P E O PLE • PLA CES • PR OD UCTS • POTENTIAL
What’s the move?
Industry snippets and quick news about people and products on the move...
World news on alcohol
ugene Herbert, group managing director of the RAC Group,
says that South Africans consume billions of litres of alcohol
each year and that this consumption could prove impactful
in terms of addiction and social consequences... He says that with
this in mind it is interesting to see how “far off” countries are taking
the lead on fighting drunk driving, in particular the one in Poland,
and that It gives some comfort that many do take this problem
seriously – and are doing something about it:
Lasers could aid enforcement of drink driving
Polish researchers have developed a laser that can be fired at
cars to find out if their drivers are drunk. The device, detailed in
a study published by scientists at Warsaw’s Military University of
Technology, can detect alcohol vapour inside moving vehicles. The
results showed that the presence of alcohol vapours was detected
at concentrations of 0.1g/l and above. However, the accuracy can
be impacted by a range of factors including drunk passengers in the
car, open windows, or air conditioning but the researchers say that
the technology could make existing enforcement measures more
efficient by reducing the number of cars that need to be stopped.
Baltic States co-operate on joint enforcement initiative
Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian and Finnish police organised a joint
operation to catch drink drivers and other traffic offenders last
month at Tallinn and Helsinki harbours, and at the Via Baltica border
crossing points into Poland. According to the European traffic
police network TISPOL, altogether 13 drink drivers were caught and
45 other offences were recorded, out of which the majority were
for speeding. This year drink drivers have caused the deaths of six
people, and 70 others have been injured in Estonia. Last year drink
drivers caused 12% of all traffic accidents.
Summer drinkers shown the consequences of getting behind
the wheel
In a new clip to launch its Summer ‘Bob’ campaign, ETSC’s member,
the Belgian Road Safety Institute staged a dramatic incident in
downtown Antwerp where an apparently drunk man got into a car
and then ran down a cyclist - to the horror of onlookers. The video
circulated on social media before being revealed as a fake designed
to raise awareness of drink driving. Watch on YouTube: https://www.
youtube.com/watch?v=c3F0SB9G17Y&list=PLxxilQIEtyF6mBrsS87j
bZyITV8ZecnNf&index=2.
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So you think you’re in business. Think again.
Y
ou’ve come up with a great business idea - you have a
business name, a logo, new business cards and have even
registered your company – you’re officially an entrepreneur
and you’re excited about the future. Right? Wrong! Raizcorp, Africa’s
only unfunded for-profit business incubator, experiences this common
misconception on a regular basis. Together with partners Engen
Petroleum Ltd and longstanding media partner, SAfm, they aim to
help entrepreneurs demystify this perception through the annual
entrepreneurial programme, Pitch & Polish. An idea is only an idea,
until you take action and it becomes a start-up business, which is
only a going concern when you have customers buying your products
or service – on a regular basis! When in business, think about:
1. Proof of concept. When Sizwe Nzima entered the ENGEN
Pitch and Polish 2013 competition, his start-up was already
servicing 250 clients, by collecting and delivering their chronic
medication. His business model was already proving to be a
success.
2. Living in the real world: If you think you are going to be the next
big thing overnight, you may be in for a rude awakening. For
every big success there are a whole bunch of failures. Focus on
what the next step is to achieve a healthy sustainable business.
From the beginning, Sizwe encountered a major obstacle –
the weather! Delivering packages on bicycles in the rain was
becoming inefficient. His immediate solution was to provide
good raincoats, while working towards implementing am
improved and streamlined system.
| logistics in action
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3. The market you are in: Research, research, research.
Understand what your competitors are doing. Read about
international trends and make sure you are poised to take
advantage of tomorrow, not just today.
4. Your pricing. While start-ups do need to spend some money
to make money, it is not always necessary to buy the Rolls
Royce solution. The item or service your start-up offers
should also be priced correctly to make it affordable for
your customers, whilst still profitable enough to grow the
business. Research, investigate, scrutinise the numbers.
5. How your customers can find you: These days, technology
is more crucial than ever for future business success.
Whether it’s a website, laptop or telephone system, make
sure your customers can access your business quickly and
easily. Look for marketing opportunities that are relevant
and speak to your target market.
6. Nurturing your successes. Since winning the ENGEN
Pitch & Polish competition, Sizwe’s client base has more
than doubled. They have also increased the range of
products they deliver which is expected to triple their
revenue.
Each year Pitch & Polish actively seeks to reach local
entrepreneurs, cultivate their skills and polish their presentations
– providing them with the tools to be successful and thriving
cogs in the economic wheel. For more information visit
www.pitchandpolish.com, 011 566 2000 or pitch@raizcorp.com.
august 2014