‘A sense of control’ the drive behind Victoria’s success
Victoria Coetzee is the brain behind VS Designs and a force to be reckoned with
POLOKWANE – “A strong woman looks a challenge dead in the eye and gives it a wink.”
These words by Gina Carey are a mantra for Victoria Coetzee, a businesswoman who is a force to be reckoned with. She was born in Polokwane and grew up in St.Lucia, KwaZulu-Natal after her family relocated when she was five years old, but returned after having travelled and worked abroad.
Victoria is the brain behind VS Designs, a graphic design company and she told BONUS she grew up watching both her parents build up their respective businesses.
“I witnessed their successes and hardships over the years. I was enthralled by the tenacity, hustle and heart it took to build a business. I knew that I too wanted in on the action,” she said.
Her journey in business has not all been glamour as she has worked as a runner at restaurants during the holidays. She also made bespoke stationery from her sister’s no longer used fashion magazines and sold it for extra money.
She worked a few other jobs which she said paid well but were challenging for her. “It was challenging in the sense that I saw opportunities to improve processes, systems, or operations, yet I had no control to affect the business. The thing that drives me to be an entrepreneur is that sense of control,” she said. She knew she wanted to start a business, but did not know what it would be or where to start.
“I was 21 years old at the time and worked at my father’s company (Victorious Flooring & Blinds) and like all youngsters, was made to learn all facets of the business. My side hustle was selling websites for a small commission for a friend in Pretoria. I knew nothing about graphic or web design but I knew how to sell,” she said.
After a couple of months, she decided to take a leap of faith and bite the bullet by investing in computer and design software.
She spent her nights watching YouTube videos to learn the basics. It has never been about money but rather about being able to do things her way and have complete freedom to choose the direction wants to pursue. “My days were spent selling floors and my nights were filled with graphic design projects. I made the decision to scale my full-time job to half day after a couple of months and spent my afternoons and evenings designing. Giving up half of my salary was a massive risk, considering that I had no formal training but nothing good ever came from comfort zones right?” she added.
She was determined to grow her business because it would give her the freedom to push boundaries, take risks and provide a service to anyone anywhere in the world. She has been in the business for six years.
Victoria is also a fitness fanatic and explained that health and wellness is a big part of her life.
“I train six days a week and spend a lot of free time learning more about nutrition, training and wellness. Training allows me to switch off from the noise of the world and brings a sense of calm and balance to my life,” she said. On her Instagram handle, Fitspire_za, she shares healthy recipes, workout plans and informative fitness videos.
