2 Aug 2022

Why You Should Submit a Tax Return Annually

by | posted in: General | 0

From an amateur with no tuition in taxation, and if you are anything like me you don’t want to get on the wrong side of the taxman and incur unnecessary penalties and fines, you will submit your tax return annually.

Although SARS states if you earn below R500 000 annually and meet certain criteria it is not necessary to submit a return, I feel it is still a necessity.

Do you have medical aid, retirement annuity or contribute privately to your company pension fund? If you answered yes, then you may in line to receive a tax refund. Should you pay into any of the above be sure to submit your tax return with all the relevant documentation/information.

Are you planning on emigrating soon? If so, you will need to receive a tax clearance certificate in order to receive one, you need to ensure that you are tax compliant and in order to be compliant, you need to ensure that all your tax returns have been submitted and that your tax affairs are in good order.

From personal experience, should you be retrenched one day, your employer would need to apply for a tax Directive for you, should you not be in good standing with your tax affairs, the outstanding amount along with penalties will be due by you, SARS will request that your retrenchment pay-out be paid to them to cover the outstanding.

SARS is continually taking the initiative to make the filing of tax returns hassle-free, they recently implemented their auto-assessments, which makes the process super easy, so I suggest if you haven’t already, register for e-filing and start submitting your tax returns annually.

Source:
SARS

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About Debora Keet

My journey at Leads 2 Business started in January 2006 as a Private Projects Researcher, Since October 2008, I have been in the Administration and Human Resources department.

29 Jul 2022

L2B Opportunities unearthed in the last 30 Days – July 2022

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We put new business prospect leads within your reach.

Opportunities are researched throughout South Africa and Africa.

Find construction Tenders and Projects within the building, infrastructure, mining, and industrial sectors and more.

Our comprehensive, online, resource platform delivers daily leads to help you make informed business decisions.

Leads 2 Business Opportunities we have unearthed in the last 30 Days: for more information check out our Pricing Page.

To view more Articles, please visit our Leads 2 Business Blog.
If you are interested in becoming one of our subscribers, please visit Leads 2 Business.
To view notes with screenshots on how to use our website, please visit Leads 2 Business Wiki.

About Sasha Anderson

Millennial Mom + wife living the hash-tag life. Remember: If You Fail - Fail Forward

21 Jul 2022

Demystifying Residential Super Estates

by | posted in: Construction Chat | 0

By Leonhard Jonas, CEO of Northlands Business Park and Avianto Estate for Property Wheel

The concept of the super estate is not novel. It has existed globally for several years. However, despite being well-established, no real definition exists. From a developer’s perspective, the most basic requirement of a super estate is to offer more than 2 000 residential opportunities, with facilities and amenities that capture the interest of the buyer.

As a developer, you are creating a new community or township, whose main function it is to provide a safe and secure haven. Although it’s an excellent investment prospect for those looking to expand their portfolio, those buying into a super estate live there on a day-to-day basis, and to make it feasible you need key infrastructure to support the residents. Access to an airport and main arterial routes, schools, medical facilities, and retail opportunities are vital. These factors are important to all developments, but more so to the super estate, as the intention is to create an environment where residents don’t feel the need or desire to leave their cocoon. As such, to claim the title of a super estate, the development must tick a multitude of boxes.

When you look at a super estate like Avianto Estate, Steyn City or Val de Vie, the benefits go beyond creating a safe and protected lifestyle, you are building an opportunity for a multi-generational way of living. Typically, the estate will offer a variety of residential options to satisfy the broader market. Avianto Estate for instance offers a retirement village, pre- and primary school, entry level developments for the starter family, all the way up to the affluent end of the spectrum – basically catering to almost every sector of the market.

