Masimanyane on a massive Haitian drive

A month after the earthquake and the island nation is still short of supplies for its devastated citizens.

Many people have told me they would like to help out in some way but did not know how or didn't know which avenues to take.

Thankfully, Masimanyane Women's Support Centre has come to the fore, giving South Africans the chance to help resurrect the lives of Haitians.

Masimanyane is looking to collect items that contribute to the welfare of women and children who have been victims of rape and robbery in the last month. The organisation encourages each person to provide one item each. These include:

• Feminine supplies, combs, feminine wipes and other support (especially for pregnant women and new mothers).
• Personal/household supplies for birth delivery and after: (rubbing alcohol or disposable anti-germicidal substitutes; baby wipes, baby wraps, pampers, socks and caps and supplies for nursing mothers/newborn. It is cold at nights so there is need to cover the feet and heads of the newborns.
• Clothing and under garments for women and young girls
• Bedding & blankets for babies and mothers.
• Urgent need for the morning after pill (rape of girls and young women is becoming a problem, as is common in the aftermath of most disasters).
• Any items that you think would be useful for women and girls.
• In general any supplies (such as toothpaste, tooth brushes, soaps, etc) that can be used for daily living for men, women, boys and girls are welcome.

For East Londoners, there will be drop off points at major retailers and supermarkets. The dates for the points will be finalised soon.

In the meantime, you may drop off your items at the Masimanyane head office situated on 35 St Marks Road in Southernwood, East London.

Contact the project co-ordinator, Yulinda Sharrock on +27 43 743 9169 or +27 84 481 2195. You can also email her at yulinda@iafrica.com.

To read the report on Masimanyane's website click HERE.

To read the article from the Daily Dispatch, detailing Masimanyane's drive, click HERE.

To read the the report by project coordinator Yulinda Sharrock click HERE.

Enhance your business with these social websites

There are dozens of social media websites that cater for different needs and wants. Some allow you to connect with friends while others provide you a platform to share your opinions. Two of the latest applications that were launched in the last month were myLike.com and Plancast.com. myLikes allows users to list the brands they like and share it with other users whereas Plancast allows you to post up plans you have in the future, whether it be personal or business related.

Below is a list of a few websites that can be used to provide businesses with that extra edge in terms of communication and marketing. The most important thing to remember about using social websites for business is that they should serve as communication tools. Don't advertise, instead engage with customers, partners, board members and staff on a personal level, by sharing ideas and listening to what your clients have to say.

i) Linked In

A social networking tool created specifically for professionals and businesses that are looking to interact with each other. Like Facebook, status updates and emailing are available as well as exchanging contact details. A unique feature includes the LinkedIn recommendation letter whereby users may ask their contacts to promote them. This feature has proved to be popular and credible as well.

It is advisable that both the company and its manager/CEO/director maintain separate accounts so as to engage with other users on various levels. For example, companies may only need to update their status and their information two or three times a week, whereas an individual would do so daily. The reason is that an individual has to create a personal space that represents his or herself as a professional.

ii) Ning

This unique concept allows users to create their own social network space and invite specific people to join so that they can interact with each other. This is similar to creating your very own Facebook website with all the tools for interaction available including chat, email, status updates, blogging and the uploading of pictures and videos – all this within a strictly confined group.

This is perfect for an organisation that either wants to create its own private “social club” with members, clients, customers, board members and directors. However, it works best when an organisation uses it as a space strictly for employees to interact with each other and share information. Administrators can easily monitor the site’s usage and use it as a way of finding out the needs and wants of its employees.

iii) Ping.fm

This is a site that would mostly be used by administrators. Ping.fm centralises all of the organisation’s social websites they belong to. By posting a single message on Ping, all other websites will be updated with that same message immediately. This saves you from having to visit each and every site. However, this is restricted to status updates for now and further improvements to the website will take place in the future. This is perfect for saving time, when you are on the move and need to make brief changes quickly.

iv) myLikes.com

This new, groundbreaking venture, created by Bindu Reddy and Arvind Sundararajan of San Francisco, was launched in January this year. Geared towards businesses, the website allows users to insert a link of their favourite brands and services and share it with other users. The more “likes” a brand or service receives, the more popular it will become. This is a unique feature that has never been featured on the internet. The application can also connect to Twitter, therefore promoting products and services even further.

v) Mixx

A news website that allows the user to upload news and choose the stories they want to view. Mixx has now given the power of news making to the public and businesses, allowing users to create their own realities rather than allowing the news networks of old to condition us. Mixx is effective if you are looking to create an identity abroad.

vi) Facebook

One of the two most popular social networking sites in the world, Facebook was created by Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg and was launched in 2005. It gained popularity rapidly because of its ability to connect people from different parts of the globe. It also offers tools such as email, status updates, gaming, instant wall-to-wall messaging, the uploading of articles, videos, pictures and links to other websites that are of particular interest to the user. The “Marketplace” application allows businesses and professionals to interact with each other and advertise their products and services.

