Pastor Welcome Thamsanqa Mlungisi Dlalisa

In this article we tackle practical tips to help grow a business.
There are pockets of excellence on entrepreneurship in the township. The issue is what can be learnt from those small businesses that are doing well in Tembisa? Strategies to grow business may vary slightly from one business to the other. However, there are broad guidelines and tips that will apply equally, irrespective of the type of enterprise.
Tips for growing business are:
* Market your business
Even if the business is small, it is important to advertise and market your business appropriately. It is important to consider the relevant marketing platforms which will reach your target audience. This may include local newspaper, local radio, the use of billboards and signage, bulk SMS systems, use of distribute flyers, use of posters, websites just to name a few. Many young people in Tembisa are able to develop their own websites. These platforms must be used to market youth businesses.
* Find a business mentor
It is important to identify a personal mentor or life coach who can also assist you in the area of business. This must be a person who is businessman and is successful in what they are doing. This way, you save yourself the trouble of repeating mistakes that other young business people have committed in the past. Belong to a Business Chamber (formal or informal)
Belonging to a group or chamber with other business owners is also important. It provides professional and moral support. Sometimes there are difficulties in running business resulting in discouragements. Being in a chamber, it helps to share ideas and alleviate discouragements. In the chamber, you can identify those who are more experienced to provide mentoring support.
* Business Collaboration and Strategic Partnerships
A lesson I have learnt from tuck shops owned by Somalians is that of collaboration. They work together in terms of buying together and that way they negotiate bulk discounts. You will notice that their prices are more competitive because of this strategy. They also use the same transport and share costs for truck transportation of all their goods. This helps them to reduce costs and become competitive in their selling price. This way they attract more clients and grow their businesses. Another strategy is that they are not too particular about brand. They do not mind selling no name brand products as long as the price is good. They have analysed the typical township client and their price sensitivity. They have built a strategy that addresses this reality.
* Customer Service Excellence
There is an opportunity from delivering excellent service to clients. Clients must be treated as clients even if you have known them from childhood and grew up together with them. The tendency to treat clients as friends must always be managed effectively. It is important to treat every person that is using their hard earned cash to buy from your store as a client. In communities where you know every client, you need to treat every person that is buying with respect and as a client and serve them with excellence. Many young entrepreneurs fail in this area and combine friendship and business.
* Location of your business
Another important issue is to ensure that your business is in the right location. This means your business must be easily accessible to your clients. Some businesses are well managed and the demand for goods and services exists but it is not accessible to clients. Normally, I recommend that the business must be along main road where potential clients can easily see your business and there must be a road to enter. It does not necessarily means tar road but just a road that you can drive on and access your company premises.
For more information, contact Pastor WTM Dlalisa on 083 395 1165.