SMME HB Western Cape eBook

Western Cape
















































SMME western cape.indd 1 2019/04/11 11:20 AM

Innovative concepts, flawless execution.
We create. you celebrate.






























































SMME western cape.indd 2 2019/04/11 11:20 AM

ADVERTISING
Define strategies that
work for you.
ON-LINE MEDIA
Development and creation of all
digital advertising media
GALA DINNERS
Grand dinners with a course
CONFERENCES BUSINESS BREAKFAST
Event Solutions that put your Be the first and get a head start
business needs first
PUBLISHING
BUSINESS TO BUSINESS Managing large and small scale
Custom Events publications


+27 21 681 7200
[email protected]







SMME western cape.indd 1 2019/04/11 11:20 AM

We Lift You Up
CONTENTS EDITOR 10052HM Recruitment.ai 1 2019/02/06 1:19 PM


Gill Lewis

ART DIRECTOR
Sheeth Hanief
04 Publisher’s note
06 Editor’s letter PHOTOGR APHY
Pixabay
08 How to scale a business Freepik.com
12 Zero processing fees key to SMME
growth ADVERTISING EXECUTIVES
Mark Lukama
14 Tax tips for SMMEs Jean-Fred Swartz
18 SMME Profi le: Nickay Productions
OFFICE MANAGER
20 The battle for SMME funding
Sue-Ellen Kruger
22 Nine ways to cut business
insurance in 2019 PRINTERS
C
NL Print
24 Sales: the essential task M
Y
26 The basic digital needs of SMEs PUBLISHER
CM
28 SMME Profi le: Jordan Ways of Chenica Williams MY
Cooking [email protected] CY
30 Knowing your market SALES DIRECTOR CMY K
32 Purpose beyond profi t Garth Williams
[email protected]
34 SMME Profi le: Donomax Trading
SILVER GOLD PLATINUM
Lorem Ipsum Dolor Lorem Ipsum Dolor Lorem Ipsum Dolor
36 Value pricing kicks hour rates to
$ 29.99/MONTH $ 39.99/MONTH $ 49.99/MONTH
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet the kerb
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38 Flexible working instrumental to
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE
SME success
Garnica Media and Events
40 SMME Profi le: AdvOcc Tel: 021 681 7200
42 Graduate recruitment platform a Email: [email protected]
boon for young talent www.garnica.co.za Comair Limited is a proudly In addition, Comair’s non-airline business units include Tourism and Hospitality,
44 Strengthening the cybersecurity of South African aviation and a Training Academy, as well as IT Solutions. The company boasts a rich history
of over 72 years in the aviation industry and has built a family of iconic brands
small businesses travel group, offering throughout the years. Comair prides itself on its purpose ‘We Lift You Up’, which
All rights reserved. scheduled and non-scheduled drives its aspiration to lift people up in an inspiring, empowering, passionate
46 SMME Profi le: Bar of Gold No portion of this book may be reproduced airline services within South and innovative way, in order to render a positive impact in the world. Comair
without written consent of the copyright owner.
48 Build your tribe The opinions expressed are not to be considered Africa and the sub-Saharan has been independently certified by the Top Employers Institute, as one of the
those either of SMME HANDBOOK SA or the Africa and Indian Ocean Top Employers South Africa 2019.
publisher, neither of whom accept liability of any Islands, as its main business. #WeLiftYouUp, #ProudlySouthAfrican, #EmployerofChoice
nature arising out of, or in connection with, the
content of this magazine.
SMME Handbook | www.smmehandbook.co.za 2 For more information on Comair, visit www.comair.co.za


SMME western cape.indd 2 2019/04/11 11:20 AM

10052HM Recruitment.ai 1 2019/02/06 1:19 PM



We Lift You Up


























C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K













Comair Limited is a proudly In addition, Comair’s non-airline business units include Tourism and Hospitality,
South African aviation and a Training Academy, as well as IT Solutions. The company boasts a rich history
travel group, offering of over 72 years in the aviation industry and has built a family of iconic brands
scheduled and non-scheduled throughout the years. Comair prides itself on its purpose ‘We Lift You Up’, which
drives its aspiration to lift people up in an inspiring, empowering, passionate
airline services within South and innovative way, in order to render a positive impact in the world. Comair
Africa and the sub-Saharan has been independently certified by the Top Employers Institute, as one of the
Africa and Indian Ocean Top Employers South Africa 2019.
Islands, as its main business. #WeLiftYouUp, #ProudlySouthAfrican, #EmployerofChoice


For more information on Comair, visit www.comair.co.za





SMME western cape.indd 3 2019/04/11 11:20 AM

2019/03/26 11:16

the box. gives your business the edge.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE





Doing the groundwork To find out more, visit sasfin.com, give us a call on 0861 SASFIN, or speak to your accountant.


Welcome to the Western Cape edition of the has all the tools you need to take your business beyond. With user-friendly features like payroll, invoicing, analytics,
SMME Handbook. Local businesses are gearing Bank outside Whether you’re a plumber, doctor, accountant, craftswoman, fintech, musician or magician, our business banking platform direct-feed intergration into Xero and more, Sasfin B\\YOND
up for a winter which offers a great deal of
challenges as we head towards the national
elections with a struggling economy and the
threat of loadshedding.
One thing we’ve heard over and over again
during the past month in all the interviews
we have conducted has been the value of
partnering with strong business allies. This is
particularly relevant in terms of Enterprise &
Supplier Development, and this issue we feature
five beneficiaries of Sun International’s ESD
procurement programme.
Sometimes the difference between success
and failure is simply having the opportunity,
and ESD is a game-changer in terms of this. Of
course, as with all business opportunities and
partnerships, it’s essential that ESD beneficiaries
are sustainable, well-run businesses, and it’s
heartening to see how these five companies have
built themselves into sustainable enterprises that
are able to take advantage of Sun International’s
support.
The lesson is simple - do your groundwork,
put in the time cutting your teeth and get all Here’s to keeping the lights on and the
your ducks in a row so that you can take that wheels of small business industry turning.
next step in your growth.
We hear it time and time again - there are CHENICA WILLIAMS
opportunities out there and there is finance, but
companies need to be sustainable and ready for
that finance. That in itself is no easy task, but it
certainly helps knowing the pieces of the puzzle
that need to be slotted together. Sasfi n Bank Limited Reg No. 1951/002280/06. FSP Licence 10011632 Sasfin - Bank SMME Handbook DPS 145X210_1.2.indd 1


NOTE: This handbook will be distributed to SMME owners through the Department of Small Business Development, Seda, City no. 23833 registered credit provider NCRCP22
of Tshwane, City of Joburg, City of Cape Town, and at all four legs of the Smart Precurement and SAWEC. It will also be available
as a digital publication on www.smmehandbook.co.za
SMME Handbook | www.smmehandbook.co.za 4





SMME western cape.indd 4 2019/04/11 11:20 AM

2019/03/26 11:16

the box. Bank outside Whether you’re a plumber, doctor, accountant, craftswoman, fintech, musician or magician, our business banking platform has all the tools you need to take your business beyond. With user-friendly features like payroll, invoicing, analytics, direct-feed intergration into Xero and more, Sasfin B\















































Sasfi n Bank Limited Reg No. 1951/002280/06. FSP Licence no. 23833 registered credit provider NCRCP22 10011632 Sasfin - Bank SMME Handbook DPS 145X210_1.2.indd 1





















SMME western cape.indd 5 2019/04/11 11:20 AM

TWEET
TWEET



EDITOR’S NOTE TWEEtEd




Reputation is everything

POSTOST
It can take years to build up a solid name, today?
decades to become great… but all it takes to ruin
a blue chip reputation is one ill-advised tweet
or Facebook post. The golden rule of adult life
is that you should never drive drunk, but so
many people flout the law week after week. The P
angels keep most drunk drivers safe probably Posted to Facebook
99.9% of the time and, once safely home, they no
doubt vow never to do something so stupid ever in the last few hours?
again. Lesson learned (although no doubt often
repeated).
When it comes to social media, alcohol is Or shared on LinkedIn?
definitely not a good bed-fellow. If you can
restrict yourself to simply reading social media,
then you’re good - that’s like catching an Uber
home if you’ve had one too many. But the IF SOCIAL MEDIA IS SLIPPING
moment your finger taps into the comment
TO DO LIST
button or you click POST then you could be social stream of content sharing, but you have SHARESHARE
heading for disaster. partner with a dodgy post, or alienate a client or
Whether it’s religion, sport, politics, pop financier if they stumble upon something that DOWN THE LIST, THEN YOUR
music or arts and culture, drunk tweeting or doesn’t jel with their belief set, or that of their
✔
posting is bad, bad, bad because you risk leaving stakeholders. ■ CASH FLOW
a damaging trail that can follow you or rear its It’s often tempting to dive head-first into the BUSINESS IS MISSING OUT
ugly head when you least expect it. ■ CLIENT SERVICE
✔
As for race and gender issues, well, don’t even to weigh up the value of a throwaway comment
step onto that court! There is already a growing or a wistful whine on your chosen social media ON THE GREATEST FREE
✔
club of individuals who are licking their wounds platform, with the risk of sticking a knife into ■ NEW BUSINESS
(and posting out their CVs) after a poorly your own business’ back.
conceived social media post along those two So step away from dirty social media waters ■ STAFF ISSUES
✔
topics, be it a text comment or a video post. and watch what you post… but at the same time, MARKETING OPPORTUNITY
These online interactions can cost a person highlight to your partners and staff the dangers
their job or even turn their business from profit of a poor post and the effect it can have on the ■ SOCIAL MEDIA
to loss in one foul swipe, and while social media company and their future income. OF THE CENTURY.
remains a wonderful platform for sharing and It might feel worth it in the moment but, just
getting to know other people, as a business like taking a chance by driving home drunk
owner you need to practice some serious social (even down just a few side streets), it’s really not
restraint. Social media can ruin 10-15 years worth the risk. free 20-minute phone consult FOR all SMMES
of hard-earned business success in a single
tweet, or could turn off a potential business GILL LEWIS, Editor

SMME Handbook | www.smmehandbook.co.za 6
call gary on 082-065-8569




SMME western cape.indd 6 2019/04/11 11:20 AM

TWEET
TWEET
TWEEtEd








today?
POSTOST
P in the last few hours?




