CBO hopes to boost local economies

The Community Business Owners (CBO) initiative was created to promote economic growth and develop local economies.

Formed in 2021 during the immediate after-effects of the Covid-19 lockdowns, the CBO aims to uplift the community and improve and drive the economy forward.

Formulated by Andrew Wainwright, with help from Alistair Gordon, the first CBO chapter was established.

Wainwright explained that after lockdown, networking and collaboration between businesses proved challenging.

Explaining how the concept began, Wainwright said he initially received a list of business contact details from his child’s school.

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Wainwright said he received a positive response when he explained the idea of the CBO to those whose contact information he now had.

The first meeting and launch of the Edenvale CBO chapter was at the start of December, and the initiative has grown from strength to strength since then, reaching over 300 business owners.

Since then, three more were formed – in Bedfordview, Boksburg and Benoni – with interest growing to have chapters established in the Kyalami, Sandton, Kempton Park, Alberton and Pretoria east areas.

The vision of the CBO is to become the largest community business-focused platform in SA.

Each chapter is independent of the others, with no territorial overlap to ensure business owners from a particular area attend the relevant chapter.

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Wainwright said that with each chapter run by an administrative team, the plan is to have a CBO chapter in each town across SA.

He hopes that once more chapters are established, the CBO will operate similarly to parkruns.

“We want to make it possible for business owners from Edenvale or Bedfordview travelling through Port Elizabeth to be able and visit the local chapter, network with other business owners and not only grow themselves but their business back home.”

At each meeting, held on the first Friday of the month, the CBO chapter members meet at a local restaurant, where they pay a nominal fee for breakfast and coffee before introducing themselves and their business and networking with other business owners.

Although any business owner is welcome, the core values they must have include thinking local, supporting the local economy, being ethically and morally sound, striving for excellence and being accountable.

No membership fees are required.

“At the meeting, after registration, each business owner is given close to a minute to introduce their business, themselves, the idea behind their business and what it is they specialise in.

“Some speakers give a brief presentation in a few seconds. When this happens, we encourage them to keep speaking, something the CBO believes strengthens public speaking abilities, an essential skill for business owners,” said Wainwright.

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He said since the CBO’s establishment, businesses have already started working hand in hand, offering deals in partnership.

He invited any restaurants and eateries willing to host the chapters to contact the CBO.

Similarly, business owners interested in joining can email Wainwright at andrew@wcorp.co.za or visit www.cboconnect.co.za for more information.