“In my travels across the globe, I've come to believe that Franz Kafka wasn't writing fiction but rather a traveller's guidebook.” (Ned Donovan) South Africans and foreigners crossing our border (on arrival and departure) are now required to complete one more step...

“The future of business isn't about doing more with less. It's about doing what matters with more intention, alignment, and flow.” (Chais Meyer, business founder and consultant) We all read the brochures. Automation was going to offer us a future where laborious and...

“True leadership is measured by what happens after you die.” (Myles Munroe) Most business owners believe that their personal will has the business covered too, but that's usually not the case. First things first, your valid, updated Last Will and Testament (i.e. your...

"Next to being shot at and missed, nothing is quite as satisfying as an income tax refund." (F.J. Raymond) SARS offers a range of rebates, incentives and deductions that can significantly reduce the tax you need to pay, if you know where to look. The challenge is...

Business owners are often told to aim for the best possible outcome. Maximise profit. Reduce costs. Increase sales. Grow faster. But in the real world, business decisions aren't always that simple. A client may need more flexible payment terms. Cash flow might...

Receiving a decision from SARS that you disagree with can be stressful, particularly when it affects your tax liability, refund or business cash flow. The good news is that a SARS decision is not necessarily the end of the road. Understand the reason for the decision...

For a business owner, few things are more stressful than receiving a tax bill when the money simply isn't there. Perhaps customers haven't paid on time. Maybe cash flow is tight. Unexpected expenses have put pressure on the business. Whatever the reason, finding...

"Compliance is not a choice. It's a responsibility." (Jack Welch, former CEO, General Electric) In South Africa, business compliance obligations are enforced by several different government bodies, each responsible for a different section of business oversight, and...

“SaaS spend increases without founders noticing because subscriptions renew automatically, ownership is unclear, and usage is rarely reviewed as teams change.” (Michael Pantilione) From communication channels, to shared workspaces, AI chatbots and design services,...

“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” (Henry Ford) Bad decisions are a near-universal leadership experience. A 2023 study of more than 14,000 employees and business leaders across 17 countries, commissioned by Oracle, found...

“Provisional tax is merely an advance payment of a taxpayer’s normal tax liability.” (SARS) For many taxpayers, it feels as if you’re making income tax payments all the time. It’s not far from the truth because, in South Africa, provisional taxpayers make two...

"Small is not a stepping stone. You can move. You can adjust. You can adapt. You can get it done while they're still stuck deciding what to do." (Jason Fried, entrepreneur and author) When starting a small business, it’s easy to assume you don’t have all the knowledge...