06 Feb 2022

Youth Development Fund (YDF) beneficiaries have been advised to adopt a positive attitude which is critical in the growth of their businesses.

Speaking during the closing ceremony of the five day YDF training in Kanye on Friday, Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development, Southern District Coordinator, Ms Minkie Bokole advised the beneficiaries to do away with negative attitude in business.

She explained that attitude was  like a price tag, noting that having a positive attitude in business had the ability to drive it towards success.

“Let us not let our attitudes drag our businesses down,” she added.

She said the beneficiaries were privileged to have been funded, therefore it was important to treasure the opportunity.

“A lot of youth had applied for funding and you are among the selected few who were successful, treasure that,” Ms Bokole said.

She urged the beneficiaries to form reliable, trustworthy networks.

She advised them to get inspiration from those who came before them and had successfully grown their businesses.

“Hard work and determination pays,” she lamented.

She explained that their business profiles should always be up to date and submit them to different organisations.

For those in need of land, she said they should attach letter of funding to the applications and the landboard would consider their applications within a reasonable period.

Ms Bokole noted that beneficiaries should consult other organisations to acquire more information on business.

She informed them of the three C’s, choice, chance and change, reminding them that they made a choice to apply and were given a chance, hence the need for them to make changes.

Ms Bokole said beneficiaries were expected to make a difference in the region and meaningfully contribute to the economy.

The 2021/22 beneficiaries were also taken through financial literacy by First National Bank Botswana (FNBB), Kanye branch manager, Mr Benni Dikobe.

Mr Dikobe said they were fortunate to have received the funding, noting that they should not take that for granted.

He indicated that it was important to use the money according to the budget.

“Budgeting is a plan of how you are going to wisely use the money,” he said.

He explained that budgeting helped to have a financial track of the business and could also assist in reviewing the business.
“You can easily identify where you went wrong or excelled. “It enables the business owner to know when and where to reduce costs and a business with a proper budget would always be organised,” he added.
He noted that their businesses should have a good credit record that would later make it easier to get financial assistance. “Credit record tell the story about your business,” Mr Dikobe said.
For her part, LEA’s Business Consultant, Ms Lebogang Thekiso urged the beneficiaries to visit their offices for advice on growing their businesses.

She said they assisted in marketing products as well as product testing.

“We help in better packaging your products, including branding,” he said.

Ms Thekiso highlighted that LEA also offered trainings such as sales and marketing, adding that such trainings empower business owners to successfully run their establishments.

Entrepreneurship, she said was not for the faint hearted, noting that they should be focused and never give up.

Kanye District Officer, Ms Keamogetswe Segokgo said they had realised that some of the beneficiaries were not committed to their businesses, adding that they were always absent, which eventually led to collapse of their establishment.

She urged them to service their loans, so that others could also be assisted. ENDS