Why change is good for business They say change is as good as a holiday. In the case of The Fish & Chip Co., it’s as good as a menu overhaul. As of April 2014, The Fish & Chip Co. added even more ‘Hot and A lot’ value to the plates and pockets of their customers by refreshing their menu with new meals as well as a whole new menu category, breakfast. The decision to make the changes was not taken lightly, as Managing Executive of The Fish & Chip Co, Jan de Beer, confirms below.  In the business world, brands don’t evolve, improve or remain competitive without change. Change is what keeps it moving forward and relevant in the consumer’s eyes. Brands cannot make changes just for the sake of it, and should base their decision making process on thorough research before anything in the business is tweaked. Change, no matter how minor, could either make or break the brand. Whether change includes a slight alteration to the way stock is purchased or a major shift in ...

The business of good time management It is said when you own your own business that ‘time is money’, and that the amount of time you put in will determine the amount of profit you make. Time management in business is, however, one of the most challenging aspects when running a business, with many owners struggling to strike a balance between the tasks that are essential to success and those that are less so. The business of franchising proves no different, even with a franchise manual that can be used as a guideline. Managing Executive of The Fish & Chip Co, Jan de Beer, shares more on how to practise proper time manage ment in the franchising business, to ensure the most is made of every day. Even though there are many definitions as to what time management actually means, the most common definition is to understand the act of taking conscious control over time spent on various activities. Spending too much time on one activity is not time management, it’s wasting time. To ...

Small businesses to benefit from creation of dedicated Ministry  The creation of a dedicated Ministry for Small Business offers enormous opportunities for this crucial sector of the South African economy.  Standard Bank estimates that about half of South Africa’s GDP is produced by small business, and that about 70% of private employment is provided through firms with fewer than 50 employees.   Ravi Govender “To date, the government has made positive progress toward improving the enabling environment for this sector. This included the simplification of tax requirements and the introduction of various support programmes.  However, poor co-ordination of support has prevented the sector from reaching its full potential as a driver of economic growth and job creation,” says Ravi Govender, Head of Small Enterprises at Standard Bank. Mr Govender notes that while there are a number of state and NGO providers who offer business development and financing targeted ...

Standard Bank announces SnapScan – a game-changing mobile payment solution Standard Bank announced the launch of their mobile payment app, SnapScan. This is the bank’s first mobile payment offering that allows merchants to receive payments from their customers through a combination of a QR code and a secure PIN number. Vuyo Mpako According to Standard Bank’s Head of Innovation and Channel Design, Vuyo Mpako, “We are excited to bring such innovative offerings to all South African businesses. We created this app together with Stellenbosch-based IT agency, FireID in 2013, and it went on to win the 2013 MTN Business’ App of the year award. After extensive beta testing, we’re ready to take this solution to market.”  The challenge that many small enterprises face is the cost of setting up a POS machine combined with interrupted or unreliable connectivity, for example a small business trading at a Saturday market. SnapScan enables small business owners who wouldn’t normally qua...

MAXI’S CORPORATE SOCIAL INVESTMENT DRIVES CUSTOMER VALUE While Maxi’s understands that its Corporate Social Investment (CSI) activities position the company as responsible and caring corporate citizen, Bronwyn Oliveira, brand manager of Maxi’s explains why the chain of nationwide family restaurants has decided that it will focus on CSI. With a footprint of over 65 franchised restaurants across South Africa, Maxi’s appreciates that our customers are our greatest asset and without them, the organisation would not exist. It is with this customer-centric approach in mind that we recognise that a satisfied customer is the greatest business partner that we could ever have. Having identified consumer collaboration as key to our business success, and having a clear understanding that CSI physically demonstrates the heart and soul of the company, we have decided to place the responsibility of social upliftment squarely onto our customers’ shoulders, and with our help, we are able to make...

