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This week on African Farming, Tony Ndoro meets commercial farmer Loretta Visagie and our panel experts chat about good agricultural management principles. Tune in to African Farming, this Thursday at 19:00 on Mzansi Wethu, DStv channel 163.

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by Josefa Massinga

Let’s talk about the importance of customer feedback. But what does feedback mean and what is its importance in our business? Being an entrepreneur it is not just about selling and profiting. As entrepreneurs we offer products or services that are sold with the aim of meeting a demand. Consumers have needs and buy what they think is important to them. Because we are in this area of selling products, it is very important to hear or know what they want.

As entrepreneurs we are still in a phase of affirmation in the market, a market that is very competitive, we have to get into the habit of seeking from our customers the “answer”, that is, “return”, of the services for us, provided to them. When looking for feedback we can see the importance of our business, how we are proceeding and the level of acceptance by our target audience, and we can also make an assessment if we continue in it or not.

It is very common when we think about setting up a business that we don’t think about our customers. That is we first think about making money, not much about if we will have a consumer for the service we intend to offer. The entrepreneur needs to understand the customer and their needs, have a business vision based on the consumer and their needs.

In my opinion, it is a challenge to find out what customers want. Even if the entrepreneur does not have a physical store, we can use the media and digital platforms in order to reach more people in a specific way, that is, in addition to reaching their customers. It is possible to better understand how people on social media respond to certain stimuli, even those who are not my customers, but who are my ‘target’. That is the person who could buy my product, and someone who just doesn’t buy it because they don’t go to my store, but it’s a profile of customer that would buy it”. In person, people tend not to reveal their likes, but on social media they are easier to interpret, so it is an effective way to extract feedback that is productive for the company.

Nowadays we have witnessed a great competition between companies as consumption habits are constantly changing. I think every entrepreneur needs to always be on the lookout and conduct monthly feedback surveys, and follow up on their customers daily. It is extremely dangerous for us not to realize that what happens on a day-to-day basis will one day change certain behavior in the long term, and it is necessary to always be following the habits of our customers.

We have to be careful and attentive when seeking feedback from our customers and consumers, for example when we think the customer is wrong, or our product and service is perfect. Many times people think that the client did not understand the proposal, but if the client did not understand your proposal, the problem is yours because he will buy from someone else.

In this case, the best solution is to listen to what the customer has to say and think about what to do to improve, perhaps there are communication problems or even price problems. “If the customer is not buying because the price is high, can I offer something at a lower cost to him?,” ask yourself.

The solutions can be diverse, such as creating a new proposal, or even changing the target audience and raising the price even more. One thing is for sure: customers need to be heard and their behavior must be monitored, as the decision to buy a product or not is up to him alone.

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Como saber o que o cliente quer, deve ser prioridade do negóçio

by Josefa Massinga

A importância do retorno do cliente. Mas afinal, o que significa feedback ou retorno  e qual sua importância no nosso negócio? Ser empreendedor não é apenas vender e lucrar. Nos empreendedoras oferecemos produtos ou serviços que  são vendidos com o objetivo de atender a uma demanda. Os consumidores possuem necessidades e compram o que lhes parece importante para eles, por estarmos nesta àrea de venda de produtos é aí muito importante ouvirmos ou sabermos o que eles querem.

Nos como empreendedores que somos e por estarmos ainda numa fase de afirmação no mercado, mercado este que e bastante concorrido, temos que ter o hábito de buscar junto dos nossos clientes a “resposta”, ou seja, “retorno”, dos seviços por nos prestados a eles.

Ao buscarmos os Feedbacks poderemos ver a importância  do nosso negócio, como estamos a proceder e o nivel de aceitação, por parte do nosso público alvo e também podemos fazer uma avaliação  se continiuamos nele ou não. 

