How to use Funding readiness

Step by step

Part A. Start: open your funding readiness

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   Open the menu

   On Home, tap Menu.

   Tip: Home's Your next step card, or a row under Continue, may open your funding readiness straight away.

   
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   My tools

   Tap My tools.

   
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   Funding readiness

   On the Funding readiness card, tap Start.

   Tip: The first time the button says Start, later Continue. When every screen is answered it says Open.

   
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   Your funding readiness page

   At the top is your score, for example "45/100 Not yet", and how many questions you answered. The first time, tap Start the questions. Later the big button says Continue where you left off. When every screen is answered it says Download: your funding readiness report as a PDF.

   

Part A. How each of the 23 screens works

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   Your answers

   Each screen first shows your answers and a score. Tap Change your answers (the first time: Answer these questions).

   Tip: The bar at the top says where you are: "Step 1 of 24". There are 23 screens, then your result.

   
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   Choose an answer in each box

   Tap a box and choose. Most questions are Yes, No, Not sure yet or Does not apply to me. Type a date where it asks one. Example, screen 1 (Organisation statutory information): CIPC papers Yes, uploaded No, proof of address Yes, lease Yes until 28 Feb 2027, permit to trade Yes.

   Tip: "Uploaded" means the document is on Super Deal Maker. Say No until you upload it (see Part B).

   
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   Save your answers

   Scroll down. Tap Save your answers.

   
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   Go to the next screen

   You see your answers again. Tap Next: at the bottom (here Next: Tax and related compliance). Do the same on every screen.

   

Part A, part 1 of 7. Compliance

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   Screen 2. Tax and related compliance

   Tax clearance: Yes, and the date it runs out (example 28 Feb 2027). Business bank account and statements: Yes. Not on the government supplier list (CSD): No. B-BBEE affidavit: Yes, until 28 Feb 2027. CIPC annual fees paid: Yes, next due 31 Mar 2027. Tap Save your answers.

   
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    Screen 3. Licences and regulations

    If your business does not need an environmental, safety (OHS), SABS or food (HACCP) approval, choose No, this business does not need one. Trading licence: Yes, the date it runs out, and its name (example: Trading licence, Mogalakwena Local Municipality). Franchise: No. Tap Save your answers.

    

Part A, part 2 of 7. Your people

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    Screen 4. Key personnel information

    About the owner: ID copy, proof of address, share certificate: Yes if you have them. Uploaded yet? No until you upload them. Not married in community of property? Then the spouse questions are Does not apply to me. Tap Save your answers.

    
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    Screen 5. Team composition

    The owner runs the shop: general manager Yes, Matric, more than 7 years of experience. No separate operations, marketing, money or staff manager: No. Tap Save your answers.

    Tip: A small shop gets a low score here. That is normal: answer honestly.

    
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    Screen 6. Entrepreneur traits

    Say how strong you are in each thing (example: vision Averagely, the rest Good). Write one short sentence for each, for example "Started the shop in 2022 with R30 000 of own money". Tap Save your answers.

    
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    Screen 7. Team business management skills

    For each skill choose the highest school level in the business (Matric is level 4) and say in a few words what is missing. Tap Save your answers.

    

Part A, part 3 of 7. Your market

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    Screen 8. Industry barriers to entry

    How hard is it for a new shop to start? Example: licence takes less than 6 months, low profits in this trade, customers compare prices (Neutral). Choose the closest answer when yours is not listed. Tap Save your answers.

    
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    Screen 9. Industry growth

    How fast does your trade grow? Example: below 5% in the country and the province, 5% to 10% in your village. Proof from a report: No if it is your own estimate; write "Owner's estimate". Tap Save your answers.

    
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    Screen 10. Market security

    How sure are your sales? Example: more than 50% from customers you already have, four or more customers and products, two kinds of customers (households, school learners), market share 5% to 10% now. Tap Save your answers.

    
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    Screen 11. Value proposition

    Why customers choose you. Example: some uniqueness, quality Good, competitors likely to react. Tap Save your answers.

    

Part A, part 4 of 7. Operations

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    Screen 12. Operations and technical resources

    Stock easy to get (within 5 working days), the room is secured with a lease, equipment easy to buy, you keep a list of what you own: Yes. Tap Save your answers.

    
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    Screen 13. Operations systems

    How you work. A shop: batch process, no special skill needed, gross profit below 40%, one shift, no trademark or patent. Tap Save your answers.

    
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    Screen 14. Systems and procedures

    Are your ways of working written down? Example: stock and money "insufficiently documented"; staff, marketing and governance "No system". Tap Save your answers.

