What can you do to be more professional in business?
By Jannie Rossouw Head: Sanlam Business Market It is my experience as a consumer and sample of one, that the level of professionalism in business is on the decline. The question, therefore, is what it means to be professional in our businesses and what can we do to improve our level of professionalism. www.yourdictionary.com defines […]
Report reveals that 2017 entrepreneurial activity in SA 4.1% higher than 2016
The recently released 2017-18 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) report for South Africa revealed that entrepreneurial activity in the country is at its highest level since 2013. The report also shows that total early-stage entrepreneurial activity (TEA) is at 11.0% – 4.1 percentage points above the 2016 score of 6.9%. Kobus Engelbrecht, spokesperson for the 2018 […]
Nine tips for entrepreneurs to attract investors and secure funding
By Ben Bierman Managing Director at Business Partners Limited The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor South Africa 2016/2017 reports that two-thirds (67%) of small businesses closed in 2016 either because they were not profitable, or because they encountered problems in accessing financing. Access to finance is not only a significant constraint for early-stage entrepreneurs in South Africa, […]
Continuous improvement in business
Kaizen, a Japanese word and philosophy meaning “change for better”, reminds us that incremental and continuous improvement in life and business can and will propel us forward. This philosophy is powerful, because the implementation thereof is all inclusive, from the business owner(s) to the most junior employee. The question is straightforward – which small improvements […]
SA’s premier entrepreneurial competition marks 30 years of celebrating entrepreneurial excellence
Amid the current political optimism, entrepreneurs should be especially inspired by the continued commitment to SME support which emerged as a consistent theme in both the 2018 State of the Nation Address and the National Budget Speech. This is according to Christo Botes, spokesperson for the 2018 Entrepreneur of the Year® competition sponsored by Sanlam […]
How to raise profit margins without losing customers
By Ben Bierman Managing Director at Business Partners Limited The beginning of the year is the ideal time for small and medium enterprise (SME) owners to explore additional revenue streams and other means of increasing their profit margins. However, this process is expected to still present some challenges for SME owners owing to South Africa’s […]
Improve turnover by increasing the monetary value of sales
By Jannie Rossouw Head: Sanlam Business Market To improve the quality of business decisions we need basic sales information. For the purpose of this article we require the average rand value per sale in our business. The premise is that, if we can increase the number on average, our turnover and ultimately our profits should […]
Entrepreneurial pearls of wisdom
The 2017 Entrepreneur of the Year® winners share their advice for turning 2018 into a success When it comes to being an entrepreneur, there is no sure template to follow or instruction manual to refer to, and no two journeys will ever be exactly the same. There are, however, parallels that can be drawn and […]
New Year, new flow
Cash flow management key to steering a clear course of business in 2018 A typical new year’s cliché is the commitment to resolutions – whether they be to start new healthy habits or break bad ones – something that is usually accompanied by the setting of new priorities for the year ahead. As much as […]
Ten financial tips for business owners in hard times
By Veroshen Naidoo Area manager at BUSINESS/PARTNERS 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 […]