Panel of experts will answer questions from small business owners

A panel of experts have been lined up to answer questions from small business owners who have been hit hard by the coronavirus lockdown.

Private higher education institution MANCOSA which has a long legacy as a business school of repute, harnessed the support of subject matter specialists to provide free expert advice on a range of important aspects of business management.

Following the widespread interest around the advice on various business matters that were posted on MANCOSA and Durban Chamber of Commerce’s websites, SMMEs were invited to ask any relevant questions for which they required answers.

The SMME experts will answer questions that have been received from small business owners. The Q&A session will be posted on the websites from 8 June 2020.

The initiative has the strong backing of the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry as it aligns with the chamber’s intention to provide quality business support to its members and the broader business community at this challenging time.

Professor Magnate Ntombela, Academic and Social Purposes Initiative Director at MANCOSA, said:

“Small businesses which are in ICU are being bombarded with information and advice from all sides. There is information overload. Some organisations are capitalising on the crisis and want to charge a fee for advice.”

“MANCOSA business school decided to address the call from SMMEs for bite-sized content that could be easily understood and would l help answer the many questions small business owners have relating to tax matters, occupational health, human resources, how to apply for relief funding, coping with debts, property rental issues and managing the cash flow.”

The following are the subject experts and some of the questions they will provide answers for:

Elizabeth Lumley – a Durban-based qualified Industrial and Organisational Psychologist: I feel stressed about the future of my business; it feels like I’ll never recover; it’s overwhelming; how can I cope? How can I approach retrenching staff or laying them off in a sensitive manner?

Riaz Dhai – a chartered accountant: How can I incentivise clients without affecting cash flow? What do I do if I notice my employer is not adhering to the necessary health and safety measures at our workplace?

Aneria Bouwer – advisor on domestic and international tax matters: How are the PAYE Relief Measures applied? I have received a UIF payment; how do I find out the breakdown of what I have received?

Bruce Macgregor – a practising lawyer: Can employers compel employees to use their annual leave during the time they are closed as a result of the lockdown? What can be done about employees who refuse to come to work as they fear the risk of infections

Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry CEO Ms Palesa Phili said the biggest challenge facing leaders in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, is working out how to safeguard business continuity in an environment where the landscape is changing rapidly daily.

“Businesses require support to interpret newly-formulated legislation and navigating a myriad of disruptions and threats to their sustainability, from cash flow pressures; compromised employee health; business operations upheavals; and limited mobility; to drastically reduced export markets and many more problems.

“We are proud to be partnering with MANCOSA business school to fill a key business need at this time for credible quality information that will help guide critical decision-making for the captains of industry in KZN as well as SMMEs.”

Short audio clips of the advice offered by the experts will be made available on the websites of MANCOSA (www.mancosa.co.za) and Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry (www.durbanchamber.co.za) as well as their other social media platforms. They will also be available to be shared with individuals, other interested corporates and organisations.