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My Advice For Other African Startups

Written by: Henk Boshoff

Article Overview: The most important advice is to be creative. One often sees African Entrepreneurs, trying to sell exactly the same product at the same price and quality to the same client. Find a niche, and use it.

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My Advice For Other African Startups

The most important advice is to be creative. One often sees African Entrepreneurs, trying
to sell exactly the same product at the same price and quality to the same client. Find a
niche, and use it. Be the one they need and want to phone because you are different. Let
your product or service be, faster, neater, cleaner or whatever just so that you stand out
from the crowd around you.

The second most important advice is to create momentum. Don't try to be the next Bill
Gates from day one. Take what you do, and do it a little better every day. Improve your
knowledge whenever you can. Try and meet one quality person at a time, not the crowd.
But once you build the momentum, nurture it, and feed it. Read up on your management
and technology skills, phone that new person you met again, and even take him to dinner.
Run your contracts you get with passion, even though it seems impossible. The feedback
created by the momentum will make your business grow. Al you would need to do then is
to direct the growth in the direction you want it.

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Home > African-Accounts > Henk Boshoff > My Advice For Other African Startups
Article Tags: African Entrepreneurs, Bill Gates, momentum, momentum, momentum, niche, product, product

About the Author: Henk Boshoff
RSS for Henk Boshoff's articles - Visit Henk Boshoff's website

Henk started his career with a diploma in electrical engineering. He then worked as an electronic lab and production line technician gaining valuable experience on manufacturing and testing processes. During this time he obtained his BTech degree in Engineering at the Tswane University of Technology. Soon afterwards he obtained a Bsc(Honours) degree from the University of Pretoria. This allowed him to move into an engineering position where he spent 6 years on electronic hardware and software designs focusing mainly in data communications and data communication protocols. During this period he obtained his MSc from the University of Pretoria. His mini thesis provided a new method of investigating organisational learning capability and the management style requirements to achieve it. With the help of a case analysis it showed that the organizational structure and culture generates a feedback cycle, which can be used as a baseline for future organizational learning. The MSc allowed him the opportunity to move onto engineering management projects. Henk then ventured on his own by starting the company S-Curve technologies, doing strategic technology development and consulting.


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More from Henk Boshoff
The Biggest Obstacles I Had To Overcome
What Can Be Done in North America to Help Better Support African Entrepreneurship
Whats Next for My Company
My Advice For Other African Startups
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Related Forum Posts
What do you do to give back? What do you do to give back? - I'm launching new section of the site for social entrepreneurship and our first category is going to be called African Accounts. The goal with the project is to raise awareness of African entrepreneurs and showcase that entrepreneurship can be the path to achieving sustainable development. This has always been a passion of mine and I have done a number of talks around the world on this subject so I'm excited to bring it online as well. We have recruited some of the top bloggers in the world who focus on African entrepreneurship and are preparing additional resources. I believe that a big part of running a business is being socially responsible and giving back - even if it's donating your time to an organization or small amounts of money or products. You don't have to be mega-successful to make a difference. What are some of the things you are doing to give back to the community around you?
Re: 10 Reasons Who Startups Fail & Book Recommendations Re: 10 Reasons Who Startups Fail & Book Recommendations - Great post,but please edit the headline. I presume it is "10 Reasons Why Startups Fail & Book Recommendation
Re: How will an african make money truely on the net? Re: How will an african make money truely on the net? - Is it possible for an African business to set up an "offshore" account in the US or England... or even Switzerland... where all monies are paid? And a trusted agent there, who gets a percentage of any money, can then take that money from paypal and wire it or mail it or whatever to an African bank? There are lots of countries in Africa, is this a problem in all of them? Seems like an internet entrepreneur who can set up a "Paypal" like company of their own might be able to make money on this... ? Course you'd need governmental contacts...
Re: How will an african make money truely on the net? Re: How will an african make money truely on the net? - [quote="OmnivoreInk":koqfopnc]Is it possible for an African business to set up an "offshore" account in the US or England... or even Switzerland... where all monies are paid? And a trusted agent there, who gets a percentage of any money, can then take that money from paypal and wire it or mail it or whatever to an African bank? There are lots of countries in Africa, is this a problem in all of them? Seems like an internet entrepreneur who can set up a "Paypal" like company of their own might be able to make money on this... ? Course you'd need governmental contacts...[/quote:koqfopnc] Hi Topeyinka I don't know what products you sell, but if they are digital how about selling them through Clickbank. They will handle the sale for you and will send you cheques on the money you have earned. MichelleJ
Re: How will an african make money truely on the net? Re: How will an african make money truely on the net? - [quote="MichelleJ":2a9hm5bq]Hi Topeyinka I am just wondering, with Paypal as long as they can get your credit card verification I don't think that they worry if you are an African or not. I also live in South Africa and there was no problem getting verified with them once they had checked my credit card details that proved the card belonged to me. Michellej[/quote:2a9hm5bq] Hi Michelle, You can use paypal to send money and buy as a South African, but you are limited to receive payment. So what is the use of spending money without making it. You cannot accept payment with your paypal. Any way South Africans can make use of 2CO to recieve payment on theie websites.


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