Career, Education, Student Finance, Startup and Gap Year Features

Details: Written by OriginalSteps; Category: Test Drive a Top Company; Published: 20 September 2013; Last Updated: 20 November 2015

Exploring the business of fashion in the sports industry with Abacus Sportswear a Swedish technical clothing brand that pioneered high-performance stretch waterproof fabric more than 10 years ago.

The company was founded in 1991 by Sven-Olof Karlsson and Ingrid Lindgren-Wachtmeister, two golf clothing sales agents who identified a gap in the market for stylish and functional golf clothing – the cornerstones of abacus®. The pair’s first full collection was unveiled in 1999, which was created with the help of Chris Mattsson, a sports clothing designer who has become the company’s head designer.

Details: Written by OriginalSteps; Category: Test Drive a Top Company; Published: 20 September 2013; Last Updated: 06 April 2016

A FirstStep.me feature,

Hövding

Hövding

“…the overall concept is to offer superior safety through a design solution that appeals to even the most fashion forward trendsetters.” - Terese Alstin founder of Hövding

The ambition behind Hövding and its product range is to encourage more people protect themselves in traffic – quite simple!

Cycling is a global phenomenon and statistics show that every year a large number of people are killed or seriously injured in bike accidents. Even though people are well aware of the risks in traffic - a vast majority of people chose to bike without head protection. There are ongoing debates about the legislation of bicycle helmet usage, but we think that developing new products that people want to use is a much better way to go than forcing people into wearing them. It's not the cyclists who need to change, it's the products therefore we wanted to develop a cycle helmet so attractive that people would be confident to protect themselves.

Details: Written by OriginalSteps; Category: Original Careers; Published: 06 September 2013; Last Updated: 13 April 2016

Joe Kumar Gross: A creative approach to a traditional business

The world of business is a marvellous atmosphere – it is fast paced and full of challenges but it is an environment that keeps the planet's economies in check. The ribbon that ties business together and threads the loops into a single packaged product is marketing. Establishing, placing and promoting a product or system that a business offers needs to create not just an overall representation, but a ‘buy-in’ as well.

“It is not an easy process and nor should it be…it is (marketing a brand) a challenge that needs to be carefully executed but in a creative manner,” says Joe Kumar Gross the Head of Group Market Management for Allianz SE.

Details: Written by OriginalSteps; Category: Test Drive a Top Company; Published: 18 September 2013; Last Updated: 20 November 2015

MakerBot® Digitizer™ Desktop 3D Scanner (picture by Spencer Higgins)

Creativity at your fingertips – a phrase that has been become a cliché of sorts and one most appropriate in a world governed by technology and high demand.

The real question is: how do we harness this demand, creativity and valued technology generation? We could sit back and wait for the next recycled mobile phone or tablet that doesn’t quite meet our expectations, perhaps place a hash tag somewhere…or maybe we could rather use our imagination and start creating, manufacturing and inspiring the world around us.

This ideology is now a possibility with a simple idea and the smart thinking fostered by the creative manufacturing and functionality in world of MakerBot®!

Details: Written by OriginalSteps; Category: Get Educated; Published: 06 September 2013; Last Updated: 22 March 2016

By Idris Seedat (Manager: CSI of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange)

Five for first-timers

Five for first-timers

The world of investment can be daunting. Faced with unfamiliar concepts and the thought of potentially losing hard-earned cash, many would prefer to hide their money under the proverbial mattress.

While stashing your cash away may seem like the wise option you’re actually not doing yourself any favours by not giving your money the opportunity to grow. Through investing, specifically in the stock exchange, you open yourself up to some exciting possibilities which could ultimately lead to financial freedom. The following are the five concepts that every first-time investor should understand before taking the leap.