Women's Business Bootcamp

The mission plan

1. 1

   Mission 1

   Your starting point

   Honest audit of time, money and support.

   Open the lesson

   Do this

   1. 1.Write the hours you truly control in a normal week — after work, care, travel and rest. Not your best week.
   2. 2.Write the money you can risk without touching rent, school fees or food. If it is 0, that is a valid answer.
   3. 3.List the unpaid work you currently carry and who else could carry any of it, even once a month.
   4. 4.Name your one support person and the one practical thing you will ask them for this month.
   5. 5.Bring your controllable hours to your circle check-in — most women discover theirs is half what they assumed.

   Template · Starting-point audit

   Worksheet

   • Hours I truly control each week:
   • Money I can risk:
   • Unpaid work I carry:
   • What I will hand over or drop:
   • My support person + the ask:

   Worked cases

   • Nomvula · catering

     Assumed 20 hours. After school runs and a night shift it was 7. She rebuilt the business around 7 real hours and stopped missing deadlines.

   • Zanele · sewing

     0 to risk. Started with three repair jobs paid upfront and bought her overlocker from that income instead of borrowing.

   • Aisha · bookkeeping

     Asked her sister for two evenings of childcare a month. Those four hours became her admin and invoicing block.

   Where people go wrong

   • You plan for the woman you'll be once life calms down.Fix: Plan for this month exactly as it is. Life rarely calms down; capacity you invent becomes guilt later.
   • You count borrowed money as capital you can risk.Fix: Debt you must repay on a date is not risk capital. Start with what you can lose without harm.

   Build it with your coach

   Not sure how to fill this in? The coach asks you one simple question at a time, shows an example answer, then writes it up as a proper structure you can keep.

   Start guided build
2. 2

   Mission 2

   Offer and audience

   Who you serve best and why they choose you.

   Open the lesson

   Do this

   1. 1.List every person who has paid you or asked to. Circle the ones you enjoyed serving and who paid without haggling.
   2. 2.Describe that circled group in one sentence a stranger could recognise — not 'women' but 'working parents nearby who need school-run-friendly hours'.
   3. 3.Write what they were actually buying: the result, not the activity. Nobody buys sewing; they buy a uniform ready by Monday.
   4. 4.Write your offer as one thing, one price, one turnaround. Save your variations for later.
   5. 5.Say it out loud five times, then send it to three of that exact group.

   Template · Offer statement

   Worksheet

   • I help ____ (specific group)
   • get ____ (result they want)
   • by ____ (what you actually do)
   • Price: R____ Turnaround: ____
   • Three people from that group I will send it to:

   Worked cases

   • Nomvula

     Dropped 'catering for events' for 'weekday office lunch trays for small firms near her, 650 for 10, ordered by 4pm the day before'. Two firms said yes in a week.

   • Aisha

     Stopped serving everyone. Chose salon owners: 'your books and VAT done monthly for 1 200 so you never fear a letter from the tax office'. Referrals started inside her niche.

   Where people go wrong

   • You widen the audience so you don't lose anyone.Fix: A wide offer is chosen by nobody. Narrow it; the ones outside it still buy when you're the obvious specialist.
   • You describe the process instead of the result.Fix: Lead with what changes for them. Method is reassurance, not the reason they pay.

   Build it with your coach

   Not sure how to fill this in? The coach asks you one simple question at a time, shows an example answer, then writes it up as a proper structure you can keep.

   Start guided build
3. 3

   Mission 3

   Pricing and worth

   Set prices from numbers, not from fear.

   Open the lesson

   Do this

   1. 1.Add the direct cost of one sale: materials, packaging, transport, data, fees.
   2. 2.Add your own time at a rate you'd accept from an employer. Your hours are a cost, not a donation.
   3. 3.Add 15% for waste, rework and the client who cancels late.
   4. 4.Set the price at cost plus your target margin, then round up — never down — to a clean number.
   5. 5.Write one sentence you will say when someone pushes back, and practise it on your circle before a real client hears it.

   Template · Price builder

   Worksheet

   • Direct cost per sale: R____
   • My hours × my rate: R____
   • Waste and rework (15%): R____
   • Total cost: R____
   • My price: R____ Profit per sale: R____
   • What I say when they push back:

   Worked cases

   • Zanele

     Charged 80 a school dress; costing showed 64 in fabric and 3 hours of her time. New price 220. She lost two bargain hunters and earned more from four dresses than she used to from eleven.

   • Nomvula

     Was absorbing petrol and packaging. Adding both moved her tray from 500 to 650. Every client stayed.

   Where people go wrong

   • You price against the cheapest woman in the group chat.Fix: She may be running at a loss without knowing. Price from your own costs; matching her sells your time for free.
   • You discount before they even ask.Fix: Silence after stating the price is normal, not rejection. Wait. Let them answer first.

   Build it with your coach

   Not sure how to fill this in? The coach asks you one simple question at a time, shows an example answer, then writes it up as a proper structure you can keep.

   Start guided build
4. 4

   Mission 4

   Visibility

   Talk about your work without shrinking.