Within the South African context, secure estates and complexes have long been sought after. In the past there was the tendency to develop parcels of land and build cookie cutter apartments that are prevalent in Europe – blocks of compact, identical homes that cater to a lock-up-and-go situation. There is certainly a place for it, but as South Africans we want more from our personal living space. Thanks to our mild climate we enjoy being active outside and these complexes don’t necessarily cater to this lifestyle. In recent years, and particularly in response to Covid-19 when we were forced to live and work 24-hours a day in our houses, people realised that a home is more than just a place to lay your head. We want our home and its surrounds to reflect our interests, whether it is cycling, equestrian activities, walking or simply having the freedom to let your children go outside to play, without constantly being on the lookout for dangers. Super estates offer this high level of security but without sacrificing on enjoyment. Super estates recreate the sense of community and allows one to return to a more innocent way of life.

Historically a super estate would have either a polo or a golf course offering. As desirable as these are, they do come with a higher price tag. In his recent podcast, Founder and Executive Chairman of Northlands Group and Developer of Avianto Estate, Darin D’Oliveira, explained that the recent movement is to avoid these traditional, costly facilities and become more inclusive, which ultimately benefits the residents: “Conservatively, to maintain a golf course is over R400 000 a month, which is a cost that the residents of the estate ultimately carry. By avoiding such facilities and allowing the public access to the communal nodes of an estate, such as the restaurant, sporting facilities and gyms, owners are no longer lumbered with excessive levies.”

As with everything, these estates have their time and place, but we are seeing a shift away from these conventional models that often distort the affordability of living in such a place. A more inclusive and humble approach maximizes on the natural surrounds and promotes an outdoor lifestyle through hiking and biking trails, fishing, and picnic spots, to provide the same level of satisfaction but without driving up the levies.

From an affordability standpoint, super estates, despite offering a magnitude of amenities, actually provide a more cost-efficient way of living. Security and landscaping expenses are normally high, but when divided amongst all the residents of an estate, suddenly become far more affordable. The larger the estate, the more residents are paying in levies – it’s a case of economies of scale. With interest rates expected to increase, super estates offer even more financial benefits to the buyer and investor alike. When buying into such an estate at the beginning stage, all costs, such as transfer duties and bond registration are included, ensuring massive savings for the buyers.

Another positive upshot from investing in a super estate is that developers are more sensitive to green-building practices; utilising low maintenance materials, rehabilitating the natural surrounds and providing water and electrical security by way of solar power back-up systems and water storage tanks. This ultimately benefits the residents who are no longer at the mercy of the national providers and are encouraged to live more sustainably and responsibly. All in all, the super estate not only provides the greatest quality of life, but it is becoming more accessible and affordable to the greater population.

About Sasha Anderson

Millennial Mom + wife living the hash-tag life. Remember: If You Fail - Fail Forward

13 Jul 2022

Breaking Down a Tender Lead

by | posted in: Construction Chat | 0

Have you ever read through a tender advert in a newspaper or online and thought to yourself, What are they on about? Where will this contract be taking place and what are the requirements for me to tender? After reading it for the Fourth Time with no luck, you start phoning the contact people listed to clarify crucial information required for you to tender or just skip the tender altogether and move on to the next.

What if that was the big tender that you have been waiting for? If only the tender was broken down for you in an easy-to-understand format.

Here in the Tender Department at Leads 2 Business that is exactly where we come in. We break down the tender notices into different sections so that no crucial information is missed as follows:

Contract Number: This would be the specific number used to identify the current contract.

Title: A short and sweet description of the services or product required.

Description: A more detailed description of what is required and where it will be needed.

Site Inspection: The date, time and location of where the site meeting will take place.

Closing Details: The date and time for tender submissions to be handed in.

Document URL: If documents are available online, Clicking on this link will take you straight to the downloadable documents.

Document Collection: This will inform you when and where the documents will be available If there is a fee payable for the documents and where the tender fee should be paid. Here you will also find the names of the contact persons, should you require any other information on the tender.

Delivery Point: The delivery point will have details of where you need to submit the tender documents. The physical address or the email address.

