Absa: The bank presently hands out the most Khula bank guarantees to small business and is probably your biggest chance of getting a bank loan approved. (011) 350 4000. www.absa.co.za

Black Management Forum: Business training and networking. (011) 784 4407.

Black Business Supplier Development Programme (BBSDP): Helps black-owned businesses tro become more competitive. 086 1843 384Business Beat: Assists small business owners with advice, mentoring, bookkeeping and company registration. (021) 448 9075.

Business Partners: Provides equity and bridging finance as well as mentoring for viable businesses. (011) 470 8700. www.businesspartners.co.za

Business Referal and Information Network (BRAIN): Up-to-date information for business owners on everything from guidelines on starting a small business, to where to find finance, locate news on tenders and how to find out about more on drawing up a business plan. (012) 349 0100. www.brain.co.za

Companies and Intellectual Property Registration Office (CIPRO): To register your company, CC, trademark or patent you need to contact Cipro. 0861 843 384. www.cipro.co.za

Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR): Assists business owners who want to improve on or development a product with market-related research and product testing. (012) 841 2911. www.csir.co.za

DTI's customer contact number: For general DTI queries, assistance and information. 0861 843 384. www.dti.gov.za

Enterprize Competition: An annual national competition which runs over a few months and goes through various stages before the finalists are announced. Those whose business ideas are selected will receive intensive business training. (011) 482 9697.

Export Market Investment Assistance (Emia): Provides funding to small business exporters and focuses on assisting business owners with trade missions and attending exhibitions, but also provides funding to things like marketing, patent registration and export readiness training. 0861 843 384.

Fasa: The Franchising Association of South Africa requires member franchises to subscribe to a set of rules. It's usually a good sign if the franchise you want to buy belongs to FASA. (011) 484 1285. www.fasa.co.za

Franchise Advice and Information Network (FRAIN): A web-based information and support services connected with aspects on franchising such as what franchises are available, how to franchise, as well as the financial and legal implications attached to franchising. (012) 349 0100. www.frain.co.za

Industrial Development Corporation (IDC): Business owners who have a turnover of at least R1million and who have secured contracts (except for the construction sector) but require large amounts of short-term capital to fund a project, can request the IDC's bridging finance. (011) 269 3000. www.idc.co.za

Khethani Business Finance: A non-profit organisation who assist with finance small businesses whose loan applications would normally be turned down by the banks. (011) 781 7224.

Khula Enterprise: Business owners who struggle to get bank loans because they lack collateral can approach the DTI's small business finance organisation for Khula-guaranteed bank loans. These include amongst others; the Individual Guarantee Scheme which is available through the banks to small business owners who want loans of R1m or less but have no collateral and the Emerging Entrepreneur Scheme which lends to SMMEs with less than R2 million. (012) 394 5560. www.khula.org.za

Nafcoc: The National African Federated Chamber of Commerce represents the interests of black business and provides networking and lobbying for small business members. (011) 268 2800. www.nafcoc.org.za

National Empowerment Fund (NEF): Provides acquisition funding and venture capital in support of black empowerment from R200 000 upwards. (011) 772 8000. www.nefcorp.co.za

National Productiviy Institute (NPI): A non-governmental organization which has various subsidized programmes and solutions for small business owners looking to increase their productivity.(012) 341 1470Nexus Financial Solutions: A Sanlam one-stop business website and call centre for businesses in operation for longer than two years, which refers owners to various services ranging from legal issues to tax and financial assistance. 086 0100 539. www.npi.co.za

NMCP: The Netherlands Management Co-operation Program is a Dutch support program which jets retired busines consultants to your business and you need only cover only their accommodation expenses. They also assist with loans, equipment and development funds. (021) 951 6852.

Old Mutual small retailer consulting services: Old Mutual Properties have since last year introduced a support service to small retailers in all of their owned-malls, to help train and mentor for them to become more competitive. (021) 424 5280.

Progress Fund: Provides loans and equity finance to businesses owned by young previously disadvantaged people between 18 and 35 years. (011) 371 6679. www.fnb.co.za

Proudly South African: A branding campaign to promote SA products through the carrying of the Proudly SA logo which business owners can place on their products for a cost of 0.1% of the sales their product. (011) 327-7778. www.proudlysa.co.za

PSOM: The Dutch Program for Cooperation with Emerging Markets was last year offficially launched in South Africa to assist small business owners with Dutch-SA partnership opportunities. It covers half of all the linkage costs. (012) 939 9447.

