27 Aug 2017

Poverty eradication beneficiaries have been urged to nurture their businesses as they have the potential to employ others if run professionally.

This was said by the Local Enterprise Authority (LEA) Serowe branch manager, Ms Kgomotso Masunga when officially opening the Serowe Administrative Authority (SAA) poverty eradication Expo on August 24.

The two-day expo themed: Poverty eradication, a step towards sustainable economic development, attracted beneficiaries from Serowe and surrounding areas.

Ms Masunga said a business like a baby, needed care.

She said it was time the budding entrepreneurs followed the right path and ensured their businesses survived.

She said their businesses required record keeping as it would inform them if the business was making a profit or loss.

Record keeping, she said, was also helpful especially when one needed financing from institutions such as the Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA) and banks.

Ms Masunga said they were concerned with how beneficiaries marketed their businesses hence the introduction of LEA market days whose objective was to help entrepreneurs reach the intended market.

Market days, she said, were also vital for networking.

She said LEA offered courses such as record keeping and marketing which were essential in running a business and urged beneficiaries to liaise with them for such skills.

Ms Masunga encouraged beneficiaries to dream and take the necessary steps to ensure they attain the dream.

“Have a plan for your businesses. Stand up to the challenges and persevere,” she stated.

She said interpersonal skills were essential in business as that assisted with how one interacted with clients and staff.

She encouraged them to identify opportunities and reminded them that one man’s ignorance was another man’s business opportunity.

SAA Sub-council chairperson, Mr Mpho Kooreme encouraged beneficiaries to take the initiative seriously as it was meant to give them dignified lives.

He said government should be applauded for the initiatives and that beneficiaries should show appreciation by ensuring sustainability. ENDS