| Main centres: | 1-3 business days |
| Regional areas: | 3-4 business days |
| Remote areas: | 3-5 business days |
When Raymond Ackerman was fired in 1966, he persuaded friends to help him buy three small Pick n Pay stores (175 staff at the time). Over the next 44 years, he grew that enterprise into a retail giant: 792 stores in eight countries, over 60,000 employees, and an annual turnover of about R60 billion. A Sprat To Catch A Mackerel reveals the core principles that guided this journey. Its not just about profit its about passion, vision, ethics, and resilience. Ackerman shares practical, timeless lessons for building a business, drawn from decades of navigating success and turbulence in the South African retail sector.
Key Topics Covered:
Defining your business vision and purpose (The Real Reason Youre in Business)
Importance of passion; doing work you believe in
Analysis and planning: problemcausesolution approach; using the 7 Tried & True questions (what, where, why, when, which, how, who)
Building strong foundations: balanced business structure (four balanced legs for your table)
Negotiation, pricing, serving customers, managing competition, team building, humility, ethics, and marketing from the heart
Maintaining optimism, learning from mistakes, and prioritizing time (Time Out Prioritising)
A Sprat To Catch A Mackerel, Raymond Ackerman, Pippa De Bruyn, business philosophy, entrepreneurship, business growth, retail leadership, Pick n Pay, South African business, business principles, ethics in business, customer service, vision planning, time management