Posted to Facebook






Or shared on LinkedIn?
SHARE
SHARE

IF SOCIAL MEDIA IS SLIPPING
TO DO LIST

DOWN THE LIST, THEN YOUR
■ CASH FLOW
✔
■ CLIENT SERVICE
✔
ON THE GREATEST FREE
■ NEW BUSINESS BUSINESS IS MISSING OUT
✔
■ STAFF ISSUES MARKETING OPPORTUNITY
✔

■ SOCIAL MEDIA OF THE CENTURY.






free 20-minute phone consult FOR all SMMES




call gary on 082-065-8569




SMME western cape.indd 7 2019/04/11 11:20 AM

GR O WTH

How to scale a business





Petro Bothma of Business Partners
Limited shares her extensive
experience (along with that of the
SME Toolkit’s distinguished guest
contributors) on how to scale a
thriving company.















































SMME Handbook | www.smmehandbook.co.za 8





SMME western cape.indd 8 2019/04/11 11:20 AM

GR O WTH







What’s the fi rst step when it comes to
scaling a small business?
Plan your expansion down to a tee. While
this may seem like the most obvious advice,
many businesses often expand in reaction
to circumstances and don’t create a solid
game plan. Without this plan, businesses risk
expanding too quickly or in an uncontrolled
way, or even crashing and burning soon after
the expansion. The trick is, therefore, to acutely
manage the growth process to make sure you
reap the medium- and long-term benefi ts.
What are some of the most common
mistakes you’ve seen when owners look to
scale their business?
Two of the most common mistakes made when
scaling a business are expanding as a knee-jerk
reaction to external circumstances and over-
expanding. As we mentioned earlier, many
business expansions are often a reaction to certain
events or circumstances. These expansions are
seldom planned or thought through, causing said
businesses to lose their way as a result of making
costly or ill-conceived changes to their previously-
successful business models.
Related to reactionary expansion, is the
mistake of over-expansion. When business is
going great, it’s easy to get carried away and
expand beyond the fi nancial capacity of your
business. This is known as over-expansion, and
it is one of the biggest dangers of the growth
phase. To avoid the risk of over-expansion, it is a
good idea to plan your fi nancial capacity based
on a fi ve-year projection of demand, allowing
for an additional 10% of capacity over and above
that. This is to account for periods of heavy
demand or for partial downtime in any area of
your business.



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SMME western cape.indd 9 2019/04/11 11:20 AM

GR O WTH


Remember, your business may go through non-delivery
several periods of expansion – it is best to phase f. Account for appropriate timing and fi nancial
these according to demand. contingencies. A project plan is a formal
commitment to managing your expansion.
What would you recommend in terms of due
diligence when it comes to crunching the 4. Keep your employees and customers
numbers and being realistic about future informed
growth? Expansions of any nature and size can disrupt
The quality and depth of the planning you do your day-to-day operations. It is important that
will largely determine how successful your you obtain buy-in from your employees, as
expansion is. The following four tips will help well as let your customers know what to expect
you take the best approach when planning your and how the expansion may aff ect them. Your
expansion: employees are the lifeblood of your business
– it is vital that you keep them informed every
1. Get professional fi nancial advice step of the way, from planning to completion.
Regardless of the nature of your expansion, Your customers are also crucial to the success
there will always be fi nancial implications for of your business – letting them know how the
your business. Getting professional advice is, expansion will benefi t them will go a long way
therefore, non-negotiable. This is especially towards ensuring they remain loyal throughout
important when seeking funding for your the process.
expansion. For example, if you need to build or
purchase your own premises, it is best to speak Any red fl ags you can highlight to warn
to a funder with experience in this area. companies about not jumping too soon or
for biting off more than they can chew?
2. Shop around The importance of thoroughly thinking through
An expansion is one of the biggest fi nancial your expansion before executing on it cannot
commitments your business will ever make. be overstated. This is not only in terms of
Taking the time and patience to decide what how to go about expanding your business but
you need - and then to shop around for the best also in terms of deciding whether expansion
quality and price - will ultimately be a massive is even right for your business. Ask yourself
benefi t to the success of your business in the the following questions when thinking about
long run. planning your expansion:
• What is the real demand for your product(s)
3. Create a project management schedule for or service(s) right now?
the expansion • What is the projected demand for them over
Again, this may seem self-evident, but is a step the next two to fi ve years?
that is often overlooked by business owners, • How big do you need to grow in order to
primarily because many businesses do not treat meet that demand?
their expansion like the project it is. In your • Can you aff ord (or fi nd adequate funding to
project management schedule you should: cover) the expansion?
a. Identify key deliverables • Will expansion expose you to a wider
b. Assign dates to these deliverables customer base?
c. Identify key responsibilities • How will changing competitor activity aff ect
d. Set up a regular review schedule your business over the next two to fi ve years?
e. Establish procedures for managing • What should your excess capacity for unusual

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SMME western cape.indd 10 2019/04/11 11:20 AM

GR O WTH






























demands be? • You have done adequate due diligence and
• How many additional staff will be needed and understand the potential risks
when should they best be employed? • You have a good track record, and business is
• What’s the best way phase in the expansion going well
so cash fl ow isn’t compromised? • You have hit a glass ceiling (the peak of your
• Where can you achieve economies of scale? “game”, so to speak)
In other words, where will expanding capacity In the latter instance, choosing not to
reduce the cost of sales? expand may cause your business to plateau or
If, for example, the real demand for your even begin to perform poorly. This is because
product or service is low, declining, or has not customers may become dissatisfi ed and stop
increased (beyond your current capacity), then making use of your products or services if they
it is probably not the best time to expand your feel like their needs are no longer being met.
business. Additionally, expansion also comes in the
form of upgrades to operational processes,
What are the dangers of NOT growing when equipment, a change in direction and so on.
the time is right? By choosing not to expand and keep up with
Just as expansions based on little to no market trends, you may in fact render your
planning can be the death of your business, so business obsolete.
too can the decision not to expand when the If leveraged correctly, expansion can be an
time is right. Generally speaking, the time is invaluable opportunity for your business – so
right for business expansion when: don’t waste it.
• You’re no longer meeting demand (due to www.businesspartners.co.za
your current operational capacity)
• Your customers’ needs have changed Petro Bothma is AGM: Enterprise Development
• Expansion will expose you to more customers at Business Partners Limited

11 www.smmehandbook.co.za | SMME Handbook





SMME western cape.indd 11 2019/04/11 11:20 AM

BANKING

Zero processing fees

key to SMME growth




On 4 April, Payment company Ozow Secure Payments (Ozow)
became the first local payment processor to offer ZERO processing
fees to emerging businesses, NGOs, and NPOs accepting EFTs for
payments or donations through its gateway.

Ozow, formerly known as i-Pay, believes that value and count of transactions processed
igniting free access to payment mechanism from 2017 to 2018 alone reaffirms this, with
in South Africa benefits business owners respectively 85% in value and 132% in count
and consumers alike, ultimately contributing increases recorded.
significantly to the country’s economy. “There are many reasons why an online store
is the smartest option for emerging business
“By zero-rating the costs of accepting this owners whether they sell products and services,
form of payment, we are presenting more such as allowing customers to shop 24/7 and the
entrepreneurs the option of establishing ability to analyse the purchase funnel,” he says.
their own businesses, which means more “Eliminating the initial capital outlay for retail
opportunity for financial autonomy, job creation, premises also substantially reduces the costs
a competitive retail environment, consumer and potential risks for a start-up business.”
choice and an entrepreneurial, diverse “Attracting as many potential customers
economy,” says Ozow CEO Thomas Pays. as possible to an online store or physical store
Start-ups, youth-run businesses and SMMEs is critical, and our research confirms that the
of all kinds processing under R1-million in selection of payment choices has a marked
online transactions monthly can enjoy zero impact on retailers’ completed sales. Any
processing fees for the first 12 months, enabling merchant offering alternative payment option
them to be part of the digital economy by such as automated EFT payments opens
providing a world-class online payment themselves up to more potential customers, it’s
option to consumers. All qualifying charitable that simple,” says Pays.
organisations will also enjoy zero transaction Pays points out that while lengthy card
fees for as long as they accept payments details can be difficult to recall, online banking
through Ozow. logins are usually top-of-mind. This makes
Industry researcher World Wide Worx automated EFT an easier, faster and trusted
forecasts that between 2018 and 2020, local payment option for online shoppers. Ozow’s
online retail sales will more than double from launch comes with the release of a new,
sales tracked in 2016, reaching almost R20- enhanced payment flow that emphasises user
billion. Already online retail is projected at experience, and enhanced security.
about 1.4% of total retail in South Africa, based “An intuitive, well-designed payments page
on an estimated R1-trillion spent via traditional with prominent security information reassures
channels in 2018. consumers and increases merchant credibility.
The company’s exponential growth in the The result is fewer abandoned carts for the

SMME Handbook | www.smmehandbook.co.za 12





SMME western cape.indd 12 2019/04/11 11:20 AM

BANKING





























Mitchan Adams, Thomas Pays, and Lyle Eckstein at the launch of Ozow

merchant, and more comfort with shopping The company’s ambitions of expanding
generally which benefits all retailers,” says Pays, into Africa prompted the rebrand from i-Pay to
who anticipates that merchants and consumers Ozow.
will increasingly recognise the advantages of “We established that competitors with the
automated EFT payments. same name already trade in some countries we
During last year’s Black Friday sales, for wish to enter. We’re taking years of industry-
example, one of South Africa’s largest online leading experience, innovation and technology
retailers encouraged consumers to use into Africa and so we required a unique,
alternative payment methods such as EFT to distinctive identity to match,” added Pays.
maintain service. Ozow is already available in Namibia, and
“EFTs are reliable, quick, and completely there are plans to expand to Mauritius and
trusted and secure,” he says. “Our merchants Ghana by the end of 2019, with additional
have reported that consumers are embracing countries such as Nigeria and Kenya to follow
them over more traditional methods such as in 2020. Pays says that the change marks a
credit or debit cards, particularly during busy pinnacle in the company’s journey and its
shopping periods.” readiness to meet the challenges of the future.
In its almost five years of operation, “As technology and the digital economy
the company has invested considerably in evolves, we need to keep leading innovation,”
technology and system enhancements, building says Pays. “We look forward to sharing new
a hyper-available platform that boasts the services and innovations with local and African
ability to process thousands of transactions merchants and consumers, sustaining the
concurrently with negligible downtime and no reputation of our world-class, inclusive instant
reported incidences of fraud to date. payment solution.”

