Proudly hosted by SA Franchise Warehouse Registration NOW OPEN! Register now to attend this 1 day Full on Franchising Theatre workshop to learn the basics of franchising and understand the benefits and challenges. Programme topics will include: Franchising 101 Evaluating a Franchise Legalities in franchising Funding a Franchise Date: 8, 9& 10 September 2016 Times: 10h00 -15h30 daily Venue: #BuyaBusiness Expo, Ticketpro Dome, Northriding Delegate Fee: R 295.00 per person Workshop Fee includes: Access to a 1 day workshop Light finger lunch & refreshments Complimentary access to the #BuyaBusiness Expo 1 x Event online matchmaking diary profile to schedule meetings at the event with franchising opportunities Visit www.BuyaBusinessExpo.co.za or http://www.thebereed.co.za/buyabusinessexpo/full-on-franchising-2/  for more information and to register.

Jesse Weinberg FNB has launched DocTrail™ a new innovative banking solution that enables FNB Business customers to upload and attach supporting documentation to online payments, exerting greater control over the daily running of their businesses. DocTrail™ drastically reduces the administrative burdens that most businesses face when it comes to payment authorisation and audits by letting them digitise their payment authorisation process as well as requisitions. This gives their auditors easy access to download historical transactions along with their supporting documents. Jesse Weinberg, Product Head for Business Accounts at FNB says, “DocTrail™ is a world-first because customers can now upload and store source documents such as supplier invoices when making payments online through their bank.”  “What really makes it unique is that apart from allowing businesses to track exactly what payments were made for, DocTrail™ can be configured to grant multiple users access to...

Markex 2016 is set to be fresher and more focused than ever before, a sentiment underlined by the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. fact that this year’s show has welcomed 40 new exhibitors on board. The targeted promotional product expo is running from 6 to 7 July at the conveniently located Among the new faces at this year’s show is Swarovski, the global leader in cut crystal and fashion jewellery, which will be featuring its high-end corporate gifts, from fashion jewellery and accessories, a unisex collection, a Christmas collection, items for the home and office, to a range of corporate awards. With a strong focus on the environment, Smart Water Solutions will have a working Smart Waterpebble display on view at the expo. Voted by Time magazine as one of the top ten gadgets to save the planet, the Smart Waterpebble uses a simple traffic light system, encouraging shorter shower times and saving on water and energy. Designed to be recycled, it is eco packaged, ma...

Studies show that the employment rate for people with a tertiary education is 80%, while those with only a matric certificate have an employment rate of around 50%. However, a university education is not for everyone, and it's an expensive route to take, especially if you are not entirely sure whether your field of choice is what you would want to do for the next few decades. “In a modern day and age many other options are available to those wanting to get a tertiary qualification such as working an internship in the trade of choice” said Craig Hutchison, CEO of Engel & Völkers Southern Africa . Options of studying while working, or working an intern year is becoming an attractive and popular choice for those wanting to take their income level into their own hands. Perhaps your mind has not been made up completely on what you would like to study, or are considering a change in your current career, this could be your ideal solution as you gain work experience which better your...

Gerrie van Biljon The ailing South African economy, exasperated by rising government debt and the weakening rand, poses a unique set of challenges for small and upcoming businesses. We have also seen in the last few years the number of South Africans interested in starting a business has halved since 2010. However, trying economic conditions don't necessarily mean a death sentence for smaller companies. This is according to Gerrie van Biljon, Executive Director at Business Partners Limited (BUSINESS/PARTNERS) who says that by employing simple strategies, such as better expense and cash flow management, customer centricity and the streamlining of processes, not only can smaller businesses survive during these tough economic times, but they can thrive. “Having recently revised its GDP down to 0.4% from 0.6% for quarter 4 of 2015, economic growth in South Africa has slowed down, and the inflation rate and unemployment figures remain ominously high. While this kind of economic cli...

