Welcome to the RAIZOR Report podcast. Every morning we’ll deliver all the latest AI news to your eardrums. It’s short and sweet, intended to give you a quick overview of the top stories in the fast paced world of AI. Learn more at https://raizor.co At RAIZOR we believe businesses that strategically adopt AI will replace those that don’t. We help clients cut costs, boost revenue, and accelerate business growth with AI automations. f you’d like to get the newsletter with all the links, tools, ...
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#EntrepreneursAsk is an opportunity to ask your most burning, difficult questions to Allon and other experts here at Raizcorp. The answers you can expect - straight talk and experience backed insights.
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Deep Dive is a series of thoughtful, layered, nuanced and authentic live conversations that deal with day-to-day entrepreneurial dilemmas. Instead of offering clichéd soundbites, the presenters – Allon Raiz and Kumaran Padayachee – engage in in-depth conversations. The series is unashamedly highbrow, philosophical, authentic and practical.
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It is a widely held myth that when one achieves entrepreneurial success, it becomes easier to be an entrepreneur. This is not true. It is always challenging to be an entrepreneur. As one grows more successful, it is just the nature of the challenge that changes. This podcast series and its accompanying book of 52 individual meditations seeks to assist entrepreneurs to keep focused and motivated throughout the journey.
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Forget everything you’ve been taught about pitching your business — you’re doing it wrong. To achieve success as an entrepreneur in business, you need to be able to pitch your business to clients and investors. Without a polished pitch, you’re wasting time and potentially risk losing future funding. Over the next 52 weeks, join Allon Raiz in his new bite-sized podcast series as he walks you through preparing the perfect pitch.
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Entrepreneurs know that the cost – both monetary and risk – of hiring the wrong person is much higher in a small business than in a big one. But how can you avoid making expensive hiring mistakes? In this #AvoidHiringMistakes podcast series, Raizcorp CEO Allon Raiz shares the lessons he has learned over 30 years of hiring new employees for startup to mid-sized businesses. He offers insights on common pitfalls, best practices and bringing out the best in those you employ.
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The Navigating Extreme Change podcasts are based on a series of articles written by Allon Raiz during the COVID-19 lockdown. The concept of change management is not new. However, extreme change resulting from an external force brings to the fore the substantial friction between the need to change and an organisation’s ability to change. Allon explores the balance required to successfully navigate a path between necessary change and the practicalities surrounding that change, offering advice ...
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Over the past 20 years, Raizcorp CEO Allon Raiz has learned many tough lessons and overcome many entrepreneurial challenges. He has also had the privilege of learning from the journeys of over 13 500 entrepreneurs who have passed through Raizcorp. In this podcast series, Allon shares 20 of the most important lessons he has learned which he wishes he had known before starting his journey. Using a sequence that mirrors the typical stages of the entrepreneurial journey from ideation through to ...
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As an entrepreneurial leader, you will deal with a leadership crisis or problem at multiple points on your entrepreneurial journey. This series is called “Small-Business Leadership” and not just “Leadership” because there is a stark difference between personal, small business and big business leadership. At the heart of the series is how entrepreneurs have to change the way they lead as they evolve from a startup to a corporation. This podcast series offers practical tools and insights on ho ...
