Software companies that want to expand their businesses overseas need to look beyond the venture capital (VC) model, says Kevin Phillips of idu Software. “A lot of companies focus on getting VC funding so they can move overseas and open an office in London or New York or San Francisco,” says Phillips. “But it’s extremely expensive, you surrender a large stake in your business and there is a strong risk that something about the new environment is

Do you have a software company that is ready to expand to another country? There are several different ways to approach the process, each with its own benefits and risks. In this column we assess the top three models. Model 1 is the ‘lock, stock and barrel’ option: Take your money, physically move overseas and open an international office. This is the best-known and offers a good chance at success because you are physically there, your passion

South Africa’s new Companies Act aims to reduce the bureaucratic burden on small businesses – but, says Kevin Phillips of financial software developer idu Software, private sector business practices are likely to undermine some of the Act’s intentions. The promised gains are most likely to materialise in the area of financial reporting requirements, says Phillips. “In terms of the Act, companies are required to undergo an annual audit once the

Over the past few years, accountants and financial managers have increasingly bought into the concept that there is value to be gained by involving cost or profit centre managers in the budget process. It’s only these managers who have the detailed knowledge of what is happening, and likely to happen, in their areas of responsibility -- and without that detailed knowledge, an expenses budget is never really going to be much more than a sophistica

The world is moving yet again towards the threat of recession: Exchange rates are yo-yoing, and even our kids know that “double dip” is not a kind of ice-cream topping. Under these circumstances, the natural instinct of many is to batten down the hatches and find a safe shelter in which to weather out the storm.

In mid-September Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan revealed that South Africa’s municipalities could have saved R27 billion last year, or a whopping 15% of their budgets, by cutting down on unnecessary expenses. In his speech at the launch of the Treasury’s Local Government Budget and Expenditure Review, Gordhan listed “expensive cars, cellphone allowances, sponsorships, catering, work sessions, luxurious offices, overseas trips and consultants,” a

The key to good budgeting is to get broad organisational buy-in: A budget that actually reflects the knowledge and experience of every line manager

It’s an interesting time to be a medium-sized software company with a history of some years. If you’re a startup these days, you’re in the cloud from day one. If you’re a heavyweight player with market clout, you can push your customers into the cloud whether they want to go or not. But if you’re somewhere in the middle, things are more complicated.

The difference between leadership and mere management often boils down to one thing: vision. People follow leaders because they are able to paint a picture of a future that is so desirable that it inspired people to do what they ordinarily wouldn’t. But to be inspiring, a vision also needs to be believable. Otherwise, it’s just a fantasy – and most people know enough to recognize a fantasy when they see one. How often have grand top-down strate

An ERP architecture integrates information and functions across the organisation into a single unified database repository yielding significant business benefits.