Startup School: Recent Episodes
Startup School
In this episode we chat with Anya Kovacs and Meg Ringdal, the founders of Hubba Hubba, a Cape Town-based brand on a mission to create inclusive, comfortable, and fun knickers for everyone. Frustrated by the lack of options for all body shapes and sizes, Anya and Meg launched Hubba Hubba to offer panties made from soft, breathable fabric in playful designs for everyday wear.
Hubba Hubba isn’t just about comfort and style; it’s also about making a positive impact. Each pair of panties is handmade locally in South Africa, with a focus on high quality, minimal single-use plastic, and fair labor practices. Anya and Meg are dedicated to making their brand socially and environmentally conscious, prioritizing the environment in every decision. Have a listen.
The post Startup Story: Meg and Anya of Hubba Hubba appeared first on Startup School.
In this episode we have the pleasure of speaking with Thabiso Magodi, a recipient of one of our prestigious grant funds and the cofounder of Vachellia Beverage. Thabiso, along with his friend and business partner Siyabonga Sangquthu, launched Vachellia Beverage in 2017 with the vision of creating Africa’s leading luxury vodka brand. Their journey from idea to reality has been remarkable, with Vachellia Beverage now selling hundreds of bottles at a time.
In this episode, Thabiso shares his startup story, including the challenges they faced, particularly in securing financing, and how persistence and passion led to their success. Join us as Thabiso provides valuable insights and inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs.
The post Startup Story – Thabiso Magodi of Vachellia Beverage appeared first on Startup School.
The post Startup Story: Softer, making powerful collaboration a reality appeared first on Startup School.
The post Startup Story: Sibusiso Kekana of Riverside Sustainable Solutions. appeared first on Startup School.
The post Startup Story: Tumelo Ratala all the way from Bochum appeared first on Startup School.
Have a listen to the interview Startup School did with Zanele recently here. Zanele is an incredible individual who is well positioned to launch a very promising career within the medical industry, but while she’s working on that she has also launched a small business that is making a big change!
The post #21 Startup Story: Yemfundo Project, making change real appeared first on Startup School.
In this episode we talk with Stephen Burrow, co-founder of Softer and Alum of the Startup School. Stephen talks to us about the journey of his startup; the growth from launch to date; as well as what it has been like to become a supplier to a big retail firm. For ease of reference, here […]
The post #20 People Matter Series – A Startup Story with Stephen Burrow from Softer – Episode 3 appeared first on Startup School.
Episode 2 Communication Communication Communication
The post #19 People Matter Series – Why Entrepreneurs need to understand and work to develop their people – Episode 2 appeared first on Startup School.
Episode 1 of the series, “People are the most important” Why do you as an entrepreneur need to invest in your people? Your business is dependent on people. The people in your operation, whether that operation is big or small, are pivotal to its success. But humans are complex. To help us get a better understanding of […]
The post #18 People Matter Series – Why Entrepreneurs need to understand and work to develop their people – Episode 1 appeared first on Startup School.
We recently sat down with Jaryd Riazon, founder of Trusted Interns and the Shift Tomorrow movement. This is a story of how entrepreneurship meets social impact; a story packed with hope, inspiration and the strong sense that we can do more, together. Find out how Jaryd became the leader of a local business providing unemployed […]
The post #17: Jaryd Raizon: The entrepreneur bringing a global job market to South African youth appeared first on Startup School.
If you’ve ever felt intimidated by red tape and heaps of paperwork that don’t make sense, then this blog is for you! We’re going to walk you through registering your business (aka: slaying the dragon) step-by-step. To begin with, we want to point out something you might not be aware of – the hardest bit […]
The post When and how to register a business in South Africa appeared first on Startup School.
An international pandemic… Yup, that happened. How could anyone foresee this kind of global catastrophe? Ok, except for Bill Gates. Aside from the multibillion-dollar man himself, no one even considered it. Yes, initially, the world went into a flat spin and every country handled the COVID crises in unique ways. Thankfully, now that South Africa […]
The post Business ideas for entrepreneurs in lockdown appeared first on Startup School.
You’ve got an idea, and it’s a great one, too! So, what’s next? Contact a commercial property broker? Post “We’re hiring!” on your Facebook page? Maybe purchase some materials? Well, not exactly. As excited as you might be right now (and you should be excited!), it’s important to ‘aim’ before you ‘fire’. In other words, […]
The post Why and how to write a business plan for your startup appeared first on Startup School.