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Revolutionary AI Cancer Detection, Zapier’s Email Automation, Canva’s Video Highlights, and More AI News
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Welcome to the RAIZOR Report for Friday August 30th 2024. In today's episode, Douglas from RAIZOR covers groundbreaking AI advancements including AINU's capability to distinguish cancer cells and detect early viral infections, Zapier Central's email automation using LinkedIn profiles, SoundHound AI's collaboration with MUSC Health for appointment m…
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Today’s Top AI Innovations: Google’s Gemini, Apple’s iPhone 16, and More
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Welcome to the RAIZOR Report for Thursday August 29th 2024. In today's AI news, Google launched three new experimental AI models in the Gemini series, while Apple announced a September 9 event to debut the iPhone 16 with new generative AI features. The AI tool Osum accelerates deep market research, and Google Meet introduced AI-generated meeting su…
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AI Transparency, Musk’s Surprise, and Will.i.am’s New AI Radio
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Welcome to the RAIZOR Report for Wednesday August 28th 2024. Anthropic published system prompts for its Claude AI models to promote transparency and ethical standards, Elon Musk endorsed California’s AI Bill (SB 1047) for stricter safety protocols, and OpenAI supported AB 3211 requiring AI-generated content to be watermarked for transparency. Addit…
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AI Breakthroughs: Major Advancements from xAI, OpenAI, IBM, and More
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Welcome to the RAIZOR Report for Tuesday August 27th 2024. In this episode we discuss the following topics: In today's AI news roundup, Douglas from RAIZOR highlights several significant developments across the industry. These include xAI's Grok-2 models doubling in speed and accuracy, ChatGPT's integration into numerous projects at Arizona State U…
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AI News Roundup: China’s Humanoid Ambitions and Breakthroughs in Intelligent Assistants
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Welcome to the RAIZOR Report for Monday August 26th 2024. In this episode we discuss the following topics: Good morning, it’s Douglas from Razor bringing you the latest AI news for today Monday August 26th 2024.At the 2024 World Robot Conference in Beijing, Chinese companies showcased twenty-seven humanoid robots alongside Tesla’s Optimus, highligh…
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AI Pulse: OpenAI, Microsoft, and WhatsApp Innovations
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Here’s the latest AI news for today, Friday August 23rd 2024. Want the links to these episodes? Sign up for our daily newsletter at https://raizor.co TODAY'S TOP AI NEWS : OpenAI adds free fine-tuning to GPT-4o OpenAI has launched free fine-tuning for its GPT-4o model, which allows developers to customize the AI model for improved performance and a…
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Welcome to the RAIZOR Report podcast. At RAIZOR we help clients cut costs, boost revenue, and accelerate business growth with AI automations. Some months ago RAZOR started scanning all the latest AI news and delivering it as a daily digest to our internal team via email to keep them up to date. The team liked it so much that we turned it into our d…
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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 w…
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Succession – It’s hiding in your business
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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 cri…
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Complacency – The rule of doubling efforts
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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 c…
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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…
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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. …
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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 vi…
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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.By with Allon Raiz
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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.raiz…
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“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…
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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 abou…
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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 ad…
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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 decl…
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Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?
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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…
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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 episo…
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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…
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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…
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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 hav…
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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 …
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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 o…
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Who would be your first ten staff hires? By asking this question, investors want to establish if you have a thorough understanding of the operational requirements of the various functions in your growing business and the respective roles that must be filled. Listen to episode 44 of The Successful Pitch series to hear Allon Raiz’ advice on how to an…
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Attracting and retaining the right calibre of staff is a fundamental component of scaling a business. It’s vital to invest in the right people by hiring top talent with expandable and diverse skill sets. A growing business also needs a staff complement to match its increasing operational demands. Be prepared to answer the question of how you will a…
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An early quandary that most startup entrepreneurs have to face is getting the size of their business premises right and, if they’re renting the space, the duration of the lease. If you’re strapped for cash, you obviously don’t want to be paying for unnecessary space. At the same, though, when you start growing you may have to find new premises whic…
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No company is immune to business risks. They impact your business in several ways and can pose a serious threat to the very existence of your organisation. It’s imperative to address these risks during your pitch and indicate to investors how you plan to mitigate against and minimise them. Investors want to see that you have a thorough understandin…
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When starting your business, it’s advisable to raise enough capital to sustain you throughout the growth phase . . . But, in some cases, it’s better to start with less capital. That’s because the growth phase will be a learning curve during which making mistakes will be unavoidable – and minimising the mistakes and their associated costs will be im…
