#1 Your positioning   

Building a brand is, in many respects, as important—if not more so—than developing your product. Clients seek to connect and resonate with your brand. Strive to create an authentic image that adds value and is rooted in strong ethical principles. While focusing on your product and overall business, remember that it is your brand that people ultimately associate with, not just your product.

#2 Your pricing strategy  

While it may be tempting to lower your prices, this often stems from a lack of confidence. Consider doubling your price and observe the results. People will still make purchases, as higher prices often signal greater value. For instance, a Ferrari costs significantly more than a Mercedes, yet both are vehicles. By implementing a premium pricing strategy, you automatically position your brand as synonymous with quality—provided your products or services meet those expectations. Remember, you can’t market a Ferrari with a Kia engine. (No offense intended to Kia; I respect the quality of your vehicles!)

#3 Your marketing strategy  

Marketing is crucial to success. Having a great product alone does not guarantee sales; you must actively promote your brand and ensure visibility.

First-time founders often mistakenly believe that a strong product will sell itself with minimal marketing efforts. While this may lead to short-term sales, it can jeopardize long-term success. Continuous, targeted marketing is essential for every business. The challenge lies in determining the right marketing mix tailored to your specific needs.

#4 Your product

Sometimes you are not selling because your product is not up to par. Well, there are only two options. Either you opt out or push ahead and improve your product.
A strong market fit is needed to really ensure that your product is really worth anyones money. In the end of the day you are building for money. Let’s face it. You are not building a product because you want to look at its beauty. You want to make money! Meaning, make sure that whatever you are building is in demand.

I have encountered this situation on several occasions. When sales were sluggish and I failed to meet my targets, I often considered the most immediate solution: running a sale, believing it would resolve the issues.

Unfortunately, this approach never produced the desired results.

This is precisely why you will never see a “sale” on my products and services. While I may offer discounts aligned with my strategic objectives, I will not place my offerings on sale. Discounts can be effective in attracting customers, but they are distinct from running a sale.

While a sale can effectively attract attention, it is unwise to resort to one if your business is struggling.

Have you identified your next investment opportunity in Africa already? I would be very interested to hear about it.

P.S.: Let me know if you want to deep dive into investing in Africa. Simply drop me an email and we can chat.