My mother. She was a soloist who only had a grade 10 education. Yet she went on to become the leading fashion colourist for an international company. She was a pioneer in the South African fashion industry in the early 80’s starting a retail chain for fashion for the fuller figure. It took the larger chains 10 years to cotton on.
She was a glass half full person. She taught me about hard work, determination, being flexible and seeing opportunities instead of obstacles.
This is an interesting question. It’s, I think, kind of in my genes as my family have always had their own businesses and possibly also circumstantial.
A few things actually – possibly all inter-related – and they have bearing on both one’s personal and business life – especially for soloists.
Nothing in life is a given. Do not judge others as you do not always know their circumstances. Have no expectations because then you cannot be disappointed. Above all learn how to forgive, because life is too short to hold grudges.
Coming to Australia as an immigrant with no real game plan and three kids to put through school, and then starting a company which we listed on the ASX a few years ago. (And which I’ve subsequently exited.)
Setting up my easel in a sunny spot. And then getting lost in the sumptuous feel of oil paint on a canvas. I love the way you can manipulate oils. That said – I am very much an amateur painter.
The freedom to make your own decisions.
Not always having people to bounce ideas off to explore their potential or integrity.
I have two bits of advice that I have tried to adhere to:
From my mother: Get to know your bank manager. COVID is a perfect example of why I think this is a key piece of advice. It’s important to be more than a ‘number’ or an entry in a ledger. If your bank manager knows who you are, understands your work ethics and integrity, you potentially have more sway in securing a loan or deferring a payment when times are tough.
From my bank manager: Save the GST portion of your invoicing. As a small business, you are always chasing cash flow. My bank manager advised me to set up a savings account to hold the GST component of my invoicing. So, when it comes to tax time – I never had to scramble, the money is always available.
Be tenacious. Never give up! #givingupisnotanoption But in saying this, I do not mean it in a dogged way. You need to keep an open mind and learn to read what I call my “tea leaves” of life – be flexible and open to read the wind of change – as you may need to pivot your idea or business along the way
Besides Veromo – I check the newsfeed on my phone every morning to see what’s going on while having my first coffee of the day. I have general world news filtering through including feeds from some entrepreneurial publications.
I am a twitcher – I love bird watching. Identifying a “lifer” or a new bird is a real thrill. So if you see me wandering around with my head in the air, it’s not because I’m ignoring you, but most probably because I have potentially spotted a new bird.
That I did not try.
As an entrepreneur I fell in love with the concept of helping other entrepreneurs and small business owners get to market faster – having been there and done that. I love the sexy way in which Veromo cuts through the red tape of starting up and helps new business owners find their perfect business profile and then get registered and ready to go in minutes. It’s so fulfilling.
Smart Casual on most days. And then more dressy when it comes to meetings. During COVID, I’ve loved wearing my slipper socks tucked into my slippers.
Veromo. Helping you get to market faster, then work smarter, not harder
At Veromo, we’re passionate about small business and helping start-ups and entrepreneurs get to market faster, and then work smarter, not harder.
Our online business start-up engine takes the “grunt’ and hard yards out of starting a business. Using our streamlined online platform new business owners can within hours, not days, find their perfect business profile, domain name and social media handles, and then choose and register the right business structure for them.
Registration documents are emailed directly to them and stored safely in their Veromo Account for easy access. Then our inbuilt Reminders Smarts mean no pesky fees for missing a regulatory deadline or renewal, so business owners can spend more time on their business – not in their business.
And where can we find out more about Jenny Joseph, Veromo?
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Already a Business Class member? Simply log in, head to your account area where you’ll find the link to the guidelines under the ‘Spotlight’ heading.
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