With more than 71% of SMMEs said to fail within the first year, start-up advisor Heike Kannemeyer has created an online incubation initiative that seeks to change this.
Named the New Business Launch Programme, the online incubator went live last week, to give aspiring entrepreneurs and existing business owners the tools to support their business journey.
The programme is a three-month online business incubator that’s been designed to simplify the process of starting up, building and launching a new product or services-based business, Kannemeyer explains.
Participants receive tools, resources and access to experts to learn from and lean on, she notes. Furthermore, it gives them the option to prepare themselves for their own businesses, even before leaving their 9-to-5.
“Starting, maintaining and growing a business is challenging,” says Kannemeyer. “The moment you step away from corporate, you need to be ready to accept the responsibility of maintaining your profitability. For many, this can impact how they provide for their households and manage their and others’ livelihoods.”
Data shows SMMEs account for approximately 98% of South Africa’s business network. However, many businesses continue to take strain, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and power utility Eskom’s rolling blackouts.
Even government has been vocal about the need to address challenges confronting small businesses and encourage an entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Kannemeyer indicates the small business boom witnessed both locally and abroad, and being aware of SA’s “notorious SMME failure rate” fuelled her to develop the initiative.
“The programme was born through my struggles as an entrepreneur while building brands and businesses for almost 14 years. I always knew I would have my own business one day, but with no business or financial training. There are many individuals like me with an entrepreneurial mindset and great ideas, but little-to-no training to set a good foundation upon which to build their business.”
The founder comments that the most common reasons for considering resigning from a job are freedom, money (profit) and purpose.
“The programme was created for people serious about investing their time in equipping themselves and learning how to navigate their new business venture.”
Although it’s structured to help entrepreneurs formulate their business concept and launch it within three months, aspiring business owners can take up to a year to complete the programme’s 12 modules, adds Kannemeyer.
The 12 multimedia-packed modules include hour-long one-on-one live advisory sessions with herself (or a suitable mentor), video, podcasts, input by external industry specialists and over 55 downloadable resources.
“Aspiring entrepreneurs can look forward to finding their personal ‘why’ and connecting it to their business, conceptualisation, branding, building an online presence, understanding SA legal matters for small business, pricing strategies and so much more,” she concludes.
The programme is available at R7 750 per user, and at a discounted launch price of R6 750 in July only.
Share