Why I chose to enter

Divesh Ramdhass, owner of Pharmacy at Spar Northway and 2013 competition entrant, shares some information with us about his business, insight into the pharmacy industry and discusses why he decided to enter the competition. Briefly describe your business and the industry you operate in? Pharmacy at Spar Northway was opened in December 2012 after being […]

The do’s and don’ts of business expansion

At one time or another, every business goes through a growth spurt and, whether it’s a multi-national corporation or an entrepreneurial enterprise, expansion is a tough process to navigate. The real danger for any expanding business is that it does so too quickly or in an uncontrolled way. When this happens, cash flow and customer […]

Too many obstacles still hindering SA’s entrepreneurial growth

It is no secret that South Africa suffers from an unemployment crisis, with millions of people actively searching for employment. The recent Stats SA Quarterly Labour Force Survey once again highlighted this crisis, reporting that the unemployment rate has increased to 25.2% in the first quarter of 2013. According to Christo Botes, spokesperson for the […]

Why EOY is valuable to the entrepreneurial community

2013 competition entrant, Richard Qonto, shares some information with us about his business and discusses why he decided to enter the competition this year. Briefly describe your business and the industry you operate in? Pendairies (Pty) Ltd is an authorised Parmalat distributor based in the Western Cape. My key business functions comprise of marketing and […]

Celebrating entrepreneurial success at the 2013 EOY business workshops

In order to celebrate entrepreneurial excellence, Sanlam / Business Partners Entrepreneur of the Year® (EOY) have been staging business workshops around South Africa to create platforms for entrepreneurs to network and learn from each other. During April, workshops were held in Nelson Mandela Bay, as well as Pietermaritzburg. In Nelson Mandela Bay guests were addressed […]

Estate planning and the business owner

By Clive Hill (Legal Adviser: Sanlam Trust) As a business owner, time-management is your greatest challenge. You need to focus 100% on your business, but can’t afford to lose what you have worked so hard to build up. At the same time, you want to do what is best for your family and, at the […]

Protect your business; cover your assets

Any business operation is vulnerable when faced by unplanned crises. The crippling and unexpected costs associated with these risks are often compounded by failure to protect the business adequately through appropriate short-term insurance. Although the greatest losses are usually experienced when a business is not insured; under-insuring your business can prove to be just as […]

Why entrepreneurial skills are important for a business

This month we chat to Justin Hawes of Scan Display, who was one of the finalists in the EOY 2012 competition about how he manages to instil entrepreneurial skills within his business. How do you develop entrepreneurial skills within your business? With freedom comes responsibility. Therefore my management style is very much one of making […]

Our 2012 winners share the benefits of entering the competition

The 2013 Sanlam / Business Partners Entrepreneur of the Year® competition is officially open for entries! We asked our 2012 winners about the various benefits that they have seen as a result of the competition thus far, as well as their advice for potential entrants. William Duk of The Plantation Shutter Co: Overall Sanlam / […]

Entrepreneurship challenges

The failure rate of start-ups is exceptionally high – why do these businesses fail? It is a known fact that the main reason for business failures is management related. It is often intelligent, honest, hard working people that fail. They either do not have the typical entrepreneurial traits required to make a success, or they […]