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SMME western cape.indd 13 2019/04/11 11:20 AM

TA X






































Tax tips for SMMEs



Small businesses are the foundation of South Africa’s economy, but if they
don’t have their tax affairs on point they could be heading for disaster.


In a 2019 report by the Small Business ‘While struggling to keep the business
Institute, Chairman Bernard Swanepoel stated afloat, deadlines tend to come and go. There
that ‘98.5% of South Africa’s economy is made are penalties payable for late submissions and
up of small businesses (SMEs). late payments – a cost most small business is
unable to carry,’ says Saggers.
He added that, while SMEs may be creative,
hardworking and have a great product or Tips for SMEs when it comes to tax
service to sell, they do not always have the compliance.
background to keep their taxes in order.
Graeme Saggers, Tax Director at Nolands 1. Know your deadlines!
agrees with this sentiment. SARS immediately institutes penalties if

SMME Handbook | www.smmehandbook.co.za 14





SMME western cape.indd 14 2019/04/11 11:20 AM

TA X


otherwise use a basic spreadsheet… but keep it
updated.

3. Keep copies for five years
Legislation requires that SMEs keep both
a hard copy and electronic version of all
documentation for a minimum of five years.
Scanned copies can be stored online using
cloud services.

4. Know what you can deduct
Make sure you are familiar with what
deductions are allowed for SMEs so that you
don’t pay more tax than you need to. Whether
you rent or own the building from which you are
operating, it is a business expense.
5. Registering for VAT
VAT registration brings with it many
regulations and statutory requirements.
However, if you have a turnover of over R1
million a year, you are required to register for
VAT. The process is very involved and can be
lengthy. Small businesses have to acquire the
services of an accountant or tax practitioner to
assist them in this process, driving up the costs
for the small business owner.
certain tax payments are late and impose
administrative penalties if tax returns are late. 6. How do small businesses account for VAT?
The most important thing for an SME is making In accordance with the VAT Act, if registered for
declarations and payments on time. VAT, small businesses have to issue proper tax
invoices, charge their customers VAT at 15% and
2. Supporting documents pay this over to SARS on a monthly or bi-
Collating all supporting documents for income monthly basis. This payment can be reduced by
earned and expenses claimed can be a tedious the input VAT that the small business is being
process but it needs to be kept in order. We charged by their suppliers.
recommend that you keep your bookkeeping
up-to-date throughout the year to make things 7. What is turnover tax and how does an SME
easier. register?
No-one enjoys the admin of keeping an Turnover tax is a simplified system aimed at
accurate and up-to-date record of your business’ making it easier for micro businesses to meet
income and expenses, but it is critical to do their tax obligations. The turnover tax system
this, allocating them to the various categories replaces Income Tax, VAT, Provisional Tax,
to ensure a smooth tax return. If your business Capital Gains Tax and Dividends Tax for micro
can afford it, invest in accounting software, businesses with a qualifying annual turnover of

15 www.smmehandbook.co.za | SMME Handbook





SMME western cape.indd 15 2019/04/11 11:20 AM

TA X
TODAY’S THE DAY TO

R1 million or less. increase in the number of tax audits conducted GET THE RIGHT FINANCIAL ADVICE
Small businesses or individuals will by SARS,’ says Melanie le Roux, MD of
need to complete a short test to see if they GreatSoft Financial Services.
qualify for turnover tax, which is available on FOR YOU AND YOUR BUSINESS.
the SARS website. If they qualify for turnover 12. SMEs know your rights!
tax, they then need to complete a TT01 form. Whether it is an internal desk audit or an in-
The application should be sent before the depth audit in more high-level risk cases, it’s
beginning of a year of assessment, which runs a stressful, time-consuming and onerous task.
from 1 March to 28 February. Not to mention expensive. Your accountant/
tax consultant (or tax attorney, if necessary) will
8. What are the consequences of non- need to collate information and follow the strict
compliance? procedural rules.
An Administrative Non-Compliance Penalty From the very outset of a tax audit, it is
(Admin Penalty) is a penalty a taxpayer extremely important that you are aware of
must pay for non-compliance with various your rights and to let SARS know that! You are
requirements. The amount charged will depend protected by the Tax Administration Act (TAA),
on a taxpayer’s taxable income and can range the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act
from R250 up to R16 000 a month, for each (PAJA) and the Constitution. Which means
month that the non-compliance continues. you need proper (and complicated) scrutiny
Interest is added to unpaid taxes along with measures during the tax audit and dispute
severe penalties. process. A task which requires time, experience
and special expertise. Generally speaking, tax
9. Verification accountants are not tax law experts, which
Proof is in the documentation. The most is a very different and specialised skillset.
important thing, says Saggers, is to keep a This is where tax attorneys would support tax
record of all business expenses in a logical order accountants. Partnering with Old Mutual means working together, for your success.
so that if SARS asks for verification, you have
them available immediately. Ensuring tax experts are accessible and Old Mutual has the right solutions to address the needs of your business, as well as the life you’ve
affordable for SMEs created for you and your family, the investments you’ve worked so hard to build and what you’ll leave behind
10. Depreciation ‘To ensure your rights as a taxpayer remain when you’re not here anymore.
If you complete your own tax returns, make sure protected, it is imperative that you have experts Short-term insurance for commercial,
you are familiar with depreciation rates. Wear holding your hand during the tricky tax audit corporate and personal needs.
and tear on a car, for example, is calculated process,’ says le Roux. ‘For this reason, we have Trade credit insurance against
differently from that on a computer. launched TaxAssist (tax risk insurance), which non-paying customers.
is perfect for SMEs. Tax risk insurance will YOU AND Enterprise financing and business support
YOUR
11. Selected for a tax audit? cover the cost of employing a team of top tax BUSINESS for entrepreneurs.
The word ‘tax audit’ strikes fear into most specialists in the event of a SARS tax audit or Affordable employee retirement savings,
people – even if you have nothing to hide. If you dispute. group death and disability benefits.
have ever been targeted for a SARS audit you ‘This may include Tax Attorneys, Auditors,
will know the feeling. During a tax audit, SARS Tax Specialists, Accountants and other Tax Personal savings, income protection, business
assurance, succession and estate planning.
will interrogate the viability of expenditure Advisors who may be required to ensure a fair
closely and penalise taxpayers for incorrect audit outcome. The advantage of this cover is To get the right financial advice for you and your business speak to your financial adviser or broker
filings. that it also includes the cost of your current or visit www.oldmutual.co.za/smme for more info.
‘SARS has some steep targets to meet accountant/tax consultants’ fees. To find out @OldMutualSA Old Mutual South Africa
this fiscal year and there will be a substantial more visit www.greatsoftfin.co.za.’

SMME Handbook | www.smmehandbook.co.za 16


Old Mutual is a Licensed Financial Services Provider

SMME western cape.indd 16 2019/04/11 11:20 AM

TREND S
TODAY’S THE DAY TO

GET THE RIGHT FINANCIAL ADVICE

FOR YOU AND YOUR BUSINESS.





























Partnering with Old Mutual means working together, for your success.

Old Mutual has the right solutions to address the needs of your business, as well as the life you’ve
created for you and your family, the investments you’ve worked so hard to build and what you’ll leave behind
when you’re not here anymore.

Short-term insurance for commercial,
corporate and personal needs.
Trade credit insurance against
non-paying customers.
YOU AND
YOUR Enterprise financing and business support
BUSINESS for entrepreneurs.
Affordable employee retirement savings,
group death and disability benefits.
Personal savings, income protection, business
assurance, succession and estate planning.

To get the right financial advice for you and your business speak to your financial adviser or broker
or visit www.oldmutual.co.za/smme for more info.
@OldMutualSA Old Mutual South Africa


17 www.smmehandbook.co.za | SMME Handbook


Old Mutual is a Licensed Financial Services Provider

SMME western cape.indd 17 2019/04/11 11:20 AM

SMME PR OFILE

Nickay Productions


Nickay Productions is a dynamic multimedia company started 17
years ago by Alfonso Stoffels that offers high-quality photography,
videography and audio-visual services to a wide range of clients.





























Tell us about the early days the reason for our growth, but I have also been
of your business? very picky about who I employ. An individual’s
I started Nickay Productions about 17 years personality is incredibly important as that
ago and those were exciting times, as I was a shines through when you work with clients - and
photographer on my own working primarily our work is all about engaging with our clients.
doing portraiture and school photography. While I started out just doing photography,
I branched out into weddings before I saw it has been vital for our growth to expand to
the opportunity to migrate to corporate become a broader media company and we
photography as well as graduations and similar now also offer videography and even printing
institutional ceremonies. That enabled the services, which has helped to generate more
business to expand and I was able to employ revenue and increase our client base.
first one person and then a second, and 17 years
later we now employ 9 people. How have you managed each new
step of Nickay’s growth?
What has been the key to the success I would say the decisions to grow each time
of Nickay Productions? have been centred primarily on taking a risk
Quality and service have been our hallmark and with about 20% based on intuition. If you pay

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SMME western cape.indd 18 2019/04/11 11:20 AM

SMME PR OFILE


attention to what’s happening in the industry
and you chat to clients to make sure you are
aware of their needs and their own growth paths,
then the signs are there to see. We have always
expanded the business based on promises of
future work and what we’ve seen happening in
the market. Business is never an easy road and it
has its ups and downs, but you need to keep on
going and focussing on delivering your services
with passion, as clients read into the passion
and they see the value in what you bring them.
If you are in it just for the money then you will
struggle to build a loyal client base.