The pandemic and resulting lockdown restrictions have had devastating consequences for many startups and small businesses. Being a sales and marketing platform for over 100 self-employed creatives in South Africa, Kamers Makers knew that they had to adapt, and quick! In this episode of the Entrepreneur on the Grow podcast, we join their Chief Creative […]
The post #16: Creativity in the time of Covid-19: How Kamers Makers tripled online sales during lockdown appeared first on Startup School.
Join Jared and Jackie, Startup School’s Lead Business Coach, to chat about entrepreneurship, leadership, and how the two coincide. Jackie shares her wealth of knowledge and experience on mindset, self-awareness and other key skills and characteristics that enable entrepreneurs to lead themselves, their teams and their businesses toward success. Finally, Jackie talks about the Leadership […]
The post #15: Entrepreneurs as leaders: An interview with Startup School’s Lead Business Coach appeared first on Startup School.
“Non-cooperation with evil is as much a duty as is cooperation with good.”
– Mahatma Gandhi
You don’t need to look too far to find news of corruption nowadays. But it’s not just happening at the state level – the private sector has its fair share of questionable activity too.
But it shouldn’t be like that! Entrepreneurs need to make sure that they bake business ethics into their operation from the get go.
What are ‘business ethics’? Simply, business ethics is the application of ethical values to business behaviour – think fairness, honesty, openness, integrity – which is not to be confused with compliance. Compliance is the control mechanisms, like policies, procedures and rules, controlling business conduct.
Ethics is about how an organisation does business, not what it does.
Does it treat its employees with dignity and respect?
Does it treat its customers fairly?
Does it pay its suppliers on time?
Is it open to dialogue with its local communities?
Does it acknowledge its responsibilities to wider society?
Liezl Groenewald’s article entitled “Get the ethics right, and you will always be compliant”, published on 25 July 2017 for The Ethics Institute monthly newsletter, points out just how critical it is that companies examine their ethical culture. (This is a good newsletter to subscribe to!)
Reputations are based not only on a company’s delivery of their service or product, but how it values its relationships with employees, shareholders, the immediate community and the country as a whole.
Ethics play an essential role in setting the value system for the whole company, and in how this plays out through the behaviour and culture of the company at the individual and collective levels.
Entrepreneurs are influencers and therefore have great power in society. It is important that those starting businesses are intentional about their ethical responsibility as entrepreneurs.
Professor Mills Soko, shortly after the Bell Pottinger fiasco, revealed to the public just how important a role business plays in a country’s stability in this interesting read.
As you grow your business, how are you going to make sure that it (you and all its employees) is committed to operating ethically?
The post Starting right: The ethics of your startup appeared first on Startup School.
Covid-19 has brought the global economy to its knees, and it’s taking many startups along with it. But entrepreneurship isn’t dying, it’s evolving.
Sure, we’re facing big challenges. But what if these big challenges are the catalysts for even BIGGER ideas? Ideas that make our world a better place. A world where we innovate continuously, and together.
And couldn’t this be the wake-up call we need for our community to lock arms, support the little guys, and make those big ideas not just a possibility, but a REALITY? We think so.
You don’t have to believe us, though. Here are some sterling examples of local small businesses who are thinking creatively, collectively and generously.
Examples of startups giving Covid-19 the middle finger These are just a few of the South African businesses that are striving to solve something, rather than sell something. If you can think of any other inspirational examples, please mention them in the comments below!
Kamersvol Geskenke brings the market to the people The incredible Kamersvol Geskenke had planned for their popular Johannesburg craft show to take place from 23 to 27 April 2020. With hundreds of craftspeople relying on the exposure and sales that this show typically brings, lockdown became a threat not just to Kamersvol, but to the entrepreneurs who depend on them, too.
So, they decided that if they couldn’t take the people to the show, they’d bring the show to the people! In record time, Kamersvol managed to move their show online. Now, consumers from Johannesburg and beyond get to browse unique crafts and much-loved local brands from the safety and comfort of their own homes. Kudos, Kamersvol Geskenke!
Yoco launches a small business directory If you are a startup, or have ever bought from a startup, you’ve probably used Yoco’s payment solutions. No matter how popular Yoco’s card payment machines are, though, they’re just not super helpful when (literal) shop doors are closed, and people are social-distancing.
Yoco’s Co-founder and CEO, Katlego Maphai, says “...we have seen up to a 90% decrease in in-person transactions since the lockdown began”. So Katlego and team scratched their heads for a solution that would be good for business, and good for entrepreneurs.
