Doing Business in Sandton, July 2021

Welcome!

Welcome to the Megaplex Business Booster Newsletter as advertised in our longstanding Newsletter: "Shopping in Sandton".  This short monthly bulletin will give you quick tips that can make your business more profitable, more robust, and less likely to bankrupt you.

You are receiving this because you subscribed, or because your business in Sandton or Bryanston appears on the megaplex.co.za website.  We have ways you can benefit from this.

The big emergency is still the Protection of Personal Information Act (the POPI Act or POPIA).  Below we have two ways –both free– that will help you identify the scope of the problem.  Then there is a Paid POPIA course at the best price available.

Is Google Chrome messing your Bookmarks Bar around? We have a fix...

Are you an Engineer?  Like to turbo-charge your use of Microsoft Excel?  Below is a live on-line course that may help.

POPI Act is Live, Despite the Information Regulator

The Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) deadline of midnight on 30 June has come and gone.  The Act is officially live and enforceable. Unfortunately (and in typical Government fashion) the Information Regulator isn't live.  Believe it or not, there's still a notice on their website:

REGISTRATION OF INFORMATION OFFICERS PORTAL
Please note we are experiencing technical issues with the Portal, which results in it not being accessible at the moment. Our technicians are working on it. The Portal will be accessible  as soon as these issues are resolved. We apologise for the inconvenience caused.

Technically, that means you are not able to  implement POPIA in your organisation!
You have to have a registered "Information Officer" before that Officer can do anything.

You can in fact download a registration form, fill it in, and email it to them.  As we did.  You will probably get zero response, too.  You still won't have a registered "Information Officer".

Nevertheless, expect that, if you lose a laptop or a smartphone containing any contact details (i.e. "personal information"), you must still report yourself to the Information Regulator.  At some point, they will investigate.  You will have to prove that you took the precautions required by POPIA.

How will you do that, if you no longer have that laptop or smartphone?

There is an inexpensive approach to data privacy compliance.  Join Peter online this Wednesday, at 8 pm. Invest 60 minutes this week. Never face a civil servant probing your POPI compliance.

🎯 Click here to join us online at 8 pm TONIGHT (or Next Wednesday) for answers to POPI for small business.

Help!  Why does Chrome now Hide my Taskbar?

Google seems to be adding unnecessary and unwanted features to the Google Chrome browser.

They now hide the Bookmarks Bar as soon as you choose a website.  This "helpful" feature means that you can't just click another bookmark when you have finished with that tab,  No, you have to close the tab and open a new one to see the Bookmarks Bar again.

You do get a little extra screen space as compensation for all this bother.

Fortunately the fix is simple.  Click the "three dots" menu on the top right.  Choose Settings. In the left sidebar, choose Appearance (or scroll down to that section).  In the middle of the Appearance section, switch Show bookmarks bar ON.

A Reminder: Your Free Listing on Megaplex

Megaplex is what we grandly call "the world's most  helpful website for shopping in Sandton and Bryanston".  Chances are that you have been receiving this newsletter because your business is listed on that website.

Are your business's details up to date?  Due to COVID-19, we aren't getting out to visit the centres as often.  Why not visit our site now? Scroll down the left to get to your centre or area, visit it, and check.  Simply reply to this newsletter with any changes you want.

Did you know that:

• You can expand your free listing beyond 25 words?  Yes, you can: Only R250 + VAT per year per extra 25 words or part thereof.
• You can advertise on the Megaplex website?  It's true, and the rates are very reasonable. Get great exposure on the "go-to" site for shopping in our area..
• You can advertise in the Megaplex Newsletter? Indeed: "Shopping in Sandton" goes out monthly to over 4800 subscribers.  With a banner or column advert you can showcase your business to thousands of eager shoppers!
• We can even give you your own web page on the Megaplex website?  Absolutely.  Google trusts us, so they will boost you.

For details, examples and prices, please see this webpage.  Or reply to this newsletter with the keyword "Advertise" in the Subject, and we'll get right back to you.

Calling our Engineers!

Do you see Microsoft Excel as merely a toy for accountants?

Are you aware of the sheer power you have at your fingertips?

Not only does Excel have all basic mathematical functions, it has advanced statistical functions, matrix manipulation, charts, and much more.  Are you, as an engineer and scientist, using it to the full?  Are you aware of how much it can do?

Start using Excel to its full potential as an engineering and scientific tool.  On the

Two-Day Excel for Engineers Live Webinar, August 2021

Many of us are self-taught and have gaps in our knowledge.  Fill those gaps on the online training next month: Two full days of personal attention in a small class.

Next Course Dates: Thursday 19 and Friday 20 August 2021 (two full days)
Venue: Live Online via Zoom.
Early-Bird Price until 5 August: Only R4,000 plus VAT per trainee.  Thereafter R4,497 plus VAT each.

Course Creator and Facilitator: Rick Raubenheimer.

Run by Software Africa. More information on this web page.  For more information and to book, click here and send the resulting email.

Book soon and get the discounted price!

We also have the self-paced version in the pipeline.

Some More POPI Act (POPIA) Links...

The Protection of Personal Information Act went live on 1 July 2021.  Here's a free course that tells you what the law says –in plain English. It's as long as a typical evening seminar, but online: Free Online POPI Act Training.

Here's a follow-on course, not quite gratis, but the cheapest you are likely to find, that tells you how to get POPI compliant in just five days,

All the best from Rick at megaplex.co.za,

the World's most helpful website for shops in Sandton.

To view other issues of the newsletter, click these links (same page):
2019: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November,
2020: January, February, March, April, May (there was a gap during lockdown)
2021: May, June
Subscribe here or locate another period.