Author: Stuff Business

On October 14, 2025, Windows 10 will reach its official “End of Support” date. As anticlimactic as that sounds – only nerds care when an operating system becomes obsolete, right? – it has some pretty serious ramifications for businesses everywhere. Let’s delve into why that is, why business owners everywhere should be concerned, and what they can do about it. What does End of Support mean? In short, Microsoft will stop supporting Windows 10 with security and feature updates. So, from 14 October 2025, if someone discovers a new way to break Windows 10’s code that causes havoc on systems…

Ten years ago, we would have supplied a resounding “YES!” for this question. Back then, printers were indispensable for printing and scanning important business documents, especially ones that needed to be signed. You could even use them to send and receive FAXES. Yikes. Now we feel old. But today, things are very different. Smartphones have replaced a lot of electronics in our lives: That big beige thing with the keyboard, digital display, and clear plastic window is some sort of printer, so yes, all of these things are indeed in your pocket now. On a more serious note, whether or…

Many businesses, just like Stuff, use Google’s excellent email service for business emails. And while you can use an email client like Outlook/Thunderbird/Kiwi with Gmail, it’s often easiest to use Gmail in a browser window, just as Paul Buchheit intended. No matter how you access your Gmail emails, we know that managing them efficiently is a vital part of staying organised. So here are some easy-to-follow tips to help you effectively filter, sort, and categorise your Gmail messages. Yes, we know Stuff readers are smarter than the average bear, but this might be someone’s first time here. If that’s you,…

By far the worst part of owning your own business is all the paperwork you must do. It never ends, it’s complicated, and it takes up much of your time. Invoicing is particularly burdensome, but it’s an essential step because you’re not getting paid without it. The best way to manage your invoicing is by using software designed specifically to make invoicing as simple and as fast as possible. There are quite a few different accounting packages that could handle your invoicing to choose from, with most vendors providing slight variations on the following: Customised invoices/invoice templates You look much…

Today’s businesses don’t run without some sort of software. Choosing the right packages and having them rolled out correctly (and staff appropriately trained to use them) is critical to any business you care to name. The biggest decision businesses must make when it comes to choosing their software is typically “Do I go with open-source software, or should I stick with tried-and-tested commercial software from the big guys?”. Each option comes with its own benefits and risks, and these must be weighed up before the ultimate decision is made. Doing that properly requires understanding which option aligns best with your…

Rent is a major expense for many businesses. It’s only natural that businesses would, over time, investigate new ways of working that keep their rent costs down while still meeting their office requirements. The solution many turned to was the notion of “co-working spaces” – shared working locations (subdivided offices, basically) that offer companies a flexible amount of office space. While co-working spaces appeared as far back as the 1990s, the idea really took off when a little startup called WeWork arrived in 2010, scaled it up, and then expanded globally. Incidentally, having worked in a WeWork in Jozi prior…

When freelancing or doing work for clients, it’s important to keep track of how much time you’re putting into your projects so you can charge them accurately. You could use paper to mark down the time you start and when you finish, but that’s for people that don’t use computers and think the internet will be the end of civilisation as we know it. For folks with computers, there are far better ways to do this. Today, you can find a wide range of time-tracking software options online, and in the best news since Leo won his Oscar (finally!), many…

In today’s digital age, physical classrooms and lecture halls are no longer necessary for learning. Online learning platforms have revolutionised education with video lectures and interactive sessions, empowering people to learn and acquire new knowledge from the comfort of their homes. Whether you’re interested in single lectures, a specialised series, or even full graduate-level degrees from prestigious universities, many websites offer on-demand online classes that cater to a wide range of interests. You’re bound to find something of interest. For tech and business enthusiasts, the following online learning destinations offer a lot to like. LinkedIn Learning Website: http://www.linkedin.com/learning/ PROS Free…

It stands to reason that any small business that accepts as many payment methods as possible will make more money than if they limit themselves to only a few. And with mobile payment systems on the rise, there are plenty of new ways for customers to pay which businesses will need to be able to accept if they want to attract and retain customers. Like Apple Pay. Apple is one of the biggest consumer tech companies in the world, and it has millions of users around the world, including in South Africa. It has integrated its own mobile payment system,…

Have you ever struggled to put together visually captivating and impactful presentations for important business meetings, even when you’ve used all of the best traditional presentation tools? We all have, and we know exactly how disheartening it is to spend hours working on slides only to receive lukewarm feedback after presenting. It sucks. But help is here. AI-powered presentation tools can transform the process and elevate your work to new heights. Whether you’re a business professional, student, or just someone seeking to enhance your skills, it’s time to explore the world of AI-powered presentation tools that you can use to…