Small Business Connect news editor, Nabelah Fredericks.
November is well-suited to be the month in which Global Entrepreneurship Week takes place. Well, at least for South African entrepreneurs.
In case you don’t already know (you will once you’ve read this month’s edition), the wheels have been set in motion to address issues that hinder small business development.
Here are some of the changes…
On the front page, we report on the proposal by the Department of Trade and Industry which could soon see smaller firms saving thousands of rands for a Black Economic Empowerment certificate from verification agencies.
On page 2, we report on the National SMME Policy Colloquium that was hosted by the National Small Business Institute in partnership with the Department of Small Business Development. It aims to create a national masterplan that will chart the way forward on how to achieve the objectives set out in the National Development Plan.
As part of Global Entrepreneurship Week which runs between the 17 and 23 November, the Entrepreneurs Expo takes place over 17 and 18 November in Cape Town. In this month’s edition, you can read more about what benefits business owners stand to gain from attending.
A new start-up programme is also set to launch on 10 November. The programme, Start-up Nations South Africa, is similar to initiatives set up by countries such as Brazil and Chile.
On page 8, you can read about how to use the Companies and Intellectual Properties Commission’s new website more efficiently. Last month saw the launch of the commission’s website which offers features such as the functionality to register a business within three days. However, it has not been without “teething problems” and CIPC commissioner Astrid Ludin took to Small Business Connect’s online radio show to address these concerns. And lastly, our very own Publisher, Christoff Oosthuysen, is launching his book “Results! How to succeed in a fast-changing world with a 1-page business plan” as well as the six online versions of the Flow Canvas planning tool this month.
All the latest on the small business sector. Happy reading!
Nabelah Fredericks
News Editor