What are the opening hours?

Monday 08:00 - 17:00 Tuesday 08:00 - 17:00 Wednesday 08:00 - 17:00 Thursday 08:00 - 17:00 Friday 08:00 - 17:00

MSD Chartered Accountants, 14 Sparrowhawk Street, Benoni (2026)

20/06/2026

One of the biggest misconceptions among business owners is believing that funding becomes available when you decide you need it. Unfortunately, that's not how it works.

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗟𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗬 𝗟𝗢𝗢𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗙𝗢𝗥
Many people believe funding decisions are based on one thing:
"Can I afford the repayment?", while that's important, lenders look much deeper. They want evidence that your business is:
✔ Stable
✔ Profitable
✔ Well managed
✔ Financially disciplined
✔ Capable of repaying the debt
In other words: They want to see that you don't desperately need the money. Ironically, businesses that are best prepared for funding often find it easiest to obtain.

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟱 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗬 𝗟𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥 𝗪𝗜𝗟𝗟 𝗟𝗢𝗢𝗞 𝗔𝗧
1️⃣ YOUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
This is usually the first thing reviewed.Your financial statements tell a story. They show:
• Revenue trends
• Profitability
• Growth
• Expenses
• Debt levels
If your financial records are inaccurate or incomplete, lenders immediately become nervous.

2️⃣ TAX COMPLIANCE
Many business owners underestimate this. A lender sees tax compliance as a reflection of business discipline. If returns are outstanding or obligations are not being managed correctly, it raises questions about the overall health of the business. Before applying for funding, ensure:
✔ Tax returns are up to date
✔ VAT obligations are current
✔ Compliance issues are resolved
✔ Financial records are accurate

3️⃣ CASHFLOW
This is one of the most important factors. A lender doesn't get repaid from revenue. A lender gets repaid from cashflow. You could generate millions in revenue. However if cashflow is weak, funding becomes difficult. This is why lenders often review:
• Debtor management
• Payment history
• Cashflow patterns
• Existing obligations

4️⃣ DEBT LEVELS
Many businesses focus only on new funding. Lenders focus on existing funding. Questions they ask include:
• How much debt already exists?
• How much is being repaid monthly?
• How leveraged is the business?
• Can additional debt be serviced?
Too much existing debt can make securing additional funding difficult.

5️⃣ MANAGEMENT OF THE BUSINESS
This is often overlooked. Lenders don't only evaluate numbers. They evaluate management. They want confidence that the business is:
• Organised
• Structured
• Controlled
• Professionally managed
Poor systems create risk. Strong systems create confidence.

𝗛𝗢𝗪 𝗧𝗢 𝗕𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗘 𝗙𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚-𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗬
Here are four practical steps every business owner should take:

✅ Keep financial statements updated. Not once a year. Monthly. Good decisions require current information.

✅ Understand your numbers
Know:
• Revenue
• Profit
• Cashflow
• Debt levels
• Gross profit margins
If you don't know these numbers, start there.

✅ Improve debtor collections. The faster you collect money, the stronger your cashflow becomes. Strong cashflow improves funding opportunities significantly.

✅ Resolve compliance issues early.

17/06/2026

Many business owners operate month-to-month with no financial plan, no budget, and no idea what's coming around the corner. Then they wonder why:
• Cashflow is always tight
• Tax is always a surprise
• Growth feels stressful
• Every unexpected expense becomes a crisis

A budget isn't about restricting your business. It's about giving your business direction. 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗜𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗠𝗬𝗧𝗛 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗕𝗨𝗗𝗚𝗘𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: Many business owners believe budgets are only for large companies.

The truth? Small businesses need budgets even more. Large companies can survive mistakes. Small businesses often can't. A single poor decision can have a significant impact on:
• Cashflow
• Profitability
• Staffing
• Growth plans

Without a budget, you're making decisions based on today's bank balance. With a budget, you're making decisions based on where the business is heading. That's a massive difference.

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗔 𝗕𝗨𝗗𝗚𝗘𝗧 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗨𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗬 𝗗𝗢𝗘𝗦
Most people think budgeting means: "How can we spend less money?", That's only a small part of it. A proper budget helps you answer questions like:
Can we afford to hire another employee?
Can we afford a new vehicle?
Can we afford additional marketing?

