Hubelo Finance Pty Ltd, Johannesburg (2026)

25/10/2022

Onboarding. Putting people in the right job at the right time

Business owner should also take on the role of a sports coach, constantly looking and aligning the best staff to the right roles. Without that eyes-on view of what is happening on a daily basis businesses won’t thrive - and owners shouldn’t be afraid of switching people around to different roles if it means happier staff and a more productive outcome.

While often raising those targets can push out people who aren’t performing, sometimes it accomplishes the opposite just as much. People see the raised bar and enjoy the competition with self. And conversations about salary and entitlements become secondary to actually getting out and winning the game.

This performance culture all depends on business owners being deeply involved in how their staff operate and their individual skill levels. The deeper the detail, the better decisions you’ll be able to make.

Minimum high performance culture activities:

• Managers receive training in effective communication to assist them in clearly communicating the new organisational vision to their team
• Managers encouraged to provide their team on-the-spot praise or development advise and trained in coaching and mentoring techniques
• Managers emphasize the significance of KPIs, addressing them at routine staff meetings and highlighting how the performance of their units contributed to the financial and operational success of the business.
• Created online discussion boards and trained staff on the best ways to frame and present novel concepts to promote the adoption and spread of best practices both within and beyond the business.
• To make the adoption of new working practices as simple as possible, the company creates tools and support systems.
• To track the advancement of each endeavor, the company develops a tracking system.

Business owners should constantly be aware of their team’s dynamic and makeup at any one point. Staff are much more productive when they are “psychologically safe”.

Psychological safety is a commitment to treating each other charitably—in both directions. In a group where everyone treats each other charitably, the following will happen:

• It won't be used against you personally if you make a mistake.
• If there is a problem, you can bring it up without fear of retaliation.
• As long as the ideas benefit the team, it won't matter where they come from.
• People won't be embarrassed if you ask for aid if you need it.
• People will respect your intellectual humility when you modify your mind rather than using it against you.
• You'll prioritise what's best for the team as a whole—and the members of it—over what's best for you when making decisions.
• You’ll interpret other people’s actions in the best light, too.

24/10/2022

Testing the market with the minimum viable product

This is testing whether customers will really use and pay for the product by bringing the minimal viable product to them. Gather information to determine how engaged and how often they utilise it.

Find out if they or a person connected to them will pay for it and if they are spreading the word about the product.

Analyse the data you've gathered over time, paying close attention to trends and the underlying causes. Make sure you are intellectually honest and rely on actual data rather than imprecise reasoning.

The following are the two essential results:
• Quantitatively show that consumers will pay for the Minimum Viable Product.
• Create KPIs that show how much word-of-mouth your MVP is generating among customers.

Watch out for the phenomena market timing. No one will consider the solution to be worth the risk of adoption if the market is not ready. No matter how brilliantly conceived a solution may be, it may not always be commercially successful.

Your new creative product will eventually need to be accepted by a person, but people are not always rational, so it may not make sense based on all the information you have learned about the product and the consumer.

The initial cost of the product is not as crucial when determining whether or not someone will pay for its adoption as demonstrating that the target market will.

Because you have actual market data on the MVP, you can still learn a ton even if the product doesn't sell like hotcakes. You want to mine the consumer preference data while you are currently in an iterative feedback loop with the customer.

It is crucial to determine whether the target market will purchase and accept the product initially. It is also crucial to gauge how much they would promote the advantages of the product to other consumers in the entire market.

What is the product's virality coefficient, or how much positive word of mouth is it generating? This virality coefficient aids in lowering the expense of acquiring new customers.

Additional topics to evaluate include:
• Market access - Can repeatable methods be used to generate leads in the target market?
• Sales process: Is it possible to sell to clients at sustainable unit economics?
• Provide value - Is it possible to provide more value than you receive?

