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Hubs and topics, free templates, checklists and toolkits for running a business. 121 pages.

  1. Starting a businessGuides on starting a business for South African businesses.
  2. Legal and complianceGuides on legal and compliance for South African businesses.
  3. MoneyGuides on money for South African businesses.
  4. CustomersGuides on customers for South African businesses.
  5. PeopleGuides on people for South African businesses.
  6. TechnologyGuides on technology for South African businesses.
  7. OperationsGuides on operations for South African businesses.
  8. GrowthGuides on growth for South African businesses.
  9. Industry regulationSector bodies, licensing regimes and inspections.
  10. Digital marketingSearch, social, email and paid ads.
  11. Local and word of mouthHow most small South African businesses actually get work.
  12. WhatsApp and messagingThe channel most customers here already use.
  13. Quotes and proposalsWinning the work once somebody has asked.
  14. Service and complaintsHandling it when it goes wrong.
  15. Reviews and reputationGetting them, answering them, and recovering from a bad one.
  16. Payroll and benefitsRunning payroll, deductions, provident funds and leave.
  17. Deciding and planningWhether there is a business here, and what it costs to find out.
  18. Licences and permitsMunicipal trading, liquor, food handling, health, signage.
  19. Going formalInformal trader to registered business — the most common route here.
  20. Buying inBuying an existing business, or a franchise.
  21. Premises and leasesSigning a lease, working from home, coworking.
  22. SARS and taxIncome tax, VAT registration and thresholds, provisional tax.
  23. CIPC and annual returnsFiling, deregistration, and restoring a company that lapsed.
  24. Employer obligationsPAYE, UIF, SDL and COIDA — registering and staying registered.
  25. POPIA and dataWhat a small business actually has to do about personal information.
  26. B-BBEEAffidavits, certificates, and what an EME really needs.
  27. AccountingBooks, statements, and working with an accountant.
  28. Cash flow and budgetsForecasting, runway and the seasonal dip.
  29. Pricing and quotingWhat to charge, how to quote, and when to put it up.
  30. Getting paidInvoicing terms, chasing, debt collection and letters of demand.
  31. Funding and creditCommercial lending, investors and overdrafts.
  32. Grants and incentivesDevelopment finance and public schemes — not the same thing as a loan.
  33. Banking and paymentsBusiness accounts, card machines and gateways.
  34. InsuranceCover for the business, the stock, the vehicles and the people.
  35. When it goes wrongCash crunch, business rescue, and closing down properly.
  36. InvestingWhere money goes once the business is making some.
  37. SellingPipeline, follow-up and closing.
  38. Brand and designIdentity, packaging, and looking like a real business.
  39. Content and copyWords that sell, and the people who write them.
  40. Advertising and mediaPaid placement across print, broadcast and online.
  41. HiringFinding, interviewing, contracts and onboarding.
  42. Labour law and the CCMADiscipline, dismissal and disputes — where small businesses lose.
  43. Contractors or employeesGetting the classification wrong is a SARS and a CCMA problem at once.
  44. Websites and ecommerceBuilding it, hosting it and selling on it.
  45. Software and systemsWhat you buy, install and live with.
  46. IT support and securityBackups, ransomware, and keeping it running.
  47. ConnectivityFibre, mobile and business telephony.
  48. Vehicles and fleetAny business that runs a bakkie.
  49. Registering the companyCIPC, name reservation, sole proprietor or (Pty) Ltd, shelf companies.
  50. Contracts and agreementsService agreements, NDAs, terms, intellectual property.
  51. DisputesWhen an agreement breaks down, and what it costs to enforce it.
  52. Training and skillsSETAs, learnerships and getting people better at the job.
  53. AI for a small businessWhat it is actually good for, at this size.
  54. Stock and suppliersBuying it, holding it, and negotiating terms.
  55. Getting goods to customersCourier, freight and delivery — a job, not an industry.
  56. Power and backupLoad-shedding, solar, generators, and what keeping the lights on costs.
  57. Security and riskPremises, cash handling and business continuity.
  58. Equipment and maintenanceBuying, leasing, servicing and replacing.
  59. Tenders and procurementCSD registration, CIDB grading, scorecards, bid documents and supplier development.
  60. Exporting and tradeCustoms, freight, cross-border and currency.
  61. ExpandingA second branch, franchising your own business, hiring a manager.
  62. Partnerships and networksJoint ventures, supplier development and chambers.
  63. Selling upValuation, due diligence and succession.
  64. Business plan template (South Africa) — free, with guidanceFree South African business plan template with guidance for every section: summary, market, operations, team, marketing and financials. Download for Word or…
  65. Cash flow forecast template — 12 months, free (Excel / CSV)Free 12-month cash flow forecast template for small businesses in South Africa. Download as a spreadsheet (CSV) for Excel or Google Sheets.