How much of your client base
is repeat business?
Our client base is around 60-70% repeat
business, sometimes more, and that’s why
quality and service is so important. We have had
some clients for more than eight years, while
the University of the Western Cape has been a because the market changes. When it comes
client for 14 years. However, just because you to expansion, the limitation is always cash flow
have a strong relationship doesn’t mean you can - it’s important to be priced right and selling
afford to get complacent in any way. You must your services at the right price, as that helps you
keep innovating the whole time to stay ahead grow. If your price is too low, you can’t grow.
of the game and to keep giving your clients the
very best possible value. Why is it important for clients
to pay a fair price?
What has been the best business advice Clients who pay cheap often end up with a bad
anyone has shared with you? result and then they have to pay professionals
Find your passion and then get paid for your to clean up the mess. Paying a fair price helps
passion, because if you do that you have the with job creation, which in turn helps the
best chance of being successful. Running a economy, so going cheap can really hurt in a lot
business is still a struggle even today, but of ways. You can’t grow jobs if you are charging
because of my passion for what I do I love it the cheapest price, and our passion is to grow
and that eases the tough times. Attitude is also jobs and help add to employment… and any
important: the more positive you are the more corporate should also want to help create jobs.
opportunity will come your way.
What motto inspires you in your life?
What have been your keys to Where you’re from doesn’t define you: it is a
creating a sustainable business? limiting factor, but it doesn’t define you.
You have to keep on keeping at it and
reinvent yourself all the time - you cannot stop www.nickay.com
reinventing yourself. You also need to always Nickay Productions is part of the GrandWest
be looking at ways of improving yourself ESD supplier programme

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SMME western cape.indd 19 2019/04/11 11:20 AM

FUNDING










The battle for


SMME funding


If SMMEs are the key to economic growth,
why are they battling to secure funding?





While the failure rate of small businesses in the the appropriate fi nance product that matches
country is high, they remain the backbone of their particular funding need,” says Darlene
the economy, providing the majority of the job Menzies, CEO of Finfi nd. “Many also struggle
opportunities and contributing signifi cantly to prepare the relevant business documentation
to GDP. With the recent announcement of required by fi nance providers and lack the
government job cuts over the next three years know-how to ideally present their business
- and with only 22% of corporate CEOs being funding case in a way that will enable them to
“very confi dent” of their company’s growth in access the fi nance they need.
the next 12 months - the country is depending “While access to the funding is crucial for
on the small business sector to deliver jobs. business sustainability and growth, sadly many
applications are rejected due to poor fi nancial
To achieve this, a supportive environment must skills and lack of funding experience by the
be created to bolster small business survival business owner,” adds Menzies.
and to facilitate growth. Access to fi nance is a The report suggests that there is a need to
critical component of this survival and growth raise the skills level of many of the startup and
and is one that needs urgent attention. early-stage businesses, to equip them to build
Finfi nd published South Africa’s Inaugural companies that:
SMME Access to Finance Report last year. The • Are better managed
report, sponsored by the SA SME Fund, details • Have viable business models
the SMME access to fi nance landscape in the • Maintain up-to-date fi nancial records
country and identifi es the lack of skills by micro, • Understand how to manage their cash fl ow
small and medium-sized business owners as a • Can articulate their funding need
substantial challenge to accessing fi nance. • Can prepare a business plan that is properly
A free copy of the report can be downloaded positioned for funding
from www.accesstofi nancereport.co.za. • Can develop the trading history and track
“Many business owners lack the skills record necessary to secure funding
required to fi nd the right funders and to identify

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SMME western cape.indd 20 2019/04/11 11:20 AM

FUNDING


• Ensuring that they have a viable business
model
• Knowing what their personal credit score
is and making sure that they address any
outstanding unpaid issues
• Being vigilant about settling monthly credit
repayments on time – many funders will
reject an SMME’s application for fi nance if the
owners have bad credit scores
• Keeping their business admin and fi nancial
recordkeeping up to date
• Staying on top of their business cash fl ow
management so they apply for funding a
few months before they actually need it, as
opposed to when they have already hit a cash
cliff
• Being able to properly articulate their
funding needs
“Funders need to determine that the business • Maintaining a good business trading history
applying for fi nance is bankable, meaning that • Ensuring access to an accredited small
it is a viable business that is going to generate business accountant to assist with fi nancial
future income,” adds Menzies. “Funders also management, signing off of fi nancial
have to assess that the business can aff ord statements and to provide sound tax advice
the funding so that it will be able to repay
the money it is applying for. To do this, the There is a defi nite disconnect in the industry
funder needs to examine documents such as between the amount of money available to
the SMME’s business plan or project plans, SMMEs from funders, and the number of
their income projections, outstanding debtors, SMMEs successfully securing these funds.
latest annual fi nancial statements, latest VAT There are over 200 funders with more than 500
statements, up-to-date management accounts diff erent fi nance products available for SMMEs.
and latest bank statements. “Business owners need to upskill themselves
“Many business owners struggle to and get the basics in place and funding will
provide these documents as they fi nd the become easier. Very few funders off er support
fi nancial recordkeeping side of their business to become funding ready, the onus is on the
challenging and do not have access to business owner to properly prepare their
the necessary fi nancial management and application and their supporting documents
accounting resources needed to produce these and present their case to the funder.
vital documents. Poor fi nancial recordkeeping “Business owners are advised to seek
and the lack of up-to-date fi nancials is not only a assistance from small business accountants and
problem when it comes to applying for funding business advisors when it comes to preparing
but is also a major hindrance when it comes to and submitting funding requests. To fi nd out
owners making sound business decisions.” which funders and fi nance products they should
To improve their chances of securing apply for, they simply need to go to the Finfi nd
funding, some of the things business owners website (www.fi nfi nd.co.za),” concludes Menzies.
must focus on include:

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SMME western cape.indd 21 2019/04/11 11:20 AM

9
INSURANCE








ways to keep

your business

insurance


costs in check

in 2019







Having adequate short-term business insurance in place can be a
game-changer for SMMEs to weather any unexpected financial
storms… but how do you keep these costs in check?



To adequately protect yourself and your services you offer as well as which products you
company financially for the year ahead, you handle. While there are many factors that affect
must accurately assess the risks your business the costs of your business insurance, there are
faces and choose your insurance cover just as many precautions and risk improvement
accordingly. While many types of business measures that can be taken to reduce the cost.
insurance policies offer a broad spectrum of Below are 9 tips to follow to ensure your
insurance protection ranging from equipment, business insurance policy works for you, at a
property and buildings, to business assets, price you can afford too
liability and business interruption insurance,
your business may require more than one Imagine insurance isn’t there… and act
- or a combination of policies - to suit your accordingly
company’s needs. This is the best advice you will ever be given
when it comes to insurance. It can only help
Like all insurance, the cost of your policy will be if you actively implement risk management
determined by the risk versus the likelihood and measures to reduce any potential impact if
the potential severity of any incurred loss. Your a loss occurs. Things like adding an armed
premium will be based on the nature of your response alarm system, implementing better
business, the industry in which you operate, the stock control measuresand servicing fire

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SMME western cape.indd 22 2019/04/11 11:20 AM

INSURANCE


extinguishers regularly are all good steps to Have higher excesses in place
take. Thinking like you are not insured makes This will bring premiums down quite a bit. You
you more risk aware and encourages risk may find that keeping a reserve fund to cover
mitigation processes and measures. Insurers an excess, should you need to claim, is a better
will recognise these measures and often system for you. Saving money each month
discount your premium. instead of paying a premium for lower excesses
can work for many businesses. This will, of
Consider going out of business course, be determined by the financial position
Cover these risks adequately and don’t skimp. of the business and how you manage your
The cost of insuring against your business internal controls.
burning to the ground is generally cheaper that
insuring your laptop. Make maintenance a priority
Insurers will often inspect the risk they are
Also consider the true costs of time and taking. Well-maintained assets that may be risks
replacement value will not incur any additional improvement costs
Expensive equipment can not only be costly and are well-respected by insurers. Insurance
to fix or replace, it can also take time for a new companies seeing this sort of result will be more
part to arrive and this can negatively impact reasonable on pricing.
your workflow and, consequently, your cashflow.
Ensure that enough Loss of Profits cover Listen to your insurer’s advice on
forms part of your policy. Factor in adequate improvements
Indemnity and realistic time periods which will Your insurer may, however, recommend some
be required to get your business back to full improvements. By making these improvements,
operational level. Also make sure that the real your risks will be reduced and your policy cost
replacement costs of equipment in present day will decrease.
value are correct.
Partner with your adviser
Generally, don’t sweat the small stuff Last, but certainly not least, your adviser needs
Keep in mind that items like cellphones, for to understand your business, its financials, and
example, are very costly to insure because they what kind of a risk-taker you are. These are the
have a high frequency of loss, which essentially factors that drive your insurance costs up or
pushes up your premium. down. Keep in mind, however, that it is your
responsibility to accurately value your business
Implement thorough internal controls to and provide the correct information to your
reduce and manage potential loss adviser, in order to keep your cover consistent
This should include making employees and cost-effective.
accountable and aware of their responsibility to
your company. Stringent stock controls, good Taking these steps can really help to manage
vehicle maintenance programs, strong cash your business insurance costs and as your
management control, sound quality controls and policy will be simplified, you will be covered for
so on. These control measures will all contribute exactly what you need.
to good risk management. Businesses with
sound controls and good risk management
attract better rating and less punitive measure Jurgen Hellweg is CEO of Western National
on their policies. Insurance

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SMME western cape.indd 23 2019/04/11 11:20 AM

S ALES









Sales







THE ESSENTIAL TASK







Sales is the essential “painful” task for
every professional services and consulting
provider, writes Deon Binneman




“We all live by selling something”. time. This means that you need to use diff erent
“Sales is the second oldest profession in the methods and processes to get your messages
world…” across. Buyers of manufactured goods seldom
think about who produced the goods, but buyers
So go the adages, but in these words there lies a of professional services almost always do.
lot of truth for individuals in private practice, in Unable to try out the service before buying
professional practices or professionals fi nding it, the buyer does the next best thing and that
themselves having to be self-employed. is to assess what it would be like to work with
You have to market and sell yourself to the professional who delivers it. And that
sell your fi rm. This is true for accountants, assessment depends very much on what name
architects, consultants, engineers and lawyers. and reputation you have created for yourself
It is certainly true for Engineers, economists, through your marketing eff orts.
executive recruiters, PR specialists, human This means, that sooner or later, all
resources consultants, estate agents and, professionals must market if they want to
increasingly, the medical profession. Yet the advance their careers and grow their fi rms. For
marketing and sales methods that stand big many in private practice, it may mean that they
companies in good stead may not always work have to sell in order to stay in business.
for a consultant in private practice. Historically, the development of
Firstly, you may not have the budget and, professionals toward winning new clients has
secondly, you do not have the resources or been haphazard. Law, accounting, engineering,

