{"id":545884,"date":"2021-12-10T12:48:38","date_gmt":"2021-12-10T10:48:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=545884"},"modified":"2021-12-10T12:48:38","modified_gmt":"2021-12-10T10:48:38","slug":"how-small-business-owners-can-weather-the-storm-and-future-proof-their-businesses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/industry-news\/545884\/how-small-business-owners-can-weather-the-storm-and-future-proof-their-businesses\/","title":{"rendered":"How small business owners can weather the storm and future-proof their businesses"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Small businesses are the engine of the South African economy, representing <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mckinsey.com\/featured-insights\/middle-east-and-africa\/how-south-african-smes-can-survive-and-thrive-post-covid-19?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=Article&amp;utm_campaign=December%202021#:~:text=SMEs%20across%20South%20Africa%20represent%20more%20than%2098%20percent%20of%20businesses%2C%20employ%20between%2050%20and%2060%20percent%20of%20the%20country%E2%80%99s%20workforce%20across%20all%20sectors%2C%20and%20are%20responsible%20for%20a%20quarter%20of%20job%20growth%20in%20the%20private%20sector.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>98 percent<\/strong><\/a><\/strong> of all businesses, creating more than half of the private sector workforce and contributing a third to South Africa\u2019s GDP.<\/p>\n<p>Their accomplishments and failures cause knock-on effects that impact innumerable lives and local communities in long-lasting ways, and this will be even more pronounced as effects of the COVID-19 pandemic aggravate an already struggling economy.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/academy.mastercard.com\/event\/8f9806e5-3645-47ab-a697-3d500bb41730\/websitePage:d3a21f9f-95e9-4752-9436-d7b1c7e469f7?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=Article&amp;utm_campaign=December+2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Click here to get free training and watch your business thrive<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For most small businesses, cashflow is everything: it helps companies to ensure that they always can pay staff at the end of the week, maintain stock inventory and put aside money for a rainy day.<\/p>\n<p>If SMEs fail, then jobs are lost, and supply chains suffer. The survival of SMEs is a matter of socio-economic survival.<\/p>\n<p>These are extraordinarily challenging times for entrepreneurs \u2013 safety precautions limiting foot traffic and lost revenue make cash flow a challenge and financing often a necessity.<\/p>\n<p>For many, the shift to digital commerce means quickly getting up to speed on digital payments, cybersecurity, and more.<\/p>\n<p>Nonetheless, people who go into business for themselves aren\u2019t ones to shy away from challenges.<\/p>\n<p>The determination that has taken you this far can, with a powerful support system, get you through these next few months.<\/p>\n<p>At Mastercard, we\u2019re leveraging our insights to guide innovation that fuels the recovery and long-term sustainability of these businesses, connecting business owners to the tools and training needed to pay and get paid, get capital, and get digital wherever they are.<\/p>\n<p>We want to empower every business, enabling them to survive and thrive stronger than before.<\/p>\n<p>Here are three areas that will be critical to unlocking that potential and propel small businesses forward:<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\"><strong>Get Digital<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>In a Mastercard study, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/newsroom.mastercard.com\/mea\/press-releases\/68-of-sa-consumers-are-shopping-more-online-since-the-start-of-pandemic-reveals-mastercard-study\/?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=Article&amp;utm_campaign=December+2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>68% of South African<\/strong><\/a><\/strong> consumers said they were shopping more online since the onset of the pandemic \u2013 and will continue to do so.<\/p>\n<p>The shift in consumer behaviour, together with a changing commercial landscape, have provided SMEs with a long runway of opportunity to go digital, and future-proof their businesses.<\/p>\n<p>Yet, there remains a gap between those who can access these online opportunities and those who can\u2019t. Getting SMEs online requires specific tools, knowledge, and resources that many entrepreneurs don\u2019t have.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why we\u2019re democratizing digital, partnering with the big players across the globe to help small businesses get online fast, from e-commerce platforms to payment acceptance and, critically, cybersecurity vulnerability assessments.<\/p>\n<p>Mastercard\u2019s partnership with Google and Standard Bank enables South African SMEs to move their businesses online, accept digital payments and attract more customers through the free access to <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.standardbank.co.za\/southafrica\/business\/products-and-services\/business-solutions\/specialised\/simplyblu?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=Article&amp;utm_campaign=December+2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Standard Bank\u2019s Simply<\/strong><\/a><\/strong> solution.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\"><strong>Pay and Get Paid <\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>SMEs have been trending toward digital banking and payments for a while, but COVID-19 has accelerated this shift. In fact, 82% of the SMEs surveyed in <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vocalink.com\/news-insights\/research-reports-white-papers\/what-small-businesses-want-in-2020-21\/?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=Article&amp;utm_campaign=December+2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>our Global State of Pay report<\/strong><\/a><\/strong> said they were interested in increasing the amount of digital payments they make, and they\u2019re looking for low-cost solutions that are simple and easy to use.<\/p>\n<p>That goes for acceptance too. Although digital adoption has been growing before COVID-19, the pandemic has highlighted the importance of digital payment acceptance as part of \u201cstaying open\u201d, securing income and boosting growth.