Without a budget, these decisions become emotional. With a budget, they become strategic.

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗦𝗜𝗚𝗡𝗦 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗡𝗘𝗘𝗗 𝗔 𝗕𝗨𝗗𝗚𝗘𝗧
If any of these sound familiar, your business would likely benefit from better financial planning.
🚩 You don't know your monthly break-even point
How much revenue does your business need each month before it starts making profit? Most owners can't answer this. They know sales.They don't know break-even. That's dangerous.

🚩 You make decisions based on your bank balance
A healthy bank balance today doesn't mean the business is healthy. There could be:
• VAT due next month
• Tax due next quarter
• Supplier payments pending
• Major expenses approaching
The bank balance tells you where you are. A budget tells you where you're going.

🚩 Tax always feels like a surprise. This is one of the biggest indicators. Businesses shouldn't be shocked by tax obligations. A proper budget should include:
• Income tax provisions
• VAT obligations
• Payroll costs
• Compliance expenses
If tax keeps catching you off guard, your planning process needs attention.

🚩 Every month feels reactive. Many business owners spend their entire month putting out fires. One problem after another. One emergency after another. A budget doesn't eliminate challenges. But it dramatically reduces surprises.

𝗛𝗢𝗪 𝗧𝗢 𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗔 𝗦𝗜𝗠𝗣𝗟𝗘 𝗕𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦 𝗕𝗨𝗗𝗚𝗘𝗧
You don't need complicated software. You don't need a finance degree. Start with these five categories:

1️⃣ Revenue
2️⃣ Fixed Expenses
3️⃣ Variable Expenses
4️⃣ Tax Provisions
5️⃣ Growth Investments

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗹𝘆 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸-𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗣𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁
This is the amount of revenue required to cover all business expenses. Every rand above break-even contributes to profit

14/06/2026

Many business owners check their bank balance. See money in the account. And assume everything is fine. The problem is your bank balance only tells you one thing: How much cash is sitting in the account today.

It doesn't tell you:
• Whether you're profitable
• Whether you're growing
• Whether your expenses are increasing
• Whether debt is becoming a problem
• Whether future cashflow is healthy

That's why every business owner should understand three critical financial reports. Not because you're an accountant. Because you're a business owner. And good decisions require good information.

𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧 𝟭: 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗜𝗡𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧
Also known as the Profit & Loss Statement. This report answers one very important question: "Is the business actually making money?"
The Income Statement shows:
• Revenue
• Cost of Sales
• Operating Expenses
• Profit

Without this report, many business owners focus only on sales and have no idea where the money is going.

𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗢𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗔𝘀𝗸
✔ Has revenue increased or decreased?
✔ Are expenses growing faster than sales?
✔ Which expenses have increased significantly?

𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻
If revenue is increasing but profit is staying the same, your business may be getting busier without becoming more profitable.

𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧 𝟮: 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗔𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗘𝗧
This is probably the most misunderstood financial report. Many business owners never look at it. That's a mistake. The Balance Sheet answers: "What does the business own and what does it owe?"
It shows:
Assets
Cash
Vehicles
Equipment
Debtors
Property
Liabilities
Loans
Creditors
Taxes owing
Finance agreements
Equity

The net value of the business
Think of it as a financial health report.
A business can appear profitable but still have a weak Balance Sheet.

𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗢𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗔𝘀𝗸
✔ How much money do customers owe us?
✔ How much do we owe suppliers?
✔ How much debt does the business carry?

𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻
If debt is growing faster than assets, the business could be heading towards financial pressure.

𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧 𝟯: 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗔𝗦𝗛𝗙𝗟𝗢𝗪 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧
This is arguably the most important report. Because profit doesn't pay salaries. Cash does. The Cashflow Statement answers: "Where is the money actually going?"
It tracks:
• Cash coming in
• Cash going out
• Operating activities
• Investing activities
• Financing activities

Questions Every Owner Should Ask
✔ Are we generating positive cashflow?
✔ Where is cash leaving the business?
✔ Are debtors affecting cashflow?

𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻
If your bank balance constantly surprises you, you need better cashflow visibility.

