Tag: entrant

Why EOY is valuable to the entrepreneurial community

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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.

Have you always aspired to start your own business?

Yes, while I was an employee I always had a desire for something more. Being an entrepreneur generates a great sense of fulfillment within my life.

Briefly describe some of the challenges that you have experienced as an entrepreneur?

Access to finance is always a challenge to small businesses due to insubstantial collateral. This makes competing with experienced stable businesses with sound financial backing a tedious task.

Being able to apply for access tenders and supply big organisations requires entrepreneurs to have access to resources and adequate experience, which many don’t possess. These factors obviously negatively affect the development of your business.

What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs?

Being your own boss comes with a lot of sacrifice, commitment and discipline. If you stay focused and set out clear business goals, the sky is the limit.

Where do you see your business in the next five years?

My vision is to own a farm and become a producer. I intend on developing my own brand instead of promoting other companies’ brands. This will result in me ultimately being a job creator in South Africa and actively contributing towards our country’s economy.

What does a day-in-the-life of Richard Qonto consist of?

My day consists of looking for greener pastures and opportunities in the business community. I spend a lot of time clearly defining my goals and targets, and set strategies to achieve them in the best way we can.

Why did you decide to enter the Sanlam / Business Partners Entrepreneur of the Year® competition?

I believe that this is a great platform for me to interact and network with other small business owners, as I believe that the community should share information and learn from each other. Together, SMEs and entrepreneurs can identify market opportunities that they originally may not have been aware of.

Why would you recommend that fellow entrepreneurs get involved with initiatives such as Sanlam / Business Partners Entrepreneur of the Year®?

Entrepreneurs should enter to learn about new developments in the industry and how best to stay ahead of their competition. Exposure to new trends in the market and the growth of entrepreneurship will only strengthen your business.

Why EOY is valuable to the entrepreneurial community

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2013 competition entrant, Magriet Smit, shares some information with us about her business and why she decided to enter the competition.

Briefly describe your business and the industry you operate in?

Word4Word is a company that provides educational tutoring to school children and underprivileged children. Word4Word has two sub divisions:

  1. Word4Word Reading Therapy  Word4Word reading therapists are trained and equipped with our special Word4Word recipe: play therapy techniques combined with visual therapy techniques, perceptual techniques and a lot of love.
  2. Word4Word Projects – Word4Word tutors are trained and equipped with the Word4Word Reading Programme to assist children at projects like soup kitchens, safe houses and children’s homes.

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

While working in my ex-husband’s optometry practice, I noticed that a lot of children experienced difficulty while learning to read. I was under the impression that there might be something wrong with their eyesight, but after a while, I realised that most were struggling with reading skills.

I started providing unique reading lessons at the optometry practise and realised that the children enjoyed this method thoroughly. I decided to start developing this reading programme in more detail after giving birth to my son as I had more time on my hands as a housewife.

Soon after I decided to launch the programme and started to teach other women how to work with the programme.

We now have functioning projects in the Western-Cape, Gauteng and Namibia.

Briefly describe some of the challenges that you have experienced as an entrepreneur?

In the beginning phases of the business, while I was still writing the programme, I experienced a lot of negativity from various parties, all telling me that the concept would not be a success. It was challenging at the time to fight all of this negativity.

Also, as a mother of a son in Grade One, who is just starting to read himself, I sometimes found it challenging to balance personal and work life.

Finally, starting a business, with no external funding, was very challenging and definitely not as comfortable as working for a salary.

Why did you decide to enter the Sanlam / Business Partners Entrepreneur of the Year® competition?

As part of my role in the business, I have to spend a lot of time tutoring ‘off-site’ at locations such as safe houses, farm projects, and Aids orphanages. During this time, I also realised the demand and potential for the programme, which requires additional funding. So if we should win the prize money, the plan is to expand and focus on educating more children in South Africa and Namibia.

Why would you recommend that fellow entrepreneurs get involved with initiatives such as the Sanlam / Business Partners Entrepreneur of the Year®?

Being an entrepreneur is similar to living the biggest adventure ever. This adventure is however a combination of the fear, adrenaline and long lonely hours full of big decisions that will impact not only your life, but those close to you.

It truly is inspiring to know that there are companies like Sanlam and Business Partners that are not only passionate about my company, but about me as an entrepreneur too.

By getting involved in these initiatives, we learn that we are not alone out there. The more of us who get involved, the stronger our entrepreneurial voice is.

Competition entrant turns hobby into successful business

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Being an entrepreneur in South Africa is no easy task. Local entrepreneurs need to constantly challenge the obstacles that restrain them and recognise these challenges as opportunities that hold the key to unlocking future success.

The 2012 Sanlam / Business Partners Entrepreneur of the Year® competition aims to commend successful entrepreneurs who continuously conquer these challenges, while becoming role models for the entrepreneurs of tomorrow.

Prakash Premrajh, founder of UKD Marketing and entrant in the 2012 Sanlam / Business Partners Entrepreneur of the Year® competition, started UKD marketing as a humble hobby, fuelled by his passion for woodwork. In 1980, Premrajh turned his pastime into a career path by investing a mere R500 and appointing a single employee. Today, UKD Marketing employs over 300 people and operates on a national scale. The company has grown from an idea into a fully fledged furniture empire.

Premrajh says that he never aspired to be an entrepreneur.

“My vision was to be an accountant, but my passion lay in woodwork and design. This passion began as a hobby and within two years my passion became my life.”

However, Premrajh’s pursuit of this passion was not an easy task and he faced many overwhelming challenges that are common amongst most entrepreneurs.

“My biggest challenge as a small merchandiser was breaking into an industry dominated by large market players. Once this hurdle was overcome and my company began to grow I was faced with another obstacle – financing. Business Partners’ faith in my business has allowed UKD Marketing to take the necessary growing steps. Once I took the step from a regional scale to a national scale I experienced many logistical and administrative challenges in managing such a large enterprise. Overcoming these obstacles is what breeds success and it is key to recognise these challenges as opportunities rather than barriers.”

“My wife Shereen Premrajh joined the company in January 1981 in the admin department. She also used to control the production when I travelled out calling to our customers. Shereen has been a pillar of strength to our company in that she took full control of the administration & control of merchandising. It’s said that behind every successful man is a woman, this proves true.”

Premrajh believes that entrepreneurs can play a pivotal role in the economy if they are not oppressed by ‘red tape’.

“The state has a lucrative opportunity to create jobs and generate economic growth by creating a hospitable environment for entrepreneurship to flourish in South Africa. Being an entrepreneur in South Africa is no easy task, therefore recognising and congratulating the successful entrepreneurial minds of our country is of the utmost importance.”

Premrajh entered the 2012 Sanlam/Business Partners Entrepreneur of the Year® competition with the intention of gaining valuable business exposure.

“My business relies on credibility and reliability, and I feel that success in such a prestigious event would directly translate into improved client confidence and better sales results.”