The alluring factor of Facebook is that it allows the user/organisation to create their own identity with a page that best represents their character.

In the last two years, Facebook has seen the value in networking for commercial enterprises and they are forever adding new features that try to meet the needs of businesses and professionals. It is an extremely effective marketing tool that allows organisations to engage with their clients, members, board members, donors and customers on a personal level and offers a [controlled] transparency traditional media cannot.

vii) Twitter

Though Facebook is effective, it is not as influential as the ubiquitous Twitter. This online application allows users to follow other members and keep abreast with their up-to-the-minute activities. There are dozens of utilities linked to Twitter that caters for professionals and organisations ie. myLikes and Flickr. Twitter’s greatest selling point is that it forces the user to express themselves in no more than 140 characters; therefore, we are obliged to write short, direct and hard-hitting messages. The biggest mistake any organisation can make is to use Twitter as a platform to advertise events or products. Twitter must mainly be used to engage with fellow entrepreneurs, clients and the public on a personal level, formulating discussions and sharing useful information that could enhance the operating and image of your organisation.

viii) Youtube

This was one of the first websites that allowed the public to share videos and is more popular and effective than ever. Though it is monitored for explicit material, it is still filled with mindless content. Despite this fact it is still used as a platform for prominent politicians, celebrities and businesses to spread important messages. It is effective because it is a multimedia tool that captures all senses.

ix) Zoopy

This application is the South African equivalent to Youtube. Zoopy looks to host professionally made videos. Users can also post pictures and messages on the site. Though it does not possess the same number of members as Youtube, it can still be used to penetrate South African society.

x) Blogs

This is an incredibly effective tool. Bloggers have their own webpage with which they can express themselves in any manner they wish. Blogs are versatile in that a user is able to create the tone and atmosphere of their own page and write on a specific theme. Though the language used by most writers is informal, it is best for NGOs and corporations to a use formal tone and jargon often relating to their products and services. However, the posts must be written simple enough for the general public to grasp. The advantage of a blog is that it can host multimedia applications, allowing the user to add text, pictures and video to their page. In order to keep readers engaged, a blog has to be updated regularly, up to at least once a week.

xi) Flickr

This website acts as a photo database. It allows users to store and share digital photos online. It can be used by professionals or organisations to share pictures of events and subsequently engaging with other interested users as well.

xii) Really Simple Syndication aka RSS Feed

An RSS Feed is a tool that automatically alerts a consumer or user, via email, of any updates made to an organisation’s website, Twitter page, blog, Facebook page etc.

This has proved to be highly effective for organisations looking to keep in touch with their consumers and clients. It is imperative that you regularly update your web data so as to keep the content fresh and give the consumer the impression that the organisation is productive.

xiii) Wikis

Wikis are programs that allow communities to add content to an information database that is centred towards specific themes. For instance, NGOPedia, wiki site catering for South African NGOs, allows these organisations to add an article containing information about their history, past events, vision, mission and their operations. Wikipedia is the most widely known wiki site. It is the largest online encyclopaedia that is structured like most traditional encyclopaedias. Wikiquote is a databse for some of the most famous quotes while the highly controversial Wikileaks publishes government and corporate documents that aim to expose corrupt practices.

Think Smart - Don't underestimate a LinkedIn recommendation letter

I sat staring at the email for almost five minutes. It was a moment of irony. I was being asked by my former employer, a CEO, to write a LinkedIn recommendation letter for him. Initially I thought it’s just a mere letter that would be put up on a social network. No big deal. It’s not an official letter so there’s nothing to panic about.

However, once I did my research, I realised just how important a LinkedIn recommendation actually is. Though it’s possible for an individual to obtain dozens and even hundreds of recommendations on this particular social network, it is by no means worthless.