14/10/2022

7 ways to save money by paying bills on time or in advance

1. Create a list of all the bills.
To add any regular responsibilities to your list, check your credit reports, bank records, and credit card bills. The provider, the bare minimum monthly payment, and the overall balance owing should all be on your list. Once you have your list, think about categorizing your expenses into those that can be paid automatically and those that cannot.

2. Determine the due dates for your payments.
Find out the due dates for each bill. You might wish to adjust your due dates if they are all over the place to make tracking payments simpler. It could take a few billing cycles for changes to take effect, but having the same due date for several accounts might make your life easier. And if you're worried about overspending, scheduling your bills for the day following paycheck can be useful.

3. Include your bills in a calendar.
It can be useful to keep track of the dates by which your bills are due using a calendar or other tool. You can add payments, for instance, if you use an online calendar. Due dates can stand out from other events with the help of your calendar app's useful tools, which are typically simple to add.

4. Choose the amount you want to pay.
You might be required to pay a fixed amount toward some of your bills. After making the minimum monthly payment on some, such as credit cards, you might be able to pay more or less. Every billing cycle, you should pay the full total owed on all of your bills, including credit cards and other accounts that let you to maintain a monthly balance.
You might choose to pay more than the minimum on accounts that let you keep a balance in order to reduce your interest costs, prevent taking on extra debt, or perhaps even pay off your debts more quickly.

5. When possible, set up automated payments
One strategy is to set up automatic payments for as many bills as you can. You can indicate whether you want creditors to debit the minimum amount owing, the entire sum due, or another amount when you set up automated payments through them.

6. Construct a manual payment method.
Pay your bills as soon as possible for those you pay manually. As soon as your bill or statement is posted, you can click online and pay it. Alternately, schedule a certain day each month to pay your bills or choose a regular, recurring time to do so. Making a block of time on your calendar could be beneficial.

7. Register for alerts
You can check if an automatic payment went through or set a reminder for yourself to make a payment. Reminders from your own calendar might be sufficient. Utilizing a dedicated software to manage your finances and remind you of your obligations is an alternative strategy. Additionally, you might be able to register for alerts with creditors and suppliers directly.

5 Biggest Benefits of Paying Bills Early/ On Time

1. Utilise credit discounts
2. No need to pay late payment fines
3. No disconnection from paid operational services
4. Money is available for other revenue generating expenses
5. Improve your cashflow management

13/10/2022

What are the most common sales closing techniques?

A sale can be closed in a variety of ways. Depending on the prospect you're speaking with and what they need, your strategy will change. Here are 6 guides for what tactics to use and when.

1. Assumptive close
The goal in this situation is to be firm without coming off as pushy. It's crucial to time the assumptive close such that it occurs shortly after you've emphasized the advantages of your offer in order to keep the prospect's memory of it current.

2. Puppy Dog Close
Offer a no-obligation free trial of your goods to complete the deal. The idea is that after a brief test drive, the potential customer will discover your product to be so vital that they won't be able to leave with it.

3. Scale Close
The gauge closure is another name for this. By asking a prospect directly how interested they are in your goods, you can get a sense of their interest level. There are two things the scale closes: It tells you whether you've been able to persuade people of the benefits of your product and gives you a chance to address any objections they might not have previously voiced.

4. Scarcity close
The scarcity sales close uses the prospect's fear of missing out to induce purchase. You entice the prospect with a discount or an extra perk, but only if they take immediate action and make a purchase. This mostly works when the potential customer is honest about wanting to buy but only needs a little prodding.

5. Takeaway Close
This tactic, also referred to as reverse psychology, takes advantage of people's desire for goods that they are unable to obtain. You should note that "may not qualify for your solution like other organizations have" for their business. This strategy only works if the potential customer has already expressed interest in your goods but hasn't made a purchase decision.

6. Summary Close
You review the product's features and how it will help them satisfy their needs in a summary sales close. It gives the potential customer one more opportunity to think carefully about what your product might do for them before making a choice.

How do you improve at closing?
• Know the customer.
• Know their objections.
• Know the decision maker.
• Know when to walk away.
• Know you’re part of a team.

