Powers that B-BBEE

Powers that B-BBEE

BBEE is a transformation process that evolves over time and we believe a snapshot of the BKCOB’s project activities will allow readers to get a better view of where they can engage with the project or the opportunities available to encourage business growth.  In most instances our work is about connecting stakeholders who can facilitate the mainstreaming of BEE companies into the economy.
 
• Primarily the project is about accessing opportunity and we commend Dikeni Arts and Crafts based in Alice for its success in this regard. Dikeni’s Ashwin Ramhith through ECDC attended the South African Hand Made Collection 2008 Exhibition at Gallagher Estate where they exhibited and recorded good sales. Dikeni also participated in the Grahamstown Festival along with the EC Department of Arts and Culture and again sales were good.  The July issue of Handyman magazine ran a 4-page feature on his work and Ramhith was invited as a demonstrator to the Association of Woodturners’ SA Annual Congress in Pietermaritzburg.  To top it all, Dikeni has been chosen to attend the Ambiente International Trade Fair in Germany with 4 604 exhibitors from 85 countries, and 150 000 specialized visitors from 128 nations. This requires that he begin exploring exporting and the necessary steps involved.
 
• The ECDC encourages companies interested in exporting to seek their support as they have specialized services in this regard. They especially encourage small companies and women to explore whether the products they develop would be desirable in export markets which include the rest of Africa.  The ECDC along with BKCOB and other stakeholders in East London and with the Exporters’ Club in Port Elizabeth host forums aimed at expanding exporting.
 
• Bright young information technology (IT) graduates who have a great idea but are not clear how to bring it into a packaged product or service, are encouraged to contact ECITI.  
 
ECITI is a business incubator based at a launch pad facility, where prospective entrepreneurs come and research their idea. Once they have finalized their idea, they move to the concept phase where their idea is developed and the end product is a business plan. This process is envisaged to take between three to four months.
  The services ECITI offers are well furnished offices, high-speed internet connectivity, IT infrastructure, mentorship and coaching, strategic and business linkages, networking opportunities and access to funding.
• The B-BBEE Project has identified the Umsobomvu Youth Fund as a support service to the project. It promotes entrepreneurship through a number of interventions.
 
Umsobomvu has an accredited network of over 300 service providers in 40 different areas including tendering services, from business and financial administration and business process re-engineering to legal services which people who access their services can tap into. Furthermore entrepreneurs can access finance through Umsobomvu.
 
•    If you are a bigger business with employees whom you believe could benefit from financial skills training, then Capitec Bank might be your solution. Capitec offers a basic financial skills training module about banking services and products, which includes basic financial planning, debt management and bank services and products.
 
This module will go a long way in guiding families on how to budget and what types of financial services to expect from their bank.
Source: www.creativepublishing.info

www.creativepublishing.info, 27 July 2010