According to blogger Chris Brogan, LinkedIn is more than a living resume.

“It’s a reputation engine, a visual representation of your business network’s reach, and a place to express your business capabilities,” he said.

Your opinion about a person counts and it will be read by thousands of other businessmen out there. For your friend, it can mean the difference between getting that six-figure salary or another month on the couch. So take your time to write a meaningful letter. Anybody can see when you’ve rushed to complete it and you will lose credibility too.

LinkedIn’s power lies in the number of members it has. There are already 55 million on the network. The more active you are on the network the more you’ll become familiar to other users. When Brogan confessed to having hundreds of recommendations he was asked how he got them.

“I responded with my secret: I asked for them.”

A LinkedIn letter is brief and to the point. Since the reader will be perusing a number of these on an individual’s profile, he or she would scan for the words and examples that have the most impact. So it’s fine to say someone is dynamic, innovative and attentive. However, those words should accompany examples of work you had done with the person. Instead of describing their personality, rather tell a story that vividly illustrates the person’s character. Provide tidbits of personal experiences you had with him or her. Don’t say they’re adventurous; instead, say he or she belongs to a skydiving club that jumps every weekend. Show, don’t tell.

Below is the recommendation I wrote for my previous employer, Yugasen Naidoo. Though my example is a bit too long, it certainly works:

Yugasen Naidoo represents the archetypal CEO of modern times: open, versatile and adaptive.

During my time as a young employee at Praxis Computing he would often invite me to his office to exchange a few words, providing me with invaluable professional and personal advice.

On the days we worked together, he allowed me to share my ideas and encouraged me to follow through with them. For example, when I spoke of creating a newsletter for the company he immediately saw its value and gave me full responsibility for its production and distribution.

Though I worked at Praxis for just a year (between 2007 and 2008), we continue to interact on a personal level.

Under Yugasen’s tutelage, Praxis IT Solutions was founded, a subsidiary that provides labour broking and specialised solutions to the IT industry on a national level.

He was also instrumental in developing the partnership, between Praxis and Cape Town based biometrics company, SuperVision. The partnership continues to flourish. This is indicative of his ability to identify new technologies that have the potential to change the way we live.

Yugasen’s boundless energy, however, is not limited to the workplace. He has taken it to the oceans, obtaining a qualification as a scuba diver in 2002.

His keen sense of social responsibility has motivated him to establish, along with his uncle, a feeding scheme for the needy in the south of Johannesburg.

Being the humble leader, he felt it was richly worded.

For another good example read Chris Brogan’s blog. I’ve attached the link below.

Chris Brogan: Community & Social Media

Click on these links which were used to guide me through the writing process. I trust they will help you too.

Jibber Jobber: How to write an excellent LinkedIn recommendation

Wikihow: How to write a LinkedIn recommendation

Ehow: Write a LinkedIn recommendation

Traditional Courts Bill under the knife in EC

East London - Masimanyane Women’s Support Centre, in conjunction with the Legal Resources Centre (LRC) and the University of Cape Town’s Law, Race and Gender Unit, hosted a two-day workshop on the Traditional Courts Bill at the Esplanade Hotel last week.
Amongst the attendees were community leaders from various rural areas in the Eastern Cape who wanted to learn more about the Bill.

According to Nomfundo Gobodo of the LRC, the aim of the gathering was to make attendees understand the Bill and encourage them to educate their communities about it.
“Before it becomes law we must make sure it is in line with communities’ needs. It is up to them to make a decision about what they want in the Bill.”

However, Gobodo said the Bill remains pending due to a number of inconsistencies.
“It has defects such as the rule that there should only be one presiding officer,” she said.

Traditional courts are supposed to give families and communities the power to resolve their own disputes but having one presiding officer present does not allow this.
“If you centralise power then you take it away from the families,” said Gobodo.

Though the Bill allows women to represent themselves in court, Gobodo said that this right is removed because of one major contradiction.
“It says that either men or women can be represented in court but only according to customary law. This already throws the idea out because in some cultures women cannot go into kraals.”

There was outcry from the public when the Bill was introduced earlier this year because they felt communities were ignored when it was being drafted.
“The National House of Traditional Leaders was consulted but not the communities,” said Gobodo. “The public did not know about the Bill. They were not given the opportunity to provide input.”

The South African Law Commission, a body specialising in law research, was also neglected.
“Their research was done and they made recommendations but they were disregarded,” said Gobodo.

