South Africa has emerged a clear leader on the continent, as an enabler of women’s entrepreneurship. However, as President Ramaphosa pointed out last year, despite efforts from multiple segments of society, only 41% of South African women aged between 15 and 60 years are regarded as being economically active. While we should celebrate the significant strides being made towards tackling gender disparities in entrepreneurship, we should strive as a collective to address major challenges that prevent progress such as access to funding.

Business ethics are the moral principles you adopt in how you do business. Though many unscrupulous businesses have earned big bucks in a short time, in the long run, they have suffered from the bad reputation their unscrupulous behaviour has caused. So, how can business ethics create a better business? Before we dive into this question let’s define business ethics.

Customers usually stick with businesses that value them and treat them well. According to a global PwC survey , almost 60% of customers would discontinue using a brand if they had bad experiences. So, it’s not surprising that commercial actions are motivated by a fundamental desire for respect.

Even if you cannot offer a quick fix, you can address customer queries and promptly return phone calls and email messages.  That is a positive client experience and the foundation of any successful business. So regardless of your business size, investing in customer experience is essential and here’s how you can do it.

Article written by Terrena Rathaniall (SME media portfolio manager at Fetola)

Marketing is crucial for small business owners seeking market entry as it enhances visibility, attracts and retains customers, establishes a competitive advantage, provides market knowledge, and fuels business growth and expansion.

While small businesses may very well be the unsung heroes of the South African economy, their contribution to national development is unmistakable. Creating an enabling environment for entrepreneurship is therefore not only good for business but it is also necessary to build a more equitable and prosperous economy.

Meet the Absa Small Business Friday featured Small Business of the week – Job Crystal.

Job crystal is working towards making a dent in unemployment in South Africa. They aim to help SMEs hire better, faster, and cheaper so they can grow. This proudly South African business is also making waves worldwide as well as they have developed and offer recruitment technology that is revolutionary in finding talent faster than you can read this line.

Sasha Knott’s journey to entrepreneurship has been an interesting and challenging one. She started as a cashier, then worked her way up to waitress, and then became a programmer but decided she preferred people over computers and stepped into a leadership role. She continued to climb the corporate ladder and learnt a great deal from working with start-ups. This knowledge proved highly beneficial when she started Job Crystal.