Local entrepreneurs’ ability to save is a catch-22
Navigating saving methods for your business and personal finances By Christo Botes Executive Director, Business Partners Limited South Africans have always been scrutinised for their ability to save, and with July marking National Savings Month – an initiative by the South African Savings Institute (SASI) which encourages all South Africans to embrace the idea and […]
Ten ways to hook investors onto your big idea
A great many excellent business ideas never get past the spreadsheet stage and into the real world simply because entrepreneurs fail to connect to the people with enough money and risk appetite to help them implement them. Finding the right investors and pitching your idea effectively is a business skill that can be worked on, […]
Ten financial tips for business owners in hard times
Financial management naturally tends to slip down the list of priorities for business owners when the economy is booming, finance is cheap and clients are plentiful. But when the tide turns, your ability to control your finances, especially your cash flow, becomes probably the most important survival tool available to the entrepreneur. Veroshen Naidoo, area […]
Six ways for businesses to become pillars of the community
Many businesses make a point of giving, from sponsoring sports gear to donating goods to a nearby charity. By helping out in this way, the thinking goes, the business fosters goodwill and loyalty in the community. But charitable giving is merely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the ways in which businesses […]
The ten rules that entrepreneurs live by
The life of an entrepreneur is different from that of ordinary people in many ways, and one of the main ways in which it differs is that it is more challenging. This is mainly because the entrepreneur sees the world not as it is, but as it can be, and then sets about changing it, […]
It’s time to prepare for the second half
For a spectator of a game of football, the half-time break is merely a chance to stock up on some beer, but for the captains, the coaches and the players, it is a crucial few minutes of reviewing and tweaking their game plan. In a similar way, businesses that do not use some time in […]
Ten ways to hook investors onto your big idea
A great many excellent business ideas never get past the spreadsheet stage and into the real world simply because entrepreneurs fail to connect to the people with enough money and risk appetite to help them implement them. Finding the right investors and pitching your idea effectively is a business skill that can be worked on, […]
Five common mistakes to avoid when buying a property
When things go wrong in commercial property investment they can really go badly wrong, because the consequences are often counted in millions or rands. Owen Holland, Business Partners Limited (BUSINESS/PARTNERS) national asset manager: properties, lists five common mistakes made in commercial property investments. Before you venture into your next commercial property deal, says Holland, it […]
Open communication can turn family into a valuable business asset
By Jeremy Lang Regional general manager of BUSINESS/PARTNERS In a sense, almost all owner-managed businesses are family businesses. The fortunes of even those run by a single entrepreneur without the direct involvement of other family members are heavily influenced by what goes on at home. Such lone-operating business owners can turn their families into one […]
No business is too small for a proper budget
Many business owners mistakenly think their operation is too small for a formal budgeting process. The budget (of sorts) that many business owners keep inside their heads is often more like a basic recipe, and is usually inadequate to deal with the constant change that every business is subject to. This is according to Jeremy […]