‘Lets get rich’

Hirsch’s in Struben’s Valley held their monthly networking morning on 27 May, bringing in a host of business practitioners and entrepreneurs.

Werner Smith, managing director at Business Doctors in Tshwane was the guest speaker, sharing his vast experience on business development from working both in the private and public sectors. Smith spoke to an eager and enthusiastic audience of local business people who are looking to grow and expand.

Smith’s focus on the morning was securing government tenders. He admitted that the common myth was that government tenders were riddled with corruption whereas only 20 per cent of that funding has been related to tender fraud.

“Africa is not for sissies but the opportunities are vast. Keep in mind that it is not about you when pitching, value the proposition and prove yourself. You need to be able to walk the talk.”

The South African Government gives out 30 to 35 000 tenders in a year, and KwaZulu-Natal has the biggest provincial budget and ultimately gives out more tenders than any other province.

“Tell me you don’t want a piece of that pie?” Smith challenged.

Werner Smith’s expertise in the field of tenders and proposal writing has been built up over 10 years, with his team, they have secured tenders to the value of

R3 billion. He said a lot of businesses that apply for tenders, suffer from ‘Sameness Syndrome’ meaning that their proposals and objectives are often the same as those of any other business out there.

“There are more than 170 government agencies that you can pitch to for tenders – so the opportunities are there. You have to develop what sets you apart. Most businesses will only reach a success rate of 0 to 10 per cent but with the businesses I have worked with, we reached an almost 30 per cent success rate in two years.”