{"id":69009,"date":"2021-04-28T10:36:25","date_gmt":"2021-04-28T08:36:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/?p=69009"},"modified":"2025-05-07T15:51:01","modified_gmt":"2025-05-07T13:51:01","slug":"need-a-business-plan-start-here","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/need-a-business-plan-start-here\/","title":{"rendered":"Need a business plan? Start here"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--generic\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/category\/strategy-legal-operations\/business-planning\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">Business planning<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tNeed a business plan? Start here\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2021-04-28T10:36:25+02:00\">April 28, 2021<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"Need a business plan? Start here\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/need-a-business-plan-start-here\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/header>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/author\/mongezilupindo\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2021\/12\/Mongezi-350x350.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Mongezi Lupindo<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether you\u2019re starting or expanding a company, having a business plan can get you on track and get some detail behind your ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, research from Barclays shows that one in four businesses don\u2019t have a business plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want your business to succeed, there are various tools you\u2019ll need to have at your disposal. One of those is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/sage-business-cloud\/accounting\/\">accounting software<\/a>, which will help you keep track of your business admin (forecast your cash flow, manage your invoices, and more). Another is a business plan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<a\n\t\tclass=\"button button--primary gate-97217f6a-6629-4630-9f54-0d726ebfd1bc\"\n\t\trole=\"button\"\n\t\tdata-button-location=\"content_area\"\n\t\thref=\"#gate-97217f6a-6629-4630-9f54-0d726ebfd1bc\"\n\t>Download your free business plan template<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-here-s-what-we-ll-cover\">Here&#8217;s what we&#8217;ll cover<\/h4>\n\n\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><div class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents yoast-table-of-contents\"><ul><li><a href=\"#h-what-exactly-is-a-business-plan\" data-level=\"2\">What exactly is a business plan?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-how-is-it-beneficial\" data-level=\"2\">How is it beneficial?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-why-don-t-more-people-do-it\" data-level=\"2\">Why don&rsquo;t more people do it?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-what-s-the-best-format\" data-level=\"2\">What&rsquo;s the best format?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-what-needs-to-be-in-it\" data-level=\"2\">What needs to be in it?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-how-will-you-use-it\" data-level=\"2\">How will you use it?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-who-can-help-you\" data-level=\"2\">Who can help you?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-exactly-is-a-business-plan\">What exactly is a business plan?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There are numerous reasons for starting a business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It could be that you have a great idea, or that you\u2019ve always wanted to run your own company. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For your business to be a success, your passion, enthusiasm, hard work and skills should be built on a practical framework. And that\u2019s the case whether it\u2019s a new business or an existing one. An important part of that framework is your business plan. It maps out the goals of your company, its purpose, strategies, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Creating a business plan will help you clarify your unique selling proposition and help you determine the extent of your market and competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ll use your business plan to work towards a series of milestones that will help you to grow your company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your business plan shouldn\u2019t be a static document though; it should be updated frequently to ensure that you are following your goals and tracking in the right direction.<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<a\n\t\tclass=\"button button--primary gate-97217f6a-6629-4630-9f54-0d726ebfd1bc\"\n\t\trole=\"button\"\n\t\tdata-button-location=\"content_area\"\n\t\thref=\"#gate-97217f6a-6629-4630-9f54-0d726ebfd1bc\"\n\t>Download your free business plan template<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-is-it-beneficial\">How is it beneficial?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A business plan is like a flight path. It lets you know where you want to go, what you want to achieve, what you have in order to achieve your goals and \u2013 probably most importantly \u2013what problems you can expect along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Being able to identify potential threats and problem areas makes it easier to proactively develop coping strategies, which is key to business survival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s also a great way to share information about your business, to develop your thinking and test scenarios before you make any changes (like leaving your job and going it alone), and it gives you a way to measure how things go when you do start up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A strong plan can help applications for finance from a business loan to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/how-to-start-a-business-without-capital\/\">alternative forms of finance and investment<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;6a21583cc362f&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"6a21583cc362f\" class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1256\" height=\"700\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2021\/04\/Business-Plan-image-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-69010\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2021\/04\/Business-Plan-image-1.png 1256w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2021\/04\/Business-Plan-image-1-768x428.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1256px) 100vw, 1256px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-don-t-more-people-do-it\">Why don\u2019t more people do it?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>So why, if business plans are so great, don\u2019t more people do them? Here are some of the reasons people think it\u2019s challenging:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Time<\/strong>. If you\u2019ve thought through your business, creating your business plan shouldn\u2019t take long at all. Keep it short and simple and choose a format that works for you.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Uncertainty<\/strong>. While it\u2019s true that you can\u2019t know what will happen until you start a business, a plan can help you spot potential pitfalls and better understand the finances behind your idea.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lack of agility<\/strong>. Some people think business planning stops businesses from evolving, but a good business plan should be current and adaptable as you test and learn. A business plan should remain a living part of the business as it grows.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-s-the-best-format\">What\u2019s the best format?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A business plan doesn\u2019t need to be a tome of facts and figures. The most important thing is that it is in a format that works for your business. That means it must be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>One you\u2019ll use.