𝗛𝗢𝗪 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗦𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗦 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗞 𝗧𝗢𝗚𝗘𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥:
Think of it this way:

𝘐𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 - "Did we make money?"

𝘉𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘚𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘵- "What are we worth?"

𝘊𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵- "Where did the money go?"

11/06/2026

One of the most dangerous misunderstandings in business is believing that profit and cash are the same thing. They're not.

In fact, a business can be highly profitable on paper and still run out of money.

Let's look at a simple example.
A business invoices a client R100,000.
The work is complete.
The invoice has been sent.

From an accounting perspective, the business has earned R100,000 in revenue.

The business may even show a profit.
But there's one problem.
The client only pays 60 days later.

Now let's look at what happens during those 60 days.

The business still needs to pay:
• Staff salaries
• Rent
• Suppliers
• Fuel
• Marketing
• Software subscriptions
• VAT
• Tax

The revenue exists.
The cash doesn't.
And that's where businesses get into trouble.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗹𝗲
Many business owners believe:
"If sales increase, cashflow improves."
Unfortunately, that's not always true.
In reality, growth often creates additional pressure.

More sales can mean:
• More staff
• More inventory
• More operating costs
• More debtors
• More tax

If cash isn't arriving quickly enough, the business can become financially stressed despite growing.This is one of the reasons why many businesses fail.
Not because they aren't profitable.
Because they run out of cash.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗢𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀
🚩 You constantly wait for debtors to pay before paying suppliers: If you're depending on incoming payments to meet current obligations, your cashflow may already be under pressure. A healthy business should not be relying on one client payment to survive the month.

🚩 Your bank balance never seems to match your profit: This is one of the biggest indicators. Your financial statements show profit.Yet your bank account feels empty.
This often means cash is tied up elsewhere.
Usually in:
• Debtors
• Inventory
• Loan repayments
• Tax liabilities

🚩 Payroll makes you nervous every month: If payday creates anxiety, that's a cashflow problem. It doesn't necessarily mean the business isn't profitable.
It means money isn't available when it's needed.

🚩 You avoid looking at future obligations: Many owners know exactly what's in their bank account today. Very few know what expenses are due in the next 30, 60 or 90 days. That's where cashflow forecasting becomes critical.

𝗔 𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗢𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗗𝗼
Open your banking app. Now answer these questions:
1️⃣ How much money do customers currently owe you?
2️⃣ How much money do you owe suppliers?
3️⃣ How much VAT is currently payable?
4️⃣ How much tax have you set aside?
5️⃣ If your biggest client paid 30 days late, would the business still operate comfortably?

Most business owners can't answer all five immediately.
That's a sign that cashflow visibility needs improvement.

08/06/2026

One of the biggest financial mistakes business owners make is measuring success purely by revenue.

It's understandable.
Revenue is visible.
It's easy to track.
It's often the first number people ask about.
"How much did you make this month?"

𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦'𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮:
Revenue tells you how much money came into the business.
It tells you absolutely nothing about how much money stayed in the business.

Many business owners are chasing bigger sales numbers when the real opportunity is improving profitability. In some cases, increasing profit by 10% can have a far bigger impact than increasing revenue by 30%.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀
Many businesses grow without understanding their numbers.

As revenue increases, so do:
• Staff costs
• Operational expenses
• Marketing spend
• Vehicles and travel expenses
• Technology costs
• Financing costs

The business gets busier.
The owner gets busier.
But the profit doesn't necessarily improve.
Sometimes it actually gets worse.

This is why some business owners feel confused.
They are working harder than ever.
The business is generating more revenue than ever.
Yet there never seems to be enough money left over.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗧𝗼 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝗜𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀
Ask yourself these questions:

1. Do you know your profit margin?
Not your revenue.
Not your bank balance.
Your actual profit margin.

If someone asked you right now what percentage profit your business made last month, could you answer confidently?

2. Do you know your most profitable service?
Many businesses offer multiple services.
But not all services contribute equally.

In many businesses:
20% of services generate 80% of the profit.
The rest simply create activity.

Do you know which services actually make you money?

3. Is revenue growing faster than profit?
This is one of the biggest warning signs.
If sales are increasing but profits remain flat, something is wrong.