3 things to Do After Closing a Sale

1. Log the contract in your sales software. By logging the deal, you can assist your team stay on track with forecasting and maintain an up-to-date pipeline.

2. Connect the fulfilment team to client — To ensure that the customer transitions smoothly to the following phase in the process, arrange an introduction to the person taking over (support to become on boarded).

3. Contact the client again in a few days — Building trust and retaining customers starts with a simple check-in to see how your new customer is doing with their purchase. If problems do occur, you can intervene right away to offer assistance or locate someone who can on your team.

11/10/2022

Onboarding employees? Start with the right expectations

Business problem-solving requires a variety of brain types, not just one. To complete projects as they become more complex, you need a variety of viewpoints and skill sets. It's your duty as a business to leverage your work style and that of your team to enhance corporate culture and complete a fantastic task.

Work Methods
Work styles are the many ways that individuals complete their tasks. You'll be better able to inspire them and give them the best chance of succeeding if you know the working styles of your team members. In this article, we'll look at some typical working methods and demonstrate how to work well with others.

Benefits of understanding team members' working styles

Teams that work together better produce more, are more creative, and have more prospects for advancement. It's critical for leaders to examine their own work styles and give their team members the tools to do the same. Your team members won't be able to successfully cooperate and deliver their best work until then.

6 Work Styles
1. Independent or logical. Key attributes: tenacious, diligent, adept at producing original and creative work. Challenges: Poor management, difficult to communicate with, and frequent neglect of the planning stage

2. Cooperative. Key strengths: Excellent communicator and strong interpersonal skills. Challenges: Independent work

3. Proximity. Key attributes: flexible and well-balanced. Challenges: Some tasks don't allow for a healthy mix of solo and cooperation.

4. Supportive. Key strengths: Excellent at encouraging collaboration; emotionally savvy; self-aware; effective at mediating conflict. Challenges: Can become sidetracked and may have trouble making difficult judgments

5. Detail-oriented. Key strengths: Strategic, intelligent, skilled at minimizing risks, proficient at establishing order and stability. Challenges: Work slowly, avoid getting bogged down in the details, and focus on the broad picture.

6. Idea-oriented. Key strengths: Positive outlook, ability to motivate people, and success in promoting change. Challenges: Unorganized, may overlook things, and frequently fails to follow-up

Empowering collaboration between various work types
Using a test, such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, is the best way to determine the working styles of team members. A cross-functional team that has different working styles is effective. They also consistently contribute original ideas and are excellent problem-solvers.

Get your team of people with various working styles to function well together:
1. Determine everyone's working methods
2. Make use of each team member's advantages.
3. Offer team members coaching based on their job preferences.
4. Have a diverse range of working methods on your team.

10/10/2022

Identify and Test your Key Assumptions

Why?

The procedure to validate the primary market research by seeking for customers to perform particular activities, which will happen in the next step, begins with identifying important assumptions.

Each of the assumptions represents a distinct, limited idea that may be empirically verified in the following phase using a single experiment design. However, before the assumptions can be examined, they must be dissected into their component elements.

Two results come from Identification process:
1. Identify which business assumptions have not been properly tested.
2. Sort the top 5 to 10 hypotheses according to importance.

How to Identify the Key Assumptions

1. Go over each phase of the framework and develop a note of every area where reasonable deductions have been made in light of the primary market research.
• Have you accurately identified the priorities of the Personas?
• When it's time to make a purchase, will the potential customer find the value proposition appealing?
• Will they invest the time and effort to integrate the product or service into their workflow?

2. Is the assumption about gross margins valid?
• Are the cost targets realistic?
• If the product is hardware, thoroughly review the bill of materials and calculate the costs of the key components.
• If the product is software, list the main difficulties encountered during development, as well as any associated costs.

3. Examine the clients who have already been located
• Are any of them early adopters, meaning that if they buy, other consumers will too?
• The "linchpin" consumers is one who, if they don't buy, others won't.
• Are there any unidentified additional crucial customers?
• Are your product/cornerstone services and early adopters keen in purchasing it?

