Stark choices on the road of business growth
Early on in his career, Melvin Watkins was starkly confronted by a dilemma faced by so many young entrepreneurs: should he venture straight into his own business, or should he cut his teeth first in...
View ArticlePerfecting the art of investing in property
Mooikloof Village Shopping Centre in Pretoria is a model of a small regional hub that was recently added to Business Partners growing portfolio of top-quality commercial properties. The centre consists...
View ArticleDestined for entrepreneurship
Many people saw little Lebo Mbethe, scarcely ten years old in the late eighties, working behind the counter of her father’s shop in Witbank, but few of them would have thought that she would grow up to...
View ArticleTurning femininity into strength in male-dominated industry
It is a measure of Thando Baloyi’s entrepreneurial chutzpah that she chose a feminine name for her business which operates in probably the most macho of all sectors, the security industry. Lady T...
View ArticleWaking up the entrepreneur inside
Sometimes it takes a difficult, life changing event to wake up the dormant entrepreneur inside of someone. Manovie Isaacs had only ever worked for a single company, a large hairdressing group, for...
View ArticleHair-raising expansion leap pays off
In many businesses, there is a point at which any further growth can only take place with a leap so big that it is almost as daunting as starting all over. For Candice Reynolds, that point was the most...
View ArticleBrewing success at the perseverance hotel
In the tiny rural town of Eshowe in the heart of Zululand, a success story is brewing that has already become something of a legend, even though it is far from over yet. By now, the amazing story of...
View ArticleDriven by passion for food and entrepreneurship
That Donald Bruins-Lich has a passion for food and customer service is clear. He started working in restaurants at age 16, and 30 years later he is still at it. But in conversation with the 46-year-old...
View ArticleFormer waiter now owner of thriving restaurant
In order to keep things fresh, the two partners regularly swap their operational roles, with one taking care of the kitchen and the other managing the waiters and beverages. Richard Kelly and Craig...
View ArticleQuest for next entrepreneurial challenge never ends
BUSINESS/PARTNERS ‘ willingness to risk finance on entrepreneurial prowess and vision makes for a good fit with her business. Magapa Phaweni MMI Group Magapa Phaweni’s 84-year-old father, Rakailana...
View ArticleMentorship takes strong business to the next level
If you think that business mentorship is only for struggling businesses trying to get out of trouble, consider the experience of Eric Cherry, the owner of Urban Landscape Solutions, based in Montague...
View ArticleBack from the brink, and ready to grow
A year or two ago, Donovan Denyssen found himself in what he calls a “chicken-and-egg” predicament, one that quite a few business owners would find familiar. He desperately needed new contracts to dig...
View ArticleThird generation, and growing stronger than ever
The old adage about the first generation starting a business, the second generation running it and the third generation ruining it might be true for some, but certainly not for the Crawfords, a family...
View ArticleEntrepreneurs stepping into the education breach
Arguably the most exciting industry in which to be a South African entrepreneur today is the educational sector. Not only is there an unprecedented willingness among huge numbers of the South African...
View ArticleSpotting opportunities where others see difficulties
Many of the most hard-nosed business people would see the South African agricultural sector as frightening space to operate in, with rocketing minimum wages, unionisation, climate change, uncertain...
View ArticlePursuit of quality keeps business growing
The sheer size of the Libra Joiners and Interiors factory in Lansdowne, Cape Town, instantly tells you that this is no ordinary shop fitting business. The slanted green roof towers above the...
View ArticleWhen the head meets the heart, entrepreneurship thrives
Entrepreneurship is a strange mixture of head and heart, emotional commitment and rational thinking, driving passion and careful calculation. Erna Storm experienced this intensely since the day she...
View ArticleAccidental entrepreneur finds huge market, and her life’s mission
Entrepreneurs are often depicted as people with a strong vision, knowing exactly what they want, and even how to get there. Hilda de Vroom is living proof that there is actually only one certainty...
View ArticleEntrepreneurial leaps of faith look scarier in hindsight
One of South Africa’s most successful entrepreneurs, tobacco mogul Anton Rupert, famously said that if he really knew at the beginning the risks that lay ahead, he would never have started his...
View ArticleWhat an advisor learned by running a new business himself
Andre Naude’s drastic move to sell his financial brokerage after running it for 33 years had all the hallmarks of a mid-life crisis, but instead of buying a red sports car, he bought two filling...
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