Tuesday 16 Feb 2010

Last week finally ended, and on a good note, the dates for the Mentorship programme classes where set! Sharpeville will start on the 5-6 March, Ratanda on the 12-13 March, while Springs’ sessions will begin on the 29-30 of April, the Sebukeng area on the 7-8 of May! Boipatong and Evaton are still awaiting finalisation. The Witbank area will start sometime in August, these are the areas we are covering for 2010, once these have successfully completed their Mentorship courses we can move our programmes further out across South Africa!

Monday 15 February found us in Springs once again. Unfortunately (much to our disappointment) the electricity has still not been turned on, so our entrepreneurs cannot use any of their equipment… quite a setback. Sharon held a meeting with the guys and girls of the Lepharo project, explaining to them the basics of business, revising and perfecting their business plans. One activity was for each member to write down in one minute what they thought their strengths where, the same for the strengths of the businesses they each run, this helped them acknowledge the positive aspects of themselves and their companies.

Louis Munnick has been asked to come on board to assist in the managing of the Lepharo project, here’s what he thinks about the project and his role therein.

“What excites me about the project is that it is an incubator process - trained start-up entrepreneurs operate out of a development industrial hub, thereby they have easy access to business focused people that can assist their respective business with a wide range of different expertise. This support will assist them to grow and develop their business acumen a lot quicker than if they operated on their own outside the Hub.

Passion - environmental issues (save the planet) - whilst at De Beers I served as the Chairman of the Diamond Route - an Oppenheimer De Beers initiative that focuses on Bio-diversity aspects - I loved the project. I also enjoy sport eg swimming, athletics and rugby. In years gone by, I ran marathons and ultra-marathons - Comrades, Two Oceans etc - Now I swim - completed two open water events during the past two weeks and hopefully complete the Midmar Mile twice this weekend.” (Louis went on to successfully complete the Mile twice, with an improved time on the second day)

“My hope is that by the time the entrepreneurs leave the incubator hub, they are competent, enjoy high levels of business acumen, their businesses are profitable & sustainable and they employ dozens of people...

One of my concerns is that the entrepreneurs are unable to compete in the outside world and require continuous handholding subsequent to their term at the Hub. “