Contract Period: The duration of the contract.

Validity Period: The period in which price quotations for the provision of goods and services must remain valid.

Restrictions: The restrictions will inform you if you need a specific CIDB Grading for the contract, The certificates and documentation that you will need, BBEEE requirements or any other restrictions provided by the company or person.

Deposit Details: If any, the amount that needs to be paid before collection of documentation.

Location & Region: Where the contact or services for the tender is required.

And last but not least.

Professionals: Here you will find the relevant contact details for the professionals involved in the tender.

I call this Easy Hassle-Free Tendering.

Leads 2 Business is surely the way to go if you want to receive leads relevant to your business and save time, effort and resources so you can easily identify the information required to submit your tender for consideration on time.

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About Leoni Vermaak

30 Jun 2022

L2B Opportunities created in the last 30 Days – June 2022

by | posted in: General | 0

Our comprehensive, online, resource platform delivers daily leads to help you make informed business decisions. Find construction Tenders and Projects within the building, infrastructure, mining, and industrial sectors. Opportunities are researched throughout South Africa and Africa. We put new business prospect leads within your reach.

Leads 2 Business Opportunities we have created in the last 30 Days: for more information check out our Pricing Page.

To view more Articles, please visit our Leads 2 Business Blog.
If you are interested in becoming one of our subscribers, please visit Leads 2 Business.
To view notes with screenshots on how to use our website, please visit Leads 2 Business Wiki.

About Sasha Anderson

Millennial Mom + wife living the hash-tag life. Remember: If You Fail - Fail Forward

29 Jun 2022

Crypto and Construction

by | posted in: Construction Chat | 2


Cryptocurrency, also known as Crypto-currency or Crypto, is any form of currency that exists digitally or virtually and uses cryptography to secure transactions. Cryptocurrencies do not have a central issuing or regulating authority. A decentralized system to record transactions and issue new units is used instead.

The first Cryptocurrency was Bitcoin, which was founded in 2009 and remains the best known today.

Cryptocurrency is a peer-to-peer system that can enable anyone, anywhere, to send and receive payments and does not rely on banks to verify any transactions. Cryptocurrency payments exist purely as digital entries to an online database describing specific transactions. When you transfer Cryptocurrency funds, the transactions are recorded in a public ledger. Cryptocurrency is so-called because it uses encryption to verify transactions and is stored in a digital wallet. Advanced coding is involved in storing and transmitting data from wallets to public ledgers.

So how does it work?

Cryptocurrencies run on a distributed public ledger called Blockchain. This is a record of all transactions updated and held by currency holders. Cryptocurrency units are created through a process called Mining. Mining involves using computer power to solve complicated mathematical problems that generate coins. Users can also buy the currency from brokers, and then store and spend them using the Crypto wallets.

Cryptocurrency is not tangible. You will only own a key that allows you to move a record or unit of measure from one person to another without a third party. It is also considered to be immune from inflation because there is a fixed supply and the Government cannot manipulate the value. The market manipulates the value based on supply and demand.

Are there any benefits of using Cryptocurrency?

Two of the significant benefits of using crypto are that there are fewer fees and the money is available almost instantly. Instead of paying bank fees for electronic transfers or credit card processing, providers pay less than a cent per transaction. Cryptocurrency can also be instantly transferred into cash and deposited into your bank account, cutting down the time it takes to get paid.

For international companies, using Cryptocurrency avoids exchange rate calculations and converting cash into different money types. Vendors will also have more control over their funds as transactions cannot be reversed by the purchaser. If a customer wants to get their money back, they must request it from the vendor. This protects vendors from customers who make purchases and then cancel and do not return the merchandise.

Crypto and Construction?

