Fifty young business owners in the Siyancuma municipal area recently attended a social entrepreneurship workshop on small business building and sustainability.
FIFTY young business owners in the Siyancuma municipal area recently attended a social entrepreneurship workshop on small business building and sustainability at the Bridal Community Hall.
The programme was funded by Boikanyo Solar as part of a broader and ongoing enterprise development initiative to aid small business owners.
The programme aims to help curb the high unemployment rate and provide on-going assistance to SMMEs over a period of nine-months.
It is presented in a three-phase process that includes conducting asset mapping and needs analysis of SMMEs in communities and providing training and mentorship, as well as skills development training to poultry production and water and wastewater treatment training.
The programme prioritises youth and women empowerment in business by affording young entrepreneurs with leadership and support on how to access funding for their business, build capacity, improve their business skills, and ultimately learn how to establish and build a sustainable small business.
Among the beneficiaries was Gerald Ruiters, who is the owner of Douglas Renaissance Centre. He said he gained a lot of valuable knowledge with regards to the financial aspect of running a business.
“As a result, I now know how to plan, and with a 30-day plan I can evaluate my company’s current position with regards to finance and resources,” said Ruiters.
Bongani Tshaka, managing director of Zen Cyber Capsule, has a dream of making his company a pioneering information technology company in emerging and rural communities in the Northern Cape.
“I learned how to invoice and price correctly, which is an essential skill for running any small business,” said Tshaka.
“As a result of the discussions, I learned that entrepreneur software is available, including bookkeeping and invoicing apps.
“Moreover, I discovered that businesses that are not operating should file a nil return to get a tax clearance certificate.”
