{"id":6158,"date":"2026-06-07T22:40:37","date_gmt":"2026-06-07T22:40:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fintechpulse8.com\/?p=6158"},"modified":"2026-06-07T22:40:37","modified_gmt":"2026-06-07T22:40:37","slug":"securing-the-first-sale-is-a-key-unlock-for-sme-confidence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fintechpulse8.com\/?p=6158","title":{"rendered":"Securing the first sale is a key unlock for SME confidence"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"textFreeArticle\">\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"[WATCH] Securing the first sale is a key unlock for SME confidence.\" width=\"1110\" height=\"624\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/0R1GjB5N0hA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>For many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), securing external funding is viewed as the ultimate validation of a business idea.<\/p>\n<p>Experts argue that making sales is the single most important factor in securing SME funding. Investors and lenders need proof that there\u2019s a market for what\u2019s on offer, rather than relying solely on a business plan.<\/p>\n<p>In this episode of the Mzansi Business podcast, Jenine Zachar, head of value propositions and client experience for Business and Commercial Banking at Standard Bank, argues that financiers want to see a track record in the form of sales \u2013 because sales provide validation, revenue predictability, and the traction needed to justify capital investment.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not a piece of paper with a plan that gets you funding,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>\u201cWhat that plan or business case provides you with [is] the ability and access to make your first sale. That\u2019s what starts building predictability.<\/p>\n<div class=\"visible-sm-block visible-xs-block m1010\">\n<div class=\"ad-container-wrapper\">\n<p>ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n<p>CONTINUE READING BELOW<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s no bigger or better selling point than that, and then showcasing that it\u2019s repeatable. So one sale is good, [but] making repeatable sales is what you\u2019re aiming for to build a reliable track record.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Read: From funding to growth: Mzansi Business launches on Moneyweb<\/p>\n<p>While business plans, market research, and projections are valuable, Zachar says nothing validates demand more convincingly than actual revenue, reducing uncertainty for potential investors.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>In addition to signalling stability, Zachar says the first sale also offers entrepreneurs critical insights.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>This includes customer feedback, purchasing behaviour, pricing acceptance, and operational challenges \u2013 which become visible in ways that theoretical planning cannot reveal.<\/p>\n<p>These lessons help refine the offering and strengthen the business before larger investments are sought.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/iframe.iono.fm\/e\/1683381?layout=modern\" width=\"100%\" height=\"170\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div class=\"visible-sm-block visible-xs-block m1010\">\n<div class=\"ad-container-wrapper\">\n<p>ADVERTISEMENT:<\/p>\n<p>CONTINUE READING BELOW<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>You can also listen to this podcast on iono.fm\u00a0here.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe often focus on how we get money in, which is important, but also, what are your behaviours? [What] money [is] going out of the business \u2013 all the way from paying yourself a salary, to how are you paying your suppliers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s nothing like predictability to start creating the pace for funding that\u2019s needed thereafter,\u201d Zachar emphasises.<\/p>\n<p>In this all-encompassing interview, Zachar also provides insights into the state of SMEs in South Africa \u2013 from challenges, opportunities,\u00a0digital transformation and innovation to strategies for scaling up, as well as a look at the policy environment.<\/p>\n<p>Read: Small businesses that go green could make a big impact in SA<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>#Securing #sale #key #unlock #SME #confidence<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), securing external funding is viewed as the ultimate validation of a business idea. Experts argue that making sales is the single most important&hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6159,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[6727,510,1402,8624,8625,1212],"class_list":["post-6158","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-investing","tag-confidence","tag-key","tag-sale","tag-securing","tag-sme","tag-unlock"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fintechpulse8.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6158","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fintechpulse8.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fintechpulse8.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fintechpulse8.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fintechpulse8.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6158"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.fintechpulse8.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6158\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fintechpulse8.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6159"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fintechpulse8.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6158"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fintechpulse8.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6158"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fintechpulse8.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6158"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}