1. Smart Contracts
Smart contracts are automated contracts that reduce the necessity of intermediaries and can save time and money and are poised to make their mark on the industry. Blockchain is one way that these contracts can be updated and transactions recorded.
2. BIM
Building Information Modeling (BIM) technologies are being implemented on project sites.
When combined, BIM and Blockchain can work greatly to enhance the effectiveness of smart contracts. Combining BIM and Blockchain can work in holding all parties on a project accountable and creating a higher level of transparency. The combination could improve the effectiveness of BIM technology. Currently, BIM uses peer-to-peer networks for information sharing, but Blockchain could make updates in real-time. This constant feedback and monitoring would help with transparency, lead to better overall communication and ultimately result in a higher quality of workmanship on a project.
3. Payments
The Blockchain concept is built around a monetary exchange, as it involves Bitcoin and/or Cryptocurrency.
Blockchain can therefore be used to streamline payment processing. Getting timely payments to all stakeholders on a project tends to be a significant challenge for many companies. Failure to pay on time can lead to conflict, and when a dispute arises, there is potential for the project to go south as a result. By increasing security and creating traceable information, Blockchain can improve the payment process. One technology poised to play a role is BuilderChain, a platform that’s designed to change the way sub-contractors are both hired and paid. It can better ensure that sub-contractors are paid fast and that relationships with good subcontractors are fostered.
4: Supply Chain Management
Blockchain can help trace physical items from origin to destination.
It can help improve transparency, which can help all parties stay on the same page and avoid potential pitfalls and oversights. Similarly, Blockchain can help enable contractors to use unique digital identifiers to verify vendors and suppliers, and thereby grow their reputation over time based on how well their work is performed. These digital IDs can help a company verify the credentials of any subcontractors before they are hired.

The Cryptocurrency market is quite volatile, so users should be prepared for ups and downs. Cryptocurrency is relatively young and is considered highly speculative. If you plan to participate, do your research and invest conservatively to start. Do you think Crypto and Construction related applications will be adopted well in Africa?

To view more Articles, please visit our Leads 2 Business Blog.
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About Melanie Miles

One girl who would rather wear boots than high heels...

21 Jun 2022

Basics of Financial Planning

by | posted in: General | 0

What is financial planning? For anyone who needs a quick explanation, they could simply open google and do a quick search. A few line items down, Google would pop something out like: “A step-by-step approach to meet one’s life goals”, or “A comprehensive picture of your current finances”, or my favourite, “Financial planning … it’s unlikely that your financial position will remain the same throughout your life”.  It can all seem a bit confusing, especially to those who might not have a financial background. Simply put, financial planning is comparing your business’s current financial situation to your long term financial goals. This is so vitally important, not just to businesses but to every single individual in their personal capacity as well. Failure to do even a basic financial plan could lead to cash flow problems, failure to meet tax and other compulsory monetary demands, overspending and ultimately failure to reach your business and personal goals. So let us look at what a basic financial plan would entail.

1. Understand your current financial position

This entails making a list of assets, debts, income and expenses. Once your lists are prepared, compare your debts to your assets and your expenses to your income. If your debts are greater than your assets, this means that your assets are insufficient to pay your debts. Should your expenses be greater than your income, this could signify cash flow problems. This overall picture is the foundation you will use to create your financial plan.

2. Set your goals

Once we know what our financial picture looks like, we will set our financial goals. Each person and organisation will have their own unique set of goals based on the specific financial picture. Your goals set should be realistic and should be set for both the long term and short term. Common goals would be to pay off debt, establish an emergency fund, save for retirement and plan for some downtime. Once your goals are established, you would use this in conjunction with your income and expense lists.

3. Develop a plan of action

At this point in your plan, you would know where you are financially and you know what your financial goals are. Some will be fortunate enough to be in a favourable position and could continue on their existing path without making any changes. For others, they would have realised that in order to reach their financial goals, they require a change in lifestyle or outlook. For each financial goal, you would need to think about what it would take to meet that goal. Retirement savings take decades to accumulate. Perhaps you would need to increase your savings category or deposit a lump sum into your retirement plan. For more short term goals it could just entail going through your expenses and cutting down on unnecessary costs. Budgets should be drawn up and all areas of excess spending should be curtailed. If opportunities exist for generating further income, now is the time to put that into action.