   Open the lesson

   Do this

   1. 1.Choose one place your buyers already are: a WhatsApp community, a church group, one social platform, or foot traffic on one street.
   2. 2.Post proof, not promotion: the finished work, the before and after, the client's own words with permission.
   3. 3.Remove every apology from your caption — 'just', 'small', 'trying', 'sorry to post again'. Read it again and cut them.
   4. 4.Ask one satisfied client for a two-line testimonial and their permission to use their first name.
   5. 5.Show up three times this week in that one place. Three real posts beat a plan for five platforms.

   Template · Visibility plan

   Worksheet

   • The one place my buyers already are:
   • Proof I will show this week:
   • Apology words I removed:
   • Client I will ask for a testimonial:
   • My three post days:

   Worked cases

   • Zanele

     Posted only finished garments on the client's child, three times a week, in two school WhatsApp groups. Twelve enquiries in a month with no advertising spend.

   • Aisha

     Rewrote 'just a small bookkeeping service, please support' as 'I keep salon books audit-ready'. Same service, enquiries from bigger salons.

   Where people go wrong

   • You wait until the branding, logo and website are ready.Fix: Buyers respond to proof of work, not polish. Post the work now; brand it once money is coming in.
   • You hide the business from people who know you.Fix: Your warm circle is where nearly all first sales come from. Tell them plainly what you now do and for whom.

   Build it with your coach

   Not sure how to fill this in? The coach asks you one simple question at a time, shows an example answer, then writes it up as a proper structure you can keep.

   Start guided build
5. 5

   Mission 5

   Selling with integrity

   Conversations that convert and feel good.

   Open the lesson

   Do this

   1. 1.Open by asking what they need and what their deadline is, before you say anything about yourself.
   2. 2.Repeat their need back in your words and confirm you understood it.
   3. 3.State the price, the turnaround and what is included — once, clearly, and then stop talking.
   4. 4.If it is not a fit, say so and refer them elsewhere. Turning work away builds the reputation that fills your diary.
   5. 5.Close with the next concrete step: deposit, date, and how they pay. No 'let me know'.

   Template · Sales conversation script

   Worksheet

   • What do you need, and by when?
   • So you need ____ by ____ — correct?
   • That's R____, ready in ____, includes ____.
   • Deposit: R____ Payment method:
   • Next step and date:

   Worked cases

   • Nomvula

     Stopped listing everything she could cook. Asked the deadline first, quoted once, took a 50% deposit. Her cancellation rate dropped to almost nothing.

   • Aisha

     Referred a client whose books were three years behind to an accountant. That client sent her two salons the next month.

   Where people go wrong

   • You keep explaining after stating the price.Fix: Extra talk reads as doubt in your own number. State it and let the pause work.
   • You start work on a promise to pay.Fix: Deposit before materials or hours. This is a business term, not distrust — say it the same way to everyone.

   Build it with your coach

   Not sure how to fill this in? The coach asks you one simple question at a time, shows an example answer, then writes it up as a proper structure you can keep.

   Start guided build
6. 6

   Mission 6

   Boundaries and balance

   Systems that protect your energy.

   Open the lesson

   Do this

   1. 1.Set your trading hours in writing and put them where clients see them.
   2. 2.Choose one day or evening that is not for sale, and defend it like a client deadline.
   3. 3.Write your three standing terms: deposit, turnaround, and what a rush job costs extra.
   4. 4.Write the exact sentence you use to decline late-night requests, then use it word for word.
   5. 5.Batch admin, invoicing and messages into one block instead of answering all day.

   Template · My working terms

   Worksheet

   • Trading hours:
   • My protected day:
   • Deposit: ___% Turnaround: ____
   • Rush surcharge: ____
   • What I say to after-hours requests:
   • My admin block (day + time):

   Worked cases

   • Zanele

     Posted 'fittings Tue–Sat, 9–5' on her profile and stopped opening the door on Sundays. Lost no clients; got her Sundays back.

   • Nomvula

     Added a 25% same-day surcharge. Half the rush orders vanished, the other half paid properly for the disruption.

   Where people go wrong

   • You say yes to a rush job to avoid seeming difficult.Fix: Price the disruption instead of absorbing it. A surcharge is a boundary a client can actually understand.
   • You answer messages instantly all day.Fix: Same-day replies inside stated hours are professional. Instant replies train clients to expect it forever.

   Build it with your coach

   Not sure how to fill this in? The coach asks you one simple question at a time, shows an example answer, then writes it up as a proper structure you can keep.

   Start guided build
7. 7

   Mission 7

   Money admin without fear

   Records, separate money and a plan for a quiet month.

   Open the lesson

   Do this

   1. 1.Open a separate account or wallet for the business, even a basic one, and stop mixing it with household money.
   2. 2.Pay yourself a fixed amount on a fixed day instead of dipping in whenever cash appears. Write the amount down.
   3. 3.Record every sale and every cost the same day, in one place — a notebook is fine, as long as it is the only place.
   4. 4.Number your invoices and receipts and keep them for the required period in your country. Ask a local accountant or your tax authority's website what that period is; do not guess.
   5. 5.Write your quiet-month plan now: which costs you pause, how many weeks of costs you keep aside, and who you call before you borrow.

