Q and A: Why is small business so important
FERNDALE – Wesley Warren of Jozi SME Hub explains just why small business is integral to any community.
Ever wonder why small business – or maybe even starting your own business – is so important?
Randburg Sun spoke to Wesley Warren, branch supervisor of Randburg Jozi SME Hub to find out what it is they do and how they assist small businesses.
What is Jozi SME Hub?
This is a programme run by The Business Place and was put to together to help people start and run their own businesses.
What services do you offer?
We offer various services, some being computers with Internet access and space for business meetings. We also have office space at a reduced rate should one want to make use of them. We have both accredited and non-accredited training. The non-accredited training would include aspects that as a business owner, you would need to know, such as how to understand finances and the likes. We have such courses available so that business owners can have a better understanding of certain aspects of their business. The accredited training we have focuses on managing your business successfully. We have a course that focuses quite heavily on costing and pricing along with money management. Jozi SME Hub also does a lot of monitoring and evaluation of your business from all ends and from there we gather your company’s strengths and weaknesses. This is not a rigid system that tells you this is what you have to do, we sit with the business owner and explain the challenges and move towards attending to the critical areas first. Picking out key faults within the business helps us find solutions to tackle any problems.
Who is Jozi SME Hub partnered with?
We are partnered with PSG and Associates as well as Randburg Chambers of Commerce and Industry among other organisations. These partnerships help us refer a business owner to the correct people.
Why is a small business so important?
Not everyone is employed or employable; we have to look at the reality that there are not enough jobs for everyone. But, if we can have people who can create their own businesses and that person employs one person, that adds on, increasing the numbers of people getting food in a day. There is a need for business; we have a lot of natural resources; we have the people and the labour force to have business opportunities. It’s up to the people to say, “I want to open up a business.” Our aim is to help make that happen.
What are the costs of your services?
Our services are free of charge. A business owner can come in and speak to one of us, do an assessment and see what is not working. We can see the possibilities and assist them.
What success stories can you recall?
There have been too many to keep track of. We do not focus on numbers, we look at a business as having moved from point A to B if we were the catalyst that made this happen. We focus on more impact-driven success stories.
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