4. Review your “Next 10 customer” list

5. Review the “Decision Making Unit”

Testing the Assumptions

Testing important hypotheses enhances the current primary market research-based strategy. The firm is prepared to create a first-pass product and sell it to clients as a consequence of the convergence of the market research and empirical results from the experiments.

1. To check for cost objectives. Send a request for quotes or a specification to vendors to determine whether the cost forecasts are accurate for the quantity being purchased or developed.

2. To test linchpin consumers and early adopters, ask them to:
• prepay for the solution;
• put down a deposit;
• provide a letter of intent;
• agree to a pilot;
• express a strong interest in buying if specific criteria are met.

03/10/2022

Calculating the Cost of Customer Acquisition

Why calculate COCA?

When the sales process is defined, it is possible to determine how the Cost of Customer Acquisition will be affected. All sales and marketing expenses related to gaining a single average client in the steady state must be quantified for calculating COCA. Any fixed product costs or expenses other than those related to sales and marketing are not included in the COCA.

Include all advertising and sales expenses, even if a potential consumer decides not to use the service or buy the product. Once the sales processes have begun, more data will be developed, and the COCA calculation will then be improved. To calculate the initial COCA, it is necessary to recognize the variables that affect the COCA, give reasonable values to each variable, and comprehend the steps that will be needed to lower the COCA over time.

The COCA typically exceeds the Lifetime Value of an Acquired Customer in the early phases of the sales process. In enterprises that are sustainable, COSA gradually drops until it is much below LTV. Since the company is now spending more than it is making per client, the crucial question for the firm is to project when the COCA will fall below LTV of the consumer.

Calculating a COCA correctly requires adding up all sales and marketing costs over a period of time, then dividing by the total number of new customers gained during that time.
COCA will change as sales processes evolve, efficiencies are realized, and word-of-mouth spreads, resulting in lower costs incurred. It is best to measure throughout predetermined time frames.

The relevant time frames rely on the product's lifespan, which is directly tied to how long it takes for the client to realize the product's value proposition. The following time frames are suitable sales in the first year, the second and third years, and the fourth and fifth years.

Make sure to include all of the important expenses from the sales and marketing plan when aggregating these costs, such as those for sales representatives, sales reps' driving expenses, other types of travel, entertainment, phones, data costs, demo units, technical sales support, website development, consultants, trade show expenses, real estate, administrative support, mobile units, etc.

Business must be familiar with its ales processes in order to perform this calculation. Make sure you comprehend how changing costs impacts the company's profitability. The COCA over the three time periods is calculated as follows:

Total Marketing + Sales Costs –Installed Base Support Expenses/ New customer number.

Benefits of COCA and LTV calculation

If the company has computed its COCA and LTV, it will be able to pinpoint the variables that must be rigorously controlled in order for it to remain in operation. A more flexible matrix enables changes to the sales and marketing process. Provides precise monetary objectives that stimulate positive cash flow and corporate expansion.

30/09/2022

Entertain different vendor bids to reduce costs

If you work with vendors regularly, you might want to set up a bidding system for projects and work. If you ask three different vendors to provide quotes, you can have them compete to see who is willing to provide the work for you at the cheapest price.

Be sure to compile an accurate scope of work, as missing information or added complexity can significantly affect the quoted rate. Having an accurate quote can allow you to better plan for anticipated operating expenses.

Vendor management: what is it?
The word "vendor management" refers to the procedures that businesses employ to manage their suppliers, also referred to as vendors. Selecting suppliers, negotiating contracts, controlling prices, lowering vendor-related risks, and assuring service delivery are all part of vendor management.

Why is managing vendors crucial?
One of the most important factors in choosing the best vendor for a specific business need is vendor management. Additionally, businesses can employ vendor management to accomplish their objectives, including maximizing cost-saving potential and accelerating the onboarding procedure.

