Sanlam/Business Partners 2010 Entrepreneur of the Year competition now open

Entrepreneurship has become a vital source of income for many South Africans. For many it will be the tuck shop on the corner, a cake sale on the weekends or the street vendor looking to make some cash to tie him over. A creative idea and viable business plan, is something that many would like to have in place, but are not always bold enough to take that first step.

Well, Sanlam and Business Partners are now opening up a platform to encourage that first step from taking place with the Sanlam/Business Partners 2010 Entrepreneur of the Year® competition. Starting a business is never easy, but with the right knowledge, education and support systems in place, anyone can make a business work if they have done the necessary research and planning.

These two organisations have teamed up to encourage entrepreneurship amongst South Africans, as they know that entrepreneurship is a source of job creation and future economical growth. So far Business Partners have received over 200 entries, which have really exceeded expectations of both organisations.

One of these entrants, Kevin Frankental, a partner of lemon.décor had the following advice to share for entrepreneurs: “The best advice I ever got was that it’s not only about building the ship, but about keeping the ship steady, and going in the right direction.”

So if you want to start building your ship, keep it steady and going in the direction of your retirement, and you eager to learn more about the competition, then visit www.eoy.co.za to find out more.

Remember competition closes on 31 August 2010.

Sources: ideate.co.za; Image Source: sanlam.co.za

Need help organizing the finances of your business?

The Entrepreneurship Centre has recently made available a free, customizable financial administration template for Excel. This user-friendly template can assist businesses to keep track of their revenue and expenses by category, month, and by year.

The Summary sheet tracks net profit and total expenses by category for the entire year, and acts as a snapshot of how the business is doing.

To request an electronic copy of these templates, email mentor@tsiba.org.za or phone us at 021-532-2750 ext. 128

Generic invoice and quote templates are coming soon, stay tuned!

Micro-MBA hits Grand West!

In its quest to contribute to economic and social development in the areas surrounding Grand West Casino and Entertainment World, the Grand West CSI division identified small enterprise businesses that it could partner with. This partnership aims to grow these businesses financially as well as to ensure their sustainability.

TSiBA Education was contracted to facilitate a micro-MBA workshop to some of these entrepreneurs. The workshop took place from 12-16 April and was attended by 18 small business owners.
Of all the modules covered during the workshop, Money Management was by far the most popular due to its practicality and simplicity. This was closely followed by Costing and Pricing which came as an “eye-opener” to most of the business owners. Other modules focused on Market Investigation; Using a calculator for business; Buying; Selling; Writing a Business Plan and Stock Control.
The initial 5-day workshop is followed up by 3 days of mentoring to ensure that the entrepreneurs apply what they have learnt in the classroom. The delegates from this workshop receive certificates of completion in July 2010.

TSiBA Education is proud of its association with Grand West CSI and will continue to support its objectives by delivering these much-needed skills development programmes.

Entrepreneurship develops at TSiBA Eden

Last week some of us at the Entrepreneurship Centre visited TSiBA’s Eden campus in the Karatara village. In October of 2009, TSiBA Cape Town merged with the Eden campus, forming TSiBA Eden. The two schools share the same vision, and now share the same name as they hone the skills of eager students and aspiring entrepreneurs.

TSiBA Eden is a rural community green business and entrepreneurial college. The campus currently provides approximately 70 students from the surrounding community with a two year course in business and entrepreneurship, with an emphasis on green enterprises. The curriculum includes water conservation, permaculture and environmental management components, and may soon develop an additional energy component.
The TSiBA – Northeastern University (NU) Field Study Programme is coming up again, and part of the programme is a week-long service project in rural South Africa for the 40 NU students. We visited Karatara to check out the local project options for the students, and left with many new ideas and friends. We also met many local entrepreneurs!

As a TSiBA student, running a business is part of your education. As a result, many students at Eden run their businesses right on campus, including a clothing and convenience shop, bakery, and vegetable garden. Local entrepreneurs set up shop on campus as well- the group of senior citizens below created and sold jewelry at the entrance to the auditorium.
The trip was a success and we are close to finding a service project for the NU students. Stay tuned for more updates as the field study programme approaches!

Afriversity/TSiBA Entrepreneurship Centre Strategy Workshop

On May 3rd Afriversity Cape Town, together with TSiBA Entrepreneurship Centre hosted a free 3-hour Strategy Workshop where they focused on various aspects of growing small businesses in South Africa.

Afriversity Cape Town, is a not-for-profit organization, founded to train, support and provide incubation for promising Entrepreneurs.

