Top trends that will affect your business in 2023
A year ago, companies had a level of uncertainty linked to the pandemic, but these 2023 trends already shows some potential. Here are four trends you need to watch and take action on in 2023. Energy and Energy Supply The war in Ukraine impacted the world more than anyone could have predicted. The reliance on […]
New Year, New Business Opportunities
The start of the new year is always a time to set new intentions and goals for your business. We can use this time to assess 2022, what worked and did not, and plan what we can improve on. As an owner of an SME, it is sometimes tough to be able to step away […]
Bizcash wins Fintech of the Year
The Department of Small Business Development and its agencies, the Small Enterprise Development Agency (Seda) and the Small Enterprise Finance Agency (Sefa), hosted the Inaugural National Presidential SMME and Co-operatives Awards in Bryanston on 13 November in Johannesburg. The prestige event is to recognise and celebrate the best performing SMMEs, Cooperatives and Ecosystem Enablers. The host of […]
What you should spend your money on this festive season
As the holidays come around, consumers and companies tend to spend more than they should. With two years of frugal spending on the pandemic, you may feel like spoiling or splurging more than usual. Consider spending your company money on critical things before guilt spending on fancy parties and lavish bonuses. Sustainable energy plans for […]
Ways to make your business more visible during the festive season
Every business wants to have a great festive season. Here are some easy wins over the next few weeks to get your business noticed this holiday season. Social Media Social network platforms are one of the fastest ways to get your brand and products out to the market. It is time to get your brand […]
Prepare your business cash flow for the festive season
If you look forward to a festive bumper season, you should get your business cash flow as liquid as you can now. Retail and online businesses start the holiday season with discounts on old stock to fill their shelves with new stock for the holiday season. Historically, Black Friday is a day that follows Thanksgiving […]
Another gold standard in helping SMEs thrive
In keeping with a holistic client facility and support services approach of Bizcash, the latest addition to the Bizcash value-added services stable is a Streamline Level Term Life Insurance product with King Price Insurance. Bizcash is collaborating with King Price Life Insurance Limited (King Price Life) and General Risk Administrators SA (“GRSA”) as a leads […]
Creating a successful business benefits everyone
You may start and want a successful business to create an income as an SME and entrepreneur. What you land up doing is providing opportunities and cash flow for a broader spectrum of people. They all benefit from your business. If you choose to grow your business to include employees, it expands that benefit to […]
How to create an asset of value
You may not think that you will want to sell your business in the future. But ask yourself, why not build an asset of value? When you want to exit the job market, take a break or retire, it is a fantastic option to be able to sell your business and add that funding to […]
Set your business up to sell it
Very few entrepreneurs think about starting a business to sell it. Most business owners only start to think about selling when they are ready to retire. But this is too late. You need to plan your sale when you start, and some significant reasons exist. When you want to sell your business, there is often […]
Prepare your business for scale
Of course, every business owner wants to grow and scale their business. The aim of starting a business is to make money. When you grow, the idea is that your profits will increase. Well, that is not always the case. There are crucial elements to understand if you want to scale your business. The decisions […]
Business recovery after the pandemic
Two and a half years after the start of the Covid-19 pandemic hit the South African shores, we can see an almost full recovery. Some industries collapsed when the South African government shut down the country to contain the spread of the virus. Industries hardest hit Cape Town is filled with companies that rely on […]
Five types of business risks you need to avoid
Even small or medium-sized businesses need to be aware of business risks. Your staff and clients all need to minimise all losses, so you can make a success of the business. A robust business risk assessment and plan can preempt any issues that may occur down the line and avoid potential threats. Your business needs […]
Partnering with good companies to become great
Alternative Finance Solutions (Pty) Ltd, trading as Bizcash, is proud to add Ashburton Investment Funds as a funding partner. The funding round adds R30 million to the growing available funds for SMME development in South Africa. Ashburton Investment Funds is a member of the FirstRand Group. They have an award-winning, global reputation for investing for […]
The benefits of supporting local
South Africans need to start understanding the benefits of supporting local manufacturers, even if it may cost a little more. Pick ‘n Pay is just one of the local businesses planning to source 60% of its products locally by 2028. The decimation of the local textiles industry in SA opened the door for cheap Chinese […]
How important is demographic in selecting the correct candidate?