Ydhvir Seetharam Youth should be open-minded about entrepreneurship as a career option As South Africa narrowly avoids a credit rating downgrade, one factor that can contribute positively to the revival of the economy is entrepreneurship, particularly youth entrepreneurship. Yudhvir Seetharam, Head of Analytics for FNB Business says with first quarter GDP figures not showing signs of improvement, the likelihood of creating jobs continues to shrink, leaving young graduates with fewer options in the workplace, unless they consider new business ventures. Employment figures released by Stats SA in April show that unemployment in the first quarter increased to 26.7%, which is 2.2% higher than the fourth quarter of 2015.  This coupled with the volume of job losses is a clear indication that it is going to get even harder for young graduates to secure sustainable jobs. "The reality is that there are not enough jobs available in the market to cater for all the graduates in the countr...

Sandwich Baron , South Africa’s fastest growing sandwich franchise, celebrates its 20th year in business this year.  Founded by Sally J’Arlette-Joy, the franchise chain has grown from one to 51 stores in two decades, with stores in Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.  Across the country, South Africa’s popular breakfast and lunch take-away for working folk has launched a birthday month social media promotion where it will give away 20 sandwiches every day. Each person who wins a free sandwich and goes into store, takes a selfie and posts it to social media with #Happy20thBirthdaySandwichBaron will be entered into a competition to win R20 000 in cash.  One lucky entrant will be drawn at the end of June. This successful franchise business had humble beginnings in Sally’s home.  “After selling my restaurant I wanted to rest, but when the money was running out I realised that I needed a new idea and no-one had yet tapped into t...

It has been a little more than a decade since the German real estate group Engel & Völkers sold their first Licence Territory outside of Germany and expanded to South Africa. It is now 13 years later, and as they celebrate the signing of the initial country licence agreement in June 2003, they also take the time to reflect back on the positive growth that the brand has seen, and even more so, the excitement of things to still come. Engel & Völkers Southern Africa saw an explosion in the brand. “It was definitely the right move to expand the German brand into Southern Africa, bringing with it the unique systems, training and professionalism which the company has been developing for almost 40 years” explained Craig Hutchison, CEO of Engel & Völkers Southern Africa. “Our success is thanks to a dedicated team of staff, who are all passionate about the business and the brand. Each individual in our company live by our principals of offering an exceptionally high level of serv...

Tim Holmes By Tim Holmes Even with the greatest ideas from the greatest minds, businesses face a startlingly high risk of failure to survive for more than three years. “Locally, the Department of Trade and Industry records that currently only two out of every seven new businesses survive their first year of trading and only one out of five make it past year three,” says Tim Holmes, Managing Director and Governance Manager of Sirdar South Africa . “Often people think their great idea is enough on its own merit, and fail to seek sound advice from the experts that complements their business strategy and enables them to implement a robust process and structure from the word go.” The stats do not bode well for prospective new business owners. Holmes iterates that if the vast majority of failed start-ups in South Africa had started life on day one with a board meeting, either they wouldn’t have started at all, or they would have survived for a lot longer.  Most businesses, in fact, s...

By Camilia du Plooy As in any trade or industry, a numerous amount of influences and current economic standings influence the market specifically, and changes the trend or shape it takes. When buying or selling your home one should consider whether it's a buyer or sellers' market, and how it would affect the offers received on your house or how it will change things on the new holding you are wanting to obtain. Buyer's and seller's markets don't last forever. It's hard to predict what the market will do with any accuracy and things can change slowly or quite rapidly depending on the economic and political outlook. You might end up waiting months or years for things to change, and when circumstances do change, it may not be in your favour. In a buyer's market there is more supply than demand. There are more people looking to sell houses than there are people looking to buy . “In a buyer's market, sellers need to ensure that the pricing of their property...

