Each month, bizval co-founder and finance specialist The Finance Ghost shares his learnings from listed companies and how they can be applied to private companies. In public markets, a well-telegraphed succession plan makes investors comfortable. On the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), we’ve seen two such recent examples. Dis-Chem was a great example of a handover…
Learnings from London
From being the only customer to feeling like the only customer Especially in the beginning, founders tend to over-service customers in pursuit of great reviews and the holy grail of startup land: a word-of-mouth referral. Avoiding this isn’t easy, but it can bite further down the line when the customer expects a level of service…
Don’t forget the tax Be sure to discuss the deal with a tax advisor before you sign it. The very last thing you need in this world is a huge tax bill and no cash available to settle it! Remember, even if you are paid with shares, value has changed hands and this is a…
As far too many founders have learnt the hard way, getting an offer letter is no guarantee of closing a deal. As exciting as the process is, those investors can disappear just as quickly as they arrived. By being adequately prepared for the due diligence phase, that risk can be minimised. After years of (literally)…
