Surprising truth about what motivates us
This is a short but very insightful video on what drives and motivates people. Guess what, mostly NOT money. The animation is amazing. This video is by Daniel Pink, based on his book: Drive. See for yourself.
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Beyond Strategy
Beyond438 exists to translate the passion we have for solving business problems into profits for our clients. We do this in a thoughtful, “been-there-done-that,” and “as-if-it-is-my-company” kind of way with our company principles guiding all our interactions.
We have a passion for business – for solving difficult business problems.
We have a passion for building world class companies – to grow beyond their current potential.
We have a passion for business leaders – to help them do the right thing in the jungle called the business world.
Our ultimate goal is to Wow! our clients and to take them to places where they’ve not been before. Places, such as, new revenue streams, South Africa and America.
Read MoreBest iPhone App ever – Consulting Rate Calculator
OK, I’m bias. I’m so excited about this that I’m giving away 2 $10 iTunes vouchers. See below.I spent most of my professional career calculating margins on consulting rates, including doing conversions between different currencies, calculating hourly, daily and monthly rates. Well, now I have a handy little iPhone App, called Consulting Rate Calculator that can do all this for me and more. Here is a screen shot:
Consulting Rate Calculator
Give-away
I have 2 iTunes $10 vouchers to give away. Here’s how it will work. Download the app, write a review on the AppStore and re-post that review in the comments below (including your email address as the contributor) and I will pick 2 random posts** and email you the $10 iTunes voucher.
iTunes $10 giftcard
**Small print: I need at least 20 reviews to make the math work. I’m sure you’ll understand.
Read MoreIt’s dangerous to walk on the pavement in America!
In a recent post I gave you some business words that have a different meaning in America. Below is a table with some common everyday words with different meanings. You can find many more in this blog: US2UK.
Do you know of any other words or funny stories?
South African term American equivalent Explanation
Petrol Gas You fill up at a gas station.
Robot Traffic light Turn left at the second traffic light.
Road Pavement In the US it is dangerous to walk on the pavement (in the road).
Pavement Side walk US equivalent is side walk
Crash Car wreck The wreck on the 75 caused a traffic jam.
Manual Stick shift Stick shift car.
License plate Tag You have to renew your car's tag every year.
Boot Trunk I need to get something out of my car's trunk.
Chips Fries Hamburger and fries. Chips are called crisps.
Cooldrink Soda My also be called pop in some US states.
Why you shouldn’t brag about your turnover!
Many South African businesspeople make the following common mistakes regarding US business English. I always enjoy seeing the reaction of Americans when a South African brags about their company’s turnover!
| South African term | American equivalent | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover | Revenue or Sales | Turnover in the US refers to employee attrition (not a good thing :-)). |
| Surname | Last name | Family name |
| Name | First name | In the US most people have a middle name. So first name to distinguish from middle name. |
| Loan | Note | A note is a loan agreement. |
| CA or Accountant | CPA | Certified Public Accountant. |
| Managing Director (MD) | CEO or President | Better to refer to yourself as CEO if you are an MD in SA. |
| Director | Board Member | A director is usually a mid-level manager in the US. |
| Share Scheme | Share Plan | In the US a scheme usually refers to something unsavory (even illegal). |
| Retrench | RIF (reduction in force) or Lay off | Lay offs are very common in the US as most states are work-at-wil states. |
| Diary (Schedule) | Calendar | In the US a diary is a ladies' journal. You would typically say: "can we put something on the calendar". |
| Post | In the US: "I'll put the check in the mail". |
Pingo – new way to make cheap calls via your iPhone to anywhere in the world
I’ve been using a great new service to make very inexpensive international calls from my iPhone. You can make calls from any phone. I’ve written about this before. Check this out. Pingo.com is the cheapest way to make international. A native iPhone app uses your iPhone contact database — very cool! Pingo EZ Dial also work on Andriod and Blackberry.
You can find all the rates here, e.g. 2cents p/m to call to UK landlines from the US.Do you know of another cheaper way to make international calls from your iPhone?
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