The unemployment rate in South Africa was estimated at 26.7% in March 2016, a significant increase from 24.5% in the first quarter of the year – according to Statistics South Africa. Youth Day, which is acknowledged annually on the 16 June, highlights the need for Corporate South Africa to invest in skills development and entrepreneurial training in order to address the pressing issue of unemployment among the youth. This is according to Janice Finlay, Head of Economic Development at Solar Capital - a leading solar plant developer that recently launched the largest solar farm in the Southern Hemisphere - who says that unemployment among South African youth is not only a pressing social issue, but is also a major obstacle standing in the way of economic growth in the country. “To address this issue, Solar Capital recently started its Solar Capital Enterprise Development Youth Programme, which aims to create start-up businesses that will be owned and run by 16 local youngsters between t...

Anton Roelofse Given South Africa’s high youth unemployment rate, estimated to be around 60%1, starting and growing a business is a potentially enriching career path for a young person to choose, not only financially, but also mentally and socially. Anton Roelofse, regional general manager at Business Partners Limited (BUSINESS/PARTNERS) , says that while entrepreneurship is an exciting career option with great future potential, entrepreneurs, particularly the youth, also need to be aware that it is a difficult path. “The business discontinuation rate in South Africa remains higher than the established business rate1 – which refers to a business that has been in operation for more than three and a half years. This means that businesses are closing at a faster rate than the rate at which new businesses are being established in the country. While this high rate of discontinuation affects all entrepreneurs, it puts younger entrepreneurs at greater risk as they may not have the indust...

Gugu Mjadu Successfully building a client base: Advice for start-up, young entrepreneurs Attracting and retaining clientele is an integral part of running a successful business – irrespective of its industry, structure or size. Although a challenging feat for all entrepreneurs, this can be particularly trying for young entrepreneurs, who have not had the privilege of building up a network of business contacts and potential clients over a number of years. This is according to Gugu Mjadu, spokesperson for the 2016 Entrepreneur of the Year® competition sponsored by Sanlam and BUSINESS/PARTNERS , who says that young entrepreneurs are often so focussed on the novelty of establishing their own business venture that they forget the importance of securing an initial customer base. “Regardless of how innovative or necessary a new product or service may be, clients are ultimately the deciding factor in whether or not a business venture will be a success,” she says.  Mjadu explains tha...

Morne Cronje Franchising continues to be an attractive investment for entrepreneurs that want to play it safe and go with a tried and tested concept. In spite of that, even a proven business model still carries an element of risk for entrepreneurs that go in blindly without doing proper due diligence. Morne Cronje, Head of Franchising at FNB Business says, similar to other businesses, franchises are also sensitive to economic headwinds. As a result, entrepreneurs that want to take that big leap of faith into running their own franchises should carefully do their homework to avoid disappointment and financial losses. He shares ten essential questions that entrepreneurs should ask franchisors before signing on the dotted line: When will I reach break-even point - It is important to understand all the start-up and running costs of a franchise. This helps to determine when the business will begin generating enough revenue to cover all monthly expenses. Will I get enough support -...

Bevan Ducasse FNB Business in association with Endeavor South Africa announced Bevan Ducasse, Founder and CEO of wiGroup as the overall winner of the 2016 FNB Business Innovation Awards , in Bryanston, Johannesburg.                 Ducasse was honoured and recognised for using innovation to drive business growth and having potential to significantly scale through the Endeavor network. He will be sponsored by FNB and flights provided by SWISS International Airlines to attend the prestigious Endeavor International Selection Panel (ISP) in Boston in September this year, to stand a chance to be selected as an Endeavor Entrepreneur. Endeavor Entrepreneurs are part of a global network of founders, they gain access to influential business leaders as mentors and an advisory board to help them achieve their business goals. “I am excited and feel privileged to be recognised as the winner of the FNB Business Innovation...

