28 February 2012 Maxi’s Three Rivers, located at the River Square Shopping Centre in Three Rivers, Vereeniging, has recently undergone a physical and managerial transformation. With a stylish new look to complement the delicious meal offerings, new owners Morne and Luzaan Britz are confident that the store will continue to flourish by serving the community’s needs. The restaurant’s fresh and modern appearance is sure to attract consumers who have an appetite for tasteful décor and mouthwatering meals. Morne Britz says that the revamp will greatly benefit the store. “I believe that the make-over to Maxi’s Three Rivers will immensely improve the ambience and general perception of the restaurant as consumers will be welcomed in a friendly and more attractive atmosphere. I am confident that these changes will help retain existing customers and attract new ones, as they will embrace the design changes that the store has undergone.” Taste Holdings Food Division CEO, Christo Calitz embra

be aware of the problems and pitfalls that await the unwary new business owner By Bob Power In this first segment we look at the major problems typically encountered when entering business. Buying a business and making the move from employee to employer can be extremely stressful, placing financial constraints on the buyer and causing tension amongst the family. Once you have accepted the challenge you must also accept the risks and liabilities. Get it right and you will be rewarded, but get it wrong and a business that is destined to turn belly up may be where you are headed. At present the failure rate of small businesses is regrettably high, with some estimates suggesting that as many as 70 percent of new businesses go bust in the first two years. The good news is that many now successful business owners failed in their first, and sometimes subsequent business endeavours. It is in learning from each experience that they eventually achieved their objectives and rewards. Important

23 February 2012 Taste Holdings today released a statement regarding the significant damage caused to Maxi’s The Bridge on 22 February, due to a violent storm which hit Gauteng between 21:00 and 22:00 last night. Owing to the damage incurred at the restaurant, Maxi’s The Bridge, located in Midrand at the Caltex Star Stop on the N1 highway, will be temporarily closed for repairs. As per legal regulations, all safety measures were in place, including impregnable glass, which also sustained considerable damage. Thankfully, none of the patrons in the restaurant were injured as a result of the storm damage. Taste Holdings Food Division CEO, Christo Calitz notes that swift action will be taken to restore the restaurant to its full function. “The Bridge is one of Maxi’s most popular restaurants as it is not only ideally located for passing travelers, but also offers extended trading hours for customers travelling at night. We therefore understand the importance of promptly ensuring the re

Google paid advertising: Your secret low-cost marketing weapon Wouldn’t you like to place an advertisement in a newspaper and only pay for it, if someone reads it? Let me show you how you can achieve this online. By Francois Muscat In this article I will tell you how you can generate instant leads for your franchise business by using the most popular online advertising method, Google AdWords, otherwise known as Pay Per Click (PPC). With more and more evidence of a spiralling economy and budgets being cut as a consequence, marketers and business owners are searching for ways to do more with less. They are searching for high impact, but cost effective ways to get their message across. Search advertising is well positioned to sidestep much of the inclement economic weather, by providing you with a means to determine how much you are prepared to spend, when you want to spend it, and who you want to spend it on. What you need to know By knowing how to set up and manage a Google PPC campaig

By Michael Said Investigating the suspects – Capitán Franchisor “Franchising in not a democracy,” boomed the deep voice from across the room. “This is my brand and I will protect it at all costs!” The statement above could conceivably have been heard at any one of hundreds of franchise meetings held around the country each year. Only names and places have been changed to protect the innocent. The precarious relationship that exists between franchisors and franchisees has been a topic of debate for many years and will likely continue so for years to come. Is the franchisee to be treated as a partner? Absolutely. Without him/her there would be no income for the franchisor and they are dependent on each other for growth and survival. Should he be treated as an employee? Well, they are expected to toe the line, to work within the constraints of the franchise agreement and are subject to certain penalties if they step out of line. Should they be treated as a customer? Well, they do pay

By Gerhard van Wyk Products and services are two closely aligned concepts and, in fact, most products have an element of service in them. However, as there is a distinct difference between them it is necessary to establish some working definitions. Armstrong and Kotler (2005) refer to a product as a key element in the marketing offer, “…anything that can be offered to a market for attention, acquisition, use or consumption that might satisfy a want or need”. “Services on the other hand are economic activities offered by one party to another, in exchange for money, time and effort. Service customers expect to obtain value from access to goods, labour, facilities etc, but they do not normally take ownership of any of the physical elements involved.” (Lovelock & Wirtz, 2007). Franchises marketing products face different challenges to those promoting a service. Understanding the different challenges faced in the marketing of products and services can help franchises establish an effec

Are you ready to participate in one of the biggest economic marvels of our time, the sector that contributes almost 12 percent to our country’s GDP? Are you aware that the South African franchise sector currently offers business opportunities in no less than 17 different business sectors, providing work to approximately 500,000 people in approximately 30,000 franchised outlets? With no less than 550 franchise system to choose from, the good news gets better when we compare the status of our own franchise industry with countries such as the US, UK, Australia and Brazil, and discover that it reveals ample opportunity for expansion into many more business areas. Personally I believe that the franchise sector can make a marked difference in driving the South African economy. Franchising has the ability to stimulate the economy on so many different levels – from conceiving those brilliant ideas that translate into new franchise concepts, to duplicating those business formats that allow en