With 7 million internet users, 4 million Facebook profiles, 10 million people on MXit and being the 10th largest country group on LinkedIn, South Africa is no longer an internet backwater; it’s become a force to be reckoned with. Every aspect of South African online usage has dramatically increased over the last year, as growing awareness and the arrival of Seacom made the internet an important and accessible business tool. As consumers become web literate, businesses must keep up with online trends. Today, every business is expected to have a web presence of some kind – whether a website, social networking profile or even an online directory listing. If your business doesn’t come up in web search results, it is practically invisible to 7 million of South Africa’s most affluent and connected customers. Here are just a few benefits of marketing your business online: ·          Online marketing is an affordable way to reach a vast audience – approac...

Everything you REALLY need to know about those deals but were too afraid to ask… By Michael Said This has been an exciting year and it has been quite a while since I put fingers to keys (used to say pen to paper in the old days), waiting for something, besides the terrible state of the restaurant industry, to rouse my interest. I do not wish to belabour the dismal state of the industry, except to say that it has operators clutching at straws and throwing a fair amount of “Hail Mary” passes into the air. Enter Groupon et al and all the promises of new customers, repeat business and full restaurants. Groupon and other local and international deal makers have proven to be wildly popular. What’s not to like? I can get a R500 massage for R199, I can get my hair done at a fraction of the price, learn to use all sorts of equipment and dine out at 60% off. Who wouldn’t like it? Well, apparently, some merchants aren’t too enamoured with it and before you sign on the dotted line there are som...

This month we will take a break from the Consumer Protection Act as we look at trade mark protection in our neighbouring states and the rest of the African continent. A logical extension for a franchise business is to branch into neighbouring countries or even venture further north into Africa. Due to such free trade initiatives as The Southern African Development Community (SADC), a regional organization aiming to promote co-operation and integration amongst its member states, the economies of such states have become increasingly interdependent, with an attendant free flow of goods and services across borders. The SADC member states are Angola, Botswana, DRC, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Tanzania and Zimbabwe . Any goods being placed on the market in one of these countries, will invariably find its way into the other member countries. No regional system exists for filing a trade mark application in respect of all the S...

Advice on franchising by Pieter Scholtz, Master Licensee for ActionCOACH SA. ActionCOACH is one of the fastest growing and most successful business coaching franchises in the world today. Why would you want to go into business for yourself? Just look at the statistics. Around 80 percent of businesses started now, will be gone in five years. The franchise model eliminates many of the risks. It offers ease of opening and operation, ensures longevity and promotes overall success. The advantages of franchise ownership offsets the disadvantages inherent in self-employment by providing the kind of resources and empowerment that promote dynamic success and sustainable profitability. A single fragile twig may be easily broken, while a bundle of twigs, because of the strength inherent in numbers, can be impossible to even bend. Whether or not you choose the franchise route, there is something special about owning your own business. For many people, dreaming of being in charge of their own d...

Johannesburg, 22 September 2011 – Maxi’s recently brought its unique mix of a family oriented atmosphere with wholesome and delicious food to the Durban central business district (CBD), with the opening of Maxi’s Durban Smith Street. Maxi’s Durban Smith Street owner, Tandokazi Kali, who was previously involved in the construction of the King Shaka International Airport, notes that her experience as a regular patron of the franchise motivated her decision to change careers and start up a Maxi’s store in the Durban CBD. “I was a regular customer at Maxi’s, and was always captivated by the quality and variety of meals the restaurant had to offer. Subsequently, I noticed that there was no Maxi’s in Durban CBD, and decided to pursue this opportunity and introduce the brand to the area. Opening up my own franchise has always been a dream of mine.” Kali adds that she is completely committed to the long term prosperity of the store. “I view this investment as a long term career choice, a...