The workshop focused on questions like:

1. What will your business look like 3 years from now.
2. What will you be doing to grow your business.
3. Do you have a clearly defined strategy to ensure growth and success or are you "flying blind" like so many business owners today?
4. Do you own your business or does the business own you?

The workshop was held at the TSiBA Entrepreneurship Centre, where 25 Entrepreneurs attended. The purpose of the workshop was to develop and implement new strategies, that ensure growth and sustainability, and to assist the small business owners persist through the current global economic slow down.

The sessions were very interactive, and gaging from the responses we received from the entrepreneurs the workshop came at a critical time, because many of these entrepreneurs are at a crossroads with their businesses.

Here is just a few of the responses we received from the attendees:

1. WOW, this is great stuff we received here today, Thanks ones again for inviting me.
2. My business will greatly benefit from todays workshop, I'm so happy to be invited.
3. I wanted to give up, but after this workshop I have a new focus to grow my business, THANKS SO MUCH!!
4. I've gained such alot of insight today, please have more of these sessions we need this.



The TSiBA Entrepreneurship Centre will stay committed to help entrepreneurs, and will continue to partner with other organizations like Afriversity to give our entrepreneurs the services they need in such a crucial time like these to help them stay afloat.

A big thank you to Brian Adams and his team from Afrivesity for the time they invested to help entrepreneurs achieve their goals!!

For more information on Afriversity go to their website or:
Contact Brian Adams on 021-418-0450
Email: brian @afriversity.org





 

Is 8 Enough for Silulo?

On Friday, May 7th, Silulo Ulutho Technologies celebrated the opening of yet another internet café! Located in the Nonkqubela Link mall in Khayelitsha, this new branch brings Silulo's total number of branches to 8.

Silulo Ulutho Technologies was founded in 2004 by four passionate entrepreneurs: Luvuyo Rani (Managing Director and Financial Director), Lonwabo Rani (Operations Director), Sigqibo Phangabantu (Technical Director) and Nandipha Matshoba (Marketing Director). Silulo's objective is to expand the accessibility and fundamental knowledge of information technology in the Western Cape Townships. They came to TSiBA for mentoring in early 2008, and since then the company has grown from 10 employees at 1 location to 34 employees at 8 locations.


Many Khayelitsha residents have not had the opportunity to learn basic computer skills or technical training. Part of Silulo's success has been generated from tapping into this market, by offering training courses on basic computer skills, typing skills, Windows XP, Microsoft Office, and internet and e-mail usage.

Silulo's services don't stop there - the company is also involved in computer sales, maintenance, and professional services such as assistance with CV writing, printing, copying, and graphic design.

Silulo's opening day was a huge success, but it is one of many to come. Their future plans include 8-10 new branches - apparently, 8 is not enough for Silulo!

To learn more about Silulo Ulutho Technologies:

Visit their website , read our last blog about Silulo, visit their newest branch at the Nonkqubela Link Mall in Site B of Khayelitsha, or email the owners:

Luvuyo Rani - l.rani@webmail.co.za
Lonwabo Rani - lonwabo@silulo.co.za
Sigqibo Phangabantu - sigqibo@silulo.co.za
Nandipha Matshoba - matshoba@silulo.co.za

Entrepreneurship Curriculum off to a good start!

This year TSiBA welcomed 110 promising students to its Foundation Programme in Business Administration. There was a great deal of excitement when Entrepreneurship, one of their major subjects, got underway.

Firstly, eight Facilitators were trained in January of which six are local TSiBA entrepreneurs. The fact that they have hands-on experience in the exciting world of entrepreneurship has certainly added a new flavour to the course.

Students attend a weekly 3-hour lecture where they compete against other teams in a small-business simulation. While much fun is had by all (including the facilitators), each module focuses on a critical aspect of business. This is all tied together by a full tutorial the following week.

Admittedly the most exciting and perhaps most beneficial part of the course is the Field Study programme. Two to three students living in close proximity to one another form a task team. They then approach a local entrepreneur who agrees to sponsor their learning in the field. They work closely with the entrepreneur and complete assignments based on the various learning areas of the curriculum.

Furthermore, students are expected to work with or for the entrepreneur as a means of ‘paying it forward’. So it is not uncommon to find our students packaging fruit, sweeping floors, shampooing hair, preparing flyers or selling wares.

The entrepreneurs, many of whom have very little schooling, are also excited about learning from the students. They are all registered at the Entrepreneurship Centre and enjoy access to the full spectrum of support services.

