Entrepreneurs need many skills; communication and negotiation, financial management, quality control and more. But the real reason that entrepreneurs succeed is the ability to turn problems into opportunities!  

What better time to be doing that than right now? The country has an oversupply of problems just waiting for us to solve…. 

You might like to brainstorm business of finding solutions to poor education, roads, corruption or health. You might also be in a position to take advantage of the USA closing their borders to South African products. 

Now is when bold entrepreneurs lift their heads and create new businesses in a different way. This quick five-step pivot process should get you going. 

• Step 1: Listen in to what is happening around you. Research to gather information on the size and nature of the problem  

• Step 2: Brainstorm solutions that could solve it.

• Step 3: Test your ideas for viability. For example, do you have the technical ability, financial muscle, access to markets and credibility? 

• Step 4: Look for partners to help you accelerate your success. 

• Step 5: Test, prove, improve and grow.

When times are tough it’s easy to slip into despondency or become frozen with fear. The antidote is to cultivate an attitude of creativity and continual improvement. You might be surprised by what fresh ideas come to the surface to help you succeed. Remember, where others see challenges, entrepreneurs see a blueprint for innovation.