HOW GRAFITECH MADE IT FROM ZERO BUDGET

The business world might appear buttoned-down from the outside, but in reality, it is a lot more interesting than one may realise. Starting a business without any financial backing might seem like a farfetched idea but it is possible. This was the case for the husband and wife duo who took almost two years for their business to be stable.

In the beginning, the entrepreneurial duo of Innocent Kgosimore and Joyce Kgosimore could only afford a printer and encountered a lot of financial troubles as they struggled to save money to acquire more machinery. To date, the company has the complete machinery to sustain the business in the long run. In an interview with BusinessMonitor, Joyce said their entrepreneurial journey started in 2016 after her husband won the ‘Long Term Vision 2016’ logo design competitions where he took position two. After her husband passed away in February this year due to COVID-19, Joyce took over the reins of the business they initially financed from their savings. Grafitech offers signage, branding, advertising, printing and printing-related services.

“Our strategy with every aspect of branding, creativity, technology development and overall messaging is to be clean, clear and concise. We had our first customer in 2016 when we printed t-shirts for their election campaigns. We were proud to see our brand quality worn around town,” she explained. The

company has competitors from well-established advertising companies, but due to the quality and good service the company offers, they still manage to get their own share of the pie.

Their biggest clients include Kgalagadi Breweries Limited and Mascom while servicing individuals.

“The industry is competitive and it is our number one goal to give our clients the quality they need with maximum efficiency and reliability. We offer one-stop shopping with competitive pricing for the quality of products and services offered,” she said.

Since its inception, Joyce said the company encountered challenges just like any other business. These included the usual disappointing delays of materials they use from their suppliers, as they have to wait for days for the materials to arrive from South Africa.

“COVID-19 has affected our business operations as we have been recording low clientele.

Despite the challenges, we plan to assist the community by identifying one of the underprivileged schools or a family to give back. Anything small is a gift,” she said.