So the Entrepreneurship Curriculum is indeed off to a good start as we develop these aspiring entrepreneurs. For further information contact the Entrepreneurship Centre at 0215322750 X128.

TSiBA Entrepreneur Brings Expertise to Entrepreneurship Centre

Here in the Entrepreneurship Centre we focus on helping up-and-coming entrepreneurs start and maintain successful businesses.We are able to provide such support because our own employees are successful entrepreneurs themselves!

On Saturday I visited the hair salon of our colleague, Sonja Hagins. Sonja is a 2009 graduate of TSiBA's Micro-MBA course and is now responsible for the day-to-day tasks at the Entrepreneurship Centre. Sonja took the position because although she runs a successful business, she likes the security of a full-time paid position. She now runs the Centre Monday through Friday and takes clients at her salon in the evenings and on Saturdays.

Sonja runs the salon out of her home in Strandfontein, where she has a whole section of the house dedicated to the business. Regular customers strolled in throughout the day while Sonja meticulously tended to them one at a time. Some customers waited up to an hour for her attention yet they continue to return week after week. The reason is because Sonja knows the value of quality customer service. Her customers know that when they walk in to Sonja's Hair Salon they are in good hands.

As a one-woman operation, Sonja's salon fits her needs perfectly. She has two styling stations, equipped with all the effects of a top-notch salon, along with a separate room with two washing sinks and an industrial hair dryer. She concentrated on one customer at a time in order to give them her full attention, although she uses the additional stations during extremely busy periods. 

Most of the customers who passed through were coming for their weekly hair styling, although one woman came to get her hair cut. Regardless of the job, each customer sang Sonja's praises. Sonja say this is because she is a perfectionist. "I will not let someone leave my salon if I don't think they look good."

Xenophobia hits TSiBA Entrepreneur

Mluleki Sinuku, the owner of Imile, designs and produces leather sandals, belts, bags and other accessories from his shipping container in Crossroads. That was up until early last week though. During the early hours of Monday the 01 March his container was burned to ground at the hands of arsonists. In the devastation he lost everything, including the 6x6 meter shipping container, custom made moulds, machinery, five months of stock, and all his raw materials. The case has been reported to the Crossroads Police who are currently conducting an investigation.

Although he is not sure who the culprits are, Mluleki believes this may be a case of xenophobia. As the 6x6 container was too large for his needs, last month he began to lease a section of the container to two Somalians, who were running a spaza shop out of the container and were sleeping inside at the time of the fire. Thankfully they escaped unharmed.

The staff from the Entrepreneurship Centre visited  Mluleki on Wednesday to assess the damage caused by the fire. The container was still standing although sections of the walls were burnt out and the distinct smell of burnt remains lingered in the air. Considering the situation, however, we found Mluleki in good spirits.

Mluleki is now left with nothing, but he hopes to rebuild from scratch. Ideally he will begin producing out of Crossroads again but this time he would like to set up shop near the city centre, getting him closer to his customers. Aside from the increased traffic he would see from the local community, Mluleki expects to capitilize on the influx of tourists for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

It remains to be seen whether Mluleki will be able to rebuild Imile to its previous stature. If you would like to help Mluleki in any way, please contact the TSiBA Entrepreneurship Centre or find his contact details below:

To Contact Mluleki
Phone: 078 156 0175
Email: msinuku@smartcape.org.za

Hospitality Industry embraces Entrepreneurship Development

LBE Catering was started from Lungelo Masiza's modestly-equipped home kitchen in Khayelitsha back in 2006. As with any other emerging business, things were not easy and Lungelo went without a salary for over 2 years.

Under the mentorship of TSiBA Education, Lungelo soon realised that his passion for food was simply not enough! He needed to work towards attaining a qualification, something that was clearly beyond his reach!

It is at this point that TSiBA stepped in again, engaging it's extensive networks. Within 1 hour of doing so, the following opportunities were offered to Lungelo:

Cheryl Nisbitt, owner of Capsicum Culinary Studio in Pinelands generously agreed to offer Lungelo a bursary of R10 000 to enable him to study a City & Guilds Certificate in Professional Cookery. Upon successful completion of the certificate, Lungelo will be eligible to register for the Diploma in Professional Cookery. Both qualifications are internationally accredited. This would leave Lungelo with an outstanding balance of R6 000.

Then, after hearing Lungelo's story, FEDHASA's Carolyn Nevill agreed to pay 50% of Lungelo's outstanding fees, to the tune of R3 000!

