Husband, wife up for new venture
● Port Elizabeth couple branching out with ZBRANDS
Port Elizabeth couple Sandy and Michael Zoetmulder are entering the event and corporate clothing industries with a new company called ZBRANDS.
Sandy, who co-owned News Cafe at the Boardwalk, will also join her husband at Zsports, which is one of the main drivers behind establishing Port Elizabeth as a major watersports hub.
And Michael is thrilled to have Sandy working with him in the hopes of creating a new era for their business.
What is it like working with Sandy?
Sandy and I always had an unbelievable working relationship while she managed News Cafe at the Boardwalk. Whenever time allowed we’d help each other out within our own businesses and as fortune would have it, after 17 years in the restaurant trade she has called it quits and joined us at Zsports, which is an exciting new era for our company.
Do you have any plans for expanding the business now that Sandy has joined?
Yes, with Sandy now with us full-time, we are establishing ZBRANDS which will focus on event and corporate clothing and logistics where we’ve already made some inroads into the industry and offering a lot of support to local events in the Eastern Cape.
Please share some background on yourself and how the business was started.
At the age of eight I joined the Bluewater Bay Surf Lifesaving Club which gave me a fantastic opportunity to not only be involved in sport, but also to learn the traits of leadership and management.
After spending 10 years abroad in the IT industry I returned to SA wanting to give back through the sport, and joined a start-up high-performance company in Port Elizabeth before they closed their doors in 2007.
While with them I had already established the Ocean Racing Series and got involved with the management of the River Mile, so when I was retrenched I decided to take the huge leap and start my own company. What a blessing this has been.
What is your core service? Event management and the supply of event logistics and clothing.
Where was the idea first born? I somehow always got involved in managing sports events in Port Elizabeth and when the high-performance idea didn’t materialise, it was a quantum leap of faith in the Ocean Racing Series brand that allowed me to go it on my own, something which a core group of friends and family at the time helped me to believe in.
What makes your business unique?
Zsports is a non-profit sports events company which focuses on the creation and management of fun, family, affordable sporting events which are closely associated with local charities and organisations determined to leave a legacy in our community.
If someone wanted to copy your business model, how would they start?
Familiarise yourself with all aspects of the current events act and align yourself with amazing local companies and charities.
What are some of the biggest inhibitors your business faced before getting off the ground? Sourcing the necessary sponsors, which are the lifeline of any affordable sporting event in this country. Do you have any tips for budding entrepreneurs or new business owners?
Follow your heart and be true to yourself at all times. Within your business, be hands-on and focus on your strengths and apply yourself 100%. I always like to apply the Rotary 4-way Test to all business deals: Is it the truth, is it fair to all concerned, will it build goodwill and better friendships, and will it be beneficial to all concerned?
What are some of your biggest challenges in day-to-day business operations and your particular industry?
Trying to find the right balance between family time and work time and the fact that we are always working on weekends.
What is the best advice anyone gave you on success? Follow your heart, be true to yourself and don’t chase money.
How do you measure or define success in your business?
Making people happy and giving back to the community while providing the best possible experience for all.
What kind of advertising do you do? Certainly one of the bigger challenges about at the moment is trying to find an advertising avenue which works best for the business. We rely a lot on direct e-mail advertising to our subscriber database but also use traditional means like bus advertising, lamp poles, radio and newspapers.
What is your company’s vision?
We are the vibrant brand behind much of Nelson Mandela Bay’s exciting sports scene, specialising in the production and management of sporting events for the community.
We are committed to delivering high-calibre, entertaining sporting events offering highvalue experiences for our participants and spectators alike, while promoting a healthy lifestyle and physical activeness for the whole family.
What have some of your highlights been in running your business?
I think the greatest highlight is the more than R1.5m which our events have donated to local charities.
How did you acquire funding for the business?
It was mostly self-funded but we were most fortunate to have friends like Phil Repton who was always on hand to assist.
What is the biggest lesson you’ve learnt from your business journey so far? Always have a backup plan.
What have been the greatest challenges and advantages of running your business in a city like PE?
The greatest advantage for our business is the world-class facilities which our city offers.
Without a doubt the greatest challenge is sponsorships and the lack of support the national companies give their Port Elizabeth branches in this regard.
What do you say are the three key traits of a successful entrepreneur?
Risk tolerance, motivation and creativity.