Survivalist entrepreneurs are a crucial element of South Africa’s economic development aspirations, as they represent a significant portion of the emerging Small, Medium and Micro Enterprise (SMME) market in the country. However, the growth and development of these survivalist businesses is currently being stifled, as many of them do n o t understand the broader ideas that are required for enterprise sustainability, and have a narrow and short term view of business development. T he Vuka Mentorship Programme TM , which is a structured enterprise development initiative, is helping to change this situation by assisting corporate companies in cultivating SMMEs that can supply products or services within their local communities . Sharon Reed, CEO of Neosho119, which runs the Vuka Mentorship Programme TM explains further. “Through a structured, verifiable and measured approach, The Vuka Mentorship Programme™ is engaging with corporate businesses to help numerous entrepreneurs shift thei...

PRESS RELEASE                                                                                                          26 March 2012 Arrive Alive statistics indicate that 90% of accidents in the country are preceded by a road traffic offence, and that in 70 - 80% of these incidents, the major contributing factors are aggressive, reckless, negligent or inconsiderate driver behaviour (including road rage), speeding and impaired driving, as well as drivers ignoring the traffic rules...

Be a non-conformist and embrace your creativity! By Jim Stovall One of the biggest challenges in a formal education is the struggle between creativity and conformity. Classroom educational experiences, by design, breed conformity. We are taught to write, think and process information the same way, and while conformity is good for teaching basic skills, it stifles creativity. Picasso said, “We are all born artists. The key is to remain an artist as we grow up.” While there needs to be some conformity in the way we learn the alphabet, extending conformity to the creative writing process stifles the artist in each of us. It could be argued that we are at our most creative when we are around three or four years old. We can entertain ourselves with anything that comes to hand or even nothing at all. At this age we are adept at creating imaginary friends, villains and superheroes on demand. As we begin our schooling and progress through the grades, more and more we are required to con...

Determining which valuation method to apply will require an assessment of the circumstances of the business. By Kobus Oosthuizen      The valuation of any business is a speculative affair, lending itself to a certain amount of guess work. If only we could look to a crystal ball for the answers, the business of business valuation will be more of a science and less of an art. Regardless of how hazy and unsure certain assumptions are, there are scientific principles which can be applied to at least make your guess an educated one. The circumstances of the business play a significant role in determining the valuation method to be applied. Depending on the business, it may even be prudent to complete more than one valuation using a variety of methods and using the average of these results may also provide a measure of comfort. Below we set out what we believe to be some of the more important circumstances that require your consideration in determining the most suitabl...

What was up for grabs? A one week off-season break for two people on the island paradise of Mauritius, return economy flights and accommodation at the 4 Star Port Chambly Hotel on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis. How did you qualify? Subscribing to SA Franchise Warehouse and the Franchise Lifestyle Club gained you automatic entry into the competition, which ran from April to November 2011. Our winner, Jan Roeloffze, who was quite disbelieving of his good fortune when notified of his win by SA Franchise Warehouse Portfolio Manager, Natasha Böhmer, happens to love travelling. Most noted amongst his travels, are his visits to Amsterdam and Spain, but so far France and Paris specifically, top his list of favourite destinations. Jan is planning a trip to London later this year and will now be able to tick Mauritius off his list as well and by all accounts it sounds like he deserves the break. Jan is the proud owner of the Perfect 10 franchise in Woodmead, Johannesburg. Perfect 10...

Express Employment Professionals South Africa earned top honors at the staffing firm’s 29 th annual International Leadership Conference in San Antonio, Texas. The Directors Award was received by Carolyn Diaz, Express Head Quarters and Pietermaritzburg franchise owner. This award is given to individuals who have grown and developed to higher levels and continue to model the Express culture. She has been instrumental to the growth and sustainability of South Africa. Since taking over the helm in 2008, it has seen consistent growth every year. She has helped Express grow by 277% in four short years, and has developed a strong staff component at Head Quarters. “Through diligence and dedication, she has helped put a huge footprint in her country, with more than 15 offices. If it weren’t for this person, we would be nowhere near the success we have in South Africa, ” says William Stoller (USA). Nearly 1,400 Express franchisees and their staff attended the company’s annual international le...