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In business, a return on investment is a by-product of margin profitability. Investors want a business with the potential to achieve increased profitability, a business that can identify areas in their operations that can be leveraged to achieve bigger margins. During your pitch, you need to be prepared to answer questions on how you plan to increa…
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As an entrepreneur, you should expect investors to pose the following question during your pitch: “What do you need the money for, and how are you going to spend it?” This is a crucial question, and it needs a well-articulated response that clearly outlines your projected expenditure over a specific time frame. Investors always want to minimise ris…
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Your financial statements provide detailed information regarding the financial health of your business. Too many entrepreneurs fail to produce accurate and timely financial statements, which has a negative impact on the growth of their businesses. As an entrepreneur, you need to consider the quality aspect of your financials: are they complete, acc…
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Investors always strive to get the highest possible return on their investment; they want to gauge if their investment will be worthwhile, how lucrative your business is and if it has growth potential. The financial performance of your business will be scrutinised in terms of capital requirements and profitability. You should expect the following q…
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Every single business known to man has competition and to deny this is a fatal mistake. The question investors want you to answer is “What is your plan for dealing with competitors?” Investor’s want to know that you have thought this answer through in a strategic, realistic way. Join Allon in episode 37 of The Successful Pitch for some dos and don’…
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Your break-even threshold is a pivotal point in your pitch. Surprisingly, investors don’t want this number given to them in terms of revenue, they would much prefer this figure in terms of units sold. Listen to Allon explain why in episode 36 of The Successful Pitch. Listen Now >By with Allon Raiz
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As much as investors want their return on investment, they also want this return to transpire in a certain timeline – and this timeline varies from investor to investor. In this episode of The Successful Pitch, Allon prepares you for the question, “Who will buy my equity when I am ready to exit?” Join him for episode 35 as he walks you through layi…
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Another question to be prepared for is the inevitable, “What’s in it for me?” Your investor isn’t in the investing game to give money away freely. You are one of three or four potential investments. This month. Join Allon in episode 34 of The Successful Pitch to gain some insight into balancing why the return-on-investment opportunities far outweig…
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In episode 7 of 20 Lessons Over 20 Years, Allon Raiz discusses how too many entrepreneurs hand over the responsibility of their finances to an external accountant and, in effect, abdicate their responsibility when it comes to their business numbers. It is a trap that he, too, fell into when starting his entrepreneurial journey – right up until he r…
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Join Allon Raiz in episode 33 of The Successful Pitch. Over the next 20 episodes, Allon will take you through some common questions investors ask and what they are looking for in your answers. This week’s question is “who else is doing something similar to you in the world?” Tune in to find out why it’s important to answer this on a global scale an…
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Pitching is a serious business, and you definitely want to put your best foot forward. But it’s important to remember to be a human – smile, make an appropriate joke, show how approachable you are. If you are enjoying yourself, your investor will too. It’s not all fun and games though. Listen to Allon in episode 32 of The Successful Pitch to learn …
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The highest pressure-point of a pitch is the last sentence. Should you end on a comment, a statement or an ask? If your investor is left thinking there is more to the pitch, you know you’ve ended on a weak, fluffy note. Listen to Allon in episode 31 of The Successful Pitch to find out how to go out with a strong ending. Listen Now >…
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Investors come in all shapes and sizes but one thing they all have in common is that they are impatient. Start your pitch off with a bang to avoid losing their interest. Help them frame the rest of your pitch around a schema or model. Listen to Allon explain all the benefits of presenting the important stuff upfront in episode 30 of The Successful …
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In the startup years, the adage “the customer is king” remains fresh and deliberate in your mind. They are, of course, the king (or queen) and you are here to serve. This is the ideal narrative but every business at some point in the journey attracts a client who is abusive. It’s an important experience and a rite of passage, and how you manage thi…
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Pitches should be taken seriously and preparing for a pitch is vital. Because most investors ask a handful of similar questions, it’s easy to anticipate what might be asked and overprepare your answers. The mistake made here is jumping in to answer before the investor has finished asking and sounding overly rehearsed. Join Allon Raiz in episode 29 …
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The worst words you could ever use in a pitch are words that make you sound uncertain – especially during the Q&A section. They immediately convey to your investor that you are unsure and lack confidence in the knowledge surrounding your business, and the future of it. So, what do you do when you really don’t know the answer? Join Allon in episode …
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Good investors are trained to listen and listen well. Any contradictions between your pitch deck and your voiceover have the potential to blow you out of the water. Contradictions invite hard-to-answer questions, come across as mistakes and make the investor question the validity of your entire pitch. Listen to Allon Raiz in episode 27 of The Succe…
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No two audiences are the same, but they all have the same question: “What’s in it for me?” And the answer to this question will be different for each person. For this reason, it’s important to tweak your pitch to your particular audience whenever you get up in front of someone different. Join Allon Raiz for episode 26 of his Raizor’s Edge podcast s…
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The typical pattern in many small businesses is that they start with a monthly revenue line that is relatively flat and a similar-looking profit line (or rather a lack-of-profit line), along with a cash-flow line that points 45 degrees downhill. As the business starts gaining a little traction and more deals come in, at some point, there will be an…
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