Raizor's Edge

Often, entrepreneurs focus on what has gone wrong because, let’s be honest, there can be a lot of failures and falls on the entrepreneurial journey. As a result, they lose focus on the things that have gone right and that, explains Allon Raiz in this episode, is why you need success lists: to deliberately take you into a different state where you’re forced to write down the successes you’ve achiev...

In the fourth and final step in Allon Raiz' famous shower routine, you move from "seeing" your vision to FEELING it – imagine how you'll feel in the exact moment that you open that email confirming the deal is going ahead or seeing the number you want on your bank balance, and that's the "rockstar" feeling you carry with you throughout the day. Click on the link to listen to episode four, The powe...

In this episode, Allon Raiz discusses the importance of the third step in his shower routine: "I will". This is when you lock in your targets, almost commanding yourself to move forward and achieve them, and tap into your "why" - a powerful combination that creates momentum and serves as a reminder of your determination. Listen Now >

In this episode, Allon Raiz describes the pivotal second step in his motivational shower routine: I can. This is where you remind yourself that you have the ability to achieve what you’ve set out to do and create a mental plan on how to do it – it helps you build up a level of confidence and that’s what creates the forward movement in your mind. Listen Now >

In this podcast, Allon Raiz shares the self-motivation technique he has been practising in the shower every morning for the past 30 years. He says it’s what opens the door to success for him every day – and it could do the same for you. Listen Now >

Allon Raiz recently chatted to Kaya FM’s Gugulethu Mfuphi and revealed the five things that ALL successful entrepreneurs do.

You often hear entrepreneurs talking about leaving a legacy but what exactly do they mean by this? Amassing a fortune to hand down to future generations of their family? Having a hospital wing named after them? In the final episode of the 20 Lessons Over 20 Years podcast series, Allon Raiz talks about the entirely different kind of legacy that he wishes to leave to his children . . . Listen Now >...

Is succession planning only for large corporate companies? Not according to Allon Raiz who, in this episode of 20 Lessons Over 20 Years, advocates for early thinking about succession in entrepreneurial businesses. Having a succession plan in place not only makes your business more attractive to investors, it also helps to mitigate any potential crises in terms of leadership and management. Allon d...

So many entrepreneurs fall prey to the intoxication of complacency . . . They win their biggest deal ever. They overtake a competitor. They believe that they’ve made it – and then they take their foot off the pedal. The beginning of the end. In this episode of 20 Lessons Over 20 Years, Allon Raiz talks about two rules he has created to combat any chance of succumbing to complacency himself. Listen...

Whether you’re the CEO or a staff member, tightly holding on to knowledge and relationships effectively means career stagnation and eventually becoming a constraint in the business. In this episode, Allon Raiz discusses how you should be building a culture in which you encourage your management to delegate projects, processes and knowledge to other team members. Listen Now > · www.raizcorp....

Without rhythmic, well-designed meetings, there is no order and no predictability and a very high probability of misalignment across the organisation. In this episode of 20 Lessons Over 20 Years, Allon Raiz discusses why meetings – done correctly – are actually one of the most important tools entrepreneurs have to drive strategy and communication. Listen Now >

In the whirlwind of starting a new business, the original vision tends to get lost for a while but, in Allon Raiz’ experience, if entrepreneurs don’t rekindle their relationship with their vision within two years of the startup grind, the business is far less likely to thrive. But, a word of caution, a vision statement is not the same thing as a vision. Allon has gone on record as saying the visio...

A common mistake entrepreneurs make as their businesses start to grow is confusing the concepts of delegation and abdication. In this episode of 20 Lessons Over 20 Years, Allon Raiz explains why knowing the difference can make all the difference.

Do you find yourself agreeing to a dramatic price drop to gain a client? Or caving in when a certain staff member demands a salary hike? In episode 13, Allon Raiz talks about the stark difference between the success rates of entrepreneurs who develop boundaries when dealing with staff and clients compared to those who don’t. Listen Now > · www.raizcorp.com

“Process sets you free” goes the saying. In episode 12 of the 20 Lessons Over 20 Years podcast series, Allon Raiz sets out to convince his listeners that process does indeed set entrepreneurs free to scale their businesses and make a profit. Even if you’re a startup, you definitely want to take note of this advice! Listen Now > · www.raizcorp.com

An investor is always going to probe the amount of money you’re asking them to invest. They want to make sure you’ve correctly gauged what you need to scale your business and that you’re not going to come back to them in six months or a year to ask for more. In the 52nd and final episode of The Successful Pitch podcast series, Allon Raiz talks about how you should respond when a potential investor...

In business, every time you win over a new client, you are displacing a competitor. You have created an “enemy” simply because you have competed. This may seem fairly obvious but, in his more than two decades of working with entrepreneurs, Allon Raiz has encountered a large percentage of business owners who are afraid to compete. So, what is his advice around developing a competitive mindset www.r...

An increase in the size of the market could present your company with an opportunity to take advantage of favourable market conditions. Conversely, a declining market could pose a serious threat to your business. During your pitch, potential investors will want to see if you are prepared for both scenarios. Remember, there are opportunities in declining markets as well! In episode 51 of The Succes...

In a pitch, you have to be able to communicate your vision for your business to your potential investor. You need to strike a balance between being too aspirational and unrealistic and not having any growth plans at all. Investors always strive to get a good return on their investment. They are looking to scale startup businesses but are also aware of the risks that startups face. You need to effe...

Investors want to make sure you are aware of all the risks that may affect your business – which you may not have mentioned during your actual pitch. They need to know you’ve considered all possible risks and they especially want to know which are the ones that give you sleepless nights. When answering this question, you need to be honest. In episode 49 of The Successful Pitch podcast series, Allo...

Dealing with competition is an inevitable part of business. It’s simply a fact that when your business begins to thrive, new competitors will emerge and they will want a piece of the market pie. You need to show your potential investors during your pitch that you have strategies in place to build defensive “moats” to keep the competition at bay. In episode 48 of The Successful Pitch, Allon Raiz ex...

As entrepreneurs, we never stop making hiring mistakes. There are many reasons a hire could be bad for your organisation. Join Allon Raiz for episode 10 of the 20 Lessons Over 20 Years podcast series two find out what the two biggest reasons are behind hiring mistakes. He also shares some important pointers on staff recruitment processes that every entrepreneur needs to know. Listen Now > ·...

Do you have a plan in place if anything happens to you, the business founder? This may be an uncomfortable question but one you should definitely be prepared for when you’re pitching to potential investors. Investors will want to know that you have thoroughly thought through how your business will continue operating in your absence and that you have put solid plans in place. In episode 47 of The S...

When you’re delivering an investor pitch, it’s vital to show your potential investors that you are aware of who your indirect competitors are. These are businesses who may entice your target audience to spend their hard-earned money elsewhere, even if it’s on a different product or service. Knowing your indirect competitors can help you strategise and stay ahead. In episode 46 of The Successful Pi...

It’s important for you to be able to show potential investors that parties who are doing business with you have given you some form of commitment. Investors always try to mitigate their risk so if you can produce letters of intent during your pitch, it will increase your chances of getting funding. Allon Raiz talks about the importance of letters of intent in episode 45 of The Success Pitch podcas...