E muito comum ao pensarmos em montar um negócio não pensarmos nos nossos clientes, isto é nos primeiros pensamos em ganhar dinheiro e, não muito se teremos consumidor para o serviço que pretendemos oferecer. o empreendedor precisa entender o cliente e as necessidades dele, ter a visão do negócio a partir do consumidor e das suas necessidades

No meu entender , é um desafio descobrir o que os clientes querem. Mesmo que o empreendedor não tenha  uma loja física podemos nos socorrer dos midias e das plataformas digitais de forma a alcançar mais pessoas de  forma específica, ou seja, além de atingir seus clientes,“É possível entender melhor como as pessoas nas mídias sociais respondem a determinados estímulos, até mesmo quem não é o meu cliente, mas que seja meu ‘targget’, ou seja uma pessoa que poderia vir a comprar meu produto, e só não compra porque não passa na minha loja, mas é um perfil que compraria”.

Pessoalmente as pessoas tendem a não revelar seus gostos, mas nas mídias sociais elas são mais fáceis de ser interpretadas, sendo assim, é uma forma eficaz de extrair um feedback que seja produtivo para a empresa. 

Nos dias de hoje temos assistido a uma grande competição entre as  empresas, os hábitos de consumo estão em constante mudança.

Acho que todo o empreendedor precisa ficar sempre atento e realizar pesquisas de feedback mensais, e fazer o acompanhamento diário dos seus clientes.

É extremamente perigoso para nos não percebermos que o que  acontece no dia-a-dia vai um dia alterar determinado comportamento a longo prazo, e é necessário estar sempre acompanhando os hábitos dos nossos clientes.

Temos que ter cuidado e atenção ao buscar mos feedback com os nossos clientes e consumidores, ao acharmos que o cliente está errado e que nosso produto ou serviço é perfeito. “Muitas vezes as pessoas acham que o cliente não entendeu a proposta, mas se o cliente não entendeu a sua proposta, o problema é seu pois ele vai comprar de outro”, explica.

Neste caso, a melhor solução é ouvir o que o cliente tem a dizer e pensar no que fazer para melhorar, talvez existam problemas de comunicação ou até de preço.

“Se o cliente não está comprando porque o preço é alto, será que eu tenho como oferecer uma coisa a um custo mais baixo para ele?”, questione-se.

As soluções podem ser diversas, como criar uma nova proposta, ou então até mudar, de público alvo e subir ainda mais o preço. Uma coisa é certa: os clientes precisam ser ouvidos e seus comportamentos devem ser acompanhados, pois a decisão de comprar ou não um produto, cabe apenas a ele.

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Josefa Amélia Massinga is the founder of Florista Flor Khyathu in Maputo, Mozambique. Her business, which opened in 2015, was inspired by the memory of her young niece Khyathu Massinga, who lost her life two years earlier. This store was Josefa Massinga’s first enterprise, bringing her passion for flowers to a suburban area. As the only flower shop in this area at the time, she has since built up a loyal following of customers and brand recognition. She has since opened another branch called Khyathu Assessoria where in addition to flowers, customers can also access a range of other services such as floral decorations for vehicles, churches and events for special celebrations.

More articles by Josefa

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by Mircea Neto

It is a word that everyone knows that has about 39 synonyms and that carries immense meaning, because without realizing it every new day there is a challenge to be faced.

While younger, our biggest challenge is to retain the exclusive attention of our parents, then we start taking the first steps, waking up every day to go to school, being a good student, being the first in the class, finishing training in the right time…

The word challenge is something that is closely linked to human existence, throughout life we are given the idea that the challenge is closely linked to another person and we grow up, we live thinking about others and we never focus on ourselves.

The greatest of all challenges is self-knowledge, if this way of thinking were transmitted to us from an early age, we would realize that the way we structure our life has nothing to do with our true self.

When we start the journey of self-knowledge, we expand the awareness of ourselves and with that, it becomes easier to make choices, acquire emotional intelligence, try new things, and develop self-responsibility more easily. In short, self-knowledge is liberating …

So, liberating that we begin to realize that self-care is an imperative need for women and not an act of selfishness as it has been instilled in us over several generations.

Unfortunately, many women end up having internal conflicts due to the lack of balance in their lives. And it is not because they want to, it is because they do not know how to recognize themselves as a unique being, with wants, dreams and desires, everything that was taken from them hundreds of years ago.

