Brand Analytics focuses on assisting growth of SMEs

As a business enabler and growth accelerator and global guest speaker, Diane Boorman uses her 55 000 hours of entrepreneurial and corporate success to help uncover hidden opportunities and future potential by identifying areas of business often forgotten.

Change Agent Of The Year

What inspired you to become an entrepreneur?

Life is filled with adventures, and especially in my life. In my late 20s, working in corporate, I always had the need to do more, achieve more, and 13 promotions in six years was fabulous. Every Saturday evening a group of friends got together around our dinner table and we would discuss ideas for business, what could work and what would never work – a friend and I even did a business plan – this felt very real.

Soon after my son was born, I needed to spend more time with him and working for a corporate I felt guilty taking time off as well as guilty for not spending time with my baby – so I resigned and bought my first business. The logical thought was it would be easy, a quiet little laundry in a community shopping centre.

It was super difficult, but I learnt quickly and eventually sold the business 18 months later as a franchise model. I realised folding undies was not the form of creativity I wanted but needed to add the creativity to my next business.

So an entrepreneur was born – and after 25 years, I am still loving every moment of using wisdom gained and shared, creativity and innovation from the past for future, and ultimately inspiring and motivating others while speaking globally on business growth and growing my online academy for business owners on the practical side of business – finding investors and taking them global.

Practical business is fun, opportunities are everywhere – you just need to find the right ones that add to your life and your bank account

Tell us a bit about your journey to starting your business.

Every business that I have owned started from a need… a desire to want to succeed. Using the knowledge that I had, I grew fast in each business, pushing boundaries, not wanting to sit still – but rather the need to succeed was powerful. Every business I have owned I developed the perfect offering pyramid. This is often where business owners go wrong. I knew each business had an objective, and needed to be the expert of that industry. We were solely focused on development and succeeding.

It was loads of fun. We always tested new product offerings before going to market – perfecting as we grew. There was never a time of risking it all.

Currently Brand Analytics is all about inspiring, motivating and educating business owners for growth.

We have an online business owner academy, The Diamond Academy™ offering a 9-month programme, The Diamond Plan™. Once completed, a business owner’s strategies will be in place, confidence will increase, and you will have better knowledge to make better business decisions. Your business will grow, you will make more profit and have less expenses.

Once the business owners have completed this programme, we offer virtual board and monthly accountability meet ups. The Strat Lab is held quarterly to set goals and understand what is blocking the business, while adding education and growth.

Then we look to Go Global – a 6-month programme to take business owners global. Alternatively, find funding from government or individual investors to ensure continued growth of the business environment in SA and abroad.

Through our service the business owner gets pushed out of a comfort zone and they gain wisdom and confidence to make the best business decisions.

Every business owner we work with is part of an ecosystem – we offer education from monthly experts sharing knowledge, online tech to share opportunities and networking – and we are continuously looking for the next opportunity for every business owner.

Ultimately, we assist the growth of SMMEs.

What are some of the key characteristics that make you a successful entrepreneur?

Resilience, honesty, a sense of humour, being open to learn, and freedom to share info and experience.

What motivates you?

The success of my clients! To watch the growth and see the realisation that business owners can grow beyond their thoughts and desires and realise there is a huge world of opportunities.

What were some of the challenges you have faced as an entrepreneur?

Challenge is always about confidence! Can I? Do I have enough knowledge? Am I good enough? Also, what is the next step – where do you find more knowledge?

There is no safety net, so if you step out your comfort zone will you survive?

I have had every challenge imaginable, but the biggest challenge is in our minds – it’s about are we good enough.

How have you overcome challenges?

Very early in my entrepreneurial journey I realised if I knew a little bit more about the industry that I worked in, I could be an expert. I worked really hard, went out to gain knowledge and find my support structures, had people around me that had done more than what I had, and learned from them and with them. I am eternally grateful for the many mentors in my life.

What were some of the highlights of your journey as an entrepreneur?

There have been so many highlights and many accolades and awards over many years.

The success of my clients – from garage-based businesses to global companies. Developing my own academy. Global speaking. Being a Diamond Plan™ finalist in Best Accelerator/Incubator Program 2023 in SA for the 2023 Southern Africa Startup Awards part of Global Startup Awards. And the gratitude from business owners when they realise they can grow bigger and be more.

What are the key lessons you have learned?

Nothing is easy. Having you hands out and expecting something from others doesn’t work.

How do you foresee your business growing in the next five years?

• The Diamond Plan™ is currently being prepared to be licensed for accountants wanting to help their clients, lawyers who want to assist their clients and more – to make a bigger impact.

• The Diamond Den™ finding investors and linking to SMMEs – in the next few years we will have our own fund for SMME growth.

• The Strat Lab is going into corporate teams to help set goals, looking back to look forward while being pushed out of their comfort zones and understanding new knowledge and new opportunities.

• Global speaking in a different country each month.

• We will always inspire, motivate, and educate business owners for growth while adding practical business knowledge to make better business decisions. ■