SMME Handbook | www.smmehandbook.co.za 24





SMME western cape.indd 24 2019/04/11 11:20 AM

S ALES


medical and HR schools teach virtually nothing and bill clients for as high a percentage of your
about marketing when you are an independent time as possible. So you might say there is little
consultant or running a SOHO (Small office time for marketing, but that is no excuse. This
Home office). However, for any consultant, the is not a value judgment, it is a statement of fact.
learning of specific marketing and selling skills In busy times you can get away with it, but in
could mean the difference between survival and slack times? If you believe that you are too busy
success. serving one client, what will happen when you
Many successful consultants make the lose that client?
transition to marketing, whilst others never Tell yourself: “I must render professional
make it all, at great cost to their careers service and find time to market”.
and future. The bottom line is that having Unfortunately, time spent on marketing is
professional skills and training just isn’t enough not billable. To someone with a cost-saving
to advance in running your own practice. To mindset, returning 10 phone calls may seem a
succeed you must learn to market and sell. waste of time, but to someone with a marketing
Every consulting business needs new clients mindset it is an investment.
to thrive and grow. Building a business is an
activity that should never stop. The trick lies in 3. Marketing is a numbers game
dividing your time between doing the actual The only way to increase your batting averages
work and marketing constantly. Keeping one is to go and bat. If you go and bat there is a
eye on your current client and another on the good chance that you will be caught out… but
horizon for future clients is a difficult juggling the more times you go bat the better your
act. chances for striking it rich. Thus, the better your
Just as there are many different ways to drive marketing planning and execution, the higher
a car to Cape Town, there are many different your probability of success. The bottom line is
ways to bring new clients into your business. that marketers market… and remind yourself
You can place ads and hope that your customers daily that you should be working on something.
may see it, you can network using social media
or you can cold call hoping that you can get a 4. Role modelling
possible appointment for an interview. In his book “Unlimited Power”, Tony Robbins
The trick lies in developing the most cost- speaks of the concept of modeling. “To become
effective way to reach clients and to build your successful, you need to model yourself on the
business. Effective ways could range from knowledge, skills and attitudes of successful
obtaining referrals to building a reputation people… By role modeling them you can shorten
through writing articles in the media. the very expensive learning curve and become
successful far quicker yourself,” writes Robbins.
For consultants, Deon Binneman has the
following tips 5. Push the leverage points
Researchers in systems thinking speak about
1. Remember that sales equals survival leverage points – those small, well-focused
The consultant who cannot sell will lose his or actions that can, when used at the right time
her independence and have to go back to work and in the right place, produce significant,
for someone else. lasting benefits exponentially beyond the effort
required to take the action step itself.
2. Make time for marketing
To manage a successful practice you have to try www.deonbinneman.com

25 www.smmehandbook.co.za | SMME Handbook





SMME western cape.indd 25 2019/04/11 11:20 AM

ONLINE ONLINE



The basic digital

needs of SMEs



Social media is becoming the marketing
lifeblood of SMEs, writes Miguel Da Silva…
but it’s vital to use it right.


As an SME, you understand all too well that pay-per-clicks.
digital has become the cornerstone of doing
business today. With technology permeating Personalise it
every facet of an organisation, irrespective Never undervalue the power of personalised
of size or industry sector, you must embrace service. Customers don’t want mass emails
it or risk losing momentum against your or generic announcements. Instead, you
competitors. must communicate in a way that talks to
your individual customers. This helps build a
But let’s face it, staying on top of stronger relationship than what any ‘o -the-
technological change can be a costly and shelf’ campaign can do. Creating financially savvy entrepreneurs will help
cumbersome exercise, especially with it
evolving at such a rapid rate. However, User reviews businesses grow sustainably, access funding
there are some digital fundamentals you People use social networking to stay in touch successfully and create more jobs.
should keep sight of to get that competitive with one another, share content and complain
advantage. Here are fi ve essential digital about bad brand experiences. Use that to SAICA Enterprise Development offers financial excellence to entrepreneurs through the
needs for the modern SME. your advantage when driving user reviews SAICA profession. This includes:
of your products and services. If somebody -Financial Boot Camps
Going mobile complains, respond quickly to address the -Financial Coaching
Even though you have a website that is matter. This gives your business a human -Affordable Accounting Services (using unemployed Accounting graduates)
frequently updated, have you checked face that people can identify with. -Developing Financial Excellence reporting standards
whether it is optimised for mobile devices?
In a mobile-driven country like South Africa, Content is king Our vision is to play an active role in economic transformation in South Africa through
most people browse using their smartphones Content drives many aspects of the digital advancing the sustainable growth of entrepreneurial Black businesses.
or tablets. If your site is unusable on a smaller business world. Instead of being talked
screen then you are losing business. to, customers want to become part of the SAICA Enterprise Development also offers Enterprise Development and Customised
Enterprise and Supplier Development projects in line with B-BBEE.
conversation. So you must create content
Marketing digitally that informs in an interesting manner. For Partner with us to shape the next generation of big business through financial excellence.
Digital marketing drives tra c to your example, if you sell generators, publish
website or social network profi les. Relying articles on how to choose the best one and Contact Sibusiso Nkosi on 011 4790617 or [email protected]
on keywords (used on search engines and include a video explaining how to install one.
other platforms) is great, but you need to
continually review them to gauge their Miguel Da Silva is the MD of Funding at
success rate, especially if you are using Retail Capital

SMME Handbook | www.smmehandbook.co.za 26





SMME western cape.indd 26 2019/04/11 11:20 AM

ONLINE

































Creating financially savvy entrepreneurs will help
businesses grow sustainably, access funding
successfully and create more jobs.


SAICA Enterprise Development offers financial excellence to entrepreneurs through the
SAICA profession. This includes:
-Financial Boot Camps
-Financial Coaching
-Affordable Accounting Services (using unemployed Accounting graduates)
-Developing Financial Excellence reporting standards

Our vision is to play an active role in economic transformation in South Africa through
advancing the sustainable growth of entrepreneurial Black businesses.

SAICA Enterprise Development also offers Enterprise Development and Customised
Enterprise and Supplier Development projects in line with B-BBEE.

Partner with us to shape the next generation of big business through financial excellence.
Contact Sibusiso Nkosi on 011 4790617 or [email protected]













SMME western cape.indd 27 2019/04/11 11:20 AM

SMME PR OFILE

Jordan Ways of Cooking



Ntlalo Jordan travelled the world cooking at some of the
most prestigious restaurants before bringing the concept
of fine dining home to Langa township in Cape Town.



































When it comes to cuisine and fine dining, priceless opportunity of being taken under the
Ntlalo has been there and cooked that. From wing of chef Peter Robinson at the CTICC.
Dubai, Liberia and Sudan, to prestigious hotels “Peter mentored me and I worked with him
such as Le Franschhoek Hotel, The Taj Hotel in the biggest kitchen in Africa and that was
and the Jumeirah Al Naseem. Even Mandela when I started dreaming about having own
Rhodes Place. restaurant. He took me with him to a five-star
hotel and on to Mandela Rhodes Place and we
“Those were places that make good food, worked there for a few years doing fine dining
world-class cuisine. As I was growing I just and then it was on to the Taj for a few years,”
needed more and more experience to learn recalls Ntlalo, whose own journey then took
how to infuse different flavours,” recalls Ntlalo, him further into North Africa and the Middle
who started his cooking journey at Tshingiso East. By then he had saved some money and he
Cooking School before experiencing the decided the time was right to return home to

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SMME PR OFILE


start his own project. prepared that washed their hands first or how
“I won’t lie… opening a business in the old the oil that the chips were fried in is or how
hospitality industry is very hard work. It was many times it has been re-used. People get sick
not easy at all,” recalls Ntlalo. Besides the but they don’t know how that happened.
costs of taking out a lease and fitting out his “I don’t want to fall into the trap of selling
restaurant, there was a lot of work to do to find what sells at the moment - I want to sell what’s
and upskill staff. right for people to eat. That’s a tough road,
“They didn’t understand what I wanted or but once you have got support and have built
the high standards I insisted on achieving. It a loyal client base then the struggle becomes
takes time for someone who hasn’t worked at worthwhile.
a top restaurant or experienced the superior “What makes us different is the service we
standards of five-star service to rise to such give to customers and the education we give to
standards.” our patrons. People always ask about the food
Ntlalo initially served a lot of takeaway food we serve, how we did it, why the flavours are so
from his restaurant in Langa, and he realised wonderful and also about the nutritional value
that the best way to test his menus was with of each plate.”
people who he knew would be honest about Franchising is a distant goal on the horizon
what they wanted. but, before he takes that massive step, Ntlalo has
“The rent in town is so high, but I also knew smaller fish to fry, quite literally, in the shape of
that the people in Langa would tell me if I wasn’t giving back to the community.
offering them what they wanted or if they didn’t “At the moment I am working on a project I
like the food,” he smiles. call Little Big Shots. My plan is to host a bunch
“Fine dining is all about the experience of kids on Saturdays and for them to join us
and the fusions basking in your mouth. People and be part of cooking and preparing meals
talk about smaller portions, but once they with us. I want them to have the opportunity
experience fine dining they realise that the value to explore the world of food and if they do that
comes from the experience, the service and the and see our passion for what we do then maybe
tastes. The food also has far more nutritional they will fall in love with cooking as well,” he
value and people are starting to put a premium smiles. “That might just open up a career or
on eating healthy food.” even a business for some bright young kids,
He has seen a marked shift in the township and that would be the best type of franchising -
away from the traditional hunger for meat paying it forward.”
towards a more healthier diet, with locals The life of a restaurant owner and chef is
starting to seek out more salads and less fried not for the faint-hearted, but Jordan Ways of
meat. A lot of junk food places operating on Cooking keeps going from strength to strength,
sidewalks aren’t able to put much emphasis and a part of that is down to a key piece of
on hygiene, which is why Ntlalo has been advice Ntlalo received from chef Xolani Mfeka.
fastidious about the standards in Jordan Ways “Xolani told me that everything you do for
of Cooking’s kitchen. your customers should be done as if it’s your last
“I really feel that people need to understand time preparing a meal. So every time I plate a
what they are eating and putting in their meal I remember his words. It’s what makes our
systems. In the townships, people will leave customers keep coming back for more.”
their home to go and have some drinks and
then they will go grab a sausage and chips late Jordan Ways of Cooking is part of the
at night, but they don’t know if the person who GrandWest ESD supplier programme

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SMME western cape.indd 29 2019/04/11 11:20 AM

MARKETING

Knowing your market



Andrew MacKenzie, the Managing Director of Boomtown creative agency,
says that the digital world is putting pressure on businesses to use their
marketing spend more strategically than ever before.


