What entrepreneurs wish they’d known when they were starting out

The 2016 Entrepreneur of the Year® winners discuss the advice they would share with their younger selves In the absence of concrete guidance and mentorship, the path to becoming a successful entrepreneur can be a very lonely one. As such, this path is too often forged solely by way of trial and error – frequently […]

Solopreneurs: are you productive enough?

By Christo Botes Spokesperson for the 2017 Entrepreneur of the Year® competition sponsored by Sanlam and BUSINESS/PARTNERS As South Africa is coming from a month of four-day weeks due to back-to-back public holidays, strategies for maintaining and improving productivity are brought to the fore as businesses plan for the period of down-time. For solopreneurs – […]

Hidden life stage selling opportunities

By Jannie Rossouw Head: Sanlam Business Market The needs of all consumers change over time as they age. It is my sense that many business owners miss out on the repeat business opportunities presented by this single life eventuality. There are many permutations of life stage segmentation models available. I found the one below easy […]

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 […]

Why you should evaluate the packaging of your value proposition

By Jannie Rossouw Head: Sanlam Business Market In a commoditised world it is becoming more challenging to differentiate your product or service from your competition, as technological advances make it possible to replicate a product or service in a relative short period of time. Paying close attention to the packaging of your value proposition may […]

Local entrepreneurs ‘wish-list’ for the 2017 Budget Speech

As South Africa gears up for the 2017 National Budget Speech in anticipation for Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan to deliver Government’s expenditure and focus areas for the year ahead, we sat down with a few of the 2016 Entrepreneur of the Year® competition winners to obtain their expectations for the upcoming speech. Michael Roberts, MD […]

What makes entrepreneurs go the distance?

Building your own business is not a sprint, but a marathon, with hills, headwinds, heat and dust. Those who succeed are not necessarily the fastest or the strongest. The successful ones are those who are able to endure. Anton Roelofse, regional general manager of Business Partners Limited (BUSINESS/PARTNERS), has over many years seen hundreds of […]

Give before you expect to receive

By Jannie Rossouw Head: Sanlam Business Market In business the general view is that there is no such thing as a “free lunch”. This implies that, if a consumer within your target market receives something free from a business, there is always an expected quid pro quo.  If this is the conventional wisdom, the question […]

Most attractive sectors for entrepreneurs in 2017

By Christo Botes Spokesperson for the 2017 Entrepreneur of the Year® competition sponsored by Sanlam and BUSINESS/PARTNERS 2016 was a tough year for many South Africans – and small businesses took a hard knock as the local economy experienced many challenges to overcome. Despite this testing environment, there are certain sectors that are ripe with […]