The outcry from financial advisors over the FAIS Act’s requirement that all advisors pass the Financial Services Board’s (FSB) Regulatory Exams resulted in only 11% of financial advisors having written the exams by June 2011.

Building customer loyalty starts with ensuring a good fit between the customer’s needs and the company’s capabilities, and continues with good customer relationship management. Dr Gerhard van Wyk shares his insights on how to interact with clients.

Economists have predicted that the Consumer Price Index would reach 5.9% in October, with year-on-year growth expected to exceed 6% before year end, aggravated by the rand depreciating.

The education project intiated by government aims to monitor the interaction and performance of teachers and learners in order to 'mobilise society on education' said Project Director Tula Nkomo.

While disagreements between employer and employee are to be expected from time to time a recent case study shows the consequences of disrespect and insubordination in the workplace.

Wireless networking, also referred to as Wi-Fi, remains firmly positioned amongst the myriad of technologies available to digital lifestyle, connectivity-hungry consumers. It is gaining popularity as a cost-effective, easily integrated and reliable networking infrastructure in the home

Now that the employee has been hired, what are your next steps for inducting new recruits? Remove some of the anxiety and pressure off new staff members and help them overcome first day jitters by following these simple staff orientation tips.

Conflict management is critical to sustaining the well-being and productivity levels of teams. It is in the best interest of employers to identify and equip appropriate staff members with the skills to manage work based social interactions of all staff members.

Financial management is a key tool in controlling and directing the resources of any business or organisation and as a result all employees should be able to analyse the financial information that is essential to decision making in business says Liza van Wyk.

Inexperienced negotiators either adopt a ‘no compromise’ attitude or bend over backwards to please demanding clients, to the detriment of the organisation. Finding the right balance as a negotiator is a skill that every business professional should possess.

Entrepreneurship should be seen as a channel for creating employment; however according to a recent study most local entrepreneurs have a tendency to remain lifestyle entrepreneurs creating work and an income for themselves only. Frances Wright looks at the implications of this trend.

One of the most important keys to any successful business is a top quality, positive image. One of the most important ways that a company can convey this type of image is through the creation of a good first impression. In fact, such an impression is of vital importance, but how is a good first impression created?

We are a lead training provider on an NVC learnership and now have to raise an invoice on the Lead Employer for the training services. The Lead Employer says that the invoice must be Zero rated for VAT but our auditers say that VAT must be added to the invoice. Which is correct - we don't want to fall foul of SARS?

I have been reading the QCTO policy on Delegation of Qualification Design and Assessment to DQP's and AQP's and found some interesting issues that I will like to share with you.

I understand that the powers-that-be want to get rid of unit standards, although I have yet to come across anybody at the CHE/HEQC or Umalusi who can explain to me why they have such a resistance against them.

Most of us have been victims of SETAs inviting us to tender for learning programmes where the terms of reference specify that you must guarantee them that least 90%, 95% or even 100% learners will be found competent. I can understand that it is really difficult for any private learning institution not to agree to this short-sighted, selfish and damaging practice.

What I am advocating is that whether you are an assessor, moderator, SDF, provider, facilitatior, HR Practitioner, training manager or whatever we should not have 5 or 6 different bodies representing us and fighting for a share of the market. We need a representative body, preferably with no fees involved, where we can all work together for the common good and in order to achieve our objectives.

Government and its key partners, such as labour and business, have signed an all-comprehensive Accord geared to create 300 000 jobs in the next 10 years. The signing has signalled a united front as the COP17 climate talks in Durban draw near.

Elaine Jobson shares principles on how Virgin Active successfully took the old Health and Raquet club brand to be part of the distinctive Virgin family, by reforming brand perception and organisational culture within the workplace.

Is it time for the old boys to move over and make way for the new age executive?There has been a growing trend toward hiring young executives to fill top level positions as organisations see the value in appointing professionals who have fresh insights and a desire to embrace opportunities.

A brand can attract or repel potential consumers and employees, yet the influence of a brand name is sometimes underestimated. In a time of intensified competition brand power and brand loyalty are critical to the success of the organisation according to Jeremy Sampson.

The inflation rate is expected to continue trending upward, eventually peaking at 6.3 % in the first three months of 2012 according to the latest projects made by the South African Reserve Bank.

Why is it that only 12.5% of mortgage loans applications are successful? Have Mortgage Financiers taken a conservative approach in their lending? Bebura Matanda looks into aspects of consumer credit and mortgage lending in South Africa.

Discussions on the proposed youth wage subsidy are underway with key stakeholders to address joblessness in the country revealed Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe.

Eskom has embarked on a pilot project, as part of its endeavours into renewable energy sources that will see it using the power of the sun to generate electricity at three of its facilities.