Over the past several months, we’ve all noticed companies closing down due to the COVID-19 Lockdown. We can all debate the legitimacy and the attack on our constitutional rights. But, for thousands of individuals, this means a dramatic change in their careers. I have personally spoken to quite a few would-be entrepreneurs that are now
Very few businesses (if any) are currently operating as usual. There is no telling when we will get back to anything approaching “normal,” whether that’s the old normal or the “new normal” everyone is talking about but cannot quite define. How easy it is to compile a SWOT Analysis, which in most cases remains theoretical assumptions.
The past few weeks have been nothing short of a nightmare. Without downplaying or ignoring the severe physical and emotional impact this pandemic and subsequent lockdown have on any one person, family or group/community, I believe it is necessary to look at some trends that will have an impact on SMEs and entrepreneurs after we
Where are the days where you would walk into a coffee shop and in passing, the discussions you would overhear are about business ideas, the next big thing, etc.? The past few weeks can in some circles only be characterised as the world possibly racing towards the end times. Now, discussions centre around load shedding,
As an entrepreneur running your early startup, you may find yourself in a similar situation that I and thousands of other early-stage entrepreneurs found themselves. Where is the money going to come from? How much will come in this month? When I started JTB Consulting, I never knew how much money would come in each
When we talk about starting your own business, there are a lot of costs involved: Employee costs, the cost of funding (capital), the cost of marketing, and the cost of monthly expenses. But why do we never talk about the biggest and perhaps most crucial cost – the emotional cost? Imagine if we could express
There are more than 2.5 million small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in South Africa, however, accessing funding remains still a major challenge for many entrepreneurs. To combat this, the country now has a growing alternative lending sector that is focused on providing funding for this market. SME lending is a massive gap and a global
One of the biggest challenges facing small business borrowers (and lenders) is that too many business owners wait until the need for financing is critical before they start looking. Taking a more strategic approach, and seeking financing before the need becomes a crisis, could make the borrowing process less stressful and more successful. It’s sometimes
From one-person entities to JSE-listed companies, no business can escape the dreaded task of bookkeeping. While it’s definitely not one of the more glamorous parts of the job, bookkeeping is at the heart of small business success, which means errors can be crippling. To avoid the financial headaches that come with bookkeeping mismanagement, it’s important
Tourism in South Africa contributed 1.5 million jobs and R425.8 billion to the economy in 2018, making it the largest tourism economy in Africa, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council’s (WTTC) annual review of the economic impact and social importance of the sector released today. The 2018 research shows that the South Africa
The South African Cement, Lime and Plastering Industry: The South African cement industry has an installed capacity of over 20 million tons per annum and employs some 16,000 people. A lack of large infrastructure projects and low business confidence has resulted in continued declines in demand for cement products. Industry stakeholders forecast that the current oversupply
Across the world, people are ordering dinner to the Eiffel Tower, breakfast on Bondi Beach, lunch alongside the Tokyo Imperial Palace and picnics to Emmarentia Dam. The explosion in app-based food ordering is still relatively new and, although many people feel guilty about ordering in, it’s a trend that is not going away any time soon.