BACKGROUND 3@1 Business Centre is a South African born and bred franchise concept headed by founding member Chris Dunn with the support of his wife, Belinda Dunn, in her capacity as Franchise Sales Director. Serving the small and micro business sector, 3@1 have established themselves as a leader in the provision of print to go, courier and Kodak Express services. The support offered by the franchisor team and their broad range of products and services mean that this concept appeals to would-be business owners from all walks of life. New developments confirmed for 2017 include the conversion of 26 PostDotNet group stores in Zambia as well as two new 3@1 stores in Namibia. The franchisor has also secured a Memorandum of Agreement to establish a 3@1 outlet in the United Kingdom, South East of London. THE CONCEPT The 3@1 Business Services franchise concept offers a retail opportunity in the business and communications industry that delivers consultative, personalised service in a...

Clamp down on dodgy appointments to reduce fraud and corruption in the workplace. Contributed by iFacts — Removing your people risk Following the Sunday Times exposé in October that South Africa’s High Commissioner to Singapore, Hazel Francis Ngubeni, has a colourful past as a drug smuggler, industry experts are commentating on what may be going wrong with our country’s vetting procedures for high profile positions. However, Jenny Reid, CEO of iFacts , believes that the problem may not lie with the screening and vetting procedures themselves, but with the fact that appointments are made dishonestly, based on cronyism and cover-ups. No one who has spent two years behind bars in the USA for smuggling cocaine would ever pass any sort of effective vetting or screening process. The problem lies more with the unnamed or anonymous political leader who is said to have nominated her for the position in the first place. When it comes to employee screening in South Africa, keeping the b...

Are you deliberately confusing the market to gain an advantage for your business? You don’t have to reinvent the wheel, but by ‘borrowing’ from your competitors you may be infringing on Competition Law. By Monisha Prem Passing off is creating the impression that your products or services are somehow connected to those of another business, whether by using the same name, brand, slogan or trade mark. If you use the same colour and style of packaging as a competitor or have a similar logo, you could be guilty of passing off, even if your brand name is substantially different, as was the case in Swartkops Sea Salt (Pty) Ltd vs Cerebos Ltd (CA 2012). What are the legal requirements for being accused of passing off?   Reputation or goodwill: The infringed business has a reputation or goodwill connected to its products or brand.   Misrepresentation: The infringer makes false or unauthorised representations, whether expressly or implied.   Impacting the market: This misr...

Charl Krumm “Special occasions are made to be celebrated, and March sees us celebrating two of our Licence's Birthdays. We had a chat to the Licence Partners of each of the shops to gain some insight into their businesses and reflect back on where it all started. We would also like to thank them for their years of dedication and hard work, and wish them the best of success for the many years ahead.” Craig Hutchison, Engel & Völkers Southern Africa – CEO Charl Krumm, Licence Partner Engel & Völkers Bloubergstrand celebrating 2 Years What is your connection to property? I became qualified as a conveyancing attorney in 2008 and did my articles at a highly successful conveyancing law firm focusing on residential developments. Ever since then I have been closely involved with property. Having my wife as an interior architect certainly helps keep me on top of trends. I still practice as an attorney and we regard this an added benefit to our clients as there is always ...

Every second of every day, across the globe, people going about their business are having a ‘franchise experience’. Whether it’s stopping for a take-out coffee, sending a parcel to a friend overseas, going to the gym, having a facial, shopping at a local supermarket, having their vehicle serviced, or enjoying dinner at the latest gourmet restaurant, chances are that most of these establishments are franchises. CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF FRANCHISE EXPOS After 20 successful years as a purely indoor exhibition, the Franchise Business Festival , owned and managed by the Franchise Association of South Africa (FASA), has found a new home at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit and International Convention Centre. The new indoor/outdoor venue will serve to host activities, competitions, food and entertainment that showcase the ‘lifestyle’ aspect of the many sectors that make up franchising. A SHOWCASE FOR YOUR FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY Franchising is considered the cradle of innovative entrepreneurship...

Simpiwe Somdyala The small, medium and micro enterprises (SMME) sector is key to unlocking inclusive economic growth and development, and driving entrepreneurship is one of the priorities identified in the South African National Development Plan. To support this vital sector Old Mutua l has signed up as a gold sponsor of the 3rd Cape Media SMME Opportunity Roadshow , an initiative that connects experienced entrepreneurs and businesses with SMMEs to provide advice, support and opportunities. According to Simpiwe Somdyala, General Manager: Corporate Affairs, “Old Mutual, as a responsible business, recognises that the development of SMMEs contributes positively to the growth and sustainability of South Africa – and also our business.” Old Mutual has a long history of supporting the sector and making a positive impact. During 2016, the company provided about R2 billion in SMME financing and R40 million was committed to the SA SME Fund launched by the CEO Initiative. A further R142 mill...

