Top 10 Entrepreneur finalists chosen

The top 10 finalists of ‘The Entrepreneur’ competition were named at the Ilembe Chamber of Commerce at the Quarter on Saturday.
The finalists were chosen from the 23 entrepreneurs who had made it through to the later stages of the competition. The group has been through an eight week incubation where they were taught the ins and outs of business modelling.
Throughout the period competitors were graded on their homework assignments and their business plans as well as doing one-on-one interviews with their mentors.
“We looked at both the business and the individual,” explained Trenley Tilbrook, Ilembe Chamber of Commerce CEO.
“We judged the business on whether it is in a niche market, how viable the idea is and if the sector is over traded. Then we took the individual and gauged their passion, their tenacity and their perseverance. Often the best entrepreneurs are not those with the best ideas but those who are tenacious enough to make it work,” said Tilbrook.
However, Tilbrook stressed that those who did not make it into the finals still benefited greatly from taking part in the competition.
“The entrants are actually forced to think about their business and articulate it into a business plan which many of them had not done before.”
He also believed the practical nature of the programme was far more beneficial than a highly theoretical course.
The 10 finalists have three weeks of training remaining, in which they will iron out their business plans, get business cards and banners and learn presentation skills that will be crucial for their final presentations.
They pitch their final business plans to a panel of judges at Umhlali Country Club on Wednesday, October 2. Members of the public are welcome to attend the exhibition.