I have to say that I was a little surprised that my column on Fin24.com this morning did not generate a bit more debate in amongst the comments section.

Anyway for those who don’t have the inclination, the gist of the column was about how technology had been a fantastic leveller of the playing fields, specifically when it came to financial tools to empower small businesses.

The problem with technology is that alot of entrepreneurs with that mystic thing called “budget” assume that SME’s can make investments while there are those out there who are scratching their heads and wondering how the next salary bill is going to be paid. If you don’t have money you often don’t look at investing in technology which might make you more competitive.

I thought it might be a bit of fun to create a post and try and list some of the
(South African) tools that are available for entrepreneurs. I’ve tried to limit them to South African companies so that we can support local businesses.

Feel free to post / add to them in the comments below:

Free blogging platforms

A lot of tech-savvy entrepreneurs take for granted that they will have a “web presence”. But for many smaller businesses this is something they have no clue about. Free blogging platforms such as Bundublog.com, Blat, iBlog and 24.com are all ideal places to get yourself some kind of presence at no cost in an existing community.

Website and marketing tools

Blog aggregators such as Afrigator, Myscoop, Amatomu are all great ways to build traffic to your site. They’re free, mahala, cost you zilch and used correctly they can help build awareness of your company or brand.

Can’t afford a professional designer but have a few bucks to spend on some webdesign tools? What about things like Yola and WooThemes?

Want to market your company but can only afford to pay for marketing which results in sales or leads? What about using things like TrafficSynergy or OfferForge to promote your business?

Don’t forget Sean Rileys AD:Dynamo business which is a very affordable marketing solution (heck we can afford to use it!).  Nice way to advertise your business on web, TV or mobile.

Looking for a clever piece of communication, networking and database tool for SMEs to manage their contacts? Have you tried Scott Cundills MajesticWay?

They’re not local technology but if you are loooking to zero in on building contacts or a local  professional network – have you tried Twitter,  Facebook, LinkedIn?

Financial

Book-keeping packages, credit assessments, basic financial management tools – these cost a small fortune and often need some skills to use them properly.

One of the funkiest things I discovered yesterday was Instant Accounting from FNB. I’m going for a demo on this tech next week but I have to say that this has to be one of the most innovative packages I’ve heard about in a while.

Other local suppliers and tech which jump out at me include Netcash, MaristIT and iTrust.

I’m sure there are plenty of others with some really neat solutions so please post ‘em below. Don’t make it an out and out plug for your business but I think it could turn into a really fantastic post and something which could empower up and coming South Africa entrepreneurs.