowledge to within easy reach,  and has brought together a large number of like-minded small business owners together. This results in a huge source of information to anyone who is a Warrior.


Mike Stark has been a Warrior since March 2004 and can be found at www.benutriwise.co.za


Being a warrior member has profited our business tremendously through networking with fellow warriors and having access to brilliant business advice.

The advice of fellow warriors has saved me time, trouble and a lot of money! Thanks Pete!

Thanks fellow warriors!


Yolande Sinder has been a Warrior since January 2005 and can be found at www.costumehire.co.za