    

Part A, part 5 of 7. The money

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    Screen 15. Actual financials

    Signed statements: No if nobody signed them yet; year end 28 Feb 2026; profitable Yes. Management accounts Yes (30 Sep 2026). Customers pay cash and you pay cash: choose "two times better". Tap Save your answers.

    
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    Screen 16. Capex funding

    Money for equipment. The amount comes from your business plan (R60 000). Can the equipment be security? Yes. Quotes: No quotes yet until you have 3 quotes. No existing loans. Tap Save your answers.

    
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    Screen 17. Working capital funding

    Money for stock and running costs. The amount comes from your business plan (R25 000). Answer like the screen before. Tap Save your answers.

    
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    Screen 18. Financial security

    Will the owner sign surety? Yes (not unlimited). What you own that is free of loans: 0% to 20% of what you ask. No other funder yet: "No co-funding". Tap Save your answers.

    
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    Screen 19. Financial projections

    Compare your plan with the past. Example: sales 110% to 150% of before, net profit 5% to 10%, gross profit 20% to 50%. Tap Save your answers.

    
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    Screen 20. Key personnel tax and personal finances

    About the owner's own money: personal tax clearance No, 6 months of bank statements Yes, a list of income and costs Yes, no credit check yet, not in public office, no bad news stories. Tap Save your answers.

    

Part A, part 6 of 7. Legal claims

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    Screen 21. Legal litigation

    No court cases and no credit listings: choose No and "No litigation" / "No listings". Tap Save your answers.

    

Part A, part 7 of 7. B-BBEE and jobs

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    Screen 22. Social empowerment

    Small business (EME). Black, women and youth ownership: 51% or more. Women and youth in leadership: Yes. Tap Save your answers.

    
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    Screen 23. Jobs growth

    Jobs now: between 3 and 10. New jobs: fewer than 3. Permanent jobs, cost per job below R100 000, more than 50% rural. Tap Save your answers.

    

Part A. Your result

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    See my result

    On the last screen (Jobs growth), tap See my result.

    
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    Your funding readiness is ready

    You see your score and the 3 things to fix first. Tap a thing to fix it. Tap See my funding readiness report to read the whole report.

    
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    More

    Tap More for: Download my report, Share my business with funders, My documents, Funding that could suit you, side by side, Go through the questions again.

    
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    Your report on screen

    The report shows the 7 parts a funder looks at, what is missing and what to do. Tap Download Report to save the PDF on your phone.

    
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    A guide for each screen

    Each of the 23 screens has a short guide that explains its questions. Scroll down on the screen and tap Download the ... handbook (PDF).

    Tip: The guide explains the questions. It does not hold your answers.

    

Part A. More on your funding readiness page

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    What a funder will ask you

    On your funding readiness page tap More, then The full page with every control. Under Your money side, tap What a funder will ask you that your business plan does not hold.

    
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    Security and your own money

    What we already know comes from your business plan. Below it, type what you could offer as security (example: shop equipment, worth 12480), whether you would sign surety, what you own and owe, and what comes in and goes out each month.

    
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    Save

    Say what the business owes and whether it is insured. Tap Save. It says "Saved". This does not change your score: a funder reads it beside your score.

    
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    What a funder asks for

    On the same full page, this list shows what funders usually ask for, with YES or not yet. Tap Ask us about any of these if you need help.

    
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    Upload a document

    On your funding readiness page tap More. Under Your documents, tap Choose File and pick the photo or PDF. Type the date on it and the date it runs out. Tap Upload. It then says "On file".

    Tip: A document counts only when it is uploaded and not out of date. Example: the tax compliance letter, valid to 28 February 2027.

    
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    What a funder looks at

    Lower on the page, What a funder looks at shows the 7 areas. Each has a score, Ready, Almost or Not yet, and how many questions are answered. Tap an area to check or change its screens.
    What to fix next above it lists the 3 things that would lift your score most: tap one to fix it.

    
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    One question at a time

    On your funding readiness page you can also tap More, then Answer one question at a time. Choose your answer and tap Save and next.

    Tip: It shows how many questions are left and about how many minutes.

    
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    Market and funding side by side

    More, then My market and funding readiness side by side shows both. Market and funding readiness share the same questions: answer once.

    
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    Your funder matches

    Under Your funder matches are the funding products that fit your business, with how well they match. Tap one to see all the funding products you can apply to, and what would open the others.

    Tip: A match is worked out by the platform from your plan and your answers. It is not a funder's decision: every funder decides for itself.