4. Review and revise your financial plan

Your financial plan should be reviewed regularly. Our financial position, the economy, the markets – these can and will change over time. In order to stay abreast of our financial situation and goals, we need to keep our financial lists updated regularly. Take time to regularly view your savings and investments to determine if they are on track for your savings goals. As your circumstances change, your financial plan should be updated. Income and expense schedules should be reviewed monthly and assets and debt schedules should be reviewed quarterly. Your personal life will change as your family grows or as you face life challenges. It is absolutely imperative that your regularly update your financial plan to keep it relevant and achievable.

Should you find your business or personal situation overwhelming or need further assistance on how to set up a financial plan, please do make an appointment to see a financial advisor or planner. These professionals will assist with wealth management and can assist with drawing up plans or investment strategies specific to your needs.

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About Sheila Davies

15 Jun 2022

Mid Year Motivation & Mental Health

by | posted in: General | 0

So, it has been just a little bit over two years since I last wrote a blog about how to stay positive during Lockdown. This will be our 3rd year of the pandemic.  A fact that we can’t ignore. Little did we know what was going to hit us, and how long it was going to last. In a world of not knowing, we all suffered some sort of loss but we can say the last couple of years brought us personal growth, understanding, and hopefully, renewed optimism. To mention a few points, we value our friends and family more, and we adapted to the new normals. There have been new developments in science, such as the COVID-19 vaccines, and we are just about over the 5th wave. Today we can watch sports again and go to church and concerts and so much more. In the work environment, people have been offered opportunities again, and we are all ready and eager to get going.  Even Expos and Trade Shows are coming back, and that gets me all excited!

It all just shows that we are a testament to humanity’s commitment to healing.  That brings me to the topic of Mental Health. It is imperative that we should learn how to take care of ourselves even more, not only physically but mentally as well.  In fact, I think Mental Health should continue to be a priority in the upcoming years, without a healthy mind, you can’t have a healthy body.

What is Mental Health? 

Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It influences cognition, perception, and behaviour. It also determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Mental health includes subjective well-being, perceived self-efficacy, autonomy, competence, intergenerational dependence, and self-actualization of one’s intellectual and emotional potential, among others. 

From the perspectives of positive psychology or holism, mental health may include an individual’s ability to enjoy life and to create a balance between life activities and efforts to achieve psychological resilience. Cultural differences, subjective assessments, and competing professional theories all affect how one defines “mental health”.  Some early signs related to mental health problems are sleep irritation, lack of energy and thinking of harming yourself or others.

Mental Health Tips:

1. Value yourself
Treat yourself with kindness and respect and avoid self-criticism. Make time for your hobbies and favourite projects.

2. Take care of your body
Eat nutritious meals, Exercise, which helps decrease depression and anxiety and improve moods and Get enough sleep.

3. Surround yourself with good people
Make plans with supportive family members and friends or seek out activities where you can meet new people.

4. Give yourself
Volunteer your time and energy to help someone else. You’ll feel good about doing something tangible to help someone in.

5. Learn how to deal with stress
Practice good coping skills, exercise, take a nature walk, play with your pet or try journal writing as a stress reducer. Also, remember to smile and see the humour in life. Research shows that laughter can boost your immune system, ease pain, relax your body and reduce stress.

6. Quiet your mind
Try meditating, relaxation exercises and prayer can improve your state of mind and outlook on life.

7. Set realistic goals
Decide what you want to achieve academically, professionally, and personally, and write down the steps you need to realize your goals. Aim high but be realistic and don’t over-schedule. You’ll enjoy a tremendous sense of accomplishment and self-worth as you progress toward your goal. 

