Business start-up planning has been extensively covered over the past twenty years and longer, and without understating its importance or re-inventing the wheel, perhaps it has been overplayed. Much training is available on the Internet, including templates and guidelines provided by banks and the SA Department of Trade and Industry. To start a freelancing business […]
The “new” Companies Act (the Act) has some requirements which can easily be overlooked. They may seem to be minor and technical, but not complying with them could expose you to major risks. In our increasingly litigious society, it is important to be thorough. For example – resolutions must be sequentially numbered In addition to […]
One of the advantages of the technological revolution is that advances move swiftly down the cost curve. Accounting software for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has now become much faster, more secure and cheaper. It gives businesses real time information and thus makes SMEs more competitive against big business. Cloud-based accounting software is stored in […]
A novel and effective way of raising finance It is well known that finance is extremely hard to raise for small and medium sizes entities (SMEs). Banks are very conservative and prefer to deal with the larger, more established businesses. The venture capital market is small in South Africa and many SMEs fail due to […]
What to do in 7 steps Get rid of your debt. Remember interest on your debt compounds and you don’t want to divert your retirement income to paying off debt. Also if you are married in community of property or your heirs have signed as surety or guarantor, they will be responsible for your debt […]
We know how time consuming dismissing staff can be. It leads to loss of productivity and extra legal costs can be incurred. But be careful if you are considering taking short cuts to get the matter out of the way. A recent case illustrates this. The employer’s quandary An employee’s position was terminated after the […]
How to ensure you get high quality suppliers Best practice dictates that vetting procedures are in place that cover, at least: A review of the supplier’s financials to establish that the business has the financial means to remain sustainable and to deliver to its customers. The supplier has sound processes in place and the organisation […]
When you read that nearly 75% of the middle class experience financial difficulty and a similar percentage are in debt, it is time to worry. Add to this the economic difficulties the country is going to experience flowing from the ratings downgrades and it will not be just the poor who will suffer but many […]
The Companies Act tasks directors to apprise themselves of company activities and make up their own minds as to how decisions should be taken. Strong governance structures should also exist in companies. This spirit of independence and good governance should infuse leadership so that the best interests of the company are safeguarded. Yet when we […]
The “new” Companies Act is pitted with clauses requiring that special resolutions be passed. There are also instances where as directors you are required to take certain actions such as recusing yourself if there is a conflict of interest. It is important to note that transactions can be set aside if the necessary steps are […]
