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Amilcar Cabral, Political Commentator
Our culture
Talented, committed and responsible people from diverse backgrounds are essential for us to fulfil our purpose of reimagining anAfrica, as the most inclusive business environment in the world. We strive to unleash the power of our employees and partners and we cultivate a company culture that is inspired, curious and empowered.
At AU Watch, we believe that how we do business is as important as what we do. We want to achieve good results in a way that treats all our publics fairly and helps to strengthen our communities.
Values
Talented, committed and responsible people from diverse backgrounds are essential for us to fulfil our purpose of reimagining anAfrica, as the most inclusive business environment in the world. We strive to unleash the power of our employees and partners and we cultivate a company culture that is inspired, curious and empowered.
At AU Watch, we believe that how we do business is as important as what we do. We want to achieve good results in a way that treats all our publics fairly and helps to strengthen our communities.
Trustworthiness
Our work will be meticulously researched, our analysis insightful, and our foresight of future trends reliable. We welcome our readers holding us to account for our accuracy.
Resourcefulness
Resourcefulness is the fuel that keeps our feet close to the fire. Thinkers and writers who see possibilities, not problems; entrepreneurs who see challenges, not limitations. Savvy professionals who get things done and find ways to make things work. Support heroes who believe, dream and defy the odds. To be resresourceful is to come up with solutions, not excuses.
Entrepreneurial Spirit & Ambition:
We never rest on our achievements. Business can be tough and running a business in the Africa can be even tougher. We recognise that we must adapt constantly in a fast-changing world, always meeting your customer’s needs and spotting opportunities for new markets. At AU Watch News, we believe everyone can develop their own entrepreneurial spirit. That is why we have made it a core value. We combine this with the value of resourcefulness because we expect our people to follow through on their best ideas and make them happen.
Care
We care deeply about our impact. We want to make a difference to society and those we touch. We have a sense of responsibility which goes beyond our job
Collaboration
We believe in the power of people. Grand accomplishments are never achieved alone. We have learned that cooperation helps you to achieve your goals. We, therefore, structure everything we do in such a way that, because we are constantly cooperating with others, they are continually open to helping to achieve the organisation’s goals. We listen, learn and we share, aiming to build capacity both among our colleagues and beyond. Our work enables dialogue and creates space for people to think, speak and participate.
Curiosity and Rebellion
We are rebellious and idealistic at heart. We aspire to be kind and responsible to our environment and society, while being an inspiration for others.
We value and encourage creativity. We understand that progress is driven by the inquisitive and the curious. We recognise that creativity exists in many forms, with ideas brimming at every level, from “shoot for the moon” ambitions, right down to our daily work. We embrace innovation and act we courage. We are not afraid to challenge established norms, pursuing the right outcomes, knowing it is rarely easy. We want our people to have the courage to stand up for their ideas and challenge the status quo. Creativity can often mean simply looking at things in a different way and our collaborative culture allows us to build on ideas and continually improve the work that we do.
Authenticity & Innovation
Innovation is at the heart of what we do. We strive to support, learn from and value the contributions of all colleagues. We encourage people to experiment and take smart risks. Our aim is to foster creative thinking that leads to practical solutions to business challenges. We strive for an organisation in which innovation is rewarded, diversity is embraced and both success and failure are shared.
Accountability
We take responsibility for our actions and proactively demonstrate that we work with and on behalf of others. We perform consistently to standards and seek to achieve and inspire excellence. We are dedicated to continually drawing from our experience, sharing knowledge and applying it to improve our work.
Customer focus
Customer focus is deeply embedded into our mindset, driving us to deliver on time, on cost and on quality. We exist to serve customers and recognise that our customers are the reason for our success in business, and we are one hundred percent committed to listen and respond positively to their needs. We want them to keep coming back and to recommend us to others.We partner with our customers to satisfy their needs and deliver benefits through valuable and sustainable solutions.
In our work, we choose:
• Productiveness: Our objective is for Africa to make 2063. Therefore, we will go beyond the call of duty to ensure that all of are empowered to get the Africa we all want.
• Our Ubuntu: We will help all of us understand and relate to one another, recognising that for Africa to make 2063, we all need to adopt our Ubuntu shared values.
In the voices we amplify, we seek out:
• Honesty: We believe in our mission of informing Africa about what is happening in Africa. We, therefore, seek out the views of those most affected by the policies of the AU and its Members, especially those who are unable to speak for themselves.
• Diversity: Our voices matter. All our voices – women and girls,minorities, elderly people, the disabled, men and even our states managers – matter. At AU Watch News, the views of everyone is welcomed. Our journalists, commentators, analysts and correspondents come from all over Africa and the Diaspora.