New development in Potchefstroom Real estate development, or property developments, have manifested into popular business opportunities, with renovation and re- lease of existing buildings to the purchase of raw land to be developed. Real estate developers and companies who coordinate all of these activities, converting ideas on paper to real property have found it to be a very realistic choice to those wanting to scale down, starting out small or invest with a lucrative future at mind. “Property developments have increased tremendously by number in the last year, especially in areas close to universities and expanding societies” noted Carl Venter, Licence Partner of Engel & Vӧlkers Potchefstroom. Gated communities or complexes have become the most popular choice over the past decade, and increases to do so, as it offers safety and a hassle-free lifestyle in today’s fast paced life. From an investment point of view, it would also not disappoint. As a return on investment, i...

Elize Giese As the old saying goes, ‘do not put all your eggs in one basket’, the same principle applies to small business owners that want to get the most out of their savings, while minimizing investment risks. Elize Giese, Head of Investments at FNB Business says when investing business profits it is important for SMEs to have a diversified portfolio as a way of managing risks. “Diversifying simply refers to limiting risks by spreading a company’s investments across different instruments and products in order to cater for short and long-term business needs,” adds Giese. However, the extent to which a business diversifies depends on the nature of the business and its long-term investment and savings plan. Giese says small business owners with cash on hand should opt for investments that are not only diverse, but offer liquidity in the event that instant access to cash is required for unexpected short-term business needs. For example, there are various business investment products...

Last week’s Africa Day was commemorated across the continent, marking the birth of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 1963. The celebrations were met with renewed calls for Africa to make its own way, to work on the low rate of inter-regional trade and to build the infrastructure that will support economic development on the continent. In his Africa Day address to the African Union last week, South African President Jacob Zuma reflected the views of other African leaders when he said, “We want an Africa with modern infrastructure, where one can fly from one country to another within the continent, without having to go via Europe. We want an Africa where people are able to drive or ride by rail from one country to another with greater ease. It is for this reason that we are working, under the auspices of the African Union, to build infrastructure that will boost economic development in our continent.” Although there has been a relative slowdown in growth in Sub-Saharan A...

The environmental change sweeping our world is happening at a rate far faster than previously imagined, concluded the Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-6) study carried out by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) this year. With a focus on protecting the environment during World Environment Day, 01 June 2016, the move towards the provision of renewable energy through the South African Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement (REIPPP) Programme has been lauded for assisting in the reversion of the worst impacts of climate change, as recognised by the UNEP. According to Paschal Phelan, Chairman of Solar Capital, renewable energy in general, and solar power specifically, allows for a reduction in the reliance on fossil fuels - while also providing a far superior option in terms of protecting the environment. “The production of solar energy has minimal CO² emissions, little water usage, is inexhaustible, and it is safe.” Phelan explains that global electricity produ...

Neil Bromehead In our previous blog post (Integrated or specialist agencies) I discussed some of the benefits that our clients experience when dealing with Stratitude as an integrated agency. In this post, I’d like to discuss the benefits it provides us as Stratitude’s digital team. Firstly, and probably most importantly, we can align our client’s digital strategy with their overall marketing strategy. In fact, because we are included in all up-front discussions and strategic planning, we are able to integrate digital thinking right from the start. Secondly, we have immediate access to all the content and artwork being produced for the client. With minimal effort, we can reuse or repurpose that work for each stage of our digital marketing process. Our high-level strategic approach to digital is based on a marketing funnel. At the top of the funnel, you have feeder platforms that generate traffic and create visibility online, where people are likely to be spending their time. Th...

With digital and social media platforms becoming the new way of marketing, one should think that finding potential buyers would be easier? The only problem is that individuals looking to purchase a property still believe in a very hands-on approach when making such a big investment, after all – seeing is believing. “Presentation is a key factor to make your listing fly of the  'For Sale'” shelf” advises Craig Hutchison, CEO of Engel & Völkers Southern Africa. Pictures can be misleading and therefore old school methods such as staging a show house and inviting buyers to view your home is still a fail proof way of creating an interest in your property. Although taking into account the security risk of inviting complete strangers into your house, might leave you eliminating this option, you need to investigate the options available to you. “When making use of a reputable property sales advisor, they are dedicated to your specific needs and limit the feet which pass through y...