   Template · Money admin sheet

   Worksheet

   • Business account / wallet:
   • I pay myself ____ on the ____ of each month
   • Where I record sales and costs:
   • Invoice numbering starts at:
   • Weeks of costs I keep aside:
   • Quiet-month plan — costs I pause:
   • Who I speak to before borrowing:

   Worked cases

   • Nomvula · catering

     Was paying school fees out of the trading float, so she never knew if a month worked. One separate account and a fixed monthly draw showed she was profitable — she had just been invisible to herself.

   • Zanele · sewing

     Started numbering invoices and keeping receipts in one envelope. When a client disputed an order, the paperwork settled it in a minute.

   • Aisha · bookkeeping

     Kept six weeks of fixed costs aside. December was quiet, she paused two subscriptions and did not borrow anything.

   Where people go wrong

   • You treat every sale as your salary.Fix: A sale is business money. Pay yourself a set amount on a set date, and let the rest cover costs and the quiet month.
   • You leave records for 'when things slow down'.Fix: Records take two minutes a day and hours a year later. Same-day entry is the whole discipline.

   Build it with your coach

   Not sure how to fill this in? The coach asks you one simple question at a time, shows an example answer, then writes it up as a proper structure you can keep.

   Start guided build
8. 8

   Mission 8

   Lead and grow

   Plan help, partners and your next season.

   Open the lesson

   Do this

   1. 1.Look at your last four weeks: which offer earned the most profit per hour, not per sale?
   2. 2.Decide the one thing to do more of and the one thing to stop entirely.
   3. 3.Name the first task you will hand to someone else, what you will pay, and how you will check the quality.
   4. 4.Set one 90-day target with a number in it: monthly profit, clients, or orders a week.
   5. 5.Choose the woman in your circle you will report that number to every month after graduation.

   Template · 90-day plan

   Worksheet

   • Best profit per hour came from:
   • Doing more of:
   • Stopping:
   • First task I hand over + cost:
   • My 90-day number:
   • Who I report to monthly:

   Worked cases

   • Aisha

     Monthly retainers earned 240 an hour, once-off catch-ups 90. She stopped taking catch-ups and filled the space with two retainers.

   • Nomvula

     Handed the packing to a neighbour at 150 a day, which freed her to visit two new offices a week. Orders grew 40% in a quarter.

   Where people go wrong

   • You grow by adding more offers instead of more of what works.Fix: Complexity costs hours you don't have. Repeat the winner before inventing anything new.
   • Accountability ends the day the bootcamp does.Fix: Keep one monthly report to one person in your circle. Women who keep reporting keep trading.

   Build it with your coach

   Not sure how to fill this in? The coach asks you one simple question at a time, shows an example answer, then writes it up as a proper structure you can keep.

   Start guided build
9. 9

   Mission 9

   Your results, proven

   Before-and-after numbers and a one-page business profile.

   Open the lesson

   Do this

   1. 1.Pull your Mission 1 audit and your earnings tracker side by side: hours you control, your price, your profit per hour, your monthly profit.
   2. 2.Fill in the before-and-after sheet with those four numbers. Do not round them kindly — the point is the truth, in your own currency.
   3. 3.Write one sentence on what actually caused the biggest change. Usually it is one price increase or one offer you stopped.
   4. 4.Write your one-page profile: what you sell, who you serve, your price and turnaround, and one line of proof (a result, a repeat client, a number).
   5. 5.Share the sheet with your circle of five and keep the profile where clients can see it. This is your graduation, and it is evidence, not a certificate.

   Template · Before-and-after results sheet

   Worksheet

   • Hours I control: before ____ now ____
   • My price: before ____ now ____
   • Profit per hour: before ____ now ____
   • Monthly profit: before ____ now ____
   • The one change that caused most of this:
   • One-page profile — what I sell:
   • Who I serve:
   • Price + turnaround:
   • My proof (result, repeat client or number):

   Worked cases

   • Nomvula · catering

     Trays moved from 500 to 650 and profit per hour nearly doubled on the same seven controllable hours. Her proof line: two firms ordering weekly for three months.

   • Zanele · sewing

     School dresses went from 80 to 220. Fewer clients, more profit, and a profile line she now sends instead of explaining herself every time.

   • Aisha · bookkeeping

     Dropped once-off catch-ups, kept retainers, and her monthly profit rose without a single extra working hour.

   Where people go wrong

   • You skip this because the numbers are not impressive yet.Fix: A small honest gain is proof your system works. Unmeasured progress is the thing that quietly disappears.
   • Your profile describes your effort instead of your result.Fix: Clients buy the outcome and the date. Write what they get and when, then the proof.

   Build it with your coach

   Not sure how to fill this in? The coach asks you one simple question at a time, shows an example answer, then writes it up as a proper structure you can keep.

   Start guided build