22 Dec 2015

Mr Bashi Tshambane of Tonota has always wanted to be his own boss and after working for Amber Glazing for three years, he decided that the skills he acquired were enough for him to start business.

In 2011, he opened his business called Fast Service Glass Works. The business supplies glasses, mirrors, domestic and industrial glazing and all types of windscreens.

Speaking in an interview recently, Mr Tshambane said he first started the business in Selebi Phikwe, but he relocvated to Tonota’s Kapondora Complex.

Mr Tshambane said when he started this business, he used P5 000.

The only thing that cost him a lot was a trade licence, registering his business as well as rental fees and he said it was a business that anyone could operate as long as they had the experience.

His customers are individuals and the sub-district council, which started to show interest in him after a Self Help Housing Agency (SHHA) beneficiary asked him to do a quotation for her house to fit and install windows.

Whenever there was  construction job in primary schools, the council always came to ask him to fit glasses for them.

He said some of the challenges that he faced were that his business was located far away from the customers and therefore it was hard to reach them.

“The other thing is that there is a lot of competition in glass business and some people only operate from their homes and charge cheaper prices than me,” he said.

This business made a big difference in his life as he was able to build a house for himself and managed to buy two cars.

Not only has it changed his life but it has created employment for Tonota youth as he employed two.

“I would like to see a change in my business and order more stock so I can be able to supply more people,” he said.

Mr Tshambane plans to open another branch in Selebi Phikwe as people had been calling him to re-open in mining town.

His word of encouragement to those who want to be entrepreneurs like him was that one should get into business assuming that  because they saw another individual doing it and making money, then believe it is easy.

“One should do something they are passionate about and have a skill for what they want to do,” said Mr Tshambane. Ends