Get what your small business really needs

BizAssist.co.za is designed to help you run your business. We've gathered all the resources and information you require, and we host it all in one place, so that BizAssist.co.za is your one-stop business website. Browse a valuable library full of articles and information that you, as an entrepreneur, will need as you build your business into an empire. Find news and instructional articles on Starting Your Business, IT & Technology, Finance and Tax, PR & Marketing, Government, BEE, Management and Leadership and Skills Development. Have a look at our news and information pages to keep informed on the latest trends pertaining to SMEs. Being an entrepreneur means more than just keeping abreast of current events. It means keeping a watchful eye upstream, and being prepared to take advantage of trends in the market. BizAssist.co.za makes it easy for you to do this by constantly scanning the environment for new opportunities, and also for possible threats. We have an entire section dedicated to business trends, ranging from traditional and niche segments like Working from Home, Internet Business, Family Business and Women in Business to newer opportunities like Eastern Trade, 2010 Opportunities, Youth Entrepreneurship, Property Investment and Renewable Energy Opportunities. At BizAssist.co.za, we believe that a business is better prepared when it is informed. Like other business owners, you know that even though the Internet provides a fantastic way for you to keep both yourself and your business informed, owners of businesses must network. Getting out there and making contacts, meeting potential clients and partners, or even just spreading the word about your business is something every entrepreneur needs to be doing constantly. Visit the BizAssist.co.za SME events calendar to find out which conferences and expos, short courses or SME seminars are being held in your area this month, and take the opportunity to meet like-minded professionals. Business opportunities abound in South Africa and making the right choice can be daunting. On BizAssist.co.za you will find an entire module devoted to solving the mystery surrounding business opportunities, with special inserts providing in-depth information on the direct selling, vending, and franchising sectors of the business pie. Our fully searchable franchise directories offers a database of over 650 existing business opportunities currently available to the South African entrepreneur. Point your browser to http://www.bizassist.co.za/sbizops.asp – from 20 automotive-related opportunities to 160 food franchises, there is something to suit every entrepreneur. The SME Business Services directory helps you in find just what your small business needs, be it accounting services or writing, editing and translation services or any of over 1400 listings with details of services and products your business might require. Find the directory at http://www.bizassist.co.za/bus_search.asp Perhaps one of the most useful resources on BizAssist.co.za is the Business Service Centre - the ultimate resource for your small business. We have assembled all the tools that you need to run your business online and put them in one convenient place, and valuable resources are thus freely available and at your fingertips, day and night. It saves you time and money and offers you all those professional services small businesses can rarely afford. See http://www.bizassist.co.za/business_centre_services.asp, where our Business Service Centre gives business owners & entrepreneurs the ability to run a business online 24/7 anywhere in the world. For example, our complete list of Internet Banking quick links give you access to your finances in a flash. Track a parcel by selecting the appropriate carrier from the courier list, or take a look at our list of postal codes and rates references, which make it easier for you to deliver goods anywhere in the world. From ordinary mail, fastmail, envelopes, registered letters, domestic mail, international mail, speed services to money transfer services, we list them all. If you are planning to travel, our Business Service Centre is the perfect place to start. From our landing page you can book your flight online with any one of the following airlines: KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, South African Airways, SA Airlink, One Time Airways, Kulula.com, Nationwide Airlines, British Airways or Mango Airlines. Then book your vehicle rental with Imperial Car Rental, Budget Car Rental, AVIS Car Rental, Hertz Car Rental, National Car Rental, EuropCar Rental or Tempest Car Hire. The Business Service Centre also offers plenty of Quick Business Tips. For example, there is assist in writing a recruitment advertisement, as well as pointers on candidate selection and some hints for the actual interview itself. There are even tips on how to initiate a training process. Or perhaps you are not entirely confident of your writing skills, and you might like to read our tips on how to write a press release. You can even find some tips for writing a formal letter. Furthermore, you'll also find information on the best sales approaches, on how to maintain a healthy cash flow, and handy hints on matters like choosing a corporate name and advertising. BizAssist.co.za doesn't believe the wheel needs reinventing. There are certain documents that each and every business requires at some point or another, so why waste time drawing them up from scratch? Our Business Service Centre carries a range of free-to-download and fully customisable templates. Employment contracts, disciplinary forms, human resources documentation, SARS documents and a collection of general templates ranging from an acknowledgement of debt template, power of attorney documentation and drafts, these are all available to you right now. While you're there, why not see which freely downloadable pieces of software your business might require? From document viewers like Adobe Acrobat to an internet download manager, BizAssist has it all. Not all small businesses have much of a marketing budget when starting out, which is why BizAssist.co.za offers you the opportunity to add your business to our Business Directory – free of charge – to reach the thousands of entrepreneurs who visit BizAssist.co.za every month. In June 2007 alone BizAssist.co.za had 34 000 visits and over 120 000 page views. Our Mission Our aim is to provide you with a tailor-made value-added site that is updated continually. Bursting with vital information, interesting links and real assistance, BizAssist.co.za offers a success tool for entrepreneurs. Make BizAssist.co.za your homepage today, and join the thousands of entrepreneurs who turn to BizAssist.co.za to help them run their businesses efficiently, productively and profitably on a daily basis. Contact Details: Written by Storm Buckingham Editor BizAssist.co.za Cape Town, Western Cape editorial@bizassist.co.za