Webinar: Small business after Covid-19

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Christo van der Rheede of Agri SA and Theo Venter, a political analyst, will be among the top speakers advising on important decisions and providing information on support funds for small businesses.

What the business landscape is going to look like for small businesses post-Covid-19 is still a mystery. However, the decisions that entrepreneurs and business owners make now during the lockdown could determine which businesses will reopen after the crisis, and which won’t.

The webinar, which aims to provide help and leadership amidst the disruption that the pandemic is currently causing, will take place on Wednesday, 15 April 2020.

It will focus on what businesses need to do not only to survive the pandemic but to flourish in its aftermath, says Ivor Price, well-known broadcaster and media entrepreneur and presenter of the webinar. He says it will help entrepreneurs and business owners to find their feet post-Covid-19 and provide details on the plethora of support funds that are currently available for SMME’s.

According to Dr Willie Cilliers, chairman of AHi Western Cape, the value of the webinar is firstly to inform businesses on the current economic situation in South Africa. This follows the warning of billionaire Johann Rupert that the coronavirus pandemic did not just cause an economic downturn, but also a complete realignment of the economic system.

“The lifting of the lockdown after 1 May 2020 is going to present the small business sector and entrepreneurs with huge challenges. They must be equipped with tools and best practices to meet these challenges,” says Cilliers.

“Although we fully support the decisions of President Ramaphosa and consider the life of every fellow citizen of South Africa as extremely important, the AHi is very worried about the economic impact...,” he says.

Effect on the economy

The closing of businesses, that directly affects about 80% of the AHi Western Cape’s member businesses, is going to have an extremely damaging effect on the economy. Large-scale job losses seem certain. The support packages that are being offered to businesses are inundated with applications, to such an extent that the online portals can’t handle it. The requirements to qualify for the funds are often not very clear.

“The AHi Western Cape is of the opinion that the available amounts are entirely inadequate to meet the demand and businesses should not put all their hope in getting financial support. Almost 90% of all recent enquiries received by the AHi call centre is about the processes for claiming unemployment benefits (UIF) as well as online platforms for support funding that are not working,” says Cilliers.

The future

He emphasizes that it is now a priority for the AHi Western Cape to shift the focus to what happens in the future, and what will happen if businesses are allowed to once again open their doors for business.

Ronelle Louwrens, CEO of YehBaby Digital, says the purpose of the webinar is to relieve the stress of the lockdown for business owners by providing new insights from business leaders and analysts.

“The owners of small businesses are experiencing unprecedented uncertainty due to the Covid-19 crisis and the resulting lockdown. It leaves most of them without a turnover, even while the expenses keep piling up. It looks increasingly certain that there will be no ‘business as usual’ for any of us once the lockdown lifts,” she says.

Louwrens believes that the business landscape has already fundamentally changed and that businesses are going to encounter a whole new set of challenges. However, she is also convinced that there will be unforeseen opportunities for entrepreneurs and small businesses in the post-Covid-19 world.

“Many of the barriers that have prevented business owners from embracing the digital economy have been pushed down by the crisis. We’ve all grown used to working and living online now. This disruption is pointing traditional business owners toward the opportunities that embracing the online world can bring.”

Cilliers emphasizes how crucial quick and calm decision-making is during and after the crisis. “The traditional ways of doing business will have to be adapted drastically. The negative incomes and slow growth in turnover will necessitate cuts in expenditure. Debt management with payback agreements will have to be negotiated carefully. Cashflow will definitely be the key that will reopen the business, or maybe close it down permanently.”

The AHi Western Cape has a database of experts, training facilitators, business mentors and service providers from all sectors, as well as a network of business chambers to support its members through this challenging time. The organisation also has processes in place to assist members with best practices on a daily basis, especially to return businesses to viability.

The webinar takes place on Wednesday, 15 April 2020 from 08:45 to 13:00 and business owners and entrepreneurs are encouraged to register for free .