<\/p>\n<p>While small businesses traditionally lagged behind larger ones in omni-channel presence, the trend of shopping from home, and the need for touch-free payments in-store ignited a need for them to accept digital payments.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/newsroom.mastercard.com\/mea\/press-releases\/mastercard-new-payments-index-south-africas-consumer-appetite-for-digital-payments-takes-off\/?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=Article&amp;utm_campaign=December+2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Research from Mastercard<\/strong><\/a><\/strong> shows that the adoption of new payment technologies is rising, with\u00a077% of South African respondents saying they would shop more frequently at small businesses if they were offered more diverse ways to pay.<\/p>\n<p>The pandemic is also driving the use of contactless payments as consumers seek ways to shop with minimal contact.<\/p>\n<p>New technologies like Mastercard\u2019s <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/newsroom.mastercard.com\/mea\/press-releases\/nedbanks-tap-on-phone-a-first-in-africa-empowers-smmes-with-safe-and-secure-contactless-payments\/?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=Article&amp;utm_campaign=December+2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Tap on Phone<\/strong><\/a><\/strong>, which turns an Android phone into a contactless acceptance device, is further helping small businesses to adapt this trend.<\/p>\n<p>For microbusinesses who largely operate in the cash economy, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/masterpass.com\/en-za\/business.html?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=Article&amp;utm_campaign=December+2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Quick Response<\/strong><\/a><\/strong> (QR) code technology provides a simple and more affordable solution to accept card payments than traditional POS devices for both online and face-to-face transactions.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\"><strong>Get Capital<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Cash flow issues have <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vocalink.com\/news-insights\/research-reports-white-papers\/what-small-businesses-want-in-2020-21\/?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=Article&amp;utm_campaign=December+2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>impacted 75% of SMEs<\/strong><\/a><\/strong>, with 71% agreeing that the pandemic prevented them from growing.<\/p>\n<p>Getting access to the capital required to adapt and keep your doors open isn\u2019t easy \u2013 more than half of small businesses who apply for financing receive less than what they seek or none at all, and 70% of women entrepreneurs are under-served or unserved altogether. Improving financial strength and resiliency is important.<\/p>\n<p>Corporate and business credit card solutions provide easy access to credit including supplier management, which increases cash flow and eliminates the cost of chasing collections.<\/p>\n<p>As SMEs navigate this unfamiliar landscape, think of these as helpful guideposts that will not only help you survive \u2013 but arrive on the other side of the crisis stronger, more resilient, and better equipped for the digital economy.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\"><strong>Tools and insights to help you along your digital journey:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Want to access free training to help you grow your business and thrive? <a href=\"https:\/\/academy.mastercard.com\/event\/8f9806e5-3645-47ab-a697-3d500bb41730\/websitePage:d3a21f9f-95e9-4752-9436-d7b1c7e469f7?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=Article&amp;utm_campaign=December+2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Access \u2018The Entrepreneur\u2019s Odyssey\u2019 here<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li>What\u2019s your digital readiness? <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberquant.mastercardservices.com\/Account\/?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=Article&amp;utm_campaign=December+2021#\/registration\/fff2f204-6194-4ede-a118-2db2872e472a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Take the free assessment here<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li>What steps can you take today to reduce cyber risk? <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberquant.mastercardservices.com\/Account\/#\/registration\/fff2f204-6194-4ede-a118-2db2872e472a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Sign up here<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Want to get free online access to trusted cybersecurity research, education, resources, and tools? <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberreadinessinstitute.org\/the-program\/?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=Article&amp;utm_campaign=December+2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Visit our Trust Center here<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\">Watch now &#8211; Empowering Every Business SME Masterclass<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/uJG4Iq4JIuY\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>By Gabriel Swanepoel, Country Manager for Mastercard, South Africa<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For most small businesses, cashflow is everything: it helps companies to ensure that they always can pay staff at the end of the week, maintain stock inventory and put aside money for a rainy day. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":57,"featured_media":545926,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10459],"tags":[1534],"class_list":["post-545884","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry-news","tag-mastercard"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/545884","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/57"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=545884"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/545884\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":545934,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/545884\/revisions\/545934"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/545926"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=545884"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=545884"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=545884"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}