Vendor management benefits
• Improve vendor selection
• Harness cost savings
• Speed up vendor onboarding
• Reduce the risk of supply chain disruption
• Strengthen supplier relationships
• Negotiate better rates

The vendor management process includes a number of different activities, such as:

Choosing suppliers. Researching and finding prospective suppliers, requesting quotations via requests for quotation and requests for proposals, shortlisting, and choosing vendors are all parts of the vendor selection process.

Negotiation of a contract. Making ensuring the terms agreed upon are advantageous to both parties is crucial. It might also be necessary to pay attention to things like confidentiality and non-compete restrictions.

Onboarding of vendors. This entails assembling the paperwork and data required to establish the vendor as an authorized supplier to the business and make sure that the vendor can be compensated for the products or services they deliver.

Keeping track of vendor performance. This can entail assessing their performance in relation to key performance indicators (KPIs) like product quality and quantity or delivery dates.

Risk management and monitoring. Risks that might have an effect on the business, such as the danger of lawsuits, data security concerns, compliance violations, and the theft of intellectual property, should be kept an eye on by vendors.

Payment. Ensuring that vendors receive prompt payment for the products and services they deliver in accordance with the terms set forth.

29/09/2022

How to Demonstrate Value to your Prospect

Setting up a product demo gives you the chance to show off your solution. Whether it’s an in-person meeting or you’re using a video conferencing platform, research and preparation is key to delivering a winning product demo.

Have good idea of the prospect pain points

You must have a solid understanding of the customer's pain areas, difficulties, and needs prior to the demo. Adding some fields to the form used to sign up for the product trial is one method to achieve this. But you should also get in touch with the client and pose some basic queries.

Before you start of the Demo

It is a good idea to spend a few minutes discussing the subjects you will cover and how long the presentation will be before diving into the specifics of the product. Give a brief overview of your business and how your products address challenging issues. Credibility and trust will increase as a result of this.

Doing the Demo

The majority of sales representatives agree that performing product demos is the toughest thing they have ever had to do. All the components of a sales presentation are present in a demo, but the product must also be demonstrated. There are many things to consider, and a lot may go wrong. Here are 12 guidelines for improving product demonstrations:

1. Pay close attention to providing the prospect with value. A strong demo has a beginning, middle, and end that tells a story. The client is ALWAYS the main character.

2. Use the demonstration as evidence. A strong demonstration should "show" the veracity of the sales claims and support the sales message.

3. Pay attention to the decision-makers. Make sure the demo clearly demonstrates what is in the product for THEM!

4. Try not to be too extroverted. Show the CFO how the ROI promises are valid, for example, to focus the demo on the proper objective.

5. Don't say it again. Repeating something doesn't make it credible. It merely renders the demo tedious. Thus, avoid displaying a feature more than once.

6. Avoid assuming feature requirements. Demonstrate a feature only if you are convinced that the user will be interested in it.

7. Check to check whether you're finished. Check to determine if the prospect has understood and is satisfied after your demo.

8. Never show off to people who aren't involved. Demonstrating to everyone increases the likelihood of anything going wrong.

9. Take charge of the performance. If you allow the customer take the lead during the demo, you might venture into areas where your product struggles.

10. Give demonstrations when it is appropriate. The demo will be most effective at a certain point in the sales cycle by natural progression. Use it.

11. Be ready for the worst. Before the demo, give a good reason why it might not work, preferably one that isn't your fault.

12. Make a backup strategy. If the demo runs into trouble, you should have another sales-related activity ready to fill the void.

28/09/2022

Free ebook offer: Product development using project management principles

I have been writing on Product development using project management principles in the last 9 weeks. I have compiled at all into an ebook. If you want it, send an email to [email protected] headed: "Product development" and I will mail it to you within 24 hrs.

27/09/2022

Why and How to match the candidate to the job skills requirement

Will make it far easier to spot the skills you’re actually looking for after developing the right job description and related adverts completely. There are skills which can and will be trained for and which can be learned on the job.

