It is once again that time of year when families and businesses start packing up for holidays or closing for the festive season. As families and businesses start to vacate their homes and premises over the festive season there is often a spike in criminal activities, particularly burglaries, as criminals capitalise on the many vacant buildings and houses.   This is according to Sean Pretorius, COO at Risk Benefits Solutions (RBS), one of South Africa’s largest independent insurance and risk specialists, who says that the insurance industry tends to witness a spike in claims over this period as people fall prey to petty crimes and burglary as premises are left unattended as people go on holiday, or from general negligent behaviour.  “We find that clients go into ‘holiday mode’ over the festive season, and become less aware of possible petty crimes and burglaries. This is however the time of year when people need to be extra careful at all times due to the rise in such activity,

Quinton Douman As we come to the end of 2015, most people are looking towards the new-year with renewed vigour, redefining their path and putting together new resolutions. Personal development coach and a professional speaker Quinton Douman offers sage advice on how to hold on to your enthusiasm and visions of success, and to power through 2016 with your self-respect firmly intact. Too often, the excitement and enthusiasm we have for our goals and ambitions wanes as we’re weighed down by disappointment and disillusionment. The result is that we chip away at our self-respect with each broken promise, failed objective or unrealised dream.  But wait, what if I told you that there are only three decisions that you need to make in order to see your goals through? But, before you get started, you need to define your values, as these will become the foundation for solid decision making and goal setting. Once you have defined your values, the first decision you need to make is to o

For many, the holiday season brings plenty of inspiration for the coming year, and often leads to creative new business ideas, innovative concepts and the jotting down of plans on restaurant napkins. According to Gugu Mjadu, executive general manager for marketing at Business Partners Limited (BUSINESS/PARTNERS), although these concepts always seem ground-breaking at the time, the real trick is deciphering whether these ideas can be turned into viable business proposals.  Mjadu explains that inspired business ideas are only the beginning of a potential business venture, and before taking the entrepreneurial leap there are a few steps to consider in order to establish whether the idea is viable. “Every good business plan begins with research. When new business ideas fail, it is often not because of the idea itself, but because insufficient research was conducted by the entrepreneur. There are many ways to conduct research, and a few of the aspects to consider during the due dil

The team from Newcastle Domino’s Pizza , the world’s leading pizza delivery company, opened its first two halaal stores in Phoenix and Newcastle. “This is an important milestone for Domino’s Pizza and we are really excited to extend our offering to new communities,” says Roz Sandham, Managing Executive for Domino’s Pizza South Africa.  “Developing a halaal menu that retains the essence of the Domino’s Pizza offering involved listening to our customers and working closely with our franchisees. The halaal store openings are in response to an overwhelming demand for us to offer halaal options of our delicious menu.” The process of opening the halaal stores was an extensive exercise, says Sandham. There are strict local and international food standards that had to be met. This process included finding the right products that comply with these standards and making sure that these products adhered to the strict principles set out by the various governing bodies. After months

Domino’s Pizza , the recognised world leader in pizza delivery, celebrated its 1st birthday in South Africa in November.  Domino’s Pizza entered the market in November 2014 and embarked on the largest conversion in Domino's Pizza history and a milestone for the local quick service restaurant business. Since launch, Domino’s Pizza SA have created a national footprint of 72 stores.   “We have had a year of tremendous growth and would like to thank South African customers for welcoming and supporting Domino’s Pizza so enthusiastically over the past 12 months,” says Bronwyn Oliveira, Marketing Manager for Domino’s Pizza South Africa.  Human capital and skills transfer play a big role in an operation of this magnitude. Over the past 12 months, 19 franchisees have been trained and now operate 46 Domino’s Pizza franchised stores. In addition, 1 646 staff members were put through various forms of training including operations management, driver training and local store marketing.

