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Written by Monéne Murray
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Tuesday, 20 October 2009 06:18 |
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You have an exciting new business idea and want to start off immediately. Seasoned entrepreneur and billionaire real estate developer Donald Trump offers the following advice: “When I started out in business, I spent a great deal of time researching every detail that might be pertinent to the deal I was interested in making. I still do the same today. People often comment on how quickly I operate, but the reason I can move quickly is that I’ve done the background work first, which no one usually sees. I prepare myself thoroughly, and then when it is time to move ahead, I am ready to sprint."
Putting together a business plan is about doing the background work and about thinking through all the aspects that are required to turn your idea into a success.
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Last Updated on Friday, 19 February 2010 12:59 |
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Written by Dalene Crafford
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Tuesday, 06 October 2009 18:44 |
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(from the Good Food Diet)
If you long for food with taste - real taste - these Portuguese Chicken Bites served on a bed of greens are for you. Think healthy chicken, smell garlic, lemon, paprika and freshly ground black pepper, see the inviting dish served with shiny black olives and red cherry tomatoes, taste the feast of flavours.
Best of all, you can prepare this dish in 15 minutes flat. Perfect for lunch boxes and equally great for party platters. |
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Last Updated on Friday, 19 February 2010 11:19 |
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Validation: the speed dial in conflict management or restoring relationships |
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Written by Elsa Simpson
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Tuesday, 06 October 2009 12:04 |
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 When you talk to a friend, partner, employee, manager or colleague, and the heat goes up and you do not have time, but you need to get the issue resolved, there is a magic speed dial to get the heat down.
When you have a difference of opinion, if someone takes criticism badly (like most of us), or if you push the so- called “button”, the person goes into one of the 5F reaction: fight, flight, freeze, fidget or faint! Our bodies are designed to go into survival mode; adrenaline pumps to give your body strength to either fight or flee. That worked quite well in the days of the cave men and women, who often found themselves in life-threatening situations. The adrenaline drug came in very useful to strengthen their bodies.
These days we still get this urge when we are upset, but in this “civilised” world we need to sit or stand still and keep on talking as if nothing has happened!
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Last Updated on Friday, 19 February 2010 11:58 |
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Written by Boela Gerber
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Monday, 12 October 2009 12:20 |
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Ever wondered why, at some stage, most winemakers seem to develop the uncontrollable urge to blend different varieties together? Is this a way to get rid of all the odds and ends in the winery after they have bottled all their other premium wines or is there actually some method in their madness? And what’s up with Bordeaux blends and Cape blends?
During my fourth year at Stellenbosch University our oenology class went to Rust en Vrede for a cellar tour/wine tasting. Yes, that is what we did as part of our course and we called it studying. The then winemaker of Rust en Vrede Kevin Arnold (currently winemaker at Waterford) did the tour and concluded the tasting with the words: “When blending a wine, the final product should be better than any of the individual components”. These were really big words, probably wasted on a 22-year-old student at the end of a tasting. Only years later, when I was appointed as winemaker at Rickety Bridge in Franschhoek and was responsible for making up their flagship blend, the penny finally dropped.
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 11 November 2009 12:29 |
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Judging a book by its cover |
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Written by Boela Gerber
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Tuesday, 06 October 2009 14:12 |
 There has been an interesting debate in the wine industry the last few months, with the influential Platter’s South African Wine Guide in the middle of it. The point of discussion is blind tasting, or to be more accurate: The fact that wines for Platter are not tasted and judged blind, meaning the taster knows what he/she is tasting. One side argues that the judges are biased when assessing the wines because they are influenced by the history, image and marketing activities (or the lack thereof) of a wine estate. The other side argues that wine should be tasted and appreciated in context, taking track record and bottle and vintage variations into account.
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Last Updated on Friday, 19 February 2010 13:09 |
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Opening and closing Presentations |
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Written by Nico Simpson
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Saturday, 12 September 2009 08:19 |
 George Burns (1896 - 1996), the US actor and comedian, said of sermons: “The secret of a good sermon is to have a good beginning and a good ending, then having the two as close together as possible.“ The same is true for good presentations. Have a good opening and a high-impact end and keep them as close together. One trick is to link the beginning and ending. According to John Kinde, who calls himself a “Humor Specialist,” it is like wrapping your speech in a nice ribbon and tying a bow to make it a total gift for the audience. This help people remember what you said. How does one book-end your speech? I listed a few good beginning-ending matching pairs to support your presentation and keep your speech upright – like good book-ends are supposed to do. Matching book-end pairs are very striking and professional. |
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 14 October 2009 12:28 |
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