Investing in Enterprise Development

Enterprise Development (ED) is about creating a supportive environment in which enterprises can grow and be profitable. It is a hands-on effort in capacity building. The Business Place, through its development interventions of navigating, training and coaching, focuses on this practical approach daily in each of its branches across South Africa. Any ED strategy should have the following goals for its identified beneficiaries

 



The Business Place has designed specialised initiatives to ensure that companies see an efficient and effective return on their investments and ensures the best outcome for beneficiaries. The Business Place model is designed as an integrated support programme for growing businesses at all stages of development. It offers the following interventions to ensure beneficiaries are exposed to a holistic complement of support services while they seek to grow their businesses:

 

&There are various ways in which companies can choose to contribute to ED. The Business Place has developed specific programmes aimed at addressing the four goals of ED, in order to maximise BEE points and ensure maximum benefits for TBP clients. ;

Ed’s Chequebook

The Business Place is ideally placed to enable businesses to achieve Enterprise Development points related to the generic scorecard. If companies decide to focus on interventions that do not necessarily impact on the direct value add or capacity of their businesses, The Business Place can offer initiatives that make a real impact on the South African small business sector for qualifying beneficiaries and enhance those companies’ values and culture. These initiatives make use of a number of Benefit Factor Matrix elements to ensure that companies can access various ED-investment mechanisms. Business owners wishing to explore the opportunities to become involved in an ED-focused initiative, should please contact Shaun Govender on shaung@tbp.co.za or 011 833 0340.

Evidence of Success

In 2007, The Business Place launched a pilot Enterprise Development project together with Growthpoint Properties, South Africa’s largest property management company, called Property Point. Property Point is a small scale Enterprise Development initiative focused on the facilities management and services sector. Since its inception, the Property Point project has assisted approximately 20 small business owners to successfully secure contracts valued at over R8 million with Growthpoint.

The businesses who have successfully participated in this programme have seen dramatic increases in their number of employees and number of contracts successfully won. In addition to one-on-one business coaching and mentoring, businesses have received technical training and practical skills development in financial management and accounting.

Coming soon

In the next few months The Business Place will be launching specific initiatives that also focus on industry charter requirements and Black Suppliers Support Programme.