Enterprise Development Archives - Page 15 of 19

Entrepreneurs are often unaware of big-company expectations

Leave a Comment / Enterprise Development, Professional Development, Supplier Management, Supplier Partnerships, Supplier Selection / Editor

While key subjects such as marketing, finances and business processes are fundamentally important to business success, ‘professional development’ (corporate communication skills, corporate expectations and personal branding/image) poses a greater obstacle when breaking into the first-tier economy, says The Hope Factory’s Sean Krige in this months’ SmartProcurement. More than any one thing, presenting an unprofessional […]

Entrepreneurs are often unaware of big-company expectations Read More »

Help SMEs to move beyond marketing roadmaps and convert these into sales pipelines

Leave a Comment / Enterprise Development, Service Outsourcing, Supplier Management, Supplier Partnerships / Editor

Securing space and loyalty in the hearts and minds of clients remains a formidable task for most small businesses. With rivalry in sectors intensifying, developing and maintaining positive client relationships is critical for SMEs to survive and, ultimately, thrive in the formal economy. However, considering that many entrepreneurs have not been formally exposed to

Help SMEs to move beyond marketing roadmaps and convert these into sales pipelines Read More »

Skills programme initiative brings hope to 10 000 youth

Leave a Comment / BEE, Enterprise Development, Procurement Strategy, Service Outsourcing, Supplier Management, Supplier Partnerships / Editor

In a bid to give hope to thousands of young people, Absa has partnered with the City of Tshwane (CoT) in a Youth Development Programme called “Tshepo 10 000”, Sisa Ntshona, Absa Head of Enterprise Development tells SmartProcurement. Tshepo is a Sesotho name that means hope. The project will deliver skills programmes that balance

Skills programme initiative brings hope to 10 000 youth Read More »

SA’s SME-unfriendly economy remains greatest threat to employment creation

Leave a Comment / Enterprise Development, Supplier Partnerships / Editor

How often have we heard it? Small businesses are the answer to South Africa’s work crisis. We all nod our heads approvingly, and continue to hope that this wonder will happen sooner rather than later. “I use the word wonder,” says Sean Krige of The Hope Factory, “because short of supernatural intervention, SA’s competitive

SA’s SME-unfriendly economy remains greatest threat to employment creation Read More »

SA’s enterprise potential: new book launched by Absa

Leave a Comment / Enterprise Development, Procurement Strategy, Service Outsourcing, Supplier Directories / Editor

With over 12-million South Africans directly relying on them for their livelihood, enterprises play a vital role in the economy and their importance as an engine to drive economic growth, in turn leading to employment creation, must be recognised, says Sisa Ntshona, Head of Absa Enterprise Development, Business Banking Africa, in this month’s SmartProcurement.

SA’s enterprise potential: new book launched by Absa Read More »

Bridging the expectations gap between SMEs and banks to facilitate finance

Leave a Comment / Enterprise Development, Supplier Directories, Supplier Partnerships / Editor

Finding a solution to the perceived “shortage” of ready finance available to local start-ups, could involve assisting entrepreneurs to better understand the role of money in their businesses, and giving them the means to manage it appropriately. If SMEs have viable operating models in place prior to approaching finance institutions, and can clearly define

Bridging the expectations gap between SMEs and banks to facilitate finance Read More »

Supplier development: Access is everything!

Leave a Comment / Enterprise Development, Service Outsourcing, Supplier Partnerships, Supplier Relationship Management Systems / Editor

In every growing economy around the world, small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) are the engine of employment creation. It is through entrepreneurship that South Africa aims to create five million much needed posts by 2020. Procurement professionals need to be aware of mechanisms created by local financial institutions that can support the development

Supplier development: Access is everything! Read More »

Developing an enterprise often means working ON their business with them

Leave a Comment / Enterprise Development, Supplier Management, Supplier Partnerships / Editor

In his role as a business mentor at The Hope Factory, Sean Krige often promotes mentorship by saying that it helps business owners to work ON, rather than IN, their businesses. This statement is almost always unanimously met with a nodding of heads and grunts of approval by those in earshot, at least at

Developing an enterprise often means working ON their business with them Read More »

Develop innovative SMEs to drive their sustainable competitive advantage

Leave a Comment / Enterprise Development, Preferential Procurement, Procurement Strategy, Supplier Management, Supplier Partnerships / Editor

“Innovation” has become synonymous with entrepreneurship, but in enterprise development (ED) initiatives it must be defined – and enabled – within the context of the individual participants on the ED programme as well as the procurement departments these businesses serve. If not, you run the risk of innovation becoming an onerous barrier to entry to

Develop innovative SMEs to drive their sustainable competitive advantage Read More »

Developing small businesses was on Madiba’s presidential agenda

Leave a Comment / BEE, Enterprise Development, Preferential Procurement, Supplier Management / Editor

With the current ill health of former president Nelson Mandela, it is important to remember the impact he has made on so many areas of life in South Africa, including the economy and the importance of developing small businesses therein, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, Mark Frankel, CEO of Shanduka Black Umbrellas, a non-profit enterprise

Developing small businesses was on Madiba’s presidential agenda Read More »

Enterprise Development