The Three Voices that Entrepreneurs need to muffle.
by Allon Raiz
Making the decision to start your own business is daunting enough without the persistent and nagging voices that haunt us entrepreneurs. There are three main categories of “voices” experienced by most entrepreneurs. These are; the voices of your family and friends, the voices of the marketplace and those voices that reside in your head.
In a risk adverse environment such as South Africa, which has a history of protected employment, one of the principal challenges for entrepreneurs is the perceptions of their families. It is widely believed that going the entrepreneurial route is dangerous and even irresponsible.
Some of these negative remarks will be borne out of sincere care, some out of personal issues, and some out of jealousy. In order to survive, the entrepreneur needs to ensure that they identify the motives of these critics and then decide to either heed their advice or not to.
The second voice comes from the marketplace. New businesses are treated with distrust and suspicion. If you happen to be young as well, then you have an even harder uphill battle. New businesses tend to overcompensate for their “newness” by offering everything under the sun to their potential client base. To exacerbate the situation they offer all these services or products at below the market rate and then promise the best service to boot. These businesses inevitably are taken advantage of, and land up not only chasing every deal but their own tail as well. The likelihood of a company like this surviving is extremely low.
Young and new companies need to enter a market with a clear and concise offering at the market rate. They are more likely to survive with a smaller niched product or service offering. Understanding their real value-add will ensure that their pitch to the marketplace is clear. Price should never be the means to carve out a niche for a small startup company.
The third voice entrepreneurs have to contend with is the voices that resound in their heads. It constantly asks them whether they are really good enough to succeed. Many times these voices actually “tell” the entrepreneur that they are indeed not good enough. Any temporary success enjoyed by the entrepreneur is dulled by these voices whispering that this might have been a one hit wonder.
Take control of these voices by feeding your positive voices. Having a crystal clear vision of where you are taking your business will help quash these voices. Failures are bound to happen on the way to success, and accepting this sincerely, or in fact embracing this concept, will ensure that failure does not feed your voices.
Taking control of the three voices is one of the most important things an entrepreneur needs to do, before and whilst, on the journey of entrepreneurship. Don’t worry if you cannot silence them completely. Some of the most successful entrepreneurs are still haunted by them today. Give voice to your entrepreneurial soul and embark on a journey of self-discovery and endless wonderment in your own capabilities.
Allon Raiz :Profile
Allon was born in Johannesburg in 1967 to entrepreneurial parents. He was schooled in Durban and completed his B.Comm and B.Comm honours degree in Marketing at the University of Natal Pietermaritzburg. In 2004 he was accepted to begin studying toward his Doctorate in Entrepreneurial Studies.
Allon started his career working at his parent’s factory. During his time there he was moved around, spending time in the different departments to learn all the facets of running a big business. He finally landed up running the factory floor with over 200 factory workers under his responsibility at the age of 22.
In 1991 Allon decided that he wanted to develop experience in the retail sector and approached a friend for a job in his ailing retail clothing chain. It was here that Allon truly found his niche, as he redesigned the stores, restocked the shelves and started running innovative promotions. The stores began to boom. The local press did an article on one of the whacky promotions. As fait would have it, a local multi billionaire businessman read this article.
In late 1991 Allon was approached by this businessman to start any business of his choosing. The “New York Sausage Factory” was established in early 1992 as the first retail hotdog chain in South Africa. A year later the business was sold and Allon was injected into an ailing vehicle security company as Marketing Director.
Within one year the company had grown 10 times its size. Allon spent the next 7 years at this company before leaving to set up Raizcorp. During his time at the vehicle security company, Allon managed to turn around two other small companies, which would become the two pioneering companies within Raizcorp (A private incubator company). Today Allon is involved in over 19 different businesses.
Raizcorp is one of the only privately held profitable business incubators on the African continent.
Allon spends his spare time mentoring and lecturing young South Africans on his true love, entrepreneurship. In March 2004, Allon was appointed to the Exco of SABTIA (South African Incubator Association). In 2004 Allon was nominated for the Jonnie Walker Entrepreneur of the year. In 2005 Allon was asked to speak in London, at the SA High Commission, on Entrepreneurship for the Homecoming Revolution. Allon is a founding member of the international YEO (Young Entrepreneurs Organization) in South Africa.
