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Promoting
a business revival
Sibongiseni Khumalo has been appointed
to assist local emerging manufacturers at the ESC.
The
Cato Manor Entrepreneurial Support Centre (ESC) is now open
for business at the Intuthuko Junction. The ESC has been established
to promote the culture of establishing manufacturing ventures
in Cato Manor. The ESC is under the guidance of Sibongiseni
Khumalo with the help of Robin Winter, who has made a name
for himself countrywide as an expert in the business incubation
system.
The
ESC is an initiative of the CMDA, the European Union, Unicity
Durban and CSIR. There are 15 factory outlets that will be
made available to residents of Cato Manor who wish to pursue
manufacturing. The idea behind the factory space is to initiate
contact with big manufacturers and convince them to outsource
some of the work to Cato Manor industries, such as the manufacturing
of car exhausts, burglar guards or furniture.
There
will also be space for entrepreneurs who want to manufacture
products such as detergents.
As
part of its community outreach programme, the ESC has submitted
the following tips on how to start a successful business
BUSINESS
TIPS
- Establish
your customer profile:
If you need to start a business it is important that you
study your customers first. Know their age. Do a needs analysis
study. Determine their spending power. This will help you
to provide a service or a product that has a market.
You also need to identify a perfect location or site for
your business.
- Tailoring
your product according to your clients affordability:
The needs analysis study will help to advise you on the
product or service that you will offer, the price of the
product, the marketing tool you will need to promote your
business, and the location or site of your business.
Always
endeavour to offer a unique product e.g if you want to sell
fruit and vegetables always try to sell the biggest and the
freshest in your neighbourhood, and most importantly make
sure your products are the most affordable. This will eliminate
the competition and increase your client base.
Pricing
of your product is very important. For example in an informal
settlement you do not need to sell expensive electric appliances,
but rather sell paraffin lanterns. In formal residential areas
with electricity connections it might be proper to sell expensive
electrical appliances.
- Finding
the perfect marketing mix.
In marketing circles product, price, place and promotion
are the key to a successful business. They are all important.
Some products do not need to be promoted, but this does
not mean you rest on your laurels.
How you present and package your product is also relevant.
Remember if you want to make a profit, be unique, be diligent!
Satisfy your clients. A happy customer is a paying customer.
For
further details contact Sibongiseni Christopher Khumalo on
261 5585 or 083 484 2028 at the ESC at Intuthuko Junction,
750 Francois Road, Cato Manor.
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Mduduzi
beat unemployment by being creative
Mduduzi
Vezi proudly shows off the park that he has single handedly
landscaped at Chesterville Extension.
Some
of us spend a lot of time feeling miserable about losing our
jobs. It’s as if the world has ended. Others treat retrenchment
as life’s consequence. They brush it off and move on to the
next challenge life has to offer. The latter was the case
with Mduduzi Vezi, a resident in the newly established Chesterville
Extension Phase 3 housing project.
Retrenchment
has unearthed a latent creative spark in him. Mduduzi has
single handedly constructed a park at the back of his house
for all the neighbour’s children to play safely away from
the dangerous streets. Last week all his neighbours gathered
for a braai.
He
conjured the park out of nothing really, but already it has
seats made out of recycled bits and pieces. His neighbours
have already started to use the park for playing cards and
reading. The park has a fish pond as a main attraction with
a section for adults who are into star gazing, and has a stream
running through it. Although it is still bare, you can already
see how the finished product will look when and if he gets
the help he deserves.
Mduduzi
is a hero and he needs encouragement from all of us. It is
not every day one finds a youngster who is committed to the
well being of his neighbours. More often than not people are
too worried about their next meal to worry about such things
as donating a 50 cent piece to help the physically challenged
let alone bothering to build a neighbourhood park. If you
read this story and it touches your heart, you can help make
Mduduzi’s dream become a reality by donating flowers, seeds,
old garden chairs or pot plants.
Contact us at (031) 261-6640 or nominate him for community
builder of the year!
Business
of the month competition
The
CMDA Local Economic Development (LED) team, in conjunction
with the CMCO, invite all business owners operating within
Cato Manor to participate in a monthly competition.
The
aim of the competition is to highlight excellent businesses
and promote the emerging business sector.
Winners of the competition will receive a cash prize of R500
and a free training course to enhance their business skills.
The competition is open to all businesses in Cato Manor, big
or small, formal or informal. It does not matter where you
trade from. It can be at the back of your house or in a posh
office in Cato Manor.
We
need to know the methods you employ in your business to keep
it sustainable and we also need to know your marketing tools.
Businesses will also be judged on their innovation. Don’t
miss out on this opportunity to access finance from major
financial institutions. The winners will be announced in IZWI,
and on Siyaya FM on Sundays and on Wednesdays between 7:00
pm and 8:00 pm. To enter send your entries to the Cato Manor
Businessman Competition, Intuthuko Junction, 750 Francois
Road, Cato Manor, 4091.
For
further information please contact Mabusi Ndlovu at CMDA on
261 6640.
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