A powerful quotation is attributed to Mahatma Gandhi who, in a speech in South Africa in 1890, spoke about loving your customers: “A customer is the most important visitor on our premises. He is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption in our work. He is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider in our business. He is part of it. We are not doing him a favour by serving him. He is doing us a favour by giving us the opportunity to do so.”

This is the third article in a four-part series on how to start your own business. I am looking at creating a compelling mission, building a strong sales process and benefitting from being fully compliant.

In this second part of a four-part series, I am focusing on the place of a viable business model (horse) and being a growth minded entrepreneur (strong jockey).

I was recently asked if I could write a “how to start your own business” article. I think that is a great idea but want to give suitable content and space to help make readers’ journey impactful. Over the next four months, I will be writing four articles with each one covering three steps in starting your own business.

It is my privilege to meet up with many different leaders within the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the work I do. These men and women relentlessly contribute to building our country’s economy in big and small ways.

I asked John Peters, chief director, economic enablement at the Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism, to pen this month’s article on entrepreneurship. I trust it encourages you as much as it did me.

Last month I wrote an article about the “rise of the silverpreneur”. Describing those people who start a business in the second chapter of their life. I think Ray Haakonsen epitomises this brave step and so I hope you will enjoy his story, his authenticity… and showing it is possible.

A large focus of entrepreneurship development is on those under the age of 35, and rightly so, with the unacceptably high levels of unemployment among our country’s youth. 

Founder and managing director of redAcademy, Jessica Hawkey, is the woman entrepreneur highlighted in today’s article. She shares on pioneering a new way for South African matriculants to enter skilled careers in tech and software development specifically.

It is my privilege to engage with so many interesting leaders and entrepreneurs. One of these is Anton Cuyler, the CEO of the Sozo Foundation.