It was while “doing his homework” to come up with a unique selling point for his company that KK Diaz hit upon the idea of Payroll With A Voice. Rekopane Payroll Services, of which he is MD and founder, provides a range of payroll services to SMEs but, as Diaz points out, “It’s difficult to get people excited or engaged about the function of payroll.”
Identifying the gap
Having worked in the industry, Diaz was struck by how many business owners continue to run their tax and payroll functions in a very haphazard manner. “There are so many compliance issues surrounding payroll, like PAYE and UIF, and it can really hurt small businesses if they don’t comply. The irony is that they know they are not doing things properly, but the whole idea of tax and legal obligations really seems to scare them, so they ignore it, which is obviously not a solution. What I wanted to do was create a product that would give SMEs all this information in an interesting and easy-to-access way,” he continues.
Making it accessible
The result was an entertaining but educative audio-based CD workshop that provides small business owners with all the information they need to know. A series of easily digestible audio lessons in MP3 format allows managers to develop a general idea of legal and process requirements – in their own time, and in their own way. “This means they don’t have to take time out of work to attend long and boring seminars or workshops,” says Diaz. “We’ve concentrated on making sure the audio presentation is short, to the point and easy to listen to,” he adds. “You can put Payroll With A Voice on in the car, or listen to snippets on your PC or at other moments when you have a bit of time. This way you can develop a good understanding of the basics, and then figure out what action to take. The more you listen, the deeper your understanding will be,” he explains.
Getting to market
Diaz launched the product in September last year, providing chapter snippets and a free download sample on the company website. “I didn’t know how the market was going to react so we’re using this platform to get feedback which we will use to continually improve the product,” he says. Immediate pipeline plans include translating the CD into Zulu and Sotho, and eventually working on an audiovisual DVD version. “This will be particularly useful for the seminars involving tax calculations and filling in of forms,” Diaz adds. While generating its own income stream and differentiating Rekopane Payroll Services from its competitors, Payroll with a Voice will also drive new business to the company’s other payroll service offerings. For more information call +27 11 838 8267, or go to www.rekopanepayroll.co.za
