1. Heading 1 (Arial bold - point size 22) Softline Pastel - Over 20 Years in the Making Steven Cohen

2. Heading 1 (Arial bold - point size 22) Our Story Business founded with 3 partners in 1989 and 2 employees Supporting, manufacturing and distributing accounting software Business sold to major JSE listed IT business in 1994 Management buyout in 1996 and listed on the JSE in 1997 Grew the business organically – but also used equity to grow by acquisition – acquisitive vs organic growth Hostile bid in 2003 - de-listed from the JSE – Sage PLC acquires 100% Today part of the Sage global business with over 6 million business users of our products – Sage employs over 8,000 employees Strong throughout the UK, Europe, North America, Africa, and Australia

3. Heading 1 (Arial bold - point size 22) What can you learn from “Our Story” In the beginning, the owners do everything Very considered and “anxious” about the next “move” How do they grow? Anxiety around overheads Slowly begin to acquire more customers Hire more employees Working capital and finance issues System issues More stakeholders “Exposure” in the market brings more challenges o Competitors o Public awareness o Working capital requirements

4. Heading 1 (Arial bold - point size 22) What can you learn from “Our Story” What mistakes did we make in the beginning ? Scared to hire good people because they cost too much Accounting systems – too busy to analyse and think about the numbers Culture of the business – we let the wrong people through the “gate” Learn to say NO easily – allows you to then say YES at the right time Sometimes lost focus in the pursuit of turnover Don’t let anxiety strangle your business Issue equity only to partners who can add value Don’t be scared of debt

5. Heading 1 (Arial bold - point size 22) What can you learn from “Our Story” What are we now doing right ? Learning to sell our value proposition confidently Using our information systems to help us understand our business – not only to “balance the books” Plans are a waste of time, but planning is essential Not distracted by the small stuff : Important vs Urgent – don’t take your eye off the ball by only concentrating on the urgent stuff Leading by example – it lends credibility Hiring the right people and making sure the good ones stay Moving out the bad ones Making sure the cultures right

6. Heading 1 (Arial bold - point size 22) What can you learn from “Our Story” What are we now doing right ? Know your weaknesses and don’t be embarrassed by them Never forget where you came from Make your employees love coming to work (not easy) Give them responsibility Allow them to make considered mistakes – don’t punish them KEEP THEM INFORMED! Educate them – generally and within the industry Recognise good work for people who go the extra mile!

7. Heading 1 (Arial bold - point size 22) The Road Ahead Invest/spend for sustainability – this often takes guts! Remember – your business needs to outlive you Employees don’t work “for you” rather they work “with you” – and you all work for the business Understand your competitors – always Understand where your industry is going – always To identify trends, you need to read, read, read – and share this information with your employees

8. Heading 1 (Arial bold - point size 22) The Road Ahead Make your own opinions and draw your own conclusions Be confident but not arrogant Look after your customers – credibility through word of mouth is invaluable Procrastination is the enemy of progress within your business – make a decision and move on! Keep your promises and get back to people – don’t clutter your mind with unfinished business

9. Heading 1 (Arial bold - point size 22) The Road Ahead Don’t be defensive – it destroys your self growth and frustrates the flow of opinions Keep your mind clear by taking care of the necessities – admin and systems – when your admin is bad, everything suffers and time is spent on tidying up non-critical areas of the business Give back to the community – it makes you feel good and you are growing your future customers Get to the “Sweet Spot Quickly” and always be relevant Don’t complicate the easy stuff to make yourself feel important Keep your eye on strategic issues – but without execution, strategy is meaningless

10. Heading 1 (Arial bold - point size 22) The Road Ahead Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power. Abraham Lincoln

11. Heading 1 (Arial bold - point size 22) THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME