Entrepreneur of the Year®

Why EOY is valuable to the entrepreneurial community

The EOY Team — Mon, 13 May 2013 08:37:45 +0000

2013 competition entrant, Richard Qonto, shares some information with us about his business and discusses why he decided to enter the competition this year.

Briefly describe your business and the industry you operate in?

Pendairies (Pty) Ltd is an authorised Parmalat distributor based in the Western Cape. My key business functions comprise of marketing and selling Parmalat products to retail outlets and wholesalers.

Where did the business concept originate from and when did you start your business?

After participating in the sales industry for 10 years, I noticed that although Parmalat dominated the dairy market nationally, the company had a weak position within the Western Cape. As a result of this I established Pendairies (Pty) Ltd in 2007 and became an authorised distributor for Parmalat within the region... more

Read the original article on Why EOY is valuable to the entrepreneurial community here: Why EOY is valuable to the entrepreneurial community

Celebrating entrepreneurial success at the 2013 EOY business workshops

The EOY Team — Mon, 13 May 2013 08:30:55 +0000

In order to celebrate entrepreneurial excellence, Sanlam / Business Partners Entrepreneur of the Year® (EOY) have been staging business workshops around South Africa to create platforms for entrepreneurs to network and learn from each other. During April, workshops were held in Nelson Mandela Bay, as well as Pietermaritzburg.

In Nelson Mandela Bay guests were addressed by local successful entrepreneur and former EOY winner, Mzukisi Stephen Dondolo, who is chief executive officer of investment firm African Pioneer Ltd. Dondolo discussed the importance of entrepreneurship in South Africa, while paying homage to the competition, which he believes is playing an active role in fostering entrepreneurship.

He said that entrepreneurs need to band together and lobby Government in order to improve the environment for SMEs. “Government needs to pay more attention to the need for SMEs in South Africa, as they are able to address the high level of unemployment.”

Dondolo said that it was a great honour to speak at the workshop as both Business Partners Limited and Sanlam have contributed to growing small businesses in the country... more

Read the original article on Celebrating entrepreneurial success at the 2013 EOY business workshops here: Celebrating entrepreneurial success at the 2013 EOY business workshops

Estate planning and the business owner

The EOY Team — Mon, 06 May 2013 14:38:36 +0000

By Clive Hill (Legal Adviser: Sanlam Trust)

As a business owner, time-management is your greatest challenge. You need to focus 100% on your business, but can’t afford to lose what you have worked so hard to build up. At the same time, you want to do what is best for your family and, at the same time, ensure that your business stays successful as you, your family and employees also rely on the income it generates.

Just like you are an expert in your field, you respect the value an estate planning expert can add to your financial planning. A few hours is all it takes for an estate planning expert to gain an understanding of your particular needs. This insight will enable him to give you sound advice which could secure your financial future... more

Read the original article on Estate planning and the business owner here: Estate planning and the business owner

Top tips for marketing your business in 2013

The EOY Team — Mon, 06 May 2013 14:29:56 +0000

During an economic recession small and medium enterprises (SMEs) often adopt a survivalist mentality by focussing on cost cutting strategies that ensure short-term success but, ignore long-term prosperity. According to Gugu Mjadu, Executive Manager of Business Partners Limited, marketing tends to be one of the first spending areas to be cut when times are tough. “Marketing is not only one of the most vital functions of a business, but, counter-intuitively, the slower the economy, the more your investment in your marketing efforts needs to be.”

Mjadu however indicates that such an investment does not have to be in cash. “SME owners can cut their marketing budget provided they increase their marketing effort in other ways, such as increasing their team’s focus on marketing, or spending more time on it themselves.”

She offers the following insightful marketing tips to SME owners looking to succeed in 2013:

Cut the waste, but be careful not to over-prune:.. more This principle undoubtedly applies to marketing efforts, in which 80% of a business’s success can be derived from 20% of its marketing efforts.

Read the original article on Top tips for marketing your business in 2013 here: Top tips for marketing your business in 2013

Western Cape on track to become the ‘Silicon Valley’ of Africa

The EOY Team — Thu, 02 May 2013 13:55:03 +0000

Globally known for its serene natural beauty and cultural diversity, the Western Cape is on track to becoming more than just a tourist destination. The region, renowned for its robust entrepreneurial activity, is fast establishing itself as Africa’s ‘Silicon Valley’, a region in California which is home to some of the world’s largest technology companies, as well as many entrepreneurial ventures.

This is according to Stuart Forrest, owner of Triggerfish Animation and 2012 winner of the Sanlam / Business Partners Entrepreneur of the Year® competition, who says that the easy accessibility of technology and lower costs for business startups encourages more individuals within the space to undertake entrepreneurial ventures.

He says that the consistent growth of small tech-focused businesses in Cape Town and the accessibility of educational institutions continue to create fertile ground for entrepreneurial activity within the region... more

Read the original article on Western Cape on track to become the ‘Silicon Valley’ of Africa here: Western Cape on track to become the ‘Silicon Valley’ of Africa