Experience trumps all
EVERY week I read the Sunday Tribune business section and largely find the articles informative and interesting, but recently I thought two were not realistic. I say this because I doubt they were written by people who have had experience at the “coalface”.
Courses, books, videos and lectures are all wonderful, but until a person has firsthand experience in the field they profess to know so much about, it is meaningless.
The first article was on franchising by the Absa provincial head of wholesale, retail and franchise. Being a franchisee is the same as working for a boss, just with more stress and less leave.
Financial demands are horrendous, the access to an established trademark is overrated, franchisees are treated as employees by the franchisor and in many cases the franchise is of dubious value.
The second article by an Absa employee on running a business is all textbook stuff.
In the real world, the self-employed face problems like difficult customers, supply problems, exhausting government regulations, compliance issues and competition.
I have been involved in a small business since 1975 and have seen business rules evolve.
I would rather have read advice by people like Herman Mashaba, Whitey Basson, Raymond Ackerman and the like, who can speak from experience on the shop floor. TONY BALL
Glenwood STANDARD Bank was wrong to close the Phoenix branch because of service delivery protests. There was no protest in Phoenix on June 6.
The management showed no concern for customers by closing for no good reason.
And their attitude was bad, like they were doing us a favour. All other banks and businesses were running normally. Why did they have to shut and inconvenience us?
I’m sure the bank’s senior managers don’t know this was done. They even called in the metro police and the South African Police Service.
Thank heavens the two SAPS police officers saw who was in the wrong and left.
Customers, vocal about the closure, were treated like common criminals, just for asking why. ZAHIR DANBAR
Phoenix