<\/strong> You need a business plan that will be used frequently to inform your day-to-day decisions. It is often helpful to have it on your wall as a manifesto or mind map. Creating a presentation or visual guide might work too.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>One that makes it simple to express your views.<\/strong> If you\u2019re a writer, that could mean a document, while a designer might like a more visual medium. Your business plan should excite and inspire, so pick a format that does that for you.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>One that\u2019s shareable.<\/strong> A business plan will be seen by lots of people, including your bank manager and accountant, prospective investors and employees, so pick a format that makes it easy to share.<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<a\n\t\tclass=\"button button--primary gate-97217f6a-6629-4630-9f54-0d726ebfd1bc\"\n\t\trole=\"button\"\n\t\tdata-button-location=\"content_area\"\n\t\thref=\"#gate-97217f6a-6629-4630-9f54-0d726ebfd1bc\"\n\t>Download your free business plan template<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-needs-to-be-in-it\">What needs to be in it?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>What should a business plan include? Every plan will differ, but the golden threads are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>An overview of the business.<\/strong> What does it do and what sets it apart?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Goals<\/strong>. What does the business want to achieve? Set some SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-bound) objectives that will quickly show if the business is succeeding.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Audience and market.<\/strong> Who does the business cater to, and where does it find them? What size is the market, and what is your competition like?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Products and pricing.<\/strong> What will you be selling and how will your prices be set? How does this compare with your competitors?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Who is involved?<\/strong> Investors often look at the people as much as they do the business. Share some information about people\u2019s roles, experience and passions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Financials<\/strong>. Provide details about sales, costs, break-even points and where investment will come from. If you\u2019re looking for investment, include likely ROI for potential investors. If you\u2019re looking for ways to finance your business, crowdfunding, alternative finance and government funding are good places to start.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Some business plans will include other sections, like a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis or a full marketing plan. If you find these useful for your business, feel free to include them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-will-you-use-it\">How will you use it?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Many business owners spend a lot of time creating business plans that they never use. It\u2019s most valuable to write a business plan that you can use in the daily running of your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Business planning is a continuous process \u2013 from the initial start-up of any business to stage two of developing and growth of existing sales and developing new income streams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As established businesses mature and diversify, business planning continues to play a fundamental role in ensuring that the company\u2019s long-term strategies are being met.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are some ways to make your business plan work for you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Take the sales, cash flow and expense predictions and <strong>measure<\/strong> them against your actual figures to see if you are on track.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Revisit<\/strong> your goals monthly to measure progress.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Update<\/strong> your business plan to include customer input and quotes. Real feedback is essential for keeping a business on track.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Revisit it once a year to see if changes to the market, technology or competition have had an impact. Businesses need to continue to <strong>evolve<\/strong> to survive in the longer term.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1390\" height=\"708\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2021\/04\/Buisness-plan-image-2.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-69011\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2021\/04\/Buisness-plan-image-2.png 1390w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2021\/04\/Buisness-plan-image-2-768x391.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1390px) 100vw, 1390px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-who-can-help-you\">Who can help you?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes you\u2019ll need additional information to pull together your plan. Here\u2019s who you could speak to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Your accountant.<\/strong> They don\u2019t just help you with financials or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/sage-business-cloud\/accounting\/\">accounting software<\/a>; they can also offer advice about planning your business.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Your bank<\/strong>. Many have small business experts who can assist you.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Use business planning templates<\/strong>. There are many free, easy-to-use templates available.\n<div class=\"single-cta gated-content\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">7 ways to take control of your business <\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Want to know how you can take control of your business? Read this guide for top tips to help you master your business admin.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-eeb2123f-283a-4926-85b9-fd6ef55c19fa\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Download your free guide<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1313439810-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1313439810-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n \n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Get your free 30-day Sage Business Cloud Accounting software trial to boost your business.<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Reduce time spent on admin by up to 80%<\/p>\n<p>Free yourself from admin with easy-to-use features, built around you. Ideal for entrepreneurs, start-ups, and growing businesses.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/sage-business-cloud\/accounting\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tid=\"cta-id-620\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-button-location=\"cta_box\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Sign Up<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1064\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2019\/04\/GettyImages-619403886-1064x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"Small business accountant\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2019\/04\/GettyImages-619403886-1064x810.jpg 1064w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n \n<div class=\"single-cta gated-content\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Business plan template<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Thinking of starting a business or looking for investment but need help putting a plan together? Get our free, easy-to-use business plan template.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-97217f6a-6629-4630-9f54-0d726ebfd1bc\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Download your free business plan template<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1064\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2019\/07\/resize-1675x1275-46-1064x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"Business owner talking on phone\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2019\/07\/resize-1675x1275-46-1064x810.jpg 1064w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Subscribe to the Sage Advice enewsletter<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Get a roundup of our best business advice in your inbox every month.