In today’s competitive business environment, 2. We simply have to be more focused if we
marketers need to invest every Rand of their want to sell to the right people and retain our
marketing spend wisely. And, by wisely, I mean existing target market.
understanding who you want to communicate You can start by seeking to unlock what
with, what you are saying, and where you hope makes your target market tick. Think of the
to reach your target market. music they listen to, the clothes they wear,
where they hang out, with who and why? What
The broad consumer approach is a thing of do they do in their spare time? What social
the past - this hit-and-miss approach is simply media channels do they engage with, and when?
unaff ordable for many marketers and, in What are their dreams and aspirations?
particular, for SMMEs with relatively limited Start by building your target market’s
budgets. personality. Ask the engaging questions that
It’s time to dig into understanding your will open up the insights that you need to craft
target market. And when I say dig, I mean a marketing message that deeply connects
understating the little things that drive their with them, and then deliver the message using
behaviours and trigger purchase behaviour. The media they engage with and, preferably, are
culturally relevant insights that can help you likely to share. 
connect your brand to them and to drive brand A few years ago in the UK a pet
loyalty.  food supplier launched a new
Consider the following. According to the UN range of dog food. They
World Population Prospects Report, Africa will advertised in all
be the fastest-growing continent over the course
of the 21st century. In the last 10 years, six of the
top 10 fastest-growing economies were in sub-
Saharan Africa, according to The Economist.
The African population exceeds one billion
people, has over 500 ethnic groups, more than
2,000 languages spoken over 53 countries
including six island nations. We will spend
$1.4-trillion by 2020, and we will have one billion
Africans of working age by 2040. The facts don’t
lie, and they tell us two important things:
1. The wealth of African society is growing
tremendously as a result of a wave of social
change and the emergence of a strong middle-
class.

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MARKETING


the pet and broad-reach publications, but sales stand a better chance of building long-term
did nothing spectacular. They regrouped and loyalty. In an age of super-diversity across
did some real target market research, looking geographies, income levels, and languages, how
into the profi le of their target market.  will you make sure that your marketing converts
Something interesting came to light: as it your target market from bystander to buyer?
turns out, a huge percentage of animal lovers
are also keen gardeners. The company changed http://boomtown.agency
their media strategy and started advertising in
gardening magazines - and their sales soared!
This simple insight unlocked the success of the
new range. The importance of knowing
your target market and fi nding an
insight that connects you to them is
invaluable. 
An individual’s
feeling of belonging
holds great loyalty
dynamics, if brands
can tap into this
then they



































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SMME western cape.indd 31 2019/04/11 11:20 AM

INSIGHT

Purpose

beyond profi t



There’s more to good business than just making a
buck, writes Jane Stevenson. A whole lot more!

Most businesses have a deep and abiding love
aff air with profi t. They measure it, report on it,
build strategies to maximise it. But business’
purpose is beyond your product and the profi t
you make - true purpose is always human.

Companies spend too much time talking
internally about profi t and externally about
products. Consumers, however, aren’t
motivated by what a company produces nor
by how much money it makes. We expect
companies to make good stuff and deliver
good service. What also matters is that
companies treat their employees well - never
discount the value of making someone feel
special. People care that your brand works to
protect the environment, that they’re ethical
and that they’re transparent about what they do
and how they do it.
But even more important than how a
company operates is why it exists in the fi rst
place. When asked that question, far too critical basic consumer needs with brand
many business people answer by reverting to propositions: rationality and emotional need. I
a familiar business blurb, such as “to deliver believe a third is evolving: a societal need.
returns to our shareowners” or “to sell more When a brand or company demonstrates
products.”  that it is improving lives and impacting society
Do you have clarity on why your company positively, purchase intent increases as does
exists? loyalty and advocacy.
These lines no longer work. People expect One great example is US brand Zappos,
companies to possess a purpose beyond it has revolutionised business, changed lives
profi ts. And it is this purpose that - when and has a reputation for great service, culture
articulated and placed at the center of a brand and delivering happiness. In a nutshell, the
experience that builds trust and establishes company has forged a team with diverse
connections - keeps a business relevant. strengths, the leadership team has the courage
Look at it another way. For decades, to do what is they think is right, and they
marketers have focused on satisfying two possess passion, determination and humility.

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INSIGHT











































employee engagement. Take HP’s decision
to centre its turnaround on its employees
and showcase how its technologies make
Zappos has fi ve key principles as a a diff erence to people around the world.
company: This focus on building a purpose-based
• Serve a perfect fi t culture with employees at the center proves
• Make it eff ortlessly swift to be a powerful tool for recruitment — and
• Get personal a measurable way to improve employee
• Constantly stretch yourself satisfaction, loyalty and productivity.
• Play well (play to win!) So, when speaking about profi ts, take a
moment to talk also about purpose. And that
At the end of the day, all the key factors for purpose is human.
their growth points to having a great culture.
There’s another less publicly focused Jane Stevenson is the Strategic Director at
but equally important initiative as well — Magnetic Storm

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SMME western cape.indd 33 2019/04/11 11:20 AM

SMME PR OFILE

Donomax Trading



Donomax Trading is a solution-based service provider that provides
a one-stop-shop for corporates. Donomax focus on the procurement
of apparel, gifts and specialised services including catering,
transport, security and entertainment.


What was your inspiration for starting What’s the best business advice you’ve
Donomax? received?
I wanted to start a business where I could add There have been many valuable pieces of advice
value to my customers. It was important for shared with me, but for me one of the most
me to be flexible with my time because my valuable was that if you add value to someone’s
children were small and I wanted to spend as business then they will continue to add value
much time with them as I could. That is why I to your business. The second best advice piece
started Donomax … so that I could be flexible of advice was to maximise your relationships
with my time and add quantifiable value to my because there is revenue in relationships. I am
customers. still learning every day but already I find that I
am now able to share advice with other business
What are your company’s competitive owners, which I feel is important because you
advantages? need to help others as you have been helped.
I pride myself in providing a quality service That is also the reason why we use some of the
that can be quantifiably measured in rands revenue we bring in for uplifting previously
and cents. We are a corporate branding and disadvantaged individuals, and we hope were
procurement company, so agility and speed are able to do more of this in the future. I have
to market is important to my customers. The learned from both success and failures and
products that I provide are, therefore, configured I now know that everybody must pay their
to accurately represent the image and “school fees”.
performance of the company. On top of that,
we provide competitive pricing that our What have been the keys to creating a
customers enjoy. sustainable business?
Recurring revenue is a business concept that I
What were the challenges you experienced have learned from Business Doctors, but it was
in starting your business? also important to have my statutory documents
Probably the biggest challenge was to stay in place, such as my Vat number and Tax
focussed, along with having a clear and concise clearance certificate. It also proved invaluable
goal for the business. The business needed to have an accounting package in place as well
money to survive and in the beginning we as an accountant. All of these factors add to
went for everything to make the business work. the operating cost of the business, but I have
That proved not to be a good idea and we have seen first-hand that it is a must-have if you want
since learned that a focussed approach is a to do business with established corporates.
much better strategy for building a sustainable Another key is to discipline yourself in asking
business. for business. This does not come naturally to

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SMME PR OFILE











































me because the fear of rejection is very real, needed to finance some of the larger customers
but if you don’t ask you will not receive. Lastly, who require such a facility. We lose too much
competent staff and quality suppliers are in interest that we have to pay back to the
important factors when it comes to gaining banks. We have to ask big corporates to be
new customers. accommodating in this regard, but this is far
and in between. Regardless of this limitation,
What are the challenges facing the future we continue to push for the bigger business
expansion of Donomax? because we know that in the long run we can
Probably the biggest one is that of payment maximise partnerships and provide a quality
terms. As a small business, we can compete service.in the beginning.
with bigger competitors in terms of products
and service, but we don’t have deep pockets www.donomax.com
to do so effectively when it comes to payment
terms. As a result, when it comes to big financial Donomax Trading is part of the GrandWest ESD
outlays, we don’t have the necessary capital supplier programme

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BILLING

Value pricing kicks hour

rates to the kerb




2019 is the time to bid a fond farewell to hourly rates
and welcome in value pricing, says Lauren du Plooy.


