Category: Strategy & Performance

Posted on

Business Adaptation Strategies: Lessons from Ellies Holdings to Sustain Business Growth

A modern, agile workspace that embodies agility and innovation that enables organisations adapt to changing market dynamics and drive sustainable growth.

The collapse of Ellies Holdings, once a cornerstone in South Africa’s consumer electronics sector, serves as a stark reminder of the necessity for agility and innovation in business. This blog post offers strategic insights derived from Ellies’ downfall, emphasizing how businesses, especially within the South African business landscape, can implement effective business adaptation strategies and drive sustainable growth.

Key Takeaways:

  1. Implement Continuous Market Monitoring: Stay informed about the latest trends to anticipate shifts in consumer behaviour.
  2. Prioritize Research and Development: Foster innovation to keep pace with technological advancements and consumer expectations.
  3. Embrace Strategic Diversification: Leverage new markets and technologies, like renewable energy solutions, to enhance business resilience.
  4. Cultivate Strategic Partnerships: Collaborate to enhance capabilities and effectively navigate market challenges.
  5. Strengthen Marketing Efforts: Develop a strong brand presence to maintain market relevance and visibility.
  6. Adopt Agile Operational Models: Ensure your business can swiftly adapt to changes within the dynamic South African business environment.
Continue reading “Business Adaptation Strategies: Lessons from Ellies Holdings to Sustain Business Growth”
Posted on

Elevating Financial Strategy: Leveraging CFO Outsourcing

In today’s complex financial landscape, CFO outsourcing services for public and private sectors have emerged as a pivotal strategy for organizations aiming to enhance their financial operations and strategic planning. Bethanie Management Consulting, leveraging over 20 years of expertise, provide tailored CFO outsourcing services to both the public and private sectors. This blog delves into the specialized offerings of CFO outsourcing, showcasing its transformative impact across sectors through real-world success stories.

Continue reading “Elevating Financial Strategy: Leveraging CFO Outsourcing”
Posted on

Unlock Your Business’s Potential: Why You Shouldn’t Go It Alone

Empowering SMEs Through Professional Partnerships

In the complex journey of growing a small and medium-sized enterprise (SME), the wisdom of seeking expertise is undeniable. Much like we entrust our health to doctors and our cars to mechanics, the path to business prosperity demands a specialized touch. This is where the invaluable partnership with professional accountants and trusted business advisors becomes your cornerstone for success.

A business consultation between SME owners and professional advisors, highlighting the collaborative effort towards growth.
Continue reading “Unlock Your Business’s Potential: Why You Shouldn’t Go It Alone”
Posted on

SME’s cannot manage what they don’t see

Successful businesses understand what their value drivers are, have insight into it and know how to manage it.

In the fast-paced and competitive landscape of today’s markets, small and medium-sized enterprises (SME’s) face numerous challenges that demand constant innovation, adaptability, and growth. However, many SME’s struggle due to a lack of visibility and insight into their own performance, strategies and risks, governance, processes, and customer dynamics. Therefore, SME’s cannot manage what they don’t see.

Continue reading “SME’s cannot manage what they don’t see”
Posted on

Agreed-upon procedures engagements create significant benefits for businesses

Agreed-upon procedures (AUP) engagements drive the creation of significant value for businesses and organisations. AUP engagements provide credible information and insights to the management that will enable it to make optimal data-driven decisions. Therefore, uncertainty is significantly reduced or eliminated in the decision-making process.

AUP engagements are flexible and can be tailored according to the needs and requirements of the client. The engagements focus on individual items of financial and non-financial subject matters. The AUP are agreed up-front with clients.

AUP engagements are conducted in accordance with the International Standard on Related Services 4400 (Revised) – Agreed-Upon Procedures Engagements as well as best practices relating to the field of work.

Continue reading “Agreed-upon procedures engagements create significant benefits for businesses”
Posted on

Data insights leverage the survival & growth of SME’s

Visualization of data insights enhances understanding.

Insights derived from data and information drives business and organisational success, enables effective and efficient problem-solving and decision-making. Data-led decisions produce better outcomes for all stakeholders including small-and-medium-sized businesses (SME’s).

To thrive in this new digital economy, data and the proliferation of information must be strategically harnessed and utilised to drive more informed decisions that create sustainable value for customers, employees, shareholders, investors, and other stakeholders. It also increases chances of raising finance from lenders and obtain credit from providers of credit.

Business challenges and activities

Organisations and businesses including SME’s continually experience a range of challenges, problems and/or obstacles. These challenges and obstacles make it difficult for these entities to achieve its organisational, operational, strategic and/or financial goals. Examples of such challenges include:

Continue reading “Data insights leverage the survival & growth of SME’s”
Posted on

Don’t be a headless chicken. Plan your business’ future and direction

Team working at a office brainstorming and sketching a business plan on the wall

Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME’s) are seen as a panacea to South Africa’s growing unemployment.  The National Development Plan forecasts that 90% of the 11m new jobs will come from the SME sector by 2030. However, research data shows that this may not be the case. According to a World Bank study on employment growth in SA during the period of 2010 – 2019, the average job growth from the private sector during this period was only 2.3%. However, the SME sector’s share of this new jobs growth in the private sector was disappointingly low. Therefore, it appears that SME’s may not be able to create the required new jobs by 2030.

SME’s are also expected to contribute significantly to the country’s GDP as approximately 95% of businesses consist of SME’s, like in other countries. The National Development Plan forecast that by 2030, SMEs will contribute 60% to 80% of the GDP. In contrast, SME’s actual contribution to GDP in SA is disproportionately low, according to research data. This situation is as a result of the exceptionally high failure rate of SME’s. Between 70% – 80% of SME’s do not survive passed the first 5 years. Amongst the key reasons cited for this high failure rate is the lack of appropriate business skills and knowledge, according to a survey report of The SA Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Continue reading “Don’t be a headless chicken. Plan your business’ future and direction”
Posted on

An outsourced CFO helps SME’s to succeed

Big businesses grow their profitability and cash flows year-on-year. Big businesses also take more risks and create long-term value for their stakeholders.

On the contrary, small-and-medium-sized business (SME’s) remain small, its profitability and cash flows barely grow. SME’s are also risk-averse and simply just survive year after year. In addition, most SME’s do not survive beyond 5 years, as per empirical studies.

Continue reading “An outsourced CFO helps SME’s to succeed”

Posted on

It’s no longer business as usual for SME’s and corporates

The macroeconomic environment is under severe pressure and consequently it is becoming increasingly difficult for SME’s to trade under these conditions. It is no longer business as usual for SME’s. There are ominous signals that the macroeconomic environment is bleeding and SME’s must, therefore, take appropriate and urgent action in order to survive:

Continue reading “It’s no longer business as usual for SME’s and corporates”
Posted on

Reputation can make or break a business


It is important for any business to have a good reputation in order to be trusted by its stakeholders and vice versa. A good reputation enables a business to survive in the short–term and grow in the long-term.

A business’ reputation is the single most important driver of value. If a business’ reputation is tainted, its revenues and market share will undoubtedly be affected negatively.

Benefits of a good reputation