However, she said the Bill has its advantages.
“Community courts will help in getting rid of backlogs. It is not a bad idea but the way it is drafted will not help anybody.”

Micky Xanywa, Masimanyane’s human resources manager, remains optimistic about the outcome of the Bill.
“Let’s hope the research done will be taken into consideration,” she said.

- Article courtesy of Eastern Cape Today

Think Smart - Marlene's Golden Rules

Think Smart is a column meant for those readers looking for advice on starting or growing their business. It will feature successful entrepreneurs who are willing to share their expertise with you. And we are honoured to present you with our first guest advisor, the indomitable Marlene Emslie.

It’s been thirteen years since Marlene Emslie started the Oakhampton Bed &Breakfast. Little did she know it would be voted South African Tourism’s best B&B two years in a row.

But she has not been complacent since being awarded the accolade. Instead, she is working even harder to maintain its austere image.

Evidently, when I first met her, she was putting up new curtains and covering the beds with fresh linen. And amidst her busy schedule, she was still generous enough to speak about how to survive in East London’s business environment.

Now exclusively on Seer Media's blog, Marlene Emslie will bestow unto you the alpha and omega of business.

W Service is important. One-on-one contact is needed. “Good service attracts people to the place.” Oakhampton goes as far as baking bread and crumpets for breakfast. She sticks to a quote she’s heard before, “A bed and breakfast is about the senses”. “You smell the coffee and the bread baking and it’s like being at your mom’s home.”

W Don’t be complacent. Always grow, evolve and look for new things.

W East London needs better marketing, then it will thrive. In turn all businesses will prosper through the influx of tourism. Right now the city is looked upon by the rest of the country as a stopover whereby tourists stay for one night on their way to Cape Town or Durban. It should be marketed in a way so that tourists make East London a destination instead of a stopover. “There needs to be a change of perception for tourists,” she said. By opening up your own business you are already doing your bit in marketing East London.

W Treat your customers with care. “You need to love people as they come in all different shapes and sizes. If you want to give the personal quality business, it needs to be hands on. Always go the extra mile. Look after your guests.”

W Know your surroundings. This is specific to B&B’s. “You need to have knowledge of your area.” You build trust with your clients if you know where and what places they need to go. It adds to your customer service. Know that there is a shop around the corner if they want quick snacks or that there is a service station close by if they need to fill petrol.

W “Do your homework.” Research is vital in having a sure footing at the beginning of your venture.“You’ve got to get compliance from neighbours and municipality.” Some people do these things last when it should be the first thing you do. “It can be a very costly exercise if you don’t do it.” If your neighbours are unhappy with your B&B idea or the government doesn’t approve of your plans, then you would have wasted too much time preparing for nothing.

W “Location is very important.” If you are opening an Italian restaurant in the middle of Chinatown, it just may not work.

W Don’t expect a baker to know about jewellery. “Make sure the people doing the changes for you are qualified.” Be certain that they are competent so they don’t do half the job and then run away.

W Maintenance has to be done all the time. If you have a handyman around the house whether it be your husband or son, get them to do some maintenance work like putting up shelves and fixing leaking taps. It can save costs. “Otherwise, rent a husband,” she quipped, while laughing.

W Get insurance. If you’re not covered you could lose your business.

W “Have adequate signage; like ‘Parking at own risk’ and ‘floors slippery when wet,’” or else you could face hefty lawsuits from customers.

W “Advertise” she emphasised. “A lot of people slip up when it comes to advertising. It normally is a big chunk of your budget.” When she first opened the Oakhampton, her marketing budget was as much as R30,000, and this was in 1996. “You have to go out of your way to advertise so you can break into the market.”

Dreaming of good vibrations

As patrons we hardly notice how a business takes on the characteristics of its owner and yet it’s the entrepreneur’s vision embedded in that business. To get an idea of the owner's personality, just look at the image of his or her business.
This is evident at Ocean Dreams Bed and Breakfast owned and run by the exuberant Antoinette Lalla. After the tour of the house I realised its vibrancy wasn’t born from the pastel colours that decorate each room. It came straight from the heart of its owner. She is an optimist, an enthusiast, a visionary and a dreamer.Ocean Dreams, a four star resort situated on Gonubie’s Main Road, started a year ago but she carried the dream of opening up her own B&B long before she could even realise it.