    
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    Find funders

    Tap Menu, More, then Funders directory: the funders that match your business, with how many are Ready, Almost or Not yet for you.

    
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    Let funders find your business

    "Share my business with funders" (under More on your result) shows exactly the one row a funder would see. Tap Yes – let funders find my business only if you want that. Not now keeps you hidden. You can change your mind any time.

    Tip: Funders never see your bank details, ID number, address or documents. This is part of Standard.

    

Part B. Funding readiness project plan

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    Open the project plan

    On your funding readiness page, under Project plan, tap Funding readiness project plan. The first time it is under More: tap Start your funding readiness project plan. Your project is made with example rows.

    
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    Your project home

    The project has 7 parts: Project Team, Project Activity, Project Goals, Stakeholder Management, Project Resources, Project Risk, Project Monitoring. Tap a part to open it.

    Tip: The example rows are for a big company ("Secure R2 million"). Change them to your own, or delete them.

    
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    1. Project team: the list

    Tap a name to edit it. Tap Add one to add a person. Delete example people you do not have.

    
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    1. Project team: one person

    Type the name, the position in the project and the education. Example: Lerato Sample, Owner and project leader, Matric. Tick This is correct. Tap Confirm.

    
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    2. Project activities: the list

    Tap a task to edit it. Tap Add one for a new task.

    
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    2. Project activities: one task

    Type the task, what it is for, the start and end dates, and who does it. Example: Get the papers ready (CIPC papers, B-BBEE affidavit, proof of address), 2 to 13 Nov 2026, Lerato. Tick This is correct. Tap Confirm.

    Tip: The stage (Planning, Execution, Feedback) cannot be changed on an example task. Edit an example task of the right stage, or tap Add one.

    
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    3. Project goals: the list

    Tap Edit on each goal. Tap Add one for a new goal.

    
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    3. Project goals: one goal

    Type the goal and how you will measure it. Example: Get the funding, R75 000 by December 2026. Tick This is correct. Tap Confirm.

    
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    4. Stakeholders: the list

    Tap a name to edit it. Tap Add one to add one. Example: the funder, customers, the landlord, the wholesaler, the ward councillor.

    
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    4. Stakeholders: one stakeholder

    Type the name, choose the type and role, say what they want and how often you meet. Tick This is correct. Tap Confirm.

    
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    5. Project resources: the list

    One row for each task. Tap the task to edit it.

    
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    5. Project resources: one row

    Type what the task needs and what it costs. Example: Get the papers ready, certified copies, printing and taxi, 350. Tick This is correct. Tap Confirm.

    
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    6. Project risks: the list

    Tap a risk name to edit it. Tap Add one for a new risk.

    
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    6. Project risks: one risk

    Type the risk and what you will do about it. Example: Funding not approved, apply to two funders. Choose every box: area, impact, likelihood, ranking and action. Tick This is correct. Tap Confirm.

    Tip: If you leave a box empty, the page shows an error. Choose every box, then tap Confirm again.

    
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    7. Monitoring: the list

    One row for each task. Tap the task to edit it.

    
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    7. Monitoring: one row

    Say how you check the task. Example: meeting, a weekly check every Sunday and a monthly review with the consultant. Tick This is correct. Tap Confirm.

    
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    Finish my project plan

    On the Monitoring list, tap Finish my project plan.

    
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    Your project plan is ready

    This page says your project plan is ready. Tap See my project plan to read it. More has the download, the status report and the final report.

    
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    See your project plan

    On your project home, tap See my project plan.

    
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    Your project plan on screen

    Read it on your phone. Tap Download at the top to save the PDF, or Back to my project.

    
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    Download the project plan

    On your project home you can also tap Download Project Plan.

    

Stop, carry on, and get help

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    Stop for now

    Tap Save & exit at the top. First tap Save your answers so your last answers are saved.

    
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    Carry on later

    On Home, under Continue, tap Funding readiness. It says where you stopped, for example "Step 15 of 24 · Actual financials".

    
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    Help for this screen

    Tap ? at the top of any screen.

    
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    HoneyGuide

    HoneyGuide, the RMK assistant, opens over the screen and already knows which step you are on. Type your question, or tap Talk to a person. Tap X to close it.

    
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    Get help from a person

    Tap Menu, then More: Talk to a person (WhatsApp) or Request a call back. Many pages also have Stuck? Talk to a person and Request a call back at the bottom.

    
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    Ask us to phone you

    Choose what the call is about, tap Next, and follow the 3 short steps. Someone from RMK will phone you. It is free.