May self-knowledge be part of every stage of growth for us women, so that we can be freer and face the challenge of entrepreneurship and leadership without fear.

I invite each woman to start this very important journey and not be afraid of the discoveries that will come out of this process.

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Desafio…

by Mircea Neto

É uma palavra que todo mundo conhece que tem cerca de 39 sinónimos e que carrega um significado imenso, porque sem apercebermo-nos todo novo dia há um desafio a ser enfrentado.

Enquanto mais novas, o nosso maior desafio é reter a atenção exclusiva dos nossos pais, depois passa por começar a dar os primeiros passos, acordar todos os dias para ir a escola, ser boa aluna, ser a primeira da sala, terminar a formação no tempo certo…

A palavra desafio é algo que está intimamente ligada a existência humana, ao longo da vida nos é passada a ideia de que o desafio está estreitamente ligado a uma outra pessoa e crescemos, vivemos a pensar no outro e nunca focamos em nós mesmas.

O maior de todos os desafios é o autoconhecimento, se desde cedo nos fosse transmitida essa forma de pensar, perceberíamos que a forma como estruturamos a nossa vida, em nada tem a ver com o nosso verdadeiro EU.

Quando iniciamos a jornada do autoconhecimento , ampliamos a consciência de nós mesmas e com isso, torna-se mais fácil fazer escolhas, adquirir inteligência emocional, experimentar coisas novas e desenvolvemos com maior facilidade a auto-responsabilidade. Resumindo o autoconhecimento é libertador…

Tão libertador que começamos a perceber que o self care é uma necessidade imperiosa para a mulher e não um acto de egoísmo como nos foi incutido ao longo de várias gerações.

Infelizmente, muitas mulheres acabam por ter conflitos internos pela falta de equilíbrio em suas vidas. E não é porque elas querem, é porque não sabem como se reconhecer como um ser único, com vontades, sonhos e desejos, tudo o que lhes foi tirado a centenas de anos atrás.

Que o autoconhecimento faça parte de cada etapa de crescimento de nós mulheres, para que com isso consigamos ser mais livres e enfrentarmos o desafio do empreendedorismo e da liderança sem medo.

Convido a cada mulher a inicir este percurso tão importante e não ter medo das descubertas que sairão deste processo.                                                  

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Mircea Neto is both a woman entrepreneur and a doctor based in Angola who has an immense passion for life. She knows that in addition to being a doctor, she has the ability to undertake more business experiences, specifically in the area of catering. The motto that defines he is ‘Le Bon Vivant’ which is also the name of her business. Mircea has spent time in the Kingdom of Morocco, where she was at the Mohamed V University, Soussi Rabat, and where she learned the French language. She graduated from the Rostov-on-Don State University of Medicine in the Russian Federation. The challenge for her now is to undertake her entrepreneurial journey in the restaurant business together with two friends. Mircea is ready to face the battle and achieve her goals.

More articles by Mircea

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Impact Partner Content / Absa

A funeral director’s fleet is one of the drawcards that serves as a key marketing tool. The fast-paced trend-driven industry competes on the wheels that a funeral home owns. An ongoing debate lurks for the funeral director as to which ownership structure best serves their needs – to own or to lease.

Optimal planning of the finance arrangement must be evaluated, and the right leverage cannot be overstated. The Insurance Act of 2017 provides guidance on how the long-term insurance industry must handle premiums collected from members. A funeral director’s 30% of premium income can be used for operational expenses. How the funeral director splits the income received within the business on the operational expense determines operational efficiency and business sustainability in the long term. The intention should be matching the commitment with the revenue generated per year, so that the payments are easily manageable without any cashflow mismatch.

Lease finance and hire purchase are the options for financing the assets that funeral directors must choose from. Traditionally, the majority of funeral directors prefer a hire purchase arrangement where they will own the asset at the end of the last instalment. It is important to highlight the key differentiators of a lease versus a hire purchase finance arrangement. When deciding between leasing an asset or considering a hire purchase as a means of obtaining the item, what does a funeral director need to know?

