Chamber looking to unearth entrepreneurs to solve unemployment

This is according to Derek Fox, the Chamber’s president.

“While the elections kept us busy and captivated, we now we need to get on with the business at hand, give up paying ‘lip service’ to creating employment and actually create employment by utilising genuine entrepreneurs,” said Fox.

“Interesting word, entrepreneur, everyone seems to think they have entrepreneurial flair or tendencies, except in a recent meeting with a Chris Black from the Dynamic Business Start Up Project, who has assisted over 10 000 businesses to get off the ground in 19 countries.

“Black’s research points out that any population consists of three per cent genuine entrepreneurs, 22 per cent who show entrepreneurial tendencies, 15 per cent who are opportunists, with the balance, 60 per cent, being employees.

“Therefore, once you can uncover what a person is – an entrepreneur or has tendencies of an entrepreneur or is an opportunist or is happy to be employed – you can start putting people into the right career spaces and focus on the entrepreneurs and those with entrepreneurial tendencies to start businesses.

“The Chamber has, therefore, teamed up with Black to offer his assessment to aspirant entrepreneurs, to ensure that they are following the correct path.

“Those who,after the assessment, rate as entrepreneurs or have tendencies of an entrepreneur, will then go onto a business planning course, where they will bring what idea they have to start a business or an idea they have for a business, to the course, where they will be guided through the various components of a business plan, until they have an outcome.

“Now the outcome may or may not be favourable in terms of taking the business idea forward. For those whose ideas are solid and are proven in a business plan, the Chamber will assist to find funding for the concept.

“There are, of course, a number of business owners with existing businesses, who are looking to retire and have their businesses for sale; aspirant entrepreneurs can use these companies in a business plan on the business plan course, and show funders what input and skills they will bring to that existing business, such as social media, new technology, flexi hours, new processes, all of which will improve that businesses.

“The 22 per cent entrepreneurial tendencies group would make very good franchisees, therefore, franchisers will be encouraged to look at these people.

“In the end, business will be created and the people who create these business will be people who have shown that they are the right people to be involved in setting up these businesses, which will create employment which will take our city forward economically and will give people their dignity back.

“More employed people means more money in the economy, means a lot more opportunity for all.”

The Chamber is inviting people who want to take the entrepreneurs’ assessment to contact Esther on admin@gbcci.co.za and request to do the assessment.

“Unfortunately, the assessment does have a cost of $10, roughly R140,” said Fox.

”While we appreciate >R140 may be a lot of money for someone, you could land up wasting a whole lot more if you decide to go into business and find that you really were not cut out to be in business.”

* As an added bonus, the chamber calls on all companies who would like to become members of the chamber to join the chamber at no cost for a limited time.

Fox said the Chamber is taking on any and all companies who would like to join.

“Research and studies have shown that, business and people perceive you differently when you are a member of your local chamber of commerce.”

He urges businesses to join, even today, as it is free.

Again, for more information, contact Esther on admin@gbcci.co.za.