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GUIDE TO ENTREPRENEURIAL BLOSSOM

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Sir,

Cognisant of the prevailing economic status in the country, it is no doubt that as a country we need a different set of stimuli to turnaround the status quo. Among others, this calls for a different approach to governance and business views as well as embracing the power and value of empowering the young in our society.


This empowering need not be focused on financial incentives but it has to be broadened to political, management skills, leadership skills and most of all entrepreneurial mind-set through effective and efficient training. 


This thus points to the need for a multi facet renewal approach that will interrogate the relevance of our education system in terms of ensuring sustainable national economic and financial sustainability.  


A substantial number of young entrepreneurs have been detected in Swaziland, and many more are still showing up their hands requesting to be given a chance to prove and showcase their skills. However, a majority of them lack that cutting edge knowledge that will enable them to manoeuvre through different market landscapes as well as differentiate them from the pack.


While it may be true that young entrepreneurs face many challenges - from financial limitations, to the common setback and hurdle of  not being taken seriously by potential vendors, clients and funders who may not recognise the value of investing in young entrepreneurs. It is important to emphasise that entrepreneurs are self-reliant by definition.  However, even under these trying business times, one may note that there is no reason why young entrepreneurs should feel discouraged from starting their own business. In the presiding discussion I present some basic rules of entrepreneurship that can make the entrepreneurial journey to business success less challenging. 


Mentorship


The guidance provided by a mentor, especially an experienced person in a company or educational institution (in this case in business). A majority of successful entrepreneurs will testify that, their success has been a product of having a business counsellor or mentor who guided them through the journey. It is of utmost importance to have a seasoned individual to consult throughout the entrepreneurial journey more especially when the chips are down.

The mentor should, be someone that the entrepreneur can trust and feel comfortable with. The mentor should be able to be frank on his/her judgement on the qualities of the entrepreneur, as to be able identify the successful as well as the struggling parts of the business in order to provide valuable assistance. 


Branding


Branding aims to establish a significant and differentiated presence in the market that attracts and retains loyal customers. For every client or funder to have trust in your skills you need to prove beyond doubt that you have the knowledge and experience to deliver the product or service timeously and in good quality.
Beyond being merely a symbol, a brand is the sum of the experiences that a customer may have with a business.

This means that communication, customer service, product quality and every day operations all need to be perfectly aligned to successfully broadcast one clear message about the company. Being born in the 21st century has an endless list of benefits, one of them being the fact that a massive budget is no more a prerequisite for building a brand.

We are living in the times of advanced but affordable technology, more especially in the field of communication. Social media and affordable web hosting makes it possible to communicate a business’s message to customers affordably. Entrepreneurs need to ensure that the positive message being broadcast to audiences is backed up with superior service. Again, as an entrepreneur you need to understand and appreciate the value of customer service and intimacy, which can be acquired through relevant training and practice.

SK




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