KYSS – Know your Stakeholder Stakeholders
Making good decisions is often the distinguishing factor between marginally successful businesses and exceptionally successful entrepreneurs. Decision-making on an internal level, also referred to as corporate governance, is a mechanism not to be under-estimated, regardless of your size or the amount of revenue. It is not just about big business. Shiny boardrooms and […]
What are NDAs? When to use them?
A non-disclosure agreement is a legally binding contract that establishes a confidential relationship. An NDA may also be referred to as a confidentiality and non-disclosure agreement. An NDA defines confidential or commercially sensitive information (collectively referred to as “confidential information”), which must be kept secret between the parties. Furthermore, it aims to prevent the unauthorised […]
Unhappy Customers and the Link to Your “sinking” Bottom Line
We have all heard the story of a customer venting on google or hello peter or a similar platform. We are naming and shaming the business at the centre of a bad experience. Unfortunately, the term terrible experience could entail something as significant as a promise not being kept. Or a product functionality not aligning […]
Data Protection, Negotiations and NDAs
Following the fact that the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (“POPIA”) became fully effective in mid-2021, we find that the transition often results in confusion between the terms: Confidentiality Personal Information Trade Secrets The definition of confidentiality is the state of being secret or of keeping secrets. The exact scope is usually […]
Data Security, Data Breaches – Me? Noooo, Only at Big Business
Have you heard the story about the law firm that gets to work on a typical Monday just to find all their computers display a ransom message? Sound more like a legal drama than real life? What if I told you that firm was based in the small town of Saldanha, on the West Coast? […]
How to know when or if your Partner is a Contributor?
Often I spend my time helping entrepreneurs debunk the myths surrounding equity and joint venture partnerships, specifically in the context of supplier and contractor relationships. In other words, you need to assess first and foremost why you are seeking to engage with a partner. Now, this can take many forms, including shareholding and Joint Venture. […]
Deciding between Staying in or Opting out
In business, such as in life, disputes are part of the journey. However, when is it better to bow out versus continuing with the company and essentially trying to make it work? Well, there is no easy answer. It depends on the reason for the unhappiness. Suppose something you reasonably know will never […]
Great Companies and Awesome Cakes!
We often get asked this critical question – what is a good investment? Not in a financial product context, of course, but in the context of whether you are seeking to start a business or join someone in business or have someone join you. Essentially, this is about what makes a good company and also, […]
Tender and the Road to Growth
Richard has an IT business and aspires to do business with large corporates and the government. He knows this is the only way in which his company will significantly grow. He sees a tender advertisement and starts to put a proposal together. A few weeks later, he hears he was not successful because he did […]
The long and winding road to growth and scale
Meet John, he owns a manufacturing business. He has been in business for around three years now, building up his product line and becoming a successful business in his community. He only employs people from his local community and, as a result, has enjoyed the support of most people in his immediate surroundings. He was […]
