Foreword

That small and medium enterprises (SME) are the engine room for growth and development in South Africa is a practical certainty. Entrepreneurship is considered by many to be the bedrock upon which more jobs can be created in a country where unemployment remains a problem, poverty is a real issue and the capability of the formal sector to grow and provide gainful employment is limited. With the SME sector playing such a pivotal role in the economy of the country – and with such high hopes from politicians and economists alike for its role in development – isn’t it time that more companies gear their service offerings to meet the specific needs of the people who run these businesses?