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-84fe79b5-668d-41f8-a0cc-6229018c4ac9\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Subscribe<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1181404518-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1181404518-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<section class=\"more-topics alignfull has-grey-light-background-color wp-block-sage-post-topics\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-4\">\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"more-topics__title h2\">Browse more topics from this article<\/h3>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-8\">\n\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"post-tags__list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/tag\/business-strategy\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBusiness Strategy\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<div class=\"alignfull wp-block-sage-related-posts\">\n\t<section class=\"related-posts card-grid has-dark-background-color\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--featured h1\">Explore more wisdom<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-0 post-75952 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-money-matters category-trends-insights tag-artificial-intelligence tag-audit tag-bookkeeping tag-business-continuity tag-business-intelligence tag-business-management tag-business-strategy tag-staying-competitive tag-tax tag-trending-topics business_type-small-business business_type-medium-business business_type-accountants card-post--is-clickable\"\n>\n\t<div class=\"card-post__media-wrapper\">\n\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1215\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1314879006-1215x810.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1314879006-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1314879006-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1314879006-1215x810.jpg 1215w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"card-post__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__label\">Recommended<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-03-06T13:07:12+02:00\">March 6, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">15 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__title-link\"\n\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/budget-sme-actions\/\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tSouth Africa Budget 2026: 5 actions all SMEs must take now\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"card-post__description\">\n\t\t\t\tSouth Africa&#8217;s 2026 Budget scraps R20bn in tax hikes and raises the VAT threshold to R2.3m. Here are 5 steps to protect and grow your business profit\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__non-featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--more h4\">More on this Topic<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-1 post-75236 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-money-matters category-trends-insights tag-audit tag-bookkeeping tag-business-strategy tag-making-financial-decisions tag-news-insights tag-tax tag-trending-topics business_type-small-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/hidden-tax-benefits-small-businesses-miss\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure 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business_type-small-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/black-friday-expert-tips\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-681887339-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-681887339-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-681887339-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-681887339-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2025-11-03T12:54:32+02:00\">November 3, 2025<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">7 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tBlack Friday 2025 South Africa: 11 expert tips to boost sales and win loyal customers\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-3 post-74825 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-growth-customers tag-business-intelligence tag-business-management tag-business-strategy tag-staying-competitive tag-trending-topics business_type-small-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/small-business-go-global\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1290726539-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1290726539-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1290726539-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1290726539-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2025-10-20T14:42:40+02:00\">October 20, 2025<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">1 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tHow South African small businesses can go global\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-4 post-74518 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-people-leadership tag-business-management tag-business-strategy tag-hr-payroll business_type-small-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/when-to-outsource-payroll\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2019\/07\/resize-1675x1275-48-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2019\/07\/resize-1675x1275-48-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2019\/07\/resize-1675x1275-48-768x585.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2019\/07\/resize-1675x1275-48-1064x810.jpg 1064w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2025-09-18T17:31:55+02:00\">September 18, 2025<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">7 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tWhen to outsource payroll: The tips you need\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Whether you\u2019re starting or expanding a company, having a business plan can get you on track and get some detail behind your ideas. However, research from Barclays shows that one in four businesses don\u2019t have a business plan. If you want your business to succeed, there are various tools you\u2019ll need to have at your [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":904,"featured_media":68329,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sage_video":false,"post_featured_image_hide":false,"sage_hide_published_date":false,"sage_hide_read_time":false,"sage_hide_share_buttons":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[316],"business_type":[2],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[],"persona":[16],"imagine_tag":[68,85,86],"coauthors":[430],"class_list":["post-69009","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-planning","tag-business-strategy","business_type-small-business"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-za","author_name":"Mongezi Lupindo","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2019\/07\/resize-1675x1275-45.jpg","imagine_tags":{"68":"Grow your business","85":"Small business","86":"Start up business"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice South Africa","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69009","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/904"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=69009"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69009\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/68329"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=69009"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=69009"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=69009"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=69009"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=69009"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=69009"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=69009"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=69009"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=69009"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=69009"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}