Starting a business

[adrianh]

There are two untapped led applications where you could make money. I've never seen anything for the applications. I'll PM you some info.

[Justloadit]

Thanks Adrian, appreciate your input

[ians]

Woke up this morning to find everything in the black, for some of us this is regarded as quite an achievement especially when everything is already covered, material, labour etc. but that's not the good news. The good news is I have a little extra to use as capital to fund my first mass production of goods on Monday and the orders have already started and I haven't even contacted 99 % of my potential market. Best I get that bank account opened soon 😉

[HermanS]

Once again I am getting in on the back end of the conversation, and decided to rather reply to the original thread, "Starting your own business".

I got home one night, about a month before my daughter's birth, only to find a rather upset wife... (what did I do?) After prompting a bit she informed me in tears that she was retrenched (again? second time in three years). Due to procedural unfairness in the process and the help of a labour lawyer, she did not come off too badly. But still - retrenchment from a senior position (read MBA graduate) with no apparent reason, one month before the birth of you second child.

That is unethical and in principal cruel to say the least. Therefore I make my point that employers are partly to blame for the state of the workforce and the aggression they feel towards employers. Please get me when I say that I do not agree with the aggressive nonsensical strikes we have every day. That is detrimental to the economy, which we can not afford. I am also of opinion that the ridiculous demands for salary increases fuels our inflation, and does not increase the spending power of the people.

I am also of opinion that the unions is simply running a business and is in it for the money only. They rule by fear, and is mostly in use by the ruling party as their own voice to get their message to the masses. It has always been a very clever tool by the ANC to get their message across. But this point for a different discussion.

After the retrenchment, I decided to venture on my own, I could not live with the retrenchment cycle any longer - when will my turn be, and when will my wife's next on be?

As we did not have an amazing plan, almost zero money to do what we want to, and not enough technical know how to do something amazing we agreed to go the franchise route. It allowed us to search through various tried and tested formulas, and find the most suitable business for us to get into. It also fell midway between our personalities, with her being very risk averse and me being very risk prone.

Some people will not call it entrepreneurship, but it will at least allow me to go and make my own money - mostly on my own terms. I think it is a great way of getting out of the employment cycle, with calculated risk. The system (in most cases), has worked for other people. Therefore only you can mess it up, or make it work for you.

SA Franchise Warehouse (www.safw.co.za) has also started an initiative where to will assist to facilitate funding for certain pre-approved franchises, if you have limited capital available to buy your franchise.

Franchising may not be the most creative way to start a business, but if you have been thinking about it, I urge you - do it! I will be launching my franchise early January 2015, in a place where I always wanted to live but could never find a job there.

I all honesty - I am quietly sh****ng myself. 30 November 2014 is my last paycheck - I have two small children and a lot to loose. But my excitement is also big - I will do my own thing, on my terms, and provide an income to other people.

[Justloadit]

I wish you the best of success.

Your point

Therefore I make my point that employers are partly to blame for the state of the workforce and the aggression they feel towards employers.

I wish to say this, as an employer,

"They made me like this"

There are good employees and there are bad employees, unfortunately just as employers, they are all painted with the same brush.

[HermanS]

I wish you the best of success.

Your point

I wish to say this, as an employer,
There are good employees and there are bad employees, unfortunately just as employers, they are all painted with the same brush.

Thanks Justloadit.

Perhaps I should clarify, that I will be leaving the employ of a company that functions on amazing principles (Honesty, Integrity, Respect). The workers has not been on strike in recent history, even when the rest of the industry has gone.

The company has also shown tremendous growth in the last 6 years (25% year on year average). I hope to take some of these principles with me, when I start my own business, in order to ensure a prospering business, with (relatively) happy employees.