MENTORSHIP
We aim to assist entrepreneurs, mainly from disadvantaged backgrounds, make a success of their businesses. With the high poverty levels we face, nurturing good business skills will be instrumental in combating this. We utilize the Wired 4 Business course to equip entrepreneurs with basic business principles together a Mentorship Program. Feedback received from many entrepreneurs is that training in conjunction with one on one couching will aid them in making a success out of their businesses. The mentorship program was then initiated to satisfy this need.
We created a pool of mentors from the business community in Ekurhuleni. The mentors are all volunteers who have a wealth of business experience and expertise in a number of business disciplines. Entrepreneurs (mentees) are matched with mentors who have the required skills and knowledge in the mentee's line of business. The mentee and mentor meet on a regular basis to discuss challenges and for the mentor to guide the mentee.
Often a mentee would begin operating a small business from home or a pavement stall. Once their business has shown significant growth and a larger premises is needed, we facilitate a lease agreement between them and a business partner we have in an established network. These business partners own small factory buildings in Benoni, Gauteng and have agreed to lease them out a lower rates. This in turn provides room for exponential growth without the burden of high rental costs.
here is one of the success stories:
Colin and Thandeka are proud owners of Push Sportswear. After attending the training program they began the journey of manufacturing clothing. Together with the guidance of a mentor they were able to fine tune their business plan and focus on the correct market segment that would be most profitable, that being sportswear.