  66. Quotation template (South Africa) — free quote templateFree quotation template for South African small businesses, with validity period, deposit, payment terms and VAT. Download for Word or print to PDF.
  67. Tax invoice template South Africa — VAT compliant, freeFree South African tax invoice template with every field the VAT rules require, plus a simple invoice for non-VAT vendors. Download for Word or print to PDF.
  68. Employment contract template South Africa (BCEA) — freeFree South African employment contract template covering the written particulars required by the Basic Conditions of Employment Act: hours, pay, leave and…
  69. Letter of demand template South Africa — freeFree letter of demand template for South African businesses owed money: the amount, the deadline and what happens next. The first step before Small Claims…
  70. POPIA privacy notice template — free for small businessesFree POPIA privacy notice template for South African small businesses: what you collect, why, who you share it with, how long you keep it and people's rights.
  71. Mutual NDA template South Africa — free confidentiality agreementFree mutual non-disclosure (confidentiality) agreement template for South African businesses discussing a partnership, deal or project.
  72. Meeting agenda and minutes template — freeFree meeting agenda and minutes template for business, board and team meetings: attendees, items, decisions and actions.
  73. Service agreement template South Africa — freeFree service agreement template for South African small businesses and freelancers: scope, fees, payment, timelines, changes and termination.
  74. One-page business plan template — free (South Africa)Free one-page business plan template: problem, customers, offer, channels, costs, revenue and the first milestones. Download for Word or PDF.
  75. Start-up costs template — free spreadsheet (South Africa)Free start-up costs spreadsheet for South African businesses: registration, equipment, stock, premises, marketing and a cash reserve. Excel/CSV.
  76. SWOT analysis template — freeFree SWOT analysis template for small businesses: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, with the questions to ask in each.
  77. Marketing plan template for small businesses — freeFree two-page marketing plan template for South African small businesses: target customer, message, channels, budget and monthly actions.
  78. Business proposal template — free (South Africa)Free business proposal template for South African small businesses: client need, proposed solution, timeline, pricing, terms and why choose you.
  79. Price list template — freeFree price list template for small businesses with item, description, price, unit and terms. Download for Word or PDF.
  80. Purchase order template — freeFree purchase order template for South African businesses: supplier, items, quantities, prices, delivery address and terms.
  81. Delivery note template — freeFree delivery note template: items delivered, quantities, condition and the customer's signature on receipt.
  82. Credit note template South Africa — freeFree credit note template for South African businesses: reference to the original invoice, reason, amounts and VAT.
  83. Statement of account template — freeFree statement of account template: invoices, payments, running balance and amounts overdue by 30, 60 and 90 days.
  84. Customer feedback form template — freeFree customer feedback form for small businesses: satisfaction, what went well, what to improve and permission to share.
  85. Terms and conditions of sale template South Africa — freeFree terms and conditions of sale template for South African small businesses, written with the Consumer Protection Act in mind.
  86. Small business budget template — free spreadsheetFree 12-month small business budget spreadsheet: budgeted vs actual income and expenses. Excel/CSV.
  87. Expense claim form template — freeFree expense claim form for South African businesses: date, description, amount, slip attached and approval.
  88. Petty cash log template — free spreadsheetFree petty cash log spreadsheet: date, description, amount in, amount out and running balance.
  89. Debtors tracker template — free spreadsheetFree debtors / collections tracker for small businesses: invoice, amount, due date, days overdue and follow-up.
  90. Pricing worksheet — how to price your product or serviceFree pricing worksheet for small businesses: direct costs, overheads, your time, margin and the final price, with a check against competitors.
  91. Job description template — free (South Africa)Free job description template: purpose, duties, skills, experience, reporting line and how performance is measured.
  92. Job advert template South Africa — freeFree job advert template for South African employers: role, pay range, requirements, how to apply, with Employment Equity wording. Post it free on…
  93. Interview scorecard template — freeFree interview scorecard for small businesses: the same questions and scoring for every candidate, with notes and a recommendation.