The new logo on the left The Fish & Chip Co ., South Africa’s leading fish and chip brand, unveiled a new corporate identity, a fresh new menu design and a new store look. The new look is a big departure from the original Fish & Chip Co. creative showing a clean, modern and simple design reinforcing the brand promise of “fresh, hot and a lot.” “The creative process required us to revisit our brand promise, working with our franchisees and asking our customers for their thoughts. What was evident is that our customers and franchisees were looking for something modern yet inviting, that conveys the quality and freshness of our offering. We needed to find a way of keeping relevant and modernizing our look while staying true to the brand and its values,” says Currie. The redesign comes with a new menu design that emphasizes the range of value-for-money meals that are on offer. “It’s important for our valued customers to know that the new look does not equate to higher p

Gerrie van Biljon December and January tend to be challenging months for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in South Africa and in certain cases, can even make or break a business.  This is according to Gerrie van Biljon, executive director of BUSINESS/PARTNERS, who says that depending on the industry in which these businesses operate, they may find themselves either lacking enough work to cover costs during the period, or struggling to keep up with the demands of the so-called silly season and potentially drowning from the workload. He warns that while both experiences can be challenging for entrepreneurs and their ventures, it is critical that entrepreneurs put measures in place to navigate – and even benefit – from the months of extremes. “In the case of retailers and tourist businesses, whose businesses spike over the December holidays, capitalising on the frenzy seems obvious given heightened spending habits due to end-of-year bonuses, and tourism districts being awas

Enrol for the January course and SAVE a whopping R300 – NOW ONLY R3,120 (incl VAT) Well, 2015 is almost over and for many of us it seems hard to imagine where the year actually went! At the SA Franchise Warehouse we have enjoyed a bumper year assisting numerous people to secure the necessary funding for their new franchises and their testimonies appear in every edition of our bi-monthly magazine . The funding process can be long and arduous, and the sooner the process starts the better… We work with a variety of different developmental funders who don’t necessarily require security and only a 25% owners cash contribution! Past trainees from left to right: Martha Mhlangu of Enervest, Lungile Fakazi, Trudie Roos of Deeghuys, Marcus Sekoati of Petroleum, Mandisa Ndaba of  Sign-a-Rama,  Brendan Enslin of Deeghuys, Thokozani Madonsela of Car Service City and Kirsten Bent of SA Franchise Warehouse If it remains your dream to own your own franchise, then why not make 2016 t

In today’s challenging economic environment, mentors play a key role in growing businesses, supporting entrepreneurs and enabling SMEs to survive and flourish in tough trading conditions. This is according to Christo Botes, executive director of Business Partners Limited (BUSINESS/PARTNERS), who says that he has witnessed businesses on the verge of bankruptcy recover, and be propelled to new levels of success as a result of some guidance from a mentor. Botes says although there are various types of advisors available, such as advisors, coaches and consultants, business owners should opt for a mentorship approach when seeking advice and guidance. He explains that the difference between a business mentor and the many other types of business advisers is subtle, as a mentor can play any number of roles. “A mentor is able to play the role of a strategic adviser, technical expert or business consultant, and sometimes all of them at once. However the key characteristics of a mentor has to

The holiday season is usually a busy and potentially profitable time for the franchising industry and with the peak holiday season fast approaching, businesses should prepare themselves for the absence of staff in the forthcoming summer months. Morné Cronjé, Head of FNB Franchising says, “Adequate plans need to be put in place so that profitability is not lost and staff morale stays high. The upcoming school holidays and potentially good weather, lead many people to take their time off during the summer months. Holiday periods can be disruptive, but franchisees cannot allow themselves to miss delivery deadlines or compromise customer service because of inadequate preparation and staff scheduling. This can have a negative effect on businesses, especially during the current economic conditions we find ourselves in.” Cronjé says there are a number of steps that can be taken to make sure franchisees and franchisors are ready for the holiday season. Plan in advance  Make sure yo

Michael Petersen As the year draws to a close, shopping malls begin to experience a significant rise in foot traffic as many South Africans and international tourists rush to complete their Christmas shopping.  These heightened buying trends, aided by annual bonuses traditionally being paid around this time, lead shops to open their stores for longer and increase their stock intake as a means to capitalise on shoppers’ inflated budget. However, what should be a joyous occasion could turn rather sour as higher store revenues traditionally tend to attract criminals.  This is according to Michael Petersen, CEO of Risk Benefits Solutions (RBS) , one of South Africa’s largest independent insurance and risk specialists, who says that a spike in crimes ranging from in-store robberies to cash-in-transit heists, among other shopping mall-related crimes, usually mark the beginning of the festive season.  “In the build up to Christmas, the number of shoppers increase and subsequently

