If entrepreneurship is the future of progressive industry, which I believe it is, then a shift needs to occur in the relationship between an entrepreneur and their accountant because this is one of the most important and enduring alliances they will forge. What makes an accountant valuable to an entrepreneur? In short, a valuable accountant is one who listens. This article further explores this relationship by looking at the types of accountant you may come across in your career.

You can love it, hate it, comply with it or run away from it but the fact remains, Occupational Health and Safety are part of running a compliant business.

Guidelines on how to ensure fire prevention and safety in the workplace, including compliance with labour laws.

Operational procedures, or the "how to" of your business, are extremely important.

Your values are an intrinsic part of your business’s mission, vision, goals, and values. Values have a major influence on a person's behaviour and attitude and serve as broad guidelines in all situations. In the context of business the mutually agreed upon values guide the behaviour of the staff, so that clients are able to judge the character of the business.

Entrepreneurial success is not only determined by the ability to foresee opportunities in the marketplace, initiate (or take advantage of) change, and create value through solutions. One also has to have the right tools and business governance structures to create a successful business moving forward. Use this checklist to make sure you start your entrepreneurial journey and approach business governance the best way possible.

Govt department dealing with labour/employment issues.

If your business is facing a VAT audit by SARS, it is important that you have these 10 financial records on hand. Namely, VAT return totals, VAT control account, VAT interest and penalties, tax invoices, debtors, trade, previous audits, taxable supplies, VAT refunds, as well as assets and liabilities.

To start or manage any business is challenging enough, but owning and operating a service station has added challenges. The rate of armed robberies at service stations is alarming and taxing on owners and employees alike. It is ultimately the responsibility of the service station owner to protect his staff. There are, however, measures that can be taken to reduce the risk. Here are some tips on how to better secure your service station.

A guarantee is a formal assurance (typically written) that certain conditions will be met; specifically that a product will be reinstated or replaced if it does not live up to the specified quality, or that a service will be reviewed if it does not deliver the expected result. When you consider a product or service guarantee it should be in line with the “best promise that you can deliver on”. Here are some guidelines and examples to help you differentiate your business with a product or service guarantee.

Challenges such as strikes, load shedding and e-tolls reinforce the statement that starting and running a business in South Africa is not for the fainthearted, or – from another point of view – not for the unprepared. The difference in opinion reveals the other side of the risk coin, namely opportunity. For the entrepreneur who is prepared for the intense risks of the local industry, South Africa is teeming with business opportunities to gain market share and fill unoccupied niches. Here are some macro- and micro-economic risks for you to be aware of.

Service provider of First Aid training to Small to Medium Enterprises.

The automatic-renewal clause within contracts in South Africa is fairly commonplace. This clause is often included in fixed-term contracts and refers to the instant renewal of one’s contract upon reaching its expiry date. This will occur unless proper cancellation is effected by the Consumer prior to expiry.

The Consumer Protection Act aims to protect the rights of Consumers by ensuring that the environment in which they operate is fair, accessible and sustainable. It also endeavours to encourage responsible Consumer behaviour.

ISO can help to break down barriers to international trade. Read this article to find out all about ISO.

Security exists in multiple ways. This is especially true for businesses and it is necessary for an owner to understand what they want from security before signing any contracts.

The average business does not start out with a sophisticated fleet management system in place. This is something that comes much later when the business and its fleet expands. Learn the pros and cons of fleet managment.

A Practical Guide on Health and Safety in the Workplace.

For tips on making the workplace fire-safe.

As with any industry, the hospitality industry has a framework of rules, regulations and guidelines for issues pertaining to human resources.