Archive for the ‘Business’ Category

When will we ever learn, when will we EVER learn?

Tuesday, September 6th, 2011

As you might have gathered, I don’t like politicians.  I think they are part of the problem.  As a group I see them as power hungry people who will do whatever they can to hang on to their power.  And they use and abuse the people as much as possible . Without jeopardising their own position.  Harsh words.  But why is government spending ever increasing at the cost of the voters?

In South Africa (and I believe elsewhere too) politicians talk about job creation.  What does a politician know about job creation?  They know about tax creation!  In South Africa there is a big drive, almost the opposite of my own, to put wealthy entrepreneurs in a bad light.  And many politicians are supporting this.

So, let’s ask the question to every head of state in the world:  how many jobs have you ever created where employees were NOT paid from taxes?  And those jobs you did create and paid from taxes, what was the benefit to the economy?  Can we ask the question from the Ministers of Finance?  Ministers of Labour?

Now let’s start in South Africa:  how many jobs have the Oppenheimers, the Ruperts, The Wieses, just to name a few, created?  How many jobs does the small entrepreneur (the one that is hampered by laws, regulations and what-not, but not protected by the same) how many jobs do they create?  And worldwide the Waltons’, the Jobs’, the Gates’, the Mittals, and many many more that we are blessed to have in the wordl? 

And what about the excellent managers of the companies created by these world renowned entrepreneurs?  I have no doubts what-so-ever that most of the CEO’s of companies like Anglos, Rembrandt, Checkers, Microsoft, Apple, Dell, would be able to lead a country MUCH better than the president!

But the CEO has a benefit – they don’t have a time frame!  The board of directors’ aren’t replaced every 5 years.  They can have a vision and a strategy and as long as they PERFORM, they will lead the company.  Other than a politician who effectively lead for 3 years!

Perhaps we should run our countries like a medium sized corporation!  Many of the global companies are bigger than a lot of states!  So that is not so far fetched!  We appoint a CEO/President and a board of directors who rotate on a three year basis,  They are paid incentive bonuses by a salary review committee and based on the performance of the economy!

Tell me WHY it cannot be done?  And politicains not giving up power is VERY undemocratic!  It boils down to rebellion!  (I hear it often and reject it as a reason).

I did not Just Do It!

Monday, May 24th, 2010

NIKE probably has the strongest slogan available – Just do it! What would happen if we all Just do it!? How many times have I kicked myself because I did not Just do it! How about you?

 This morning I was reminded of something I wrote in Investments and Investing (which you can download for free). In that book I wrote about people investing offshore when the Rand was at its weakest. The Rand has been very strong for some time now, and I was sort of planning to invest some money offshore. But never got a round to it. Now the Rand is weakening and when I heard the exchange rate this morning, I thought about the profit I could have made, if I Just do (did) it!

 When I lived in Worcester about 15 years ago, somebody developed a piece of land and was selling plots at a very good price. At least once a week I would drive past this development and say to myself: “I must buy a plot or two.” Then one day I drive by and somebody is building a house and I say: “Today I must buy myself a plot or two.” I went home, phoned the developer and discovered – I cannot afford one plot any more. I did not Just do it!

 And that is something that people who build real wealth understands. They see opportunities and ACT. Or as somebody once said: Every morning everybody has a wonderful idea under the shower. Some people get rich from their idea – because they get out of the shower and start working on it. They Just do it!

 Just do it!