Before entering the potentially lucrative franchise business, book a seat at the 1st Full on Franchising Theatre at BEFE. At the Business Entrepreneurship and Franchise Expo 2015, presented in partnership with Eskom , entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to research hundreds of business opportunities, including many top franchise opportunities. To help prospective franchisees understand  a variety of franchise models, important strategic considerations and the laws regulating franchises, SA Franchise Warehouse and BEFE will present the ‘ Full on Franchising Theatre: In Business Forever ’ Theatre, hosting  in-depth strategic  workshops throughout the four days of the expo.  Buying a franchise is an exciting opportunity to build your new business on the successes of an established brand.  But not all franchise models are the same, and not all opportunities are all they appear to be. Belinda Bradley , Training and development director at SA Fran...

MODERATE IMPROVEMENT FORECAST FOR SMES IN 2015, BUT CONDITIONS TO REMAIN CHALLENGING Nazeem Martin  The single biggest challenge South African small and medium enterprises (SME) owners’ encountered in 2014 was the perilous state of the economy, which resulted in established businesses stagnating, as well as a decline in new businesses creation.  According to Nazeem Martin, MD of Business Partners Limited, a specialist risk finance company for formal SMEs, 2015 will be similarly challenging for South African small businesses due to the continued sluggish economic growth and the inability of Eskom to ensure an adequate, consistent and reliable power supply.  He says that overall, 2014 was a tough year for businesses and this was primarily attributed to generally adverse conditions. “Many factors during the year undermined businesses confidence and hence their desire and ability to grow and contribute towards economic growth in the country,” says Martin.  M...