Fruppertunity beckons - Thanx Peter

Fruppertunity beckons It's so easy to become enmeshed in the changes in South Africa, and to see a dark conspiracy behind each new piece of legislation, or to see our individual futures threatened. And while it may well be that for some of us life is getting more challenging - how much more challenging to have a B&B in New Orleans right now, or a hotel in Pakistan, or to have a struggling tourist business in Sumatra? Life is about change, and it's dealing with that change that keeps us growing. I would much rather be dealing with these challenges while sitting on a sunny beach with a pina colada in hand, than suspiciously scoping out every bearded foreigner on the London underground while trying to evaluate the impact of the macro-economic situation on my small business. Wherever there is change, there is opportunity. The more change, the more opportunity. So why are we so constantly focused on the negative aspect of change, rather than on the immense wealth of opportunity that we now face? In fact, if there is a 'problem' it lies in having to choose one opportunity at the expense of another. The mere fact that we have a choice stymies most of us. What if we choose the wrong one? What if the other choice turns out to have been better? What will my mates/mother/maiden think of me if I choose this one? What if I fail? What if I lose money? What if the government doesn't like it? Who should I ask for permission? Hey! This is Africa. It's better to ask forgiveness later than to wait for permission now. I fear that we may be using all the changes as an excuse to wait until things get better. In the meantime, we think, "I'll start working on getting some qualifications. After all, how can I sell something in this arena without the proper credentials?" Think again. These are the best times we've ever had. And, as for the credentials, lets put that into perspective. When last did you ask a supplier to prove to you that he was qualified? Doctor? Dentist? Plumber? Programmer? We don't ask. We assume that you have the skills you're professing to have. (Hint: pretending to be a medical professional without having the appropriate credentials is illegal. This is one of the very few cases where it's better to get permission first - preferably via the traditional technique of studying for 5 years, rather than the modern SA technique of purchasing the certificate over the counter!) Right now, sitting right where you are Michiel, if you have enough technical smarts to read this email - you have all that it takes to be hugely successful as a small business operator in this country. Even if you're already in your own business, have a crack at the following simple exercise. Step 1.------What frustrates YOU. What bothers YOU every time you see it, or you can't get it, or it breaks, or you don't see it? What frustrates YOU so much that you'd be happy to spend money fixing it? [Make a list of all of these frustrations that you can think of.] For now, focus only on the stuff that hassles you. Step 2.------For each item on your list - how many other folk does it bother? Don't worry about fixing it just yet. We need to establish if there might be a 'market' - enough people prepared to spend money on fixing it. At the end of this step you will have a few 'winners' - things that hassle you and a bunch of other folk enough to warrant further attention. Step 3.------Find/develop/create some solutions that YOU would be happy with to kill these frustrations. Start by using Google/Yahoo/Amazon/Ananzi or any of the 10,000 web search engines to see if anyone else anywhere else in the world has solved it. If they have, can you copy, franchise, buy, or improve their solution for yourself and your market? Step 4.------At this point you almost have a business. And SA is so full of fruppertunities right now that there are a zillion businesses waiting to be created. Every business on earth exists to solve a frustration of some size. For example, your motor vehicle's starter motor was invented by a guy who's friend was killed while trying to start an engine with a crank handle. None of the above steps requires massive capital unless you choose to do your thinking with a bottle of Meerlust Rubicon 1979. And if you start your research early in the day with such alcoholic stimulation, chances are that you will indeed have to ask forgiveness later as you stagger home. The above steps reflect an extremely simplistic view of market research, but I have never had to go beyond this in order to see whether a business model will work or not. If the idea cannot pass these 4 steps, it's not going to pass at all. And on that note, have some fun. And if this inspires you to be the next Shuttleworth, Branson, or Gates - then I'd welcome a bottle of Meerlust when you race past that first million. October 12th, 2005 - Umhlanga RocksPeter Carruthers - Business Warrior