Tag: business

Necessity is the Mother of Invention – A proverb

Daily writing prompt
Come up with a crazy business idea.
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Necessity is the mother of invention. A proverb that has proven true time and time again. Think of how many business ideas have been viewed as crazy for as long as humans have been in the business of trading and selling. 

Image: Canva

My crazy business idea would be a device implanted in a person’s brain that immediately kicks in when a politician’s mouth opens and starts fact-checking everything they say, or the device starts asking questions to get the person to think. Think about whether they are speaking the truth and getting them to check whether the politician’s words and behaviours are aligned with their personal value systems. It boggles my brain how easily people are duped by unscrupulous politicians, but then again, I guess the politicians are skilled at telling people what they want to hear.

My not-so-crazy business idea is for a woman to start a business that vets fellow female businesses and tradeswomen and matches them up with single women who require their services. There are so many benefits to this. We would be supporting female business owners. For the single woman, it de-risks having a strange man enter your home, especially for plumbing or electrical services. I want to think the female homeowner would be less likely to be treated like an idiot because she doesn’t know how something works, although this might still happen. When we have gathered a lot of experience in something, we tend to think that certain things are common sense and are surprised when others don’t have a basic understanding. I have a feeling that this type of network would thrive. Not that I have a problem with male business owners , and I would still use them where I feel they might be a better fit. Still, sometimes, as a single woman, it just feels more comfortable being able to relate your issues to a fellow female. I would set this up myself, but coordination is not my strength. Having a database of female business owners at my fingertips would be great when needed.

Let me your thoughts about these ideas in the comments.

Thanks for popping by. Be blessed.

“One who takes the road less traveled earns the rewards most missed.”― Matshona Dhliwayo

Daily writing prompt
What could you do differently?
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Phew! Where does one start…lol! There is so much I could do differently and should, but for this post, I will focus on one. 

Image: Canva

I could make better use of the loyalty programmes I belong to!

It probably seems odd, but the reality is that those loyalty benefits can extend your salary if you use them as intended. There are two loyalty programmes that I could be making the best use of.

My Banking Loyalty Programme

I love my bank. It is digitally savvy. I earn loyalty points every time I swipe my card. I will shop anyway, so why not earn points just for shopping? I earn extra points for filling up at the specified Petrol (Gas) station brand, shopping at specified stores, and, of course, having certain banking products. So earning them is relatively easy, although every year they make it a little more difficult :(. How does this stretch my salary? Well, I can

  • Pay for petrol
  • Shop at a popular Health and Beauty Store that is in every mall
  • Pay for my online shopping at the most popular online stores
  • Pay my monthly banking fees.
  • Pay for flights and car hire
  • Pay a fraction of the cost for certain courses on Udemy

The list of benefits is pretty long, and I usually allow the points to accumulate so that I have a backup for those months when I need to make an unexpected trip that knocks my petrol budget off. If I need to free up extra cash, I pay for my banking fees using points that month. I also use it for emergency pharmacy purchases.

My Medical Aid Loyalty Programme

The thing i like about the this loyalty programme is that is designed to encourage you to live a healthy lifestyle. 

  • Exercising and meeting your fitness goals earns points
  • Buying healthy food earns points, although I disagree with a few items on their list. The vast majority are fruits, veggies, complex carbs, proteins, and healthy fats.
  • having Health numbers checked and staying with health guidelines
  • getting your preventative check-ups done like mammograms and pap smears etc

And, of course, I get to use them for most of the same things as my banking loyalty programme.  I can convert the points to cash to pay my linked credit card. I also get excellent discounts on sportswear and equipment. 

I guess that’s what I will be doing tomorrow. I will be going through the programmes and playing how I will be maximising my points this year.

Do you belong to loyalty programmes? Do you make good use of them?

Thanks for popping by. Be blessed!