IN CONVERSATION WITH DAWN AND LESLEY

Q WHAT’S THE HARDEST PART OF STARTING YOUR OWN BUSINESS, AND HOW DOES A COURSE LIKE ‘7 STEPS TO YOUR START-UP’ HELP? A

DAWN: In my experience, the greatest challenge is the fear of failure. It’s easy to get a set salary every month, but to go out there and take the risk of starting a business is a different thing. We wanted this course to make you feel confident – in other words, to overcome the fear.

Q IS ENTREPRENEURSHIP A GOOD IDEA DURING A GLOBAL PANDEMIC? A LESLEY: It’s a good idea especially because of the current economic situation and the level of unemployment. If you can’t get a job, create a job for yourself and others if you can. That’s why entrepreneurship is so significant in the success of our economy. Sadly, five out of seven businesses fail – but that’s why a course like this is so important. DAWN: There’s a saying, ‘Never let a good crisis go to waste.’ This has been an opportunity to look at what we’re doing in our businesses and adapting to different ways of doing it. As Les said, we want to help alleviate unemployment in this country. Only 10% of people in South Africa run their own businesses, whereas other developing countries like Turkey and Brazil are sitting at about 30%. This is a very good time to start a business, because to doing so in a thriving economic climate is significantly harder – there are so many people occupying that space. But challenging times are a great time to start a business and use the 7Step tools to ensure success and growth.

Q WHY DO SO MANY SMALL BUSINESSES FAIL? A DAWN: A great idea doesn’t always make a good business. Once you have the idea, you have to trial and test it in various conditions. There are so many good ideas out there, but many of the great businesses we see emerging now are not new ideas. They’re not revolutionary or evolutionary, but they’ve taken these ideas to the next level. It’s not your passion for your product and for people that will set you apart. You need more than that: you need to really understand the fundamental aspects of growing a business. It’s easy to let your passion take over and put the businesselevating aspects on the back burner. But a good idea on its own is just not sustainable.

Q WHAT SETS THIS COURSE APART FROM OTHER SIMILAR OFFERINGS? A DAWN: It has a holistic take on business strategies because it’s written by two entrepreneurs who have both built businesses from nothing. We’ve poured our experience and knowledge into every area of this course, with the purpose of giving people a real shot at making a success of their ventures. We’ve learnt the hard lessons and are ready to share our stories. And, at R950, it’s exceptionally well priced.

Q WHAT ADVANTAGES WILL STUDENTS OF THE COURSE HAVE IN THE END? A LESLEY: This course really lays the foundation and provides a blueprint for a bulletproof business model. Additionally, once someone has completed it, they have the further opportunity to join our Golden Circle Mentorship programme, which then allows us to dig deeper into their specific business and come up with further strategies. The ‘7 Steps to Your StartUp’ course provides a great foundation, but you’ve got to put in the work and commit to continue investing in yourself.