Podiatrists know best
JOBURG – Young duo crowned winners of the business plan competition.
Young aspirant entrepreneurs, Bahle Nteleki and Mazizi Njokweni, were recently crowned the national winners of the 2016 Business Partners/SME Toolkit Business plan competition at an awards ceremony held in Braamfontein recently.
Now in its seventh year, the competition is in celebration of annual Global Entrepreneurship Week which took place between 14 and 20 November. Youth between the ages of 18 and 35 were invited to submit their business ideas and to attend one of 12 workshops held around the country. These workshops focus on teaching the complexities and fundamentals of compiling a business plan, as well as the basics of running a business.
According to the organisers, the competition received 347 entries initially and after completion of the workshops, 99 business plans were received for judging from which eight regional winners were selected to contend for the overall national title.
The 2016 national winners, Nteleki and Njokweni, both certified podiatrists with proven experience in the industry, are entrepreneurs behind the business idea MB.co Podiatry, a business that seeks to offer podiatric interventions for clients, as well as provide a variety of customised inner sole accessories, orthotics and footwear modification techniques.
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Competition judge, Tiisetso Tsiki of Business Partners Limited, said that Nteleki and Njokweni submitted a high-quality business plan which included a strong implementable concept and catered to a gap in the market. “Over and above the business plan, something else we look for is passion, dedication, drive and enthusiasm, all of which are not quantifiable and Nteleki and Njokweni both demonstrated these traits.”
The duo has their sights set on the occupational health industry and plans to focus on individuals who are employed in industries requiring the use of safety boots.
“While protecting the foot from external dangers, safety footwear can cause severe complications in the lower limbs and feet,” explained Nteleki.
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“Such injuries can prevent the sufferer from functioning properly in his or her role, and can result in poor work performance.”
As part of the winner’s prize, MB.co Podiatry received R25 000 in cash, business mentorship worth R12 000 and a smart tablet device. All regional winners also received business mentorship valued at R6 000 each.
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