8. Break up the monotony
Although our routines make us more efficient and enhance our feelings of security and safety, a little change of pace can perk up a tedious schedule. Alter your jogging route, plan a road-trip, take a walk in a different park, hang some new pictures, or try a new restaurant.

9. Avoid alcohol and other drugs
Keep alcohol use to a minimum and avoid other drugs. Sometimes people use alcohol and other drugs to “self-medicate” but, alcohol and other drugs only aggravate problems.

10. Get help when you need it
Seeking help is a sign of strength — not a weakness. And it is important to remember that treatment is effective. People who get appropriate care can recover from mental illness and addiction and lead full, rewarding lives.

I’ll leave you with a bit of mid-year inspiration with a quote from Winston Churchill, “Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the Courage to Continue that Counts”.

Sources:
Mental health – Wikipedia
Ten Things You Can Do for Your Mental Health | University Health Service (umich.edu)
Mental Health Awareness Month 2022 | South African Government (www.gov.za)

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About Christine Brooks

My journey started in 2015 with Leads 2 Business, as an Account Executive, and gradually grown to take the role of being the Client Liaison Officer (CLO) since 2018. Assisting in the delivery of our services and insuring our clients expectations and requirements are exceeded.

7 Jun 2022

How to Know if Your Plumbing is Outdated

by | posted in: Construction Chat | 0

A decrease in water pressure is an early warning sign of issues with your plumbing. Leaky pipes do not have a lot of warning signs. 

If you notice a decrease in your water pressure, the first thing you should check is whether your water heater is still in good condition.  Slow water pressure can happen when your water heater malfunctions. However, a change in water pressure can also indicate a leaky pipe.  Old pipes can also be a problem because rust builds up over time and clogs the pipes. Leaking pipes are sometimes hard to pick up as they are hidden pipes but one can see if there is a damp spot on walls or ceilings.

Faucets should also be repaired or replaced.  Replacing faucets is a very budget-friendly way to improve your plumbing and it saves on water.

Discoloured water is a huge red flag. The colour of the water can tell you what the issue is. Orange, red or yellow indicates that it is rusty pipes.  Eventually over time corrosion will cause holes in the pipes.  Blue or green water indicates brass or copper in the fittings.  When your water is black it could well possibly be growth and that can be dangerous. 

A clogged drain can end up being a serious problem.  Slow-moving or clogged drains can be poor venting in the pipes.  You would need a professional to inspect the problem and repair them.

Two types of pipes play a role in how long the pipes in your home will last.  Drain pipes and water supply pipes. Supply pipes are under a lot more pressure than other pipes and can cause more damage if they leak. They would be brass, copper or galvanized steel.  The upside is, that they do last longer, from 80 to 100 years. Drain pipes are usually made of PVC and only last from 25 to 40 years.  It’s important to know what types of pipes you have and to keep track of their age.

You can avoid a big mess and save a lot of money in the long run by knowing more about the plumbing.  Knowledge is key!

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About Lorraine Grobler

My journey with L2B started in November 2021 as an Account Coordinator(AC). My main role is to schedule appointments for the Account Executives(AE). I mainly focus on quality appointments rather than quantity.

31 May 2022

L2B Opportunities created in the last 30 Days – May 2022

by | posted in: Construction Chat | 0

Our comprehensive, online, resource platform delivers daily leads to help you make informed business decisions. Find construction Tenders and Projects within the building, infrastructure, mining, and industrial sectors. Opportunities are researched throughout South Africa and Africa. We put new business prospect leads within your reach.

Leads 2 Business Opportunities we have created in the last 30 Days: for more information check out our Pricing Page.

To view more Articles, please visit our Leads 2 Business Blog.
If you are interested in becoming one of our subscribers, please visit Leads 2 Business.
To view notes with screenshots on how to use our website, please visit Leads 2 Business Wiki.

About Sasha Anderson

Millennial Mom + wife living the hash-tag life. Remember: If You Fail - Fail Forward

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