Not only did they create a comprehensive Covid-19 Guide and make it freely available to all business owners, they also launched three new payment solutions. The Payment Page, Gift Vouchers and Payment Request solutions were quickly built to enable small businesses to make secure online sales.
The best part, though, is that they didn’t just ‘sell’ these solutions. They created an online business directory where customers can support small businesses by buying an online gift voucher, donating or shopping. If you haven’t registered your business yet, do it!
SweepSouth reaches for the (Sweep)Stars If you haven’t heard about this pioneering tech business before, they’re an online booking platform connecting domestic workers to clients in most of the big cities in South Africa. In its 6 years of operation, SweepSouth has been a huge success, having facilitated over 9 million hours of cleaning!
Until… Covid-19, social distancing, and finally, lockdown. Bookings on their site have, of course, suffered. But this isn’t their first concern. SweepSouth is worried about its SweepStars, the cleaners who depend on their site for an income. So, they’re doing something about it.
A few weeks into lockdown they announced the launch of the SweepSouth COVID-19 SweepStar Fund, and their aim to raise R12 million towards the essential needs of the cleaners who depend on them. Last we checked, they had raised over R7 million (holy moly!), and intended to use this to pay up to R450 per week towards the living expenses of cleaners.
Advantage Learn gives kids free education We’re proud to say that these cool cucumbers are Startup School alumni, and that their founder won our online Entrepreneurship course startup funding prize back in 2017.
Like us, Advantage Learn is in the education space. They provide workshops and online learning to prepare high school kids for university.
When news of Covid-19 broke, Advantage Learn knew that high school kids and teachers would need their help. So, without waiting for lockdown to be announced, they jumped into action and made their Maths Online (grade 8 – 12 maths video resources) completely free.
This gesture has been hugely successful, with thousands of kids, parents and teachers taking full advantage (pun intended of the free educational resources. A byproduct of this generous act has been impressive brand exposure.
This is not the first time we’ve seen kindness pay. Often, acting for the good of the community is acting for the good of the business, right?
5 ways to succeed in spite of the global pandemic The businesses above have, in many ways, led the way.
Kamersvol Geskenke and Yoco have shown us how to adapt our products and services to the changing landscape. SweepSouth and Advantage Learn have demonstrated the business benefits of being generous. And all of them have considered the collective needs of customers and communities.
Now, it’s time to challenge yourself. Don’t give up, give more! Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Lock arms with other local entrepreneurs Every business and customer has been affected by the coronavirus crisis in some way. But just like 100 pieces of paper glued together is tough to tear, we too are stronger together. So, look to your fellow entrepreneurs for opportunities to collaborate.
For example, if your brand has the same target audience as another brand, think about ways to market each others’ products or services, or offer a shared prize for a social media campaign. A single social media post could double the brand exposure for both businesses.
Or, if you need similar tools or skills as another business, think about sharing your premises and team when lockdown ends. For example, a leather shoe business and a leather pet accessory business might work side-by-side, producing shoes and collars, to reduce operating costs.
Repurpose your resources Customer needs are different, and they’ll stay that way for a while. After all, even when lockdown is lifted or eased, social-distancing is likely to be a lasting reality (at least for a few months). So, adapt your products, raw materials, equipment etc. to the current limitations of the economy.
For example, an events company might consider renting out the trucks they use to transport equipment to other industries, or using their camera equipment to live-stream events. Perhaps they even could refocus their services on informal, intimate events with fewer than 50 people.
Be a light in the dark for your customers Just because you can’t make sales doesn’t mean that you should abandon your loyal customers. Remind them that you’re on this journey together, keep them inspired with motivational posts on your social pages, update them about your products and let them know what to expect from you after lockdown ends.
This way, your brand will connect with its audience in a uniquely ‘human’ way. Customers will be loyal, and your products and services will be top of mind for them when your business opens again.
Get it done In a world where time is (usually) a rare commodity, you finally have loads of it! The clock has slowed right down, so use what’s left of lockdown to get ahead of the tasks that always seem to fall to the bottom of your to-do list. You know, research, planning, strategising, admin, that sort of stuff.
Maybe you could improve your website? Update your software? Expand your list of leads? Plan the next 4 weeks of social media content? Take an online course?
If it’s the latter, we’ve got you covered! Applications for our flagship online course for entrepreneurs are open, and we’re offering full bursaries! Interested? Check it out here.
The post Entrepreneurship isn’t dying, it’s evolving appeared first on Startup School.