Helping SMES understand customer needs
CREDIBLE black supplier development remains the biggest obstacle to the emergence of a strong SME sector.
The situation is aggravated in the case of black owners of SMEs who are confronted with choices of competing with better equipped white-owned companies
in their quest to prove their mettle as entrepreneurs.
However, the result has been frustration and the inevitable collapse of their business dreams.
In the established economic sectors, most white-owned SMEs have long-standing relationships with conglomerates.
Opening the door to new entrants poses what at face value appear to be legitimate concerns ranging from mutual trust to technical capability and financial reliability.
In this perspective, the race of the SME owner would seem to have little influence, but alas, these are the three main factors that bedevil black businesses.
It is against this backdrop that more than 100 black suppliers of infrastructure development giant, the Aveng Group, gathered in a workshop at the Gallagher Conference Centre in Midrand and linked via satellite with others from Durban’s International Conference Centre to tackle these stumbling blocks.
Though the entrepreneurs came from all corners of the country, their purpose was one – to develop their companies’ capability to become meaningful players in the country’s construction, mining and infrastructure development arena.
Linda Ntuli, author and producer of business CD’s Taking Ownership and Find Your Fire to be Fruitful ran the workshop.
His presentation focused on creating awareness of the essence of understanding customer needs.
Says Ntuli: “I showed participants how by neglecting small details, companies fell short in their responsibility towards clients.”
Apart from the usual staple diet of financial mismanagement, Ntuli pointed to poor self-perception by
“SME owners and their staff that loses us important customers”.
Aveng Group Head of Transformation Prithinee Naidoo told Sunday World: The purpose of the
“summit was to equip our suppliers with skills and tools that would enable them to enhance their knowledge base.”
The workshop was in preparation for a summit to be held at the same venue from July 10 to 11.
Mandla Mkhwanazi, who runs a transport company, says: “I realised the value of understanding my role as the person who is handling the business, the ability to work well with others, mastering excellence in business and ensuring that I am always a preferred supplier.”