Selling hours for Rands is the inverse of a good and make better business decisions,” says
business model. If you’re billing by the hour, Du Plooy, who adds that one such informed
you can only bill for eight hours a day, so your business decision is to base fees on knowledge,
income is capped, yet it’s a pricing model so experience and value, rather than the outdated
many of us default to – from accountants and method of billing by the hour.
doctors to designers, dog groomers and gym Du Plooy highlights that, over the past 20
instructors. Instead, we should be striving for years, hourly billing has been the standard
a value pricing model, where fees are based on method used by many small businesses and
value to the client rather than the number of accounting firms. However, she notes that the
hours worked. model has presented numerous challenges for
firms looking to grow.
This is according to Lauren du Plooy, “This includes the income limitations of
Managing Partner of accounting software being restricted to an eight hour work day, the
specialist firm, Rae & Associates, who - as a tedious associated administrative requirements
certified QuickBooks partner - took part in of tracking hours and filling in time sheets, as
inspiring and educating others in the industry well as not being able to bill for the time spent
at the recent Get Connected events held in travelling to and from client offices.
Johannesburg and Cape Town. “Now that online accounting software like
Du Plooy highlights that harnessing tech QuickBooks takes care of timely administrative
advances such as online accounting tools make functions, naturally fewer hours are billed.
financial planning, monitoring and reporting However, the hours which are billed are spent
more reliable and time efficient. adding far greater value and can therefore not
“This has, in turn, opened the door for other be priced at the same rate as tasks like manual
exciting changes like the move from hourly data capturing have been in the past,” she
billing, to value pricing - an empowering new explains.
concept for accountants and small businesses With this in mind, Du Plooy suggests that
alike. By more quickly and efficiently the alternative model of value pricing simply
managing our clients’ data and our firm’s tasks, makes more sense.
we save a lot of time, which we can spend “Value pricing means billing clients based
adding value to our clients. on what you have to offer, not how long you
“It is this kind of innovation which is work. We are not just selling our time, but
distancing accountants and bookkeepers from our knowledge, experience, innovation and
their traditional role of number crunching, customer service - these are the factors our
instead giving us the opportunity to take an pricing models should reflect.
advisory role and empower our clients to grow “We implemented value pricing more than

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BILLING









SILVER GOLD PLATINUM
Lorem Ipsum Dolor Lorem Ipsum Dolor Lorem Ipsum Dolor

$ 29.99/MONTH $ 39.99/MONTH $ 49.99/MONTH


Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet

SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE









four years ago and have experienced notable work with want to make the move from desktop
growth since. Our existing clients are now on software. Our knowledge and experience in
retainer and set their own budgets based on the industry means that we are well placed to
the services they require from us on a monthly assist them with this.
basis. This means that both parties have clear “With the accessibility of this kind of
and defi ned expectations from the start,” she innovation, we need to keep in mind that our
explains. roles as accounting professionals will continue
Other advantages of adopting value pricing to evolve and so will the processes we use
include steady cash fl ow, easier budgeting and to conduct business and, of course, how we
increased staff productivity, as timesheets are charge for our services – the fall of hourly
no longer required. billing is testament to this,” concludes Du
“It also benefi ts our clients that we Plooy.
can advise them on the latest technology. For more information, visit www.quickbooks.
QuickBooks, for example, has transformed the co.za.
way we work and can easily be implemented
in our clients’ operations. Cloud accounting Lauren du Plooy
is here to stay and many of the companies we

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SMME western cape.indd 37 2019/04/11 11:20 AM

W ORKSPA CE

Flexible working instrumental TOGETHER ON THE

to SME success ROAD AHEAD.



Co-working spaces and flexible work hours are becoming the norm in the
world of SMEs as well as for larger corporates, and it’s helping companies
stay competitive and retain their best staff.



If buying a home is considered the most
stressful purchase an adult can make, securing Growing the economy requires scanning the road ahead.
a business address is the equivalent for SMEs Horizon 2030 is a strategy that will turn SANRAL
and start-ups. A 2019 workplace survey into an organisation that better meets the needs
commissioned in 80 countries by flexible of the South African people and economy. We
workspace giant IWG plc showed that flexible are reviewing our operating and funding models
workspace could be the answer to many of Let’s be frank: The Ina Paarmans who build as well as ensuring that our Transformation Policy
the hurdles the estimated 2.8 million SMEs in successful empires from their garage are out prioritises ownership, equitable access, community
South Africa face. there, but for every other SME started in a empowerment, entry into rigid supply chains
township or smaller town, garages and coffee and SMME development and support in the
The research shows that 77% of businesses shops are just not an option if they are going construction and related industries. We are
surveyed in South Africa, said that flexible to grow. working together to enhance our core functions
working plays a big role in the success of “Businesses around the world are facing and drive greater effi ciency.
SMEs. The report reveals that 51% said that multiple challenges including ensuring that
flexible working helped SMEs attract and their business is agile enough to adapt to For more information and to comment on
retain talent, whereas 62% reported being change. SMEs in South Africa are no different,” our Horizon 2030 strategy, email us at
more productive. A total of 45% of respondents says Joanne Bushell, Managing Director South [email protected].
confirmed that they used flexible workspace Africa and VP Sales Africa for IWG says. “Our
to reduce their capital expenditure and research shows that businesses that haven’t To comment on our Draft
operational expenditure. already considered the financial and strategic Transformation Policy, email us at
[email protected].
The move to flexible working in the rest benefits of flexible workspace need to do so
of the world is even more marked. Of the now. Otherwise, they face being seen as out of You can also visit our website or write
15,000 respondents from 80 different countries touch, both with their competitors and with the to us at PO Box 415, Pretoria, 0001.
around the world, 75% (and a massive 79% in demands of the modern workforce.” We also accept hand-delivered
South Africa), believe that flexible working has “Flexible workspace is truly a way for SMEs comments at our regional offi ces in
become the new normal. As a result, in the past to reduce costs, remain agile in changing Pietermaritzburg, Port Elizabeth,
10 years, 85% of businesses have introduced a environments, make profitable connections Western Cape or Pretoria (Menlo Park).
flexible workspace policy, or are planning to and attract and retain talent in a professional (See website for addresses.)
adopt one (89% in South Africa) in an effort to environment that supports business growth.
retain talent. The Thuma Mina events step in to solve one
SMEs in South Africa also singled out the of the hurdles faced by SMEs i.e. mentorship,
daily commute as a reason to use flexible which is just one of the ways South African SANRAL. Beyond roads.
An agency of the Department of Transport.
workspace, with 47% using a nearby co-working SMEs can benefit from flexible working,” adds
space to reduce commute times and costs. Bushell.
SMME Handbook | www.smmehandbook.co.za 38 Reg. No. 1998/009584/30





1804 Sanral Horizon 2030 layouts Final A5.indd 1 2017/11/01 9:15 AM
SMME western cape.indd 38 2019/04/11 11:20 AM

TOGETHER ON THE

ROAD AHEAD.












Growing the economy requires scanning the road ahead.
Horizon 2030 is a strategy that will turn SANRAL
into an organisation that better meets the needs
of the South African people and economy. We
are reviewing our operating and funding models
as well as ensuring that our Transformation Policy
prioritises ownership, equitable access, community
empowerment, entry into rigid supply chains
and SMME development and support in the
construction and related industries. We are
working together to enhance our core functions
and drive greater effi ciency.

For more information and to comment on
our Horizon 2030 strategy, email us at
[email protected].

To comment on our Draft
Transformation Policy, email us at
[email protected].

You can also visit our website or write
to us at PO Box 415, Pretoria, 0001.
We also accept hand-delivered
comments at our regional offi ces in
Pietermaritzburg, Port Elizabeth,
Western Cape or Pretoria (Menlo Park).
(See website for addresses.)


SANRAL. Beyond roads.
An agency of the Department of Transport.




Reg. No. 1998/009584/30




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SMME western cape.indd 39 2019/04/11 11:20 AM

SMME PR OFILE

AdvOcc



Craig Zimri started AdvOcc in 2004 as a hobby taking
photos for friends and family, but his passion for
photography soon grew into a thriving business.































Tell me about how your business was business coming through the door and to
started? be competitive, but today our niche is being
I started the business as a hobby in 2004 while passionate about what we do to ensure our
I was still employed, but the hobby grew into customers get satisfaction.
a passion to take photos and video of family
and friends full-time. In 2006 I registered What are your competitive advantages in
the business and that was when I resigned terms of your service?
from full-time employment, which was a risk I was employed as a salesman before I
because leaving full-time employment with started the business, and that proved to be an
medical aid to run my own business was a invaluable skill to bring into my own operation
scary prospect. You need to think carefully as it enabled me to be able to sell myself
about how much money you are realistically and the projects we are working on. At the
going to make and what your position in the same time, my creative side ensures that I am
market will be. focussed on getting the best results for our
In the early days I had low overheads which clients and not about the money. One-on-one
made it possible to discount on price to keep meetings have proven to be vital to give new

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SMME PR OFILE























clients the chance to see my passion and who don’t know what to do with their lives. I plan
I am as a person and what our business can to train 10 youngsters a year who want to learn
offer them. camera work and City Varsity have expressed a
willingness to help, as have Orms. My plan is to
What were the challenges in starting your get 10 kids and fives cameras so I can educate
business? them in a way that can really help them and
Insurance has always been a heavy burden give them a career option. If I have 10 kids this
and initially I had to incorporate it with my year then I want to have 10 more next year so
household insurance to get lower premiums, that we can keep on helping young people to
although that exposed me from a risk point grow.
of view. One advantage I had coming into
the business was that I had built up my What have been the keys to creating a
technical skills and knowledge while I was still sustainable business?
employed, as I had completed a producing and Our videos are top quality, but it’s important
camera work course at City Varsity, although to keep reminding yourself that we can always
my editing skills have been self-taught. raise the bar to remain competitive. You also
need your family support and my wife is a
What is the best advice you’ve been given? really good support for me through good times
Hou jou kop bo water - keep your head above and bad. We moved to Joburg and all our
water! And don’t give up… don’t ever give up! equipment was stolen, which was a knock and
Perseverance is key, and if you put your mind for almost two years had to rent cameras and
to it you must go for it. we didn’t make money, so it was a real struggle.
You sometimes feel like throwing it all in, but
What are your goals for the future? having someone supporting you is so helpful
We would like to remain the company that to ensure that you never give up. Now we are
we are, so I am not wanting to become big. back on our feet and I feel free as an eagle: we
We just want to keep making money and have the weapons now, so let’s take it to war!
sustaining ourselves and to be in a position to
help other people. My vision is to give back to AdvOcc is part of the GrandWest ESD supplier
the community by educating matriculants who programme

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RE CRUITMENT

Graduate recruitment

platform a boon for


young talent




South African businesses have a bright new platform to help
them recruit skilled graduates, interns and apprentices and, in the
process, invest in developing South Africa’s bright young talent.