COUNTDOWN TO ENTER THE 2014 ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR COMPETITION BEGINS With just less than a month until entries close for the 2014 Sanlam / Business Partners Entrepreneur of the Year® competition, South African entrepreneurs are encouraged to enter in order to be recognised and rewarded for the vital role they play within the country’s economy. Now in its 26th year, the free-to-enter competition has become South Africa’s pre-eminent entrepreneurial platform, which embraces local entrepreneurship by offering an opportunity for entrepreneurs to showcase their achievements and elevate their profile, as well as their profits. The competition provides entrepreneurs with the chance to win prizes worth R1 340 000, which includes cash prizes to the value of R350 000, as well as valuable mentorship support, networking opportunities and associated marketing and national media exposure. Christo Botes, spokesperson of the Sanlam / Business Partners Entrepreneur of the Year® competition,...

Real People Group’s SME finance offering anticipated to promote job creation Commenting on the recent announcement that The Real People Group has expanded its purpose specific lending offering to include business finance to local SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprise), Neil Grobbelaar, Group Chief Executive Officer of the Real People Group says market research indicates that the local SME market is ripe for alternative funding facilities. “The reality is that many entrepreneurs are unable to secure finance due to insufficient collateral. Research1 indicates that some of the major challenges facing local SMEs include not only access to finance, but a challenging regulatory environment and lack of entrepreneurial training. Our new SME finance offering plans to address both the financial and training aspects of these challenges,” he comments. The Real People Group acquired WIZZIT Bank’s Loan book together with its entrepreneurship training facility in January 2014. The acquisition means it...

The Five Qualities of Charismatic Franchisees Bronwyn Oliveira, brand manager of Maxi’s, the franchisor of a nationwide chain of family restaurants, discusses the three qualities of likable franchisees and what makes them successful in business. Oprah Winfrey, Steve Jobs, Peter Jones and Cyril Ramaphosa all clearly have it. You won’t be wrong if you answered money but they also all have a clear competitive business edge over others – they are charismatic.   If you thought that they were born with it, you might be surprised to learn that you are mistaken. Charisma is not genetically transferred. Charisma is built through qualities that can be cultivated in many different ways. You can start by observing and learning from mentors and simulating and implementing certain behaviours in your own life.  Five key characteristics that charismatic people display are likeability, confidence, optimism, good listening skills and generally being comfortable with who they are. These...

No cheesy welcome for Scooters Pizza’s new managing executive   Carlo Gonzaga One of South Africa’s leading pizza franchises, Scooters Pizza, has seen major internal changes with new blood in the management team as they welcomed Owen Viljoen as managing executive to the popular pizza brand.   Viljoen has already made his mark at Scooters. His fresh ideas and dynamic thinking set him apart from the rest and the Taste Holdings team is more than happy with his internal changes and looking forward to great brand growth.   As managing executive of the Scooters Pizza team, Viljoen brings with him a mass of experience in retail management which will stand him in good stead to grow the Scooters Pizza brand. After obtaining his Bachelor of Engineering and an MBA at the University of Pretoria, Viljoen worked as a management consultant in logistics, supply chain and organisation development. In 1994, he joined Gilbey’s in Johannesburg as manager of industrial engineering...

  Gauteng will continue to dominate SA’s economy until 2017 G auteng’s leadership role as the economic powerhouse of South Africa’s economy will continue with the province contributing nearly 35% to national GDP until at least 2017. This will be the case - even though economic challenges could see today’s dominant sectors being surpassed by others when it comes to contributing to future growth, says Standard Bank. So says Amrei Botha, Head of Business Segment: Business Banking at Standard Bank, when reviewing research undertaken by the bank into the present state of the provincial economy, the business banking environment and the outlook until 2017. The research reveals that Gauteng’s leadership position in South Africa is driven by its dominance of 19 of 34 detailed economic sectors, and currently accounts for approximately: 40.3% of manufacturing. 33% of electricity and gas production, and water output. 43.8% of the construction sect...