Connection Hub aims to bring small business owners together

Kinderhuis Coffee Shop, the coffee shop at the East Rand Children’s Haven in Brenthurst, will be the venue of choice to launch Connection Hub’s regular networking meetings for small businesses.

The launch will take place at 09:00 on March 7. Connection Hub offers small businesses the opportunity to connect and network in person in a safe space.

Membership to the networking group is free of charge and the only cost to members is their compulsory breakfast at the networking meetings.

This means that East Rand Children’s Haven will benefit. There are four breakfast options to choose from which include a bottomless coffee or tea for only R100.

Small businesses from the East Rand are encouraged to join and network at the meetings, but have to book in advance as space is limited. Connection Hub is the brainchild of co-founders Jeanette Minderon and Mientjie Kleinhans.

Jeanette is the director of Lalies Den in Brakpan and Mientjie is the director of Corporate Choices and Community Choices in Brakpan.

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Both want to support and develop other small businesses in the East Rand and thereby help business owners connect, build trusting relationships, and do business together.

Any small to medium businesses located in the East Rand area are welcome to attend. The main criteria is that the SME business owner should be interested in doing business with other SMEs, and should be serious about making an honest living by doing business.

Large corporations won’t be turned away but the focus is on SMEs who want to build and develop their business.

Jeanette and Mientjie told the Brakpan Herald they started Connection Hub in order to offer SMEs in Brakpan and the surrounding areas a safe space, an opportunity to meet with other SMEs and to actively interact with each other.

“There are many online opportunities, but due to cybercrime and all the online messages out there, it has become increasingly difficult to build personal relationships,” they said.

“Meeting someone face-to-face also offers more opportunities to build trust and to work together. When we know somebody, it is easier to refer to that business. People buy from people, after all.

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“Furthermore, we believe that small businesses contribute a great deal to our economy, and when we support small businesses, we help to build our economy.

“There are many challenges that SMEs face, but some of the bigger challenges are getting new clients, finding people who we can trust to do business with, and ducking so many scammers out there.

“Being able to trust strange people is very difficult for small businesses.”

Jeanette and Mientjie also explained the importance of small businesses supporting each other.

“Small business owners understand the challenges of running a small business. We often have to fulfil many roles in our businesses, developing our businesses and the importance of building personal relationships with ‘real’ people.

“We often find solutions for our clients and will go out of our way to find the ideal solutions. Due to their relationships, small businesses come together to build the community, and together they can achieve so much more while building the economy.

“When small businesses come together, they can create, change, and build with a ‘force’ that small business owners cannot achieve alone.

“Small business owners support and motivate each other. It can be lonely to run a small business and often daunting when an owner has to make decisions. But with the support, inspiration, and motivation of other small business owners, SMEs can achieve their goals easier.”

Jeanette and Mientjie stressed the importance of small businesses in communities.

“Small businesses often support the communities in a variety of ways. One of the ways is building relationships with people, getting to know them and then be there for them in some way,” they said.

“Small businesses help the community by offering services with a personal touch, often offering solutions that are tailor-made for their clients, and sometimes offer a better deal than bigger companies can offer. It’s all about building trusting relationships.

“Another very important role of small businesses is that they create job opportunities for the local community, helping to grow the economy more.”

To become a member of Connection Hub is free and easy. All you have to do is adhere to the guidelines, terms and conditions.
To be an active member means regular attendance of the networking events.

Members will also be part of a WhatsApp group and will be informed of new events, interesting business information and have a chance to market their business on certain days.

New members will be screened to avoid scammers gaining access to the network. To reserve a space, send an email to jeanette@connectionhub.co.za or mientjie@connectionhub.co.za, or WhatsApp to Jeanette on 082 854 4651 or Mientjie on 082 655 1201.