Fasa signs MoU with Small Business Institute

©pattanaphong khaunkaew via 123RF

According to Vera Valasis, Fasa’s executive director, ”the collaboration with SBI will provide Fasa with an official ‘voice’ to be represented and lobby through the SBI at BUSA level on business-related issues that arise on a regular basis. We hope our involvement with both the SBI and Business Unity South Africa (Busa) will help strengthen the voice of small business and franchising in particular to government.”

Fasa, whose members are franchisors, franchisees, professional service providers, product suppliers and individuals and whose mission is to promote ethical franchising and the SBI, a non-profit (NPO) organisation constituted to promote the economic and business interest of its more than 100 chamber organisation members and thousands of SMEs in the wider economy, share a common goal and look forward to collaborate in the following areas of mutual interest:

• Government and other stakeholder lobbying
• Dissemination of industry information
• Reciprocal promotion of industry events

The SBI is a member of Busa and stands for:

• Sustainability
• Market-led job creation
• Inclusive economic growth
• Transformation and
• Ethical leadership

Nurturing entrepreneurship, job creation

Fasa has a 40-year history of nurturing entrepreneurship through the franchise business system and oversees an industry that today boasts 865 franchise systems, over 40,000 small businesses employing close to 400,000 people and contributing R721 billion equivalent to 15,7% of the total South African GDP.

“Through a wide range of socio, economic and political challenges over the past four decades, franchising has continued to make an important contribution to the economy," says Valasis.

"We want progressive leaders in government such as President Cyril Ramaphosa and Minister Tito Mboweni, both with impeccable business credentials, to recognise that the franchise sector has and can continue to play a crucial role in entrepreneurship, skills transfer and job creation. We recognise the importance of the business community rallying together to ensure that with strength in numbers, it can grow to benefit all in our country.

"To this end, Fasa has embarked on a number of collaborations with like-minded institutions and organisations like SBI – with the express intention of playing our part along that road of prosperity and opportunity that Minister Mboweni has chosen.”

Influencing regulation

For SMME’s, one of the biggest challenges and obstacles to overcome and boost economic growth, is the regulatory environment. SBI president Winda Austin-Loeve says influencing the regulatory environment through the SBI’s representation on Busa is one of the main reasons for the MOU between the SBI and FASA.

“The SBI will lobby on a national level on behalf of all its members and partners in an attempt to get legislation and regulations passed that create a favourable and friendly climate for SMMEs to build and grow long-term sustainable businesses that will ensure job creation and economic growth.”