As any event planner knows, a wedding’s floral scheme is one of the most important elements in terms of the overall décor. Flowers can say a lot about a couple’s personality and can really set the tone for the wedding’s look and feel from start to finish. Continue reading →

Few could argue that corporates of all sizes – and across sectors – are facing their biggest challenge yet. They are operating in the context of a stagnant local economy, with shareholders demanding ever-greater profits to be squeezed from tighter margins and tougher operating conditions. Time is increasingly scarce, deadlines are tighter, and employees are being required to produce greater results with less support. Continue reading →

The news of “a significant downward revision of South Africa’s economic growth forecast for this year” will be setting off alarm bells in many marketers’ minds. With Stats SA reporting that the economy contracted by 0.6% in the first quarter and inflation still on the rise, things are going to be tough for a while. Consumers will be under pressure and business will be responding to decreased spending by cutting costs. Marketing is often first to have its budget cut. And many businesses will respond to the financial pressure by slashing prices to drive up volume or raising prices to make up for lost volume. Continue reading →

Small businesses can fail for any number of reasons – but, says Brad Sugars, founder of ACTIONCoach and author of Buying Customers, topping the list is a lack of sales.

“Small business owners may attribute their failures to insufficient start-up capital or a lacking knowledge base or skills set, but the reality is that if you’re not making money, there can be no success,” Sugars insists. Continue reading →

Director and founding partner of Blast Brand Catalysts, ponders the business of being creative. I love awards. I love clever people who win awards. Especially when they hold onto their humility.

My very first award started with a Clio straight out of AAA. I was offered my first job in San Fransisco, but decided my career needed to start closer to home. Barely six years in, I already knew I wanted to establish my own shop. My focus shifted dramatically to running that business. It became the business of client management, operational and sales effectiveness with, of course, creativity. Today, everything that comes out of our studio is strategically thought out and exceptionally well produced. I can say that many pieces are certainly worthy of entering into awards. But are they winners? My personal benchmarking suggests – not just yet. Continue reading →

Author, Educator, Business Consultant and Human Behaviour Specialist, Dr John Demartini explains how to slow down the ageing process. www.DrDemartini.com

There are two definites in life – ageing and dying.  However, we can partly take control of the speed of both, physically and mentally. Continue reading →