Internally before meet candidate

Create categories, specializations, and talents to assist you in tracking the areas of knowledge of your candidates and making it simpler to connect individuals with positions that suit their qualifications. You will be able to accurately match candidates to jobs more quickly when you actively use these with both candidates and jobs.

• Category: A broad descriptor, sometimes corresponding to a job title or a line of business
• Specialty: Typically only used when you staff for multiple lines of business; if the category is a line of business (e.g. Industrial), the specialty usually refers to the job title
• Skill: Knowledge/experience-based and can be shared across multiple categories or specialties

Keep these 3 in Mind

1. Create job descriptions with greater impact. For recruiting the best individuals, job descriptions are essential. Job descriptions should ideally inform candidates of the precise qualifications required for a position and encourage them to apply.

2. Promote hiring that is based on skills. The hiring process must be skill-based, which assesses candidates based on their holistic skill set (including related skills across industries), rather than just industry experience or certain university qualifications.
By adopting this strategy, you steer clear of overly emphasizing qualifications like as prior experience, education, and/or out-of-date job descriptions. Instead, firms are aware of the roles from other industries that will translate and the non-role-specific talents that will be a sign of success.

3. Connect Opportunity to Skill. Matching candidates with positions that are a better fit for them will require identifying the talents that translate to future success. By switching from recruiting for fit to hiring for potential, more applicants can now be taken into account for open positions.
By addressing candidates' struggles to match their abilities to open positions, business leaders can address their talent shortages. Candidates are more inclined to apply when they can easily picture how they might fit into a position, which increases the number of eligible applicants available for hiring.

Your 3 part Process
• Ask only the Questions to Match Hires with Skills Needed
• Let Candidates Ask Questions
• Introduce Them to Other Employees

26/09/2022

Have you mapped the Process to acquire a Paying Customer? Its longer than you think

Determining the steps necessary to obtain a paying customer explains how the decision-making unit chooses to purchase the good or service and reveals additional barriers that might make it more difficult to sell.
Selling a product or service is much more challenging than simply satisfying the Persona's wants due to extended sales cycles, unforeseen laws, and hidden impediments. This exercise guarantees that you recognize all potential sales process difficulties.

By creating a map of the process to acquire a paying customer you will understand these 4 items:

1. Recognize how long the sales cycle is. The cost of acquiring new clients will be a key factor in your overall costs. It's crucial for accurately estimating cash flow. To build a long-lasting business, you must move fast from the first point of contact to the paying consumer.

2. Lay the groundwork for the cost-per-customer computation. It is necessary to get to a point where you can start making more money from your present clients than you are spending on bringing in new ones. Customer acquisition costs are always higher than you would anticipate.

3. Identify any unnoticed barriers that could prevent you from earning money by selling goods or services. Before fully committing to investors and personnel, you want to know if there are significant obstacles to concluding the deals.

4. Be able to demonstrate to potential lenders and investors that you comprehend the client purchasing process, which is often a requirement for financing a firm.

The 6 process points to map:

1. How to activate customers to purchase the service or product and how customers will conclude they have a need or opportunity to satisfy the demand
2. How will customers learn about the product or service?
3. How will consumers evaluate the product?
4. How will consumers purchase the product?
5. Customer usage of the good or service
6. How will buyers pay for the good or service?

For each component in the process, include these 5 responses:

1. Who are the major participants in the decision-making group?
2. What effect do they have on the procedure? Build in educated estimates of how long each component will take?
3. What is the scope and nature of their budget authority?
4. How long will it take to finish each of the components you've listed? List them in chronological order, noting which ones can run simultaneously. Always make conservative assumptions
5. What are each step's inputs and outputs?

Hubelo Finance Pty Ltd

25/10/2022

24/10/2022

14/10/2022

13/10/2022

11/10/2022

10/10/2022

03/10/2022

30/09/2022

29/09/2022

28/09/2022

27/09/2022

26/09/2022

Address

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Contact The Business

Shortcuts

Share