The Economist’s Pocket World in Figures platform to connect graduates with SMMEs in
claims that South Africa has the highest rate particular.
of unemployment among young people in “Modern recruitment practices and
the world. The percentage of youth between mega-online job portals are valuable tools
the ages of 15 and 34 years who are not in for mainstream job placements, but its brute
employment, education or training (NEET) force approach can be inefficient for smaller
has risen to 38.9%, according to Statistics businesses and first-time job seekers,” says
SA. The challenge is compounded by a low Geard.
economic growth rate, which is predicted to It is in this fertile space that
be only 1.3% in 2019. RecruitAGraduate will offer its range of services.
On the one hand, it will assist businesses that
It is against this backdrop that President Cyril want to employ young talent but cannot afford
Ramaphosa and the South African government expensive, graduate recruitment campaigns and
hopes to create 13 million new jobs by 2030, as which equally cannot risk a wrong placement.
part of the National Development Plan. This On the other hand, it will exclusively help
is supported by various tax incentives, such as new academic and vocational graduates who
rebates on the compulsory skills levy for youth need to find meaningful work and position
training and by forward-thinking programmes themselves for a successful career amid the
such as YES4Youth, which seek to give as many noise and seemingly insurmountable obstacles
trained and untrained youths job experience by they face in the current South African job
placing them at businesses across South Africa. market.
The problem on the ground, especially for RecruitMyMom focuses on skilled, flexible
SMMEs, is finding these graduates. and part-time placements for women wanting to
Imagine a website where small business integrate their careers and family commitments.
owners have their very own space to meet to This platform was created by Geard in 2012 and
pinpoint skilled, qualified graduates without won her the title of Job Creator of the Year® at
going through the hassle of sifting through the 2018 Entrepreneur of the Year Awards.
thousands of applications. That’s what inspired “At RecruitAGraduate, prospective
Phillipa Geard, founder of the award-winning employers can choose from a self-service
RecruitMyMom platform, to build a whole new option, with a small listing fee, or an affordable,

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RE CRUITMENT


































professional recruitment service, where one programmes such as Youth Unemployment
of our team members will help them find and Services (YES).
place the right candidate. For the latter, payment The RecruitMyMom platform has grown to
is only made when we make a successful a community of nearly 60 000 skilled moms
placement, and we offer a three-month warranty. and other career flexi-workers and has garnered
many entrepreneurial and business awards.
“At the same time, we help graduates by Given the exponential growth of the digital
exclusively focusing on them. Our platform world and the fact that digital is becoming
is geared to present graduates, interns and the first port of call for most people across all
apprentices in the best possible light through facets of their lives, it is easy to imagine that
our online help and CV template service,” says RecruitAGraduate could easily match or surpass
Geard. the success of Geard’s first startup.
By offering an easy-to-use platform with low Critical for the growth of any business,
fees and a targeted approach, RecruitAGraduate Geard has utilised her seven years of learning
will help forward-thinking businesses to invest and experimenting while developing
in hiring graduates, interns and apprentices RecruitMyMom into a sustainable business,
thereby simultaneously addressing the and this development should help to power
challenges of youth unemployment in South RecruitAGraduate to new heights while driving
Africa, which is the highest in the world. their mission to inspire the future and cut down
Graduate youth employment integrates on South Africa’s unemployment stats.
with existing governmental tax and B-BBEE
incentives and dovetails with foundational www.recruitagraduate.co.za

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CYBERSE CURITY

Strengthening the

cybersecurity of

small businesses



Cybersecurity guru Elaine Wang offers
a quick guide to end-to-end business
security for SMMEs.


The threat of cyberattacks has been at the
forefront of discussions in the media and in
the technology industry itself, particularly
over the last two years.

However, small businesses still seem to think
that there is very little need for cybersecurity
as they’re not as lucrative targets to hackers as
larger corporations are. Nevertheless, this is
entirely false.
Small and medium-sized businesses
experience slightly more data breaches
involving personal information and the size detect a fraudulent email, so companies need
of data breaches are usually larger. According to educate employees on spotting malware,
to a 2018 Bitdefender study, over one-third of phishing attacks and social engineering
organisations took between one week and six tactics to avoid accidental breaches.
months to discover an attack at all. • User policy changes
Data has value to hackers because it has Implementing policies that limit users’
value to a business, so no matter the size of an ability to install unauthorised software on
organisation, preparation is key. work devices and requiring users to update
Businesses need to start taking a holistic passwords regularly can go a long way in
approach to cybersecurity in the workplace, protecting the network of a business.
taking both preventative as well as disaster Additionally, requesting that users employ
recovery measures into account. Here are some a mobile security tool trusted by the
tips to help small and medium-sized businesses organisation could minimise vulnerabilities.
improve their network security. • Network security tools
Organisations can find a multiple monitoring
Preventative and anti-malware tools on the market which
• Training can help them to protect their entire network,
User training and monitoring is extremely which includes mobile device management,
important as users are often the weak point such as Microsoft 365 and Gravityzone
of a network. Employees are usually unable to Advanced Business Security.

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CYBERSE CURITY




































• Consistent security updates the loss of reputation, for a business.
A company’s IT division should routinely An increasingly popular way of backing
perform software upgrades to ensure the up important data is to use a cloud-based
latest security patches are rolled out across offering which can do this automatically.
the entire organisation as there are still many
companies not installing consistent software Small and medium-sized enterprises are
updates on devices. important drivers of productivity in most
economies, especially in South Africa, therefore
Disaster Recovery a successful economy lies in successful small
• Incident response plan business. Because cybersecurity breaches
A disaster recovery system for business- have the potential of closing a business down
critical applications is crucial to minimising permanently, businesses need to ensure that not
downtime as a result of an attack and should only do they have adequate security measures
account for and understand all possible risks in place, but also built-in contingency plans in
and what exactly your business needs at a the event a breach does take place.
minimum for operations to continue. And in this day and age, when it comes to
• Back-up systems cyberattacks, it’s not a matter of if anymore, but
Implementing a robust backup system can rather a matter of when.
help to ensure that there is no loss of data
which can be costly, both monetarily and in Elaine Wang, Director, Rectron

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SMME PR OFILE

Bar of Gold



Bar of Gold is a construction company based in Cape Town servicing the
corporate, retail and residential market. It was founded by Mandly Bobani in
2010 after merging with an existing renovations company.
































What is the focus of your business and how What are your competitive advantages in
was it started? terms of your services?
Bar of Gold operates in the construction business We give excellent service which we are proud of
and we specialise in offering renovation services and we always aim to give our very best to every
to a wide range of clients, from corporate to retail client on every job that we work on. We have 10 full-
and residential. After working for a construction time employees and six casuals, as well as a strong
company for many years I decided to start my own administrative office run by Jennifer Bobani.
business because of the knowledge and experience
I had built up over the years. It was actually an easy What were the challenges you faced when it
decision to make to start the business because I came to starting your business?
have an incredible passion for this kind of work Our challenges were, first and foremost, the fact
and, over many years in the industry, I have that we never had enough capital in an industry
developed a great deal of creativity when it comes that is extremely capital-intensive, in particular
to working with my hands. when it comes to seeking out new business. We
also didn’t have enough office equipment which

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SMME PR OFILE






























made the administrative side of the business a through and responding to client queries and
lot more challenging and, when it came to doing requests. By offering good service to our clients
the actual construction and renovation work, we it has helped us to build solid relationships with
initially only had one bakkie for transporting the them over the years, which is invaluable in terms
team as well as all our equipment along with the of getting repeat business as well as referrals and
materials we needed for each job. Naturally, these recommendations, which are extremely important
factors limited our ability to secure work from in our line of work.
bigger clients and to secure bigger contracts in the
early years. What are your challenges for expansion?
We can never have enough safety and health
What is the best advice you have received that training because accidents can happen at any
has helped your business become successful? time as our workers spend almost their entire day
The best advice for the growth of my business on scaffolding as well as doing tiling work, both
was to enlist the services of an accountant in order of which are hazardous occupations. Training
to help me get a clear picture of my business obviously carries a cost in terms or paying for the
and to see when we are operating at a profit and training and there is also the cost of the guys being
when we are suffering any losses. Working with off-site, but it is really important for the business to
Business Doctors has also been a huge help for grow. Accidents obviously carry a human factor in
me personally as a business owner as well as terms of any injury to the individual, but they also
benefitting my business. impact on the morale of everyone in the company
and can also affect your ability to complete a job
What have been the keys to creating a on time.
sustainable business?
Being punctual with clients in terms of meetings Bar of Gold is part of the GrandWest ESD
and all communication, including sending quotes supplier programme

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NETW ORKING

Build your tribe



“Successful entrepreneurs and leaders create the outcomes they desire, by
surrounding themselves with like-minded people and those working towards the
same goal. It’s their ‘tribe’… but how do you create one?” asks Mimi Rupp.

BANKING ON
I am a believer that ‘like attracts like’, and It is as simple as starting a book or supper
you should surround yourself with people club. Everything else to grow your tribe and
that carry a positive light. Entrepreneurs all solidify its role will come as you grow your ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS
need to surround themselves with people who community. Things like jargon you may use
want to make a diff erence and bring out the within your tribe and the roles people play will
good, warm, and fuzzy stuff that will infl uence come as you grow.
others and gets them asking, “How do I join?” When considering who you want to surround
yourself, ask yourself the following:
My motto is “Whatever you put inside, you • What is your vision for yourself and others
get out.” Consider this while you’re building in your tribe?
and connecting with others. Think of your This is the most essential ingredient to
network as your net worth: if the people you are building your community.
connecting with don’t share the same purpose • Does your tribe have a shared purpose?
or vision that you desire to acquire, what is your Find out what you are working towards as a
net worth? unit.
Create and build your tribe on positive vibes • What does your tribe identify as? 
and I promise that you will always have an Create a name for your tribe.
understanding and supportive group behind • How will your tribe engage with each other?
you. I could tell you that there’s more to building Closed Facebook groups, monthly meetings,
a tribe than what I have provided you so far, but etc. are great for having a controlled space to
there really isn’t. Overthinking its creation will monitor and interact with your tribe.
probably lead to you delaying putting your tribe • What will you and your tribe do to make The BANKSETA has established multidimensional interventions
together. your mark? to equip aspiring and established entrepreneurs with the technological
You can start a blog, host community events, and financial skills required to improve their business acumen.
or even create a product.

As I said, don’t overthink it, and have fun as you
become closer and closer as a group.
Remember, a tribe isn’t just a group of ‘fans’ For more information, send an email to [email protected]
that follow, tweet, like, or share your stuff on
social media. A tribe is your second family.
They congratulate you on your success. They
www.bankseta.org.za
encourage you, they see your vision when you www.bankseta.org.za
can’t, and it’s your support network.
Mimi Rupp is a business owner and a mentor for
entrepreneurs

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