Ask entrepreneurs, and one of the biggest challenges facing businesses is a lack of funding. Speak to funders, and the biggest problem is finding investable businesses — there’s more than enough cash available. To get the low-down on what it takes to become a fundable business, Entrepreneur spoke to funders and start-ups who have secured funding. These are their lessons.
THE 7 RULES OF PITCHING
If you want to build an investable business and land funding, you need to understand the landscape. Vusi Thembekwayo unpacks how smart businesses attract investors.
In 2014, Zithande Mbala pitched his business idea, a smart toilet paper lubricating device, to the Dragons on SABC’s Dragon’s Den. It was a bizarre pitch, not least of all when Zithande valued the business to be worth northwards of $100 million in a few months’ time. He was offering a 10% stake in the company for an investment of R1 million.
The Dragons did not respond to Zithande’s pitch well. It made for entertaining television, but no one thought they were watching a great investment walk out the door when the Dragons collectively said, ‘I’m out’.
And then in 2018, one of those Dragons, Vusi Thembekwayo, saw a smart toilet paper lubricating device at OR Tambo International Airport. He gave Zithande a call, only to discover that the business was off the ground — and had some large contracts to boot.
“How did we miss it? All of us are entrepreneurs and we completely missed it,” says Vusi. “I’ve rewatched that clip a hundred times, trying to figure out why we all thought it was a terrible idea with no hope of making it in the real world.”
Denne historien er fra December 2018-utgaven av Entrepreneur Magazine South Africa.
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Denne historien er fra December 2018-utgaven av Entrepreneur Magazine South Africa.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Prepare For The Worst
The stronger your business is, the more you stand to lose. Here’s how to spot hidden weaknesses within your operation and steel yourself for unexpected battles.
Start Planning Today For Future Wealth
Q&A Budgeting is by far the biggest threat to wealth planning, says wealth coach Nelisiwe Masango. If you’re part of the majority of people who don’t have a monthly budget or who have one, but don’t adjust it regularly, you could be hindering your financial progress.
Beyond Banal Business Travel
Twenty-five-year-old South African automotive drivetrain repair company Rex Diff and Gearbox found a perfect match for its business travel needs when it joined kulula work’s client base, and never looked back. Dennis McLachlan of RDG’s Consumer Affairs and Marketing division explains why.
The Next Level Beckons
Rudolf Goosen is an ex-professional rugby player, entrepreneur, author, TV presenter and motivational speaker. Entrepreneur recently spoke to him about his new book, Taking Your Life to the Next Level.
Diversity Drives Board Performance
The composition of your board of directors can help you drive your company value and increase shareholder and other stakeholder returns.
Invest And Save 100% Of Your Tax Payable To SARS
Section 12J funds were created in response to the South African Government offering tax incentives for private investors to support funds that support SME growth in South Africa. Three experts unpack the benefits of investing in 12J funds — particularly for high net worth individuals.
Following Your Dreams? Nailed It!
Sorbet franchisee Kate Holahan went from corporate employee in 2015 to owning two franchise locations in just over two years. By September 2017, she had launched a new location, acquired new clients and was learning something new every day. It took a few learning curves and partnering with the right bank to lead her to successfully running her Sorbet and Sorbet Man stores at Benmore Shopping Centre in Sandton.
How To Build A Community Around Your Brand
There’s a way to build your market without spending a fortune on advertising and marketing — and it’s called community building. Here’s why this should be the cornerstone of your growth strategy.
Sealing The Deal
If you want to close more sales, you need to understand the three phases of the customer buying cycle.
No Limits
When Offlimit Communications faced its first downturn after ten profitable years in business, its leadership team didn’t even question that they would turn things around and make them better. With resilience and determination, they analysed the business, made some tough choices and took action. Within six months they took the business from massive losses back to profitability, and a year later doubled their pre-losses turnover — all in the middle of a recession.Here’s how Lisa Cohen, Jerome Cohen and Garon Bloom took lemons and made lemonade, building a R130-million sustainable business in the process.
