The Digital Animal with Renier Lombard

This episode is all about money, and we cover two very important topics - maintaining cashflow and getting paid.
Renier also shares a strategy that he used when a company that owed him money took the work and ghosted him. Let's just say he got paid the next day.
In the episode we talk about a very useful YouTube video by Mike Monteiro, which you can find here
Here are some highlights if you want to skip ahead:
1:00 - Introduction
2:00 - A lot of people seem to have problems getting paid
3:35 - Cashflow is the backbone and blood of your business
5:25 - Two types of client you should be wary of doing business with
7:55 - Don't do work on the promise of there being more work down the line
9:30 - Why a 90-day waiting period for payment?
10:40 - F you, pay me.
12:00 - Service Level Agreements set the rules
14:45 - the 50-25-25 payment method
17:00 - Maintaining cashflow once you start scaling
20:10 - How the pandemic has affected Renier's business, Flance
25:25 - Losing clients isn't bad, but you need a strategy to replace them
27:28 - Getting everything you can out of all you've got - book
29:00 - Protecting staff when you lose clients
30:25 - How Renier got payment when a client ghosted him <-- GOLD
As we mentioned at the end of the show, we're taking a bit of a hiatus to build the website, and for Renier to focus on scaling his business up. We're excited to be back, bigger and better, in December.
Stay safe out there.

In the wake of the unrest in KZN and Gauteng, a lot of people are considering their options. Not the least those who have lost their businesses and the infrastructure that supports them and their families.
In parallel, we've got the pandemic, and as vaccinations in South Africa gather momentum, perhaps a glimmer of hope that we'll be able to return to something of a normal life near the end of 2021, and even travel overseas.
With that in mind, we present our thoughts on digital nomadism and essentially make the argument that if you're working remotely right now and your boss, clients, or employees are comfortable with that, don't rush back to the office. Consider travelling and working as a digital nomad.
Here are some time stamps if you're interested in specific topics:
1:05 - Do you really need to be in the country to do the work you do?
2:45 - Jon's new show - South African Ex-Pats
3:45 - Why not stay a little longer? Or a lot
8:50 - Nomadism can enhance your digital presence
12:15 - If you can go, go
14:20 - Business owners need to get on board with nomadism, too
16:15 - A couple of tips and resources for the potential nomad
Check out Nomadlist
19:10 - Generational mindsets about digital nomadism and remote work
21:00 - The things you own, own you
23:10 - It's all about having options
24:45 - Do you really want to go back?

This episode is about people. How the 'human resources' landscape has changed since 2020. we've all been feeling the strain after almost a year-and-a-half of lockdowns and remote work, and this may be a good time to:

1. Work on your remote working skills.
2. Reset some boundaries.
3. Step away from the fridge (okay, that's mostly Jon's problem)

Short on time? Skip ahead with these time stamps:
1:25 - Remote working + pandemic + winter = Grind.
3:25 - It's hard to have an idea of how big your company is when you can't see them.
4:35 - Work never ends now.
6:25 - Separation, stimulation, and balance.
8:40 - The skillset that enables remote work and a balanced lifestyle.
13:20 - Building your remote-working skills.
14:20 - Do you really want to go back to traffic jams?
15:40 - Do more of what makes you uncomfortable until you're good at it.
18:15 - The benefits of running a company with a remote workforce.
22:25 - Remote working wellness coaches, it's going to be a thing.
24:20 - How to project yourself professionally in a remote-working world.
29:40 - The Japanese concept of honne and tatemae.
31:25 - Some final words of advice
Remember that you can get in touch with us via www.speakpipe.com/digitalanimal

Drop us a voice message if you have a question or comment, or just if you want to connect and say hi. That’s what this is all about.

In this episode, Renier and Jon talk about their worst failures, how they grew from their experience, and the importance of accepting failure as a given when you're an entrepreneur.
We cover how Renier's agency's difficult restructuring process were crucial to it surviving the upheaval of the pandemic.
Jon talks about how getting fired at 19-years-old ended his underachieving days.
0:40 - We should celebrate our failures
1:00 - Renier's worst failures
9:20 - The ideal agency format to survive a pandemic
11:35 - The ad industry is a horrible place
15:45 - One of the best pieces of advice Renier's dad gave him
19:40 - The one where Jon gets fired
20:40 - A lens to look at failure through
23:50 - How can digital give you freedom to fail?
25:10 - The end of office politics
27:20 - Learning from failure
28:20 - Consistency kills failure and winning at wrapping up
Got a question or comment? Drop us a voice message at www.speakpipe.com/thedigitalanimal

In this episode Renier talks about strategic partnerships

1. How investing some time, energy, and a few cups of coffee can have the same effect as a huge marketing budget.
2. How to work with your competitors rather than against them.
3. How to structure referral agreements that will bring in new business and generate passive income for you and your partners, creating ultimate win-wins.

Your time is precious, so here are some shortcuts to key moments in the episode:

1:00 - Businesses should share knowledge and, yes, business

2:10 - How to leverage other people’s relationships

5:50 - Don’t pitch your services, have someone else do it

6:00 - Advice when creating strategic partnerships - values, clients, services

9:00 - Abundance mindset when partnering

10:45 - Structuring a referral or partnership agreement

12:20 - How big businesses are built on referral marketing

16:45 - Block out some time for networking and business development

18:45 - You don’t have to do business with everyone

20:10 - What if someone is a taker rather than a giver?

22:25 - Putting partner logos on your website

24:00 - Taking a day for relationship and therefore business development

26:00 - People care about what’s important to them

28:25 - Who to contact first and how

33:45 - What you can start doing right now to build strategic partnerships

Remember that you can get in touch with us via www.speakpipe.com/digitalanimal

Drop us a voice message if you have a question or comment, or just if you want to connect and say hi. That’s what this is all about.