SAB Kickstart: Am annual national competition organized and sponsored by SAB-Miller which has been running for eight years now. Business owners and entreprenuers who enter the competition are also enrolled in a Kickstart training programme. (021) 658 7395.

SABS: The SA Bureau of Standards assists small business with accreditation of products and services with a 50% subsidy. (012) 428 6110. www.sabs.co.za

Sacob: The South African Chamber of Business for networking, website services, lobbying and business information. (011) 446 3800. www.sacob.co.za

Sars: The South African African Revenue Service. (011) 374 8000. www.sars.gov.za

Seda: Small Enterprise Development Agency - the government's agency for business support. Fund the Manufacturing Advice Centres (Mac) programme where manufacturers and businesses in select business sectors can get up to 90% of their business support intervention sponsored. Also funds local business support centres and tender advice centres. 0860 103703 www.seda.org.za

Small and Medium Enterprise Development Programme (SMEDP): Provides grants to small businesses in manufacturing, tourism, agro-processing, IT, arts and crafts, aqua culture and high value agricultures who require training or land, machinery or buildings for expanding existing projects or starting up new ones. 086 1843 384 Sector Partnership Fund: Assists groups of small business owners and micro entrepreneurs manufacturing, IT and agro-processing sectors with grants to link up and pool resources in order to meet a tender which otherwise may be too big for them to go alone. 086 1843 384 www.dti.gov.za

Sizanani: Arrange guarantees for small businesses with little or no collateral, while providing mentoring services to go hand-in-hand with the bank guarantees. 086 133 3000

Small Business Project: Assists small businesses through their Linkage Programme with link-ups and joint ventures with corporates. (011) 484 4666. www.sbp.org.za

SMME Africa: An annual Africa-wide competition which honours top African business owner nominees in various categories. It was held for the first time in 2003 and is organized by the Centre for Investment Analysis at the Unversity of Stellenbosch. (021) 918 4258.

Softstart: A Gauteng-based technology hub which is situated inside the CSIR campus. The incubator also assists tech businesses outside the province and offers mentoring, product-development, finance referral and business plan assistance. (012) 349 2355. www.softstart.co.za

South Africa International Business Linkages (Saibl): An American government-sponsored fund which aims to assist historically-disadvantaged South African small businesses to grow through funding as well as linking them up with trade and investment partnerships both in the country and abroad. (011) 802 0015.

Standard Bank: For many years the leader in small business development and has a huge range of products and services for the business owner. (011) 636 9112. www.standardbank.co.za

Support Programme for Industrial Innovation (SPII): An innovation support programme that currently provides grants to small business for new product and process development and is funded by the DTI and administered by the IDC. (011) 269 3000.

Swedish-South African Business Fund: A Swedish fund which aims to support historically disadvantaged SA small businesses and provide them with linkages and joint ventures with Swedish firms. The fund contributes 50% of external costs such as travel and setting up an alliance. (011) 784 8087.

Technology and Human Resources for Industry Programme (Thrip): Managed under the National Research Foundation (NRF), Thrip provides incentive funding for research and technological advancement of a firm to a business owner. (012) 481 4078.

Technology for Women in Business (TWIB): Has various technology advice programs and training opportunities aimed specifically at women who want to expand and enhance their business through the use of computers, science and the latest equipment. (012) 841 4983. www.twib.co.za

Tender Advice Centres (TACs): Assist business owner with securing government tenders and are also a good place to access business training and financial assistance. On top of this most of their services free or at least highly subsidised. 0860 103703 www.seda.org.za

Tradeworld: Tender information and business opportunities daily via fax or email. (011) 507 0900. www.tradeworld.net

Umsobumvu Youth Fund: Young entrepreneuers between 18 and 35 can get various business services subsidized through the Umsobumvu Youth Fund's voucher programme. (011) 480 8700. www.uyf.org.za

Umsobomvu Franchise Fund: A fund managed by Business Partners and Umsobumvu YF and aimed at youth, 18-35, in the franchising industry. (011) 480 8700. www.uyf.org.za

Upstarts: A technological incubator, started by Mark Shuttleworth, which provides funding and assistance to technological small businesses across the country. Though based in Cape Town it can act as a 'virtual hub' to businesses across the country. (021) 970 1500. www.upstarts.co.za

Zimele Trust: Provides funding through loan and equity finance to junior mining companies. (011) 638 3001. www.zimele.co.za