I have come to realise over the past few years that no one person can speak into every situation in a business with total confidence.  As a coach, helping business owners to grow their businesses to success (and then hopefully on to significance), I have sometimes found myself in unfamiliar territory – needing areas of expertise that are specific to a certain situation, and finding that my knowledge is general at best and non-existent at worst, to properly deal with that issue. 

 And it’s no good trying to fake it ‘til you make it either!  Because the client’s business could be at stake!  And it’s always been my desire to offer the very best management and leadership skills to our clients.   One of our stated values is:

 “Being alert to change; to opportunities to offer something different and new; dreaming up new ways of doing it; and then doing it consistently and to the highest standards, – adding each client to an ever-growing list of very different businesses – solid, paying attention to the fundamentals, shunning the limelight, creating jobs, generating wealth, and making a contribution to society.”

 On my own, this is almost an impossible goal to achieve; in a team – a team of highly competent, and complimentary professionals, – well, this could well be possible.  And – this means a great deal more value-add for our clients.

 The team is now comprised of a number of complementary skills.  Murray Nel and Mark Allen have joined Stuart Holliday and myself, and together, we can safely say we have almost 120 years of combined business management experience to offer our clients.

 Murray is well known in banking circles, where he has been directly involved in originating all sorts of different financing options for businesses, big and small.  He also continues to operate his own successful financing enterprise known as Excalibur Finance.

 Mark specialises in new business development/drives, competitor and customer analysis, correcting price points, as well as marketing/branding/launches; and identifying key, and the most profitable, target markets.  He has on numerous occasions set up complete sales structures and controls for businesses, including the appointment of external agents.  He has also been responsible for re-designing existing structures in businesses, where necessary, and then training up sales teams to maximise efficiencies within those structures.    Mark has also been extensively involved in production, warehousing, logistics and the supply chain, and their integration with sales.

 Big business generally has access to these skills on a full-time basis.  Small to medium businesses simply cannot afford them in that way, so very often do without; or they try to muddle through on their own.  We’ve positioned ourselves in the market to provide these very important management skills, on a full-time basis, but at a fraction of the cost.  We’re “Business Buddies”!

 How do we do this?  Well, – when I say full time, I don’t mean that we’re going to be on the client’s premises every minute of every working day; but I do mean that we’ll be available to take calls, emails, skypes or whatever clients want to use, so that they feel we’re there with them all the time!  It can get very lonely trying to run a small business without someone around to help, be a sounding board etc. 

However – we will also continue to be available on a part-time basis to provide the necessary financial & structural disciplines, and sales and marketing expertise, to enable each business to reach new heights.

 All of this will continue to be backed up by our highly qualified and professional back-office team of accountants, tax practitioners and administrators, based in our offices at Hilltops Office Park in Pietermaritzburg.  Their support and the ever-increasing opportunities offered by the internet and the world-wide-web mean we can really work anywhere in the world (as long as our clients can understand us!).

 If you would like to chat some more on what we have to offer, please contact us.

The site is aimed at providing small-to-medium sized business with a number of useful tips and guidelines to developing and sustaining a profitable business; and it will also address the needs of those who are not in business, but who find money management a real grind. I would welcome any comments/criticisms aimed at making this service even better – one of our goals is not just to meet expectations but to raise the standard.

One of the most powerful aspects to this service will be the ability of clients to gain access to our expertise and counsel on a number of financial and general business management issues, at the click of the mouse. Not only that, but we will be able to manage your financial records by remote; all of which saves time (and inevitably, money!)

You will automatically qualify to receive our regular newsletter/blog and will be added to the list of subscribers, by virtue of the fact that you are already one of our existing clients. If you know of anyone you feel would benefit from the services we will offer on the site, please feel free to bandy our name about!

Looking forward to some exciting and innovative times ahead with you

Kind regards

GARY SMITH