Can your business rise from the ashes? Clayton Ellary With drought conditions deepening in South Africa, fire risks increase, demanding more stringent fire risk mitigation and planning. A recent review of commercial fire claims and business shutdowns by authorities due to non-compliance with regulations suggests that business operators are not heeding this call seriously enough. According to Clayton Ellary, a Senior Account Executive at Aon South Africa , fire is an underrated risk, particularly in South Africa. “Failure to comply with the statutory requirements and codes of practice for fire protection can leave business stakeholders in severe financial crisis and with potential legal implications. The costs arising out of the loss of life, assets and business interruption can amount to millions of Rand in damages and liability claims. Despite the risk to business continuity, financial security and brand reputation, many business owners remain indifferent to the domino effec

Ethel Nyembe In a few short weeks, another year will draw to a close and thousands of South Africans will begin setting off for holiday destinations around the country. For franchise owners, especially those in the fast food business, their busiest and most lucrative time of the year awaits. But, says Ethel Nyembe, Head of Small Enterprise at Standard Bank, being ready for the festive business boom means making sure that all preparations are in place.  Timely preparations mean planning for all contingencies to ensure, as far as possible, that a successful and profitable holiday season is guaranteed. Unfortunately, being realistic in these times means that precautions are taken to upgrade security, and safe cash management procedures. “The holiday season is all about great sales and increased turnover. This, unfortunately, means pressure on staff that have to cope with increased foot traffic, increased stock holdings to cope with demand and more effort being put in to ensure th

The life of an entrepreneur is different from those that are employed in a 9-to-5 job in many ways – one of which is the extra challenges and stress entrepreneurs experience with managing and being solely responsible for their own business.  This is according to Gerrie van Biljon, executive director at BUSINESS/PARTNERS , who says that despite taking such a challenging path in life, entrepreneurs continue to thrive. “This is largely because entrepreneurs see the world not as it is, but as it can be, and then go about changing it.” Van Biljon believes that the answer to their success lies in their disciplined attitude which, although it varies from entrepreneur to entrepreneur, can generally be described in the following ten rules that they live by: Believe in yourself: Entrepreneurs are focused and tend to maintain a strong belief in their ability to achieve their goals. They get out of bed in the mornings believing that they have something meaningful to achieve and a legac

Gold Brands Investments Ltd (“GBIL”), owners of South Africa’s fastest growing fast food franchise, Chesa Nyama , announced its intention to list on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange AltX. This will make it the only fast food retail company on the AltX. The company, founded as Franchising to Africa (Pty) Ltd in 2012, established its flagship brand, Chesa Nyama, with its first store at Wits University in 2012 and grew rapidly to a current total of 289 stores in just three years and creating over 3 000 jobs.  The traditional flame-grilled meat franchise was also recently awarded the RASA Rosetta Award for Best Take-Away Franchise in November 2015.  Current stores in the pipeline will bring the flagship brand to around 300 by year end with a forecast 320 stores at end of February 2016.  The Gold Brands Investments portfolio also includes One plus One Pizza, Chicken Wild Wings, Pitaland and the original Blacksteer, the well-known and loved original steakhouse brand.  With its own foo

Christo Botes Despite slow economic growth, South Africa is still ripe with opportunities and society at large needs to expend more resources to identify, facilitate and promote entrepreneurship as the answer to creating jobs and wealth for all. According to Christo Botes, spokesperson of the Sanlam / Business Partners Entrepreneur of the Year® competition, South Africa shouldn’t be looking at entrepreneurship only when faced with prospects of unemployment, but rather a shift towards a viable employment option. Botes says that entrepreneurship in South Africa, and Africa, largely remains a necessity driven decision, rather than an aspiration. “We need to be celebrating entrepreneurs and promoting entrepreneurship as the most aspirational career path so that it is a first choice rather than a back-up plan.” He points to the recently released 2016 Global Entrepreneurship Index (GEI) – which measures the quality and dynamics of global entrepreneurial ecosystems and explores h