Tag: Start-ups

Starting a business is one thing. Making that business successful is quite another. We’ve all read the failure statistics of start-ups, yet we entrepreneurs are a determined bunch of people – we are not easily deterred and will try, and try, and try again.

Bank or private debt and venture debt are separate segments in the debt financing market. In contrast to venture debt financings, which relate to start-ups, bank or private debt financings involve the financing of established companies that have already generated profits, can provide collateral and service the debt from the start.

There is an increasing amount of investment entering the venture capital and private equity space in South Africa and abroad. In the latest SAVCA Venture Capital Industry survey, it is said that R 6.97 billion had been invested into 841 active deals, with 53.4% of the recipients being seed or start-up stage businesses.

One of the biggest challenges facing entrepreneurial start-ups in sub-Saharan Africa is funding - particularly early-stage financial support - even though the landscape across the region has evolved over the past few years with more funders and capital deployed in this space.

It often happens that a start-up business is unable to raise start-up capital in the conventional financial market. Banks and other conventional lenders often find the risk profile of a new business with no reliable track record unattractive. Not only is the viability of the new business unproven, but the new enterprise often faces regulatory hurdles that may inhibit its entry into the market.

Over the course of four years Matt Brown has interviewed hundreds of local and international entrepreneurs and business experts for his podcast, The Matt Brown Show, and in the process has created a library of business, growth, start-up and funding tips that anyone can learn from and implement.

Most governments in Africa share the common problem of high youth unemployment. Global economic forces and decisions of powerhouses like Britain and America are increasingly impacting growth of African economies. African countries have thus found themselves on the back foot and unable to stimulate their economies sufficiently to create jobs, especially in the formal sector.

Co-working spaces are increasingly popular in South Africa and around the world as more people and companies jump on the trend. From what we have seen in past few years and the massive expected further adoption of shared work spaces as the norm, we think it is the future of work.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionising the way business leaders address age-old problems. Not solely the for the world's leading technology companies anymore, AI solutions that are accessible and cost-effective can be implemented to sustainably improve customer satisfaction, pinpoint where best to reach potential customers and accurately forecast inventory requirements.

Industries are being disrupted one by one and as a result, business environments are constantly changing.  Those that are embracing change and looking for ways to innovate faster and better are succeeding. Those that don’t, are struggling. And, intrapreneurship is playing a critical role here.