Our Business Model & Strategy
AU Watch News is a ‘For Profit’ business within the AU structure.AU Watch News is a 100% subsidiary of AU Watch and financed through commercial revenues.
Our business model is based on our client’s needs. We work closely with customers to understand their plans and challenges, and develop first-to-market products and services to fulfil their requirements and exceed their expectations.
We Have a simple Business Model….
1. All areas of our organisation seek to work in partnership with clients and customers to understand and solve their current and anticipated real-life problems. We are thus in a position to provide business insights for all stages of a business.
2. We get paid a commission as consultants by working with you. We also get paid a commission by recommending and reselling products and services we trust and use ourselves from other companies and partners. We sell a range of business services and products.
3. Every year, we run hundreds of business workshops, trainings, seminars, project management courses, motivational speaking, and one-to-one coaching teaching entrepreneurs how to build thriving online and offline business from scratch to launch and thereafter. We also offerproductized services – providing, from thinking through a business idea to launch and thereafter, comprehensive paid for business solutions – like writing your business plan, locating funding, business management support and advice, corporate / business coaching & training, marketing your business, human resources, consultancy / administrative solutions and e-commerce services. We do copy writing, proof reading, write and run adverts and PR materials. As a social enterprise, we attract sponsorships, and get paid for teaching and conducting research for clients. We also supervise and run projects for clients.
4. Our Ecommerce platform sells physical products which belong to us. Some of these products, like our Moringa products, are manufactured in our own factory. Our Ecommerce site also sells physical products we buy and store from trusted partners. We also do ‘Dropshipping’, where we create an entire sales funnel that the actual factory ships direct to the buyer.
5. We sell digital information products, like SaaS products (software as a service), training, dating advice, fitness consultations, apps, downloadable e-books, (content writing) producing and curating content, business plans, written by our own experts and other business consultants. We also make money from online access to our digital newspapers/magazines, to our full-blown training sites with video, audio, and interactive forums all behind a membership gateway.
6. We help you raise money for your business. We are a Crowdfunding site. Entrepreneurs create over millionsof new businesses each year, and yet only a fraction receive funding. We’ve set out to change that by creating a business crowdfunding platform that enables young Africans to raise capital from investors, customers, and friends.
How it is all interconnected
Generating value for a range of customers
Our vision is to be the customers’ first choice in our selected market segments, creating value through high-performance solutions. We partner with them to enable and assure their product and service offerings, and secure their ongoing business success.
Our Values, Code of Conduct and Rules for Corporate Governance provide principles for how we conduct busi¬ness and, in doing so, a framework for our operations.
The aim of our strategies is to ensure leading posi¬tions in selected segments through differentiation. With our focus on excellence, growth and innovation, we are committed to solving our customers’ challenges. Our leadership is the link between strategies and action.
Our Strategy
We work closely with customers to understand their plans and challenges, and develop first-to-market products and services to fulfil their requirements and exceed their expectations.
AU Watch News has five core themes at its heart: Our corporate objectives:
• To be recognised as the most influential and trusted business organisation
• To value diversity and inclusion in everything we do
• To be fully representative of the whole UK smaller business community
• To provide the most valued package of business benefits and services
• To provide the most effective network for smaller businesses across Africa
COLLABORATION WITH CUSTOMERS AND CUSTOMER TRIALS
We collaborate closely with customers on the new solutions to meettheir needs. Our sales cycle often involves the customer evaluatingthe product before they purchase.Much of our income comes from established customers. Long-term customer retention is key to our success.
We Stand for
Leadership
We create a high-performance culture in a global environment through shared values and target-oriented leadership. Leadership is the link between strategy and action and ensures that we make use of the strength of the organization, drive developments in the right direction, ensure that action is taken and correctly allocate our resources.
AU Watch News is an expert in understanding and addressing the complex needs of the Bame business community
Action
To ensure that the strategies are implemented, ongoing activities are defined that are continuously followed up. These can take the form of, for example, growth initiatives, portfolio development, operational efficiency, talent management and innovation initiatives.
Innovation
We promote an innovative culture and attitude. We think differently and strive to apply innovative thinking and creativity to everything we do. Innovation is a key driver for our growth.
OUR CUSTOMERS’ VALUE PROPOSITION
Our products and services:
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
If you’re an African entrepreneur attempting to build a profitable business, attracting the attention of investors, journalists, and customers can be tough. Not only do you need to fight for attention in an already crowded marketplace, but you also have to fight against stereotypes and thinly-veiled racial bias at the same time.
AU Watch News is here to examine and illuminate our constant struggle to get more done, invest in creativity and focus, and be happy doing it. We bring journalistic rigor and credible, peer-reviewed science to bear.