Then the Table Bay Hotel in the Waterfront put the traditional cherry on top (pun intended) - they agreed to pay the full R3 000 balance of Lungelo's fees AND offered to sponsor his practical training in their world-class kitchens. Lungelo signed a 12-month contract as a Trainee Chef and dons his chef's attire with pride. The contract includes a number of benefits like a uniform allowance, meals, overtime, travelling, time off for classes ... and even a monthly salary of around R2000! Furthermore, the Table Bay Hotel appreciates that Lungelo wishes to continue running his business and have encouraged him to negotiate his shifts with them in order to do so. "We love to help people who are willing to go the extra mile and show initiative" says Christelle Horne, HR Manager for this prestigious hotel. Now there is even talk of Lungelo being offered an opportunity to train in Italy ... we will definitely keep you posted!

In retrospect, most of the credit needs to go to Tana Breytenbach, Group Development Manager of the renowned Vineyard Hotel in Newlands. When Tana heard Lungelo's story, she jumped into action and facilitated all of the above. Thank you, Tana.

"With a grandmother who owned a butchery and shebeen, a mom who sold fish and nowadays organises loans - and the funeral parlour on my dad's side of the family - the kids in the Masiza family like to develop themselves!" enthuses Lungelo. "We work for what we have and we don't ask for help from our families. Hard work and an entrepreneurial spirit is for us a part of life - it is in our veins!"

We wish you well, Lungelo and wherever you go, take the spirit of LBE Catering with you, bringing the world "traditional African cuisine with a modern twist".

Fraser Siteti Pays It Forward!

You may remember Fraser Siteti, founder and director of Siteti Consulting Services CC (refer our Blog Post dated August 2009). Well, what was refered to then as 'book selling' has grown into something much bigger than what Fraser expected!

His registration as a verified/approved supplier to the Western Cape Government for various projects has proven to be very successful. When the first tender was awarded in July 2009, Fraser did not know where to turn as banks had denied him credit, while another government agency's loan offer did not make business sense. "TSiBA came to my rescue!" says Fraser, "Peter and Yolande facilitated the application for a bridging loan with the TSiBA Board of Directors. TSiBA gave me the loan ... I could not believe how lucky I was!"

Well, this tender was followed by another, and another, and another ...

Fraser is so thankful for the various opportunities he has been able to access through TSiBA that he "took the decision to get more involved with TSiBA's drive of 'Paying-It-Forward'". Earlier this year Fraser made himself available as a volunteer Facilitator where he co-facilitates Entrepreneurship for TSiBA Foundation Year students. Most recently he has also agreed to mentor a BBA first year student, Mawethu Mbanga.

Fraser wishes to encourage all readers to "pay-it-forward. There are many people who will cross your path and help you across life's hurdles. Never forget to show your gratitude because as you cross one hurdle, you approach the next one!"

Contact Fraser at 071 363 8911 or siteticonsulting@gmail.com

Tirama Pours First Concrete

After two years, Tirama poured their first concrete at their work site in Khayelitsha. After securing an investment from Old Mutual of R50000 to produce vibracrete slabs for walls and fences, they used the funds to purchase a second hand cement mixer, vibrating table and cement moulds.

Tirama has had numerous requests for quotes, and finally this week secured their first sale. On Wednesday, the team from TSiBA's Entrepreneurship Centre visited Tirama and saw the guys hard at work in the hot sun mixing cement and filling the moulds.

Despite two years of struggling to get their business up and running, they remain very optimistic about moving forward and establishing themselves in Khayelitsha and the surrounding areas. After speaking to Sonwabo Rasimen,  the MD of the company, they agreed that we would return in a year's time and see significant growth.

Congratulations to Tirama on their first sale, and their perseverance in keeping their dream alive! Contact Sonwabo Rasimen at 073 301 0952 or email rsonawabo@yahoo.com.

Northeastern Programme grows in popularity!

In just two years, the TSiBA/Northeastern field study programme has become one of Northeastern University's (NU) flagship field study programmes ever. Applications for the 2010 field study programme closed on December 7, 2009.  An overwhelming response from NU students interested in participating, forced NU to close the advertisement merely two weeks later.

Last year they weren't fully booked until May!

This is especially remarkable as 20 NU students participated in 2009, whereas 40 will visit us in 2010! Each NU student has to pay $8 738 (approximately R70 000) to participate.

A special thank you to everybody who has been involved! We look forward to welcoming the NU students in July this year. Visit http://www.northeastern.edu/oisp/step1/programs/short_term_facultyled/africa_field/ for more information.