Far too often, I’ve witnessed entrepreneurs make terrible mistakes when pitching to potential funders. This is my second pitching tip in a series of twelve that you – as an entrepreneur – need to implement in order to improve your business pitch to potential funders, as well as some of the pitfalls you should...
any new small businesses go through the struggle of finding capital to start-up of expand their businesses. Government funding and grants can be a worthwhile way to get the funds that you need. There are a lot of important things you need to be aware of such as: Strict criteria, a lot of paperwork and...
Access to early stage development funding for up-and-coming businesses in South Africa remains a key hindrance standing in the way of entrepreneurial development. There are, however, numerous strategies to finance your business’s launch, or early stage development. One of these tactics is to secure seed finance or seed capital investment. The money you need to launch...
The South African Government recognises that a healthy and growing SMME sector is critical to boost economic growth and job creation and has developed a variety of funding products that SMMEs can apply for. These include full grants, cost-sharing grants, tax incentives, growth incentives, loans and equity finance options. Since these funds need to align...
There is an erroneous view held by many that there isn’t sufficient finance available for entrepreneurs in South Africa. I have stated the following before, and I will state it again: there is more money chasing good businesses, than there are good businesses chasing money. I’ve witnessed many entrepreneurs make fatal mistakes when pitching to...
Our labour laws are constantly evolving as the South African government seeks to balance stronger protections for employees with the need to create a business-friendly investment climate. We can expect to see a number of amendments to the country’s core labour law acts – the Basic Conditions of Employment Act and the Unemployment Insurance...
With the world in the centre of the digital/innovative age more and more start-ups have embraced paperless ideals and strategies. This means when entrepreneurs are in the planning stages of their business they would tend to use the latest and most innovative methods to complete a business plan/model canvas. There are apps, programmes and...
If you’re awesome, you’ll succeed. If you succeed, then you’ll grow. As you grow, the scale will change everything and, then, you won’t be awesome anymore – unless, that is, you change a lot of what made you awesome in the first place! This, then, is the Scale Up Paradox. Because what got you here,...
The most active investors in African startups were recently revealed in Disrupt Africa’s 2017 African Tech Startups Funding Report. The list is dominated by US-based venture capital (VC) funds with the exception of Algebra Ventures, an Egyptian venture fund; Kalon Ventures, a South Africa-based section 12J venture capital fund and Nigeria’s Ventures Platform. These investors prove that...
When begin your entrepreneurship journey, you are often required to wear many hats. This can prove to be an overwhelming experience for the best of us. Leveraging technology can help you manage your efficiency and your busy schedule. They have listed the 10 top digital tools and online services that will come in handy. Source:...