Thomas Pays Given South Africa’s current economic outlook - following two ratings agencies recently downgrading the country to ‘junk status’ and a third potentially pending - local businesses and their cash flows will be squeezed now more than ever. Thomas Pays, CEO and co-founder of i-Pay - a trusted online payment gateway for both buyers and merchants that allows instant EFT payments - says, that in difficult economic times, businesses should be investigating ways to boost sales and profits, and, one such way, is by offering innovative, cost-effective and simple fintech payment solutions for customers. “A healthy cash flow is critical to a business’ success and survival, and, in South Africa’s current business landscape, the collection of payment needs to be simplified to be most effective. “For example, a company processing R1 million a month in payments may pay 3% to a credit card company to manage these payments. However by using an alternative payment solution, such as elec...

Ben Bierman 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 sectors – with the inclusion of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the State of the Nation Address (SONA) and National Budget Speech – beckoning for a more focused approach to entrepreneurial development in the country. This is according to Ben Bierman, Managing Director at Business Partners Limited (BUSINESS/PARTNERS), who says that just as important as government’s efforts of building an inclusive, supportive and thriving entrepreneurial eco system, is the need for society to encourage and support entrepreneurs in starting and growing businesses which positively contribute towards the country’s growth. “We need to be creat...

Heather Lowe Despite the tough economic conditions that businesses are facing there are some high growth potential SMEs who are looking to grow their profit margins and reach a new level of growth. High growth potential SMEs hold the key to improve economic growth and job creation in South Africa. Heather Lowe, Head of Enterprise and Supplier Development at FNB Business says, overcoming start-up challenges such as having the right business model, effective processes and systems, efficient sales methods and having more money coming in the business than going out of the business will improve the likelihood of reaching a new level of growth for SMEs who are looking to scale-up. She says what separates successful and unsuccessful scale-up entrepreneurs has little to do with intelligence, energy or passion and more to do with technique and militant application of best practice derived from those who have done it before. “Scaling up a business comes with a lot of rewards and benefits...

Christo Botes As South Africa starts a month of four-day weeks due to back-to-back public holidays, strategies for maintaining and improving productivity are brought to the fore as businesses plan for the upcoming periods of down-time. For solopreneurs – entrepreneurs who run their own one-man-show business – reviewing productivity levels can be a difficult task when there isn’t somebody holding you accountable for the business’ output. This is according to Christo Botes, spokesperson for the 2017 Entrepreneur of the Year® competition sponsored by Sanlam and BUSINESS/PARTNERS , who says that it is important for entrepreneurs to measure their personal productivity levels as this will essentially determine whether the business is moving forward or not. “While they are some of the hardest workers in South Africa, entrepreneurs can experience idleness from day-to-day, this is normal as many workers experience more productive days than others. It is thereby important for entrepreneurs...

BACKGROUND Digit Vehicle Tracking is a strong annuity-based business-in-a-box opportunity in the rapidly expanding vehicle tracking and fleet management solutions (FMS) industry. By their own estimation, Digit Vehicle Tracking is currently the seventh largest tracking and fleet management services company in the country and they continuously strive to improve this rating. The fleet management and vehicle tracking industry is a progressive industry where the requirements, specifications and add-on features are evolving continuously. By developing their own hardware and software and establishing a network of distributors to get their product to market, Digit Vehicle Tracking has distinguished themselves from the competition. THE CONCEPT Digit Vehicle Tracking dealers have access to three possible income streams — the profits on hardware sales, the installation thereof and the annuity income from customer subscription payments. For every tracking system installed, the franchisor c...

A tough decision franchisors commonly have to make is turning down a R500,000 cheque from an enthusiastic and aspiring franchisee, but it sometimes has to be done. Sandwich Baron CEO Sally J’Arlette-Joy has the following advice for franchisors: “Before you take that cheque, pause to remember that you're in this for the long run. You won’t be a successful franchisor until each of your franchisees are also successful in their own right.” She lists the single biggest mistake a franchisor can make is to sell a franchise to a person who is not truly qualified. “Being highly selective is perhaps one of the reasons Sandwich Baron has only 47 stores rather than a hundred, but then again it’s probably also the reason our franchisees are all stable and profitable. It is unwise for a franchisor to chase money and try to open too many stores. This may result in having unprofitable businesses which will be to the detriment of the group” she explains. “A thorough assessment of the fra...