Tips for small business owners to keep their employees motivated
By Ben Bierman Managing Director at Business Partners Limited Zig Ziglar, renowned American author and motivational speaker said: You don’t build a business. You build people and people build the business. As a small business owner, the up-keep of staff morale is vital to keep employees motivated so that they can contribute towards building and […]
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, […]
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 […]
Building a business from the inside out
Nowadays, brands spend so much money on marketing and advertising but often forget about the employed workforce who have to implement what is communicated to the outside world. This is according to creative strategist, Lindy Scott, who is the Managing Director and founder of Conceptual Eyes – a Gauteng-based creative agency specialising in corporate internal […]
2017 Entrepreneur of the Year® competition now open for entries
The instrumental value that entrepreneurs add to the South African economy is undisputable – they are an important cog in the creation of the much needed jobs in the country. It is therefore encouraging that the challenges and obstacles which impede this valuable sector are receiving some much-needed attention from both the public and private […]
Give your employees some healthy options
Like retirement savings and disability cover, medical cover is a crucial part of everyone’s financial planning. “Good healthcare can be expensive and medical procedures can easily set you back by tens of thousands of rands,” says Sharon Rubens, Managing Director of Completemed Healthcare Consultants, a division of Sanlam Healthcare Management. “Add to that our alarming […]
EOY entrant moving forward in the transport industry
In light of October being Transport Month we chat to 2012 competition entrant Ashley van der Berg, Managing Director of Rail2Rail, about his journey as an entrepreneur in the transport industry. 1. Briefly describe your business and the industry you operate in? Rail2Rail is a specialised concrete railway sleeper manufacturer, based in Kimberley in the […]
Why EOY is valuable to the entrepreneurial community
2013 competition entrant, Nickey Mannya, Managing Director of Rural Brands, shares some information and insight about his entrepreneurial journey and discusses why he decided to enter the competition. Briefly describe your business and the industry you operate in? At Rural Brands we develop and produce technologically advanced online solutions to help businesses achieve “efficiency through […]
Marketing a key to success for small businesses and entrepreneurs
In the current economic climate entrepreneurs are required to keep their businesses profitable, while spending as little money as possible. As a result, entrepreneurs should adopt an integrated approach to marketing their business, as the heart of a business’s success lies in its marketing strategy. This is according to Justin Hawes, Managing Director of Scan […]
Q&A with Mmabatho Mokiti
Youth Month is celebrated annually throughout the month of June. Not only does this month coincide with the historically significant Youth Day, but represents the government’s commitment to confronting youth unemployment in South Africa. In order to counteract the increasing levels of youth unemployment, it is crucial to communicate and promote entrepreneurship as an attractive […]