Cost cutting for competitiveness – really? What about executive pay!
In yesterday's Star newspaper's Business Report, there was an article on how Beacon, a sweet making division of Tiger Brands, had had to face up to stiff Brazilian competition. For example, by shaving just 1mm off each sweet's wrapper, they had saved R 3 million in...
Joost – a new way to watch TV
First there was KaZaa, a revolutionary file sharing program. Then came Skype - the software that changed telecoms forever. Now, there's Joost. These three things have one thing in common - they were conceived in the minds of two men: Janus Friis and Niklas Zennstrom....
One Billion new cars in the next ten years
Drive a car in any major city of the world, and you'll be forgiven your evil thoughts. And you'll wonder how it could be possible that the number of motor cars on the world's roads could double in the next ten years. But that's no stretch of the imagination. If you...
The changing of the guards
If you'll excuse a parochial sporting entry, I have to ask what has happened to the gods of sport this weekend. Were they sleeping? New Zealand beat Australia at cricket - twice!! And one of those was by 10 wickets (OK, they have rested four top players ahead of the...
The changing of the guards
If you'll excuse a parochial sporting entry, I have to ask what has happened to the gods of sport this weekend. Were they sleeping? New Zealand beat Australia at cricket - twice!! And one of those was by 10 wickets (OK, they have rested four top players ahead of the...
Links in a chain: How it all fits together
I was asked again the other day what the "theme" of this blog is. It can sometimes seem like a collection of rambling musings on the world. Well... Besides being just that, it is really the place that the network at TomorrowToday.biz put all their musings on the...
Links in a chain: How it all fits together
I was asked again the other day what the "theme" of this blog is. It can sometimes seem like a collection of rambling musings on the world. Well... Besides being just that, it is really the place that the network at TomorrowToday.biz put all their musings on the...
Crime – Where Facts, Politics And Emotions Clash
South Africa, a young democracy, is experiencing what almost every young democracy has experienced: an increase in crime, and other issues that threaten hard won freedoms. It often takes a tipping point, and an escalation to almost unbearable limits, in these...
What’s lacking in the care of our senior citizens?
Policy makers are reassessing the way our country looks after its aged. This article looks at some of the issues demanding their attention. South Africa provides for la tercera edad, the third age, as Spaniards refer to it, in many ways. These fall into three main...
Travel and Lifelong learning – an industry growth point in the next 20 years
I have come across a website that I believe understands the market and the thinking of boomers on the verge of a change of lifestyle. Just as the younger generation uses back packing hostels when traveling, this group has identified the need for a similar style for...
Downshifting – Changing the gears
Tired of the constant pressure of corporate life Bruce decided he no longer needed this kind of life. With no dependents he and his wife sold-up house and business and moved into a rustic coastal cottage they now call home. Turning to what they love, voluntarily...
Baby boomers – are you leaving a legacy?
The front runners of the Baby Boomer generation are turning 60 and entering a whole new phase “life after 60�. But don’t expect them to maintain the status quo. Boomers, born in the late 40’s to the late 60’s, arrived into a world torn, shattered and...
Hokule’a sets sail
According to Wikipedia:HÅ?kÅ«le'a is a full-scale replica of a wooden sailing vessel (Polynesian voyaging canoe) used in ancient Hawaii. Its name means "star of gladness" in Hawaiian, and the name refers to the star Arcturus, a guiding zenith star for Hawaiian...
Cancelling an event
I've been promoting something to my friends which I've been looking forward to for some time now - Graeme's "Mind the Gap" presentation on Feb 8th at Kyalami. I've seen the presentation (about how the different generations behave and think) a few times, but what I'm...
Cutting Costs reaches its event horizon
A nice article in the Economist, 18 Jan 07, entitled: "Browne out", looks at the departure of BP's boss, Lord (John) Browne. He has been in charge since 1995, and his tenure coincides with some huge changes in the industry. These include massive mergers, the...
Cutting Costs reaches its event horizon
A nice article in the Economist, 18 Jan 07, entitled: "Browne out", looks at the departure of BP's boss, Lord (John) Browne. He has been in charge since 1995, and his tenure coincides with some huge changes in the industry. These include massive mergers, the...
How not to apply for a job
This is too good to be true... It was reported in London newspapers last week, and is just unbelievable. It's an anti-talent story. The story of a young web designer looking for a job in Dubai. He applies by email, and gets a favourable response. And, then... well,...
How not to apply for a job
This is too good to be true... It was reported in London newspapers last week, and is just unbelievable. It's an anti-talent story. The story of a young web designer looking for a job in Dubai. He applies by email, and gets a favourable response. And, then... well,...
The Company of the Future
In Fast Company, Dec/Jan 07 edition, there is a short piece about a new type of company, entitled "Ears Wide Shut". The company is Squeezebox, which sells "a $300 device that lets audiophiles take digital music from their computer hard drives or from Internet-radio...
The Company of the Future
In Fast Company, Dec/Jan 07 edition, there is a short piece about a new type of company, entitled "Ears Wide Shut". The company is Squeezebox, which sells "a $300 device that lets audiophiles take digital music from their computer hard drives or from Internet-radio...