Looking at expectations, market impact and legal considerations By Jan Davel During 2012 and beyond, real estate agents can expect a continuing escalation in consumer demand for better service, better information and better value for money.  As the Consumer Protection Act becomes more widely known and applied, the proverbial bar will inevitably be raised by consumer behaviour, in the real estate as well as other economic sectors. The ever increasing levels of professionalism demanded of estate agents will require that they give credence to ongoing training and skills development and that they improve their efficiency by embracing new business practices and technologies. Real estate agents should also consider the more conservative criteria applied by lenders against the backdrop of a global economic recession. Many consumers are also inclined to keep a tight rein on expenditure, as they rebuild their credit records and more importantly, lower their debt exposure.  Although ...

Johannesburg, 13 March 2012, To officially celebrate the warm and encouraging welcome received from Witbank locals and Maxi’s staff since opening its doors in December 2011, Maxi’s Ben Fleur held their official opening function last night. The restaurant, located at Ben Fleur Shopping Centre on the corner of Da Vinci and Paul Sauer Street in Witbank, is owned by Keith Hamilton and Cornelia Engelbrecht . Engelbrecht notes that she and Hamilton are extremely pleased about the highly enthusiastic response the restaurant has received from the Witbank community. “We have been overwhelmed with the phenomenal enthusiasm that the people of Witbank have shown, and all the well wishes we have received from them for the restaurant’s success. Their support and word of mouth advertising will ultimately drive the success of Maxi’s Ben Fleur.” Taste Holdings Food Division CEO, Christo Calitz adds that the favourable response to the restaurant proves that it is primed for long term success. “Undo...

Nashua Limited today launched their new marketing campaign, which showcases how their office solutions can help you have more fun in the office. “Nashua understands that we all live in a time focussed community and that time is a precious commodity. However, we also know that you don’t want to spend all your time busy with mundane tasks that our office automation solutions could be doing for you,” explains David Hallas, Marketing Director of Nashua Limited. “In light of this, we approached our advertising agency, DoJo119 to come up with an effective and humorous campaign that would show customers how Nashua saves you time, saves you money and puts you first - by giving you Smarter Office Solutions.” The new series of television adverts introduces four games that one can play at the office now that Nashua solutions are helping companies to be more cost and time efficient. Employees are encouraged to play a round of Water Cooler Roulette or Sticky Note Touches the next opportunity tha...

Johannesburg, 12 March 2012 - Having fired up their grills in December 2011, Maxi’s Davenport officially celebrated the opening with a well represented function on 6 March 2012. The restaurant, situated at Davenport Square in Glenwood, Durban has been providing hungry Durban shoppers with the freshest and tastiest meals accompanied by outstanding service since opening their doors. Nana Vezi, owner of Maxi’s Davenport says that a main priority for her is to maintain the tasteful impression that the restaurant has made on locals. “I am so pleased to have officially celebrated the opening of Maxi’s Davenport by sharing a joyous evening with my family, friends and Maxi’s staff. Since opening, we have received a tremendous amount of support from the community, and I plan to ensure that the restaurant lives up to Maxi’s renowned qualities, such as offering our customers exceptional service and value for their money. “A highlight of the evening’s celebrations was having the opportunity to...

Craig Shapiro has prepared a useful checklist to guide you in drafting a suitable disclosure document. Although the Franchise Association of South Africa (“FASA”) has for many years required that its franchisor members provide upfront disclosure to prospective franchisees, and even though this is in line with best international practices, this was, as you may be aware, not previously a statutory or legal requirement in South Africa. This changed on 1 April 2011 with the coming into operation of the Consumer Protection Act (“CPA”) in terms of regulation 3 of which every franchisor must provide a prospective franchisee with a compliant disclosure document, at least 14 days prior to the signing of a franchise agreement.   DISCLOSURE DOCUMENT CHECKLIST Every franchisor must provide a prospective franchisee with a disclosure document, dated and signed by an authorised officer of the franchisor, at least 14 days prior to the signing of a franchise agreement. 1.    ...