Jo-Ann Strauss Media entrepreneur and international speaker

Jo-Ann is a mom of two, and one of the things she’d like to instil in her children is an entrepreneurial mindset. ‘I’ve always looked up to people who bring new solutions instead of regurgitating the same old ideas with a little bit of fat on them. I like the idea of venturing into something where there’s no GPS. I hope my children will come up with their own ideas for business and that they’ll look for solutions to the problems particular to this continent.’

Jo-Ann and her husband intend to raise their children in this country, even though he is from Europe. ‘There are so many opportunities here because it’s not a mature economy,’ she says.

But Jo-Ann also sees entrepreneurship as a great opportunity for mothers. ‘It’s creative. And there’s the flexibility. For me, it also means I’m able to work from project to project. I gave birth recently, so I wound down on work for a bit.’ But she notes that you often work longer hours, and that it’s vital to learn to work smarter, not harder.

A business starts with a proposal, but Jo-Ann feels prospective entrepreneurs often lack clarity about what it is they want to achieve. ‘We need to teach people how to pitch; to be able to explain to others what they do in two minutes. You need a foot in the door and then you’ve got to dazzle them with how much effort you’ve put into your idea and your business plan.’

To cultivate entrepreneurship, Jo-Ann says, ‘we need to be more open to venture capital, angel investors and investment in start-ups.’

It is important that we cultivate entrepreneurship because it’s the only way to grow our economy.