I want to share my take on 6 areas to focus on in 2026 within the business or company you are a part of, with the aim of starting, navigating and finishing the year strong.

The year is almost done and dusted, and many of us are already thinking about a few days and weeks to grab some well-earned rest. After a hard year, even thinking about planning for 2026 seems a bridge too far. Yet 2025, with all its challenges, has also held some glimmers that we would do well to remember and value as we go into 2026. Let’s start the new year, remembering some “old” things.

It was November 2021, I knew I would reach retirement age in 18 months’ time. In anticipation of launching my own business development business, I compiled 2 lists.

As the end of the year approaches, many business people, employees and students find themselves feeling mentally, emotionally, and physically depleted. Deadlines, performance reviews, holiday obligations, and the general pressure to “wrap things up” create a perfect storm for what’s commonly known as end-of-year fatigue.

It is my privilege to meet up with many people and organizations in the entrepreneurial landscape. Here, I ask Louis Fourie, shareholder of Venture Workspace, a string of questions to capture their 9-year journey.

I first wrote an article about Carla and her father in October 2023. I wondered how their business was doing and how the delightful restaurant was doing after nearly two years. In this month of honouring women, it is gratifying to see growth in the business, the passion and the entrepreneur.

Over the past 10 years, I have written stories of bold and courageous ladies who have built their businesses, established a brand and added value to others. Here are three of these stories, updated in celebration of Woman’s month.

A powerful quotation is attributed to Mahatma Gandhi who, in a speech in South Africa in 1890, spoke about loving your customers: “A customer is the most important visitor on our premises. He is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption in our work. He is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider in our business. He is part of it. We are not doing him a favour by serving him. He is doing us a favour by giving us the opportunity to do so.”

This is the third article in a four-part series on how to start your own business. I am looking at creating a compelling mission, building a strong sales process and benefitting from being fully compliant.

In this second part of a four-part series, I am focusing on the place of a viable business model (horse) and being a growth minded entrepreneur (strong jockey).