Either:
• Costs are growing too quickly
• Margins are shrinking
• Pricing is too low
• Inefficiencies are creeping into the business

4. Are you making decisions based on turnover?
Many business owners celebrate a record sales month.
But revenue without profit is just expensive activity.

Always ask:
"𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱?"

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗧𝗼 𝗗𝗼 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗜𝘁
Here are three practical steps every business owner can take this month:

1. Review your top 5 expense categories
Identify where the majority of your money is going.
Many businesses discover unnecessary costs they haven't reviewed in years.

2. Calculate your profit margin
Not once a year.
Every month.
This allows you to identify problems before they become serious.

3. Review your pricing
Many businesses are underpricing their services without realising it. If costs have increased but pricing hasn't, profitability suffers.

Revenue creates excitement.
Profit creates wealth.

30/05/2026

A lot of businesses grow faster than their internal systems.

At first, things are manageable.

Then suddenly:
• Invoices are missed
• Expenses aren’t tracked properly
• Tax deadlines become stressful
• Reporting becomes inaccurate

Growth exposes weak systems very quickly.

The businesses that scale successfully usually build:
✔ Financial processes
✔ Reporting systems
✔ Clear bookkeeping structures
✔ Forecasting and planning habits

Growth alone doesn’t create stability.
Structure does.

Save this if your business has grown faster than your systems.

27/05/2026

A lot of business owners withdraw money whenever needed without any structure.

This creates problems because:
• Personal spending becomes mixed with business spending
• Tax planning becomes difficult
• Cashflow becomes unpredictable

The issue isn’t taking money out.
The issue is doing it without a plan.

Business owners should understand:
✔ How they’re paying themselves
✔ The tax impact of withdrawals
✔ Whether the structure is efficient
✔ How much the business actually needs to retain

The goal is not just earning money, it’s managing it properly once it’s earned.

Save this if your business withdrawals are currently unstructured.

24/05/2026

Many businesses only realise the importance of record keeping when:
• SARS requests supporting documents
• There’s a compliance issue
• Financial information is missing

By then, fixing the problem becomes stressful and time-consuming.

Poor record keeping leads to:
• Missing deductions
• Incorrect submissions
• Compliance risk
• Inaccurate reporting

Strong businesses maintain:
✔ Organised invoices
✔ Clear expense records
✔ Proper payroll records
✔ Updated bookkeeping

Good records don’t just protect the business, they improve decision-making and reduce unnecessary stress.

Save this if your financial records are scattered across emails and WhatsApp chats.

21/05/2026

A surprising number of business owners:
• Don’t review monthly reports
• Don’t understand profitability properly
• Don’t monitor expenses closely

They run the business based on:
• Bank balance
• Emotion
• Assumptions

That’s dangerous.

Financial reports are not just for compliance, they are decision-making tools.

Without understanding your numbers, it becomes difficult to:
• Improve profitability
• Control costs
• Plan growth
• Reduce inefficiencies

Business owners should regularly understand:
✔ Revenue trends
✔ Expense trends
✔ Profit margins
✔ Cashflow position
✔ Tax exposure

Good decisions require good visibility.
Save this if financial reports only get looked at during tax season.

18/05/2026

Many business owners set pricing based on:
• Competitors
• Fear of losing clients
• What “feels affordable”

Instead of calculating:
• Actual operating costs
• Time invested
• Tax obligations
• Profit margins

The result?
Businesses work harder while becoming less profitable.

Underpricing creates:
• Cashflow pressure
• Burnout
• Difficulty scaling
• Poor-quality client relationships

The cheapest businesses are rarely the most successful long-term.

Pricing should reflect:
✔ Value provided
✔ Operational costs
✔ Sustainability
✔ Growth goals

Sometimes the issue isn’t sales, it’s margins.
Save this if you’ve never properly reviewed your pricing structure.

MSD Chartered Accountants

20/06/2026

17/06/2026

14/06/2026

11/06/2026

08/06/2026

30/05/2026

27/05/2026

24/05/2026

21/05/2026

18/05/2026

Address

Opening Hours

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Contact The Business

Shortcuts

Share

Category

Monday	08:00 - 17:00
Tuesday	08:00 - 17:00
Wednesday	08:00 - 17:00
Thursday	08:00 - 17:00
Friday	08:00 - 17:00