  94. Job offer letter template South Africa — freeFree job offer letter template for South African employers: role, salary, start date, probation, conditions and acceptance.
  95. Written warning template South Africa — freeFree written warning template for South African employers: the incident, the rule broken, the employee's response and the consequences of repeating it.
  96. Notice of disciplinary hearing template South Africa — freeFree notice of disciplinary hearing template for South African employers: allegations, date, venue and the employee's rights.
  97. Leave application form template — freeFree leave application form for South African businesses: type of leave, dates, days, balance and approval.
  98. Payslip template South Africa — free (BCEA)Free payslip template for South African employers with the information the Basic Conditions of Employment Act requires.
  99. Independent contractor agreement South Africa — free templateFree independent contractor agreement template for South African businesses: services, fees, invoicing, independence and termination.
  100. Directors' resolution template South Africa — freeFree directors' resolution template for South African companies: decision, authority given and directors' signatures.
  101. POPIA marketing consent form template — freeFree POPIA marketing consent form template: what you will send, how often, how to opt out and a record of consent.
  102. Partnership agreement outline South Africa — freeFree partnership agreement outline for South African businesses: contributions, profit share, decisions, disputes and exit.
  103. Load shedding business continuity plan template — freeFree power-outage (load shedding) continuity plan for South African businesses: critical systems, backup power, schedules, staff and customer communication.
  104. Risk register template — free spreadsheetFree risk register for small businesses: risk, likelihood, impact, owner and actions. Excel/CSV.
  105. Stock count sheet template — free spreadsheetFree stock count sheet for small businesses and shops: item, expected, counted, difference and value. Excel/CSV.
  106. Social media content calendar template — freeFree social media content calendar for small businesses: date, platform, topic, post and status. Excel/CSV.
  107. Supplier evaluation form template — freeFree supplier evaluation form: price, quality, delivery, service and compliance scores for comparing suppliers.
  108. How to register a company in South Africa — step-by-step checklistStep-by-step checklist to register a private company (Pty) Ltd in South Africa: name reservation, incorporation, tax, bank account and annual returns.
  109. Hiring your first employee in South Africa — employer checklistChecklist for hiring your first employee in South Africa: employment contract, UIF, PAYE, COIDA, payslips and monthly EMP201.
  110. Small business tax registrations South Africa — income tax, VAT, PAYE, UIF, SDLWhich taxes a South African small business must register for and when: income tax, provisional tax, VAT, PAYE, UIF and SDL.
  111. Funding application checklist — what lenders and funders ask forChecklist of documents South African funders and lenders ask for: business plan, financials, bank statements, tax compliance and company documents.
  112. How to sell to government in South Africa — CSD and tenders checklistChecklist for South African small businesses that want to supply government: Central Supplier Database registration, tax compliance, B-BBEE and finding tenders.
  113. POPIA compliance checklist for small businessesA practical POPIA checklist for South African small businesses: information officer, privacy notice, consent for marketing, security and breaches.
  114. Start-up toolkit — how to start a business in South Africa (free templates)Everything to start a business in South Africa: one-page plan, business plan, start-up costs, registering a company, tax registrations, pricing and funding.
  115. Hiring your first employee in South Africa — free toolkitToolkit for hiring your first employee: job description, advert, interview scorecard, offer letter, BCEA contract, payslip, UIF and PAYE registration.
  116. Get paid on time — invoicing and debt collection toolkit (free templates)Toolkit to get paid on time: quotation, tax invoice, statement of account, debtors tracker, letter of demand and terms of sale.
  117. Funding application toolkit — get ready for business funding (free templates)Get funding-ready: business plan, cash flow forecast, budget, start-up costs and the documents funders ask for.
  118. Tender toolkit South Africa — CSD registration and bidding (free templates)Toolkit to bid for tenders: Central Supplier Database registration, tax compliance, B-BBEE, proposal and pricing templates.
  119. POPIA toolkit for small businesses — free templates and checklistPOPIA toolkit for South African small businesses: privacy notice, marketing consent form, information officer registration and the basics checklist.
  120. Load shedding toolkit for businesses — continuity plan and backup powerPower-outage toolkit for South African businesses: continuity plan, risk register and the electricians and solar installers who can help.
  121. Small business marketing toolkit — free templates (South Africa)Marketing on a budget: marketing plan, social media calendar, price list, customer feedback and the free channels that work.