Disrupt the status quo and step into your awesome! “Nokwazi Z Mzobe is an entrepreneur, part-time lecturer and author of the Small Business Handbook. She is the managing director of Matoyana, a boutique consulting firm that enables more small business owners in Africa to run successful, sustainable businesses and to promote a culture of entrepreneurship and innovative…
The earliest recorded use of the term “free lance” was in 1819 from Sir Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe, in which a feudal lord calls his paid army “free lances”. The two separate words became used to describe a medieval mercenary who would fight for whoever paid them, like a Middle Ages “gun for hire”, and as…
By: Nokwazi Mzobe “Breaking an old business model is always going to require leaders to follow their instinct. There will always be persuasive reasons not to take a risk. But if you only do what worked in the past, you will wake up one day and find that you’ve been passed by.” Clayton Christensen Rapidly…
Why Business Models Matter? By: Nokwazi Mzobe A business model is the blueprint of your businesses success and we decided to research and compile quotes from leading entrepreneurs; business leaders, journalist and academics, that show us why business models matter. Here are 8 insightful reasons: 1) A good business model remains essential to every successful…
Understanding your organisation’s business model is more critical today than it ever has been. We are operating and running businesses in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) world. We’ve seen companies that we grew up with, disappear overnight. Disrupted by technology start-ups; impacted by negative external forces or by their inability to understand the…
by Nokwazi Mzobe, Founder of Matoyana Change is the one constant in the world, especially for those of us in business. Change can either be a blessing or a curse for the business. For it to not be the latter, we, as business owners need to ask ourselves: Are we ready to manage or handle…
By Nokwazi Mzobe, Founder of Matoyana Business Solutions and Matoyana Media *This article was first published on the SmallBizExpo blog* I don’t know about you, but occasionally, I need something or someone to keep me motivated after a disappointment in business or when things are not moving as fast as I hoped they would.The reality…
by Nokwazi Mzobe, Founder of Matoyana Business Solutions and Matoyana Media *This article was first published on the SmallBizExpo blog.* I’ve just come out of a meeting where a comment made by one of my colleagues. She exclaimed “When is my breakthrough going to happen.” This comment reminded me that timing is everything. And that no…
Umhlahlandlela Wamabhizinisi Amancane, the isiZulu translation of the Small Business Handbook, was launchedin EThekwini on Thursday 7 December.The English version was written by Nokwazi Mzobe, Founder of Matoyana Business Solutions, with the isiZulu book done in partnership with P&G South Africa, who sponsored the translation of the book from English into isiZulu, as well as…
This interview first appeared in Top Business Women Magazine / Standard Bank Top Women Leaders. Written by Elske Joubert Nokwazi Mzobe searched far and wide for a one-stop shop where she could find the resources and advice she needed to start her own business. After a number of futile searches, she decided to create her…