The need to be politically correct when you select the right candidate for your business or a project can make or break your business. It is crucial to get it right. So how do you make a call when dealing with a decision that is a logical demographic choice? In some businesses, choosing staff based […]
Get what it takes to be an Entrepreneur
Not everyone is built to be an entrepreneur. Most people are thrilled to be an employee. To know they have the security of a 9-5 job, a pension plan, and paid leave days. But the guarantee of employment or salary nowadays is not as secure as in the past. For some folks, the dream of […]
Reasons you should support women-run businesses
We celebrate woman’s month and all the gushing with a mom or a partner, but what about supporting women-run businesses? We see many male-dominated entrepreneurs, as women tend to have more barriers to entry than their male counterparts. What holds back female entrepreneurs The usual barriers to entry have not changed, like lack of access […]
Five ways to protect your importing/exporting business
South Africans are in a strong position in many ways to run successful importing/exporting businesses. We blend the natural resources with the entrepreneurial spirit for a winning formula. There are, however, some unforeseen issues that can sink an SMME importer/exporter. Here are a few significant financial aspects to look out for and what you can […]
Supporting locals is the way to grow the South African economy
If the covid pandemic taught us one thing, it was that supporting locals is the way of the future. As a nation, we must try to limit reliance on other countries to supply goods to SA. Reverting to foreign suppliers and labour is not an option. The innovation and entrepreneurship that we all got to […]
Staff contracts and agreements: what you need to include in a contract
Just because you place a contract or agreement before a staff member does not mean they have to sign it. Nor may it be legally enforceable if they do. Human resources management is a tricky element of running a business. For many SMMEs, there is no HR department, and some contracts are sketchy at best. […]
Why you should care about your staff’s financial health
Your employee’s financial health is as crucial to your business as it is to them. Managers may not want to get involved in their staff’s personal issues. But if they have money problems, it will affect their workplace. It makes sense to make it part of the plan to educate and build the financial capability […]
Covid is almost over, but the shipping backlog is getting worse.
The industry is under massive strain with the Covid-19 pandemic, and the shipping backlog, and logistics industry, is still under pressure. The issue of global lockdowns created a shipping container backlog on continents. Ships did not return the empty containers from North America to the Asian countries that shipped the required supplies and products. The […]
How can your business trade with the unbanked?
In South Africa, a large portion of the population is unbanked. The amount of people who own credit cards is also a barrier for online trade companies. Banks changed the options for consumers to use debit cards with chips as online payment options. It opens up online shopping and card payments for many consumers. Operating […]
How secure is your business data?
As hackers get more sophisticated, protecting your business data is essential to your company. We hear of hacks of significant companies and never believe it will happen to us, but the reality is that it does. The usual scams that most people see are your social media being hacked. But, the reality is that the […]
Is it time for all of your employees to return to the office?
For many companies, remote working is now the norm. The employees took advantage of the work from home concept throughout the last two years. Now there is friction for some who do not want to return to the office. Some businesses could adopt remote work, hybrid work, or work from home, anywhere in the world. […]
Cash flow issues? Here are some tips on how to get your business back on track
The most critical failure in a business that sinks small companies is cash flow. For example, paying Vat before your invoices from clients are paid is just one element of running a business. In South Africa, significant issues can affect your business cash flow. Managing your supply and payments before you have been paid for […]
How does your business weigh up in gender discrimination?
With consumers calling out more companies for unfair and gender-discrimination practices, it is time to audit your business. Nike is the latest company in the headlines in terms of skewed gender pay gaps A class-action lawsuit is not something you want your business in the news for. It is time for all companies to check […]
South African companies now affected by the consumer budget crunch
The war in Ukraine was set to put pressure on the world’s economy with increased fuel prices. As they rise, so the cost of transport and goods follow suit. What we now see, is business and consumers getting into more debt, just to get through the month. The rise in fuel affects every aspect of […]
Is it time to expand your business into Africa?
When times are tough or when you are expanding, it is a great option to expand into other regions. South Africa is fortunate to be regionally close to some fastest-growing markets and companies. Business Insider writes about the growth in Nigeria and Kenya. Depending on the industry, Agriculture, Telecommunication, Banking, Infrastructure, and Oil and Gas […]