It all started when Lalla's creative energies were getting restless. She went to a life coach for personal growth as she felt stagnated by a day job she held for 22 years.
“I felt I was drowning in quicksand” she said of the time before opening the B&B.
Even though her previous job was stifling, she is grateful for what it had taught her over the years.

“It gave me the confidence and insight that I have right now. The challenges I took on at the company helped shape who I am now.”

But in her frustration, the idea of running her own B&B was accentuated. She recalls the time when she was convinced by an estate agent to take a look at a vacant premises in Gonubie. She was reluctant to take the drive there.

“I didn’t like Gonubie at the time. It was too far. But when she convinced me to come to this house I was smitten. When I found this place I felt it was a gift.”
Nowadays she cannot get enough of the area. “When I come here

it’s my happiest moment.”

The resort possesses a vibrant mixture of absorbing colours and natural light which creates the luxurious atmosphere. The B&B has four standard rooms and one self catering room, each with DSTV. It has a deck on the roof where patrons can sit and relax while viewing the ocean.

What gave the B&B its four star status is Lalla's attention to cleanliness and detail.

“All the small things need to be checked. Everything has to be fresh. The cutlery ha

d to be hotel-ware. We have excellent linen that is cleaned every day.”

She even goes as far as preparing full English breakfasts for her guests on her own.

During the conversation she often touched on customer service, which in this industry counts

more than mere stars.

“I interact with the guests all the time. There’s this personalised service I’m offering,” she said.

What impresses her clients most is her genuine interest in their personal lives.

“I always talk about things that interest them such as their family.”

She believes that every person should be treated with dignity and

respect no matter what their

job title is.

“It doesn’t matter what they look like, each person is treated like a king when they come here.”

A comment made by a previous guest on a website stated that he happened upon Ocean Dreams while searching for accommodation at a ridiculous hour of the morning. When he rung the bell he was greeted with a smile.

Since Lalla focuses on attracting corporate clients, she has helped forge new business relationships between guests.

“I introduce two guests to one another and they get chatting at the breakfast table. It’s wonderful to wake up to laughter and I get the impression people want that at the B&B no matter how miserable they are when they wake up.”

Lalla maintains good relationships not only with her guests but with other B&B owners around her. She sometimes sends her overflow to them. At first it was a practice considered unusual but once Lalla began referring guests to other resorts due to a lack of rooms, it became an unwritten agreement amongst B&B owners in Gonubie.

She owes her success to a fairly aggressive marketing strategy. She is grateful to the Eastern Cape Tourism Board who is always handing out brochures to tourists looking for accommodation.

However, creating and handing out brochures on her own proved to be costing her time and money. Instead, most of her advertising is done online. Both local and international guests learn of Ocean Dreams from the SA Venues website. For Lalla, the internet is the best tool to market her B&B effectively and at a minimal rate.

Lalla emphasised the importance of family support which is key to launching your venture successfully.
“I had full family support in the beginning,” she said.

Her brother, Shaun Sam, encouraged her to put an offer for the premises when she first saw it. And even though her husband, Bhupin Lalla, was reluctant to spend any money at first, he later spurred her on to make it happen. He helped in negotiating for the property and then put his heart into the preparations.

Over the year, Lalla learnt how to manage her time between the B&B and her personal life.
“In the beginning, I would just get home and then I would get a call from someone asking if there was accommodation. Then I would run back there and book them in.”

Now she realises that she cannot please everybody at the expense of her personal life. Instead she refers those very clients to B&B’s situated nearby.
“Some people say they want to do this [starting a B&B] but it’s a lot of work. The running costs are heavy.” she said of the maintenance going into the B&B.

However, she has the ability to overlook such obstacles. She credited her life coach for making her realise material things did not matter.
“This is such a rewarding business. It’s not for the money.”

Lalla also felt that she could not make her venture work without the assistance of a higher power.

“When you surrender to and trust God, things will work out. I don’t feel He has made this happen. Instead, I was given the opportunities and took it.”

Though such a business is taxing on her energy, she is able to cope and is not looking to expand just yet.

“I don’t need more than five rooms. I’m content with what I have.”

For more information visit www.oceandreams.co.za

or check out www.sa-venues.com/visit/oceandreams/

Any enquiries, contact Antoinette Lalla:

Telephone: 043 740 5509
Mobile: 072 418 6885
Email: oceandreams@isat.co.za