At TechnoChange Solutions, we believe that government is not only responsible for creating jobs, it also has to provide a supportive environment for job creation to occur. SMEs play a vital role in the creation of sustainable employment. Hence, they require the necessary support to meet the increasing demand for jobs. Corporates and private companies have been playing a major role in providing opportunities for SMEs to learn and grow, which has contributed to them being sustainable and having a beneficial effect on the economy and in the communities they serve.
SMEs are encouraged not to look only for handouts, but to rather embrace and take advantage of being given the ‘hand up’ that is being offered by the industry. TechnoChange Solutions’ participation in the Standard Bank ESD programme in 2017 assisted the company in becoming sustainable. It has continued to grow during its five years in operation.
The company's relationship with Tushiyah Advisory Services was maintained over this period, and when they called on TechnoChange Solutions to take part in the e4 Business Development Programme in 2019, staff grabbed the opportunity. Participating in the Standard Bank programme two years ago proved beneficial, and so the opportunity from e4 was something that TechnoChange Solutions welcomed. This opportunity came at just the right time for TechnoChange, as the business was ready to take the next step in its growth journey.
e4 offers digitalisation for future-forward businesses and welcomes partners that have the same mindset as e4. The company specialises in the financial services, legal and data sectors, bringing its 20-plus years of experience to these industries and assisting organisations in being fully equipped for the future. TechnoChange was open to learning from e4's experience and was onboarded as a beneficiary business to the e4 Business Development Programme.
“We believe that ESD is not just a tickbox exercise to adhere to the regulations, nor should it be,” says Mrs Mmabatho Mooketsi, director for business development, TechnoChange Solutions. “Rather, it should be about creating collective business value, where the provider and the beneficiary benefit from the programme. The opportunities offered to SMEs as part of the ESD programme include, but are not restricted to: mentorship; access to loans; direct investment to cover costs, which will assist the SME to learn and grow the business; and assistance with credit facilities, referrals and guarantees. It was a pleasure working with Nikki Sing from e4 and Lorrine Botha from Tushiyah Advisory Services.”
“e4 is passionate about being a digital partner in the industry, so when an opportunity arose to embark on our BBBEE journey with Enterprise Development, we embraced the privilege with open arms,” says Nikki Sing, Continuous Improvement Consultant at e4, about the company's Business Development Programme.
“Together with our Enterprise Development partner, Tushiyah Advisory Services, we designed the programme to benefit SMEs,” she says. Tushiyah proposed TechnoChange Solutions as one of the programme’s participants due to its ability to think out of the box and design smart IT solutions.
“We believe the company is well positioned in the market and that its business has the potential to achieve success in the industry,” says Sing. “During the programme, we worked with Mr Nkosana Mbokane, one of the directors of TechnoChange Solutions, and found him to be committed and determined to achieve business success.”
Says Lorrine Botha, a business mentor with Tushiyah Advisory Services: "A critical element of success for any business development support of this kind is high-level buy-in: the direct involvement of the founding entrepreneurs, given their ability to effect lasting change within their businesses.
"In a similar way, a willingness to participate openly and honestly, especially in terms of having 'difficult' conversations, is usually where real value can be added by the mentorship team. These were aspects of the programme that the TechnoChange Solutions team worked to embrace, even though it was coming to the end of the year and the individuals involved were busy concluding a number of projects. The founding entrepreneurs' commitment and participation definitely contributed to the programme's effectiveness."
“I can say with confidence that what we learned and the benefits we derived from the e4 Business Development Programme, in terms of strategic planning, corporate governance and financial planning, enabled us to develop a far better strategic plan for the next five years,” says Mr Monde Jacobs, TechnoChange Solutions Eastern Cape Provincial Director.
“The programme came when the company reached its fifth year of operation and our strategic plan was up for review. When the board met in a workshop to brainstorm and formulate the next five-year strategic plan, the input from the programme was used to ensure that our strategic goals and vision will sustain and grow TechnoChange Solutions in striving to become a player in the global ICT industry.”
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