The rate of digital adoption in South Africa has rapidly accelerated in recent years. Today, over 72% of the population uses the internet, which equates to an estimated 43.48 million internet users. With more of the local population adopting digital platforms for working, shopping and playing, small businesses have a golden opportunity to cash in by strengthening their online presence.
In the highly competitive world of winning contracts and securing business growth, crafting compelling and customer-centric proposals is absolutely crucial. To win over a potential client, you need to do more than showcase your company's expertise and achievements; you need to start from a deep understanding of their needs and tailor your approach to meeting these.
Since the emergence of online advertising, such as Google Ads, the medium has undergone a remarkable transformation. But one thing remains — understanding the psychology behind customer behaviour is crucial to attracting their attention. In this article, we delve into the importance and advantages of Google Ads in capturing customers when they’re ready to buy, ultimately driving conversions and achieving business success without a Coca-Cola-esque budget.
Transforming a business idea into a fully-fledged venture is certainly no small feat. For some entrepreneurs, undertaking this mammoth task is a job best accomplished by collaborating with a business partner. While working with a business partner does come with its own unique set of challenges, in many cases, the pros outweigh the cons.
Most businesses dream of experiencing hyper growth and becoming leaders in their niche. They want to be rewarded for all the blood, sweat and tears that has gone into building their business. But how do you build for hyper growth in your SME? Let’s take a look at what is hyper growth and how your business can build towards it.
South Africa’s manufacturing sector is one of several areas of interest, identified in the National Development Plan (NDP) as an industry poised for job creation and GDP growth. Despite several hurdles having thwarted the industry’s progress over the past few years, efforts by the public and private sectors to revitalise and expand South Africa’s manufacturing capabilities, present an encouraging prospect for small- and medium-sized (SMEs).
Last year saw South Africa’s manufacturing sector being put through its paces, with the industry’s gross value showing a decline of 1.3 percentage points during the first six months of the year when compared to the same period in 2022. Persistent loadshedding, input cost pressures, and the Durban floods during April this year dealt deafening blows to the sector’s progress in several key performance areas.
You have researched and found the perfect expo to exhibit at but now what? How do you ensure you get an excellent return on your investment with your stand? This is your chance to have your brand on display and you may be situated with some direct competition. Here are seven steps to have a successful exhibition stand which stands out from the crowd.
Article written by Harry Welby-Cooke, (ActionCOACH Country Partner)
Like it or not, there are very few secrets left in the world. Google has already, for free, provided us with all the answers human beings know. So, why then are some people a lot more productive, and dare I say, a lot more successful too?
These ‘7 Secrets of the Most Productive People’ are already quite freely available. Less popular though, and much more critical, is actually following the advice and implementing these secrets. Knowing isn’t enough and doing therefore becomes a much more important part of your success.
From experience though, I thought I’d share a summary of what we as ActionCOACH business coaches see as being critical success factors across our team of business coaches and their entrepreneurial clients. To get these secrets to work best for you try this: Read, nod, take action and repeat!
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South Africa’s small business sector is a tough environment to break into, but those who succeed in weathering the storms of the first few years of business, have a real shot at scaling their business to new heights. Arguably, effective financial management is the single most important aspect of running a successful venture, part of which involves saving on a regular and consistent basis.
Providing commentary on this is Arnold February, Regional Investment Manager at small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) financier firm, Business Partners Limited. The ongoing quarterly SME Index conducted by Business Partners Limited has found, over a consecutive number of years, that cash flow remains the biggest challenge for local business owners. And, as February says: “Saving and cash flow management go hand in hand.”