Key differentiators

Purchase option

The main distinction between leasing versus hire purchase agreements is that, at the end of hire purchase contracts, the customer is the legal owner of the asset. On the other hand, at the end of a lease agreement, the ownership of the asset remains with the lessor (also known as the funder/ the bank).

A hire purchase is a financing solution suitable for businesses wanting to purchase assets without paying the full value immediately. The customer pays an initial deposit, with the remainder of the balance and interest paid over a period. After payment of the last instalment, ownership of the asset transfers to the customer.

Depreciation

The leased asset is capitalised in the accounting records of the lessee, who can claim an expense for depreciation. Depreciation is claimed by the purchaser in a hire purchase arrangement.

VAT payment

With a hire purchase, the full VAT is payable on the asset on day one. The funeral director must make an important cashflow consideration, particularly when a company is exempt from VAT. In a finance lease, VAT cannot be recovered, and the full amount will be capitalised for accounting purposes. In an instance where the VAT has been claimed because the financial lease relates, it is necessary to reduce the lease payments paid to the extent that it includes the VAT that has already been recovered.

When the term agreed on under the financial lease terminates, there will be a further VAT consequence depending on what is done with the assets. Where the assets are retained by the lessor and disposed of by the lessor to a third party, VAT will be charged on the price charged by the lessor, i.e. a bank.

Period

In a hire purchase, the period can range between 48 to 72 months, depending on the purchaser’s preference, whereas in a finance lease, the term is shorter and will range between 36 to 60 months. The shorter lease period caters for flexibility where new models of the vehicle become available, the funeral director should be able to change without the hassles of long-term contracts.

Leasing offers businesses the ultimate flexibility to pick and choose their assets more readily with the budget at their disposal. The funeral industry is a trend-driven business, therefore, the business thrives on agility. Essentially, leasing allows you to use the asset while it is forecast to be useful, to pay for the asset as the benefits of its use are realised, and to plan for its return and replacement without concern over disposal issues. Funeral directors often sit with non-income generating assets that they struggle to dispose of when the vehicles are no longer attractive and operationally functional.

Leasing is often a great business strategy for business that relies on the operational soundness of a well-maintained fleet. Let’s look at the advantages and disadvantages of a finance lease through the lenses of a funeral director:

Which Absa products and services are available for funeral directors?

1. Full maintenance leases

The Full Maintenance Lease is a comprehensive full-suite service where, for a monthly rental, you

enjoy the use of vehicles that we source and purchase for your use. We carry the residual value risk

on all vehicles and dispose of them at the end of the contract. We also bear the costs of maintenance.

2. Islamic full maintenance leases

The Islamic full maintenance lease provides finance with a risk-free/guaranteed residual value and

with a risk-free/guaranteed maintenance plan built into the monthly payment. We constantly monitor

your fleet and work with you to keep your rentals in line with vehicle use. At the end of the contract,

you simply return the vehicle.

3. Operating rentals

This is where you enjoy the use of the vehicle for a monthly rental and pay the actual maintenance

expenses incurred. Our technical support and the close management of all maintenance invoices will

ensure that all costs are duly authorised, and unnecessary expenses are avoided. At the end of the

contract, you simply return the vehicle and pay for any extra kilometres that you have travelled.

4. Islamic operating rentals with managed maintenance

The Islamic operating rental with managed maintenance provides vehicle finance with a risk-free/guaranteed residual value, coupled with an outsourced maintenance authorisation and payment process for all vehicle repairs and services, built into the monthly payment.

The products and services offered by Absa Vehicle Management Solutions are geared to service the funeral director who considers leasing. Crucial value-added services geared to support the funeral business include:

• Fuel management;

• Insurance and accident management;

• Roadside mechanical assistance;

• Tracking and recovery systems;

• Fines and licences;

• Open-road tolling; and

• Driver behaviour management.

To find out more about the funeral industry and available financing solutions, contact Abigail Makhubele on Abigail.makhubele@absa.africa, visit www.absa.co.za, call Absa Vehicle Management Solutions on 0861 600 800, or email franchise@absa.co.za

Absa is an Authorized Financial Services Provider and a Registered Credit Provider NCRCP7

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