MEDIA RELEASE                                                                                                 11 July 2001

SOMETHING FOR EVERY ENTREPRENEUR AT SMALL BUSINESS WEEK 

Between July 17^th and July 20^th, the main sports hall at Peninsula Technikon is going to be a hive of activity as the City of Cape Town stages its first ever Small Business Week, a proactive initiative to give this important sector a welcome shot in the arm. 

This will be a valuable opportunity for members of the public to provide input into the future economic transformation of the city. 

For R30 a day, visitors will have unlimited access to a range of interactive exhibits by various financial institutions, training companies and service providers, a host of intensive basic business skills courses and workshops and a number of conferences and discussions on various small business topics.   

This is excellent value for money and possibly the best investment a would-be entrepreneur could make before taking the leap. 

The line-up of speakers and presenters on the seminar and conference programme include Gerry Delaney from the National Business Initiative, City of Cape Town Manager, Robert Maydon, Albert Schuitmacher from the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Robert Adams from SAMWU and Norman Johnson from IMATU on labour issues, Martin Matatu from the Land Bank, WESGRO’s Roland Hein and Wolfgang Thomas, Suzette Little from Standard Bank, CAPTOUR’s Sheryl Ozinsky and Carol Hlumayo, Chief Director of Tourism in the provincial Administration of the Western Cape, amongst many others. 

On the training side, there will be basic skills courses on occupational health and safety, market research, writing a business plan, risk management, small business strategy, record keeping, promotion and marketing, costing and basic financial management, computing and more.

At the culmination of each course a Certificate of Attendance will be awarded. 

Subsidiary events such as planning, accounting and costing workshops, and workshops on entrepreneurship, business communications, market research, tourism and tendering have already commenced in various community centres. 

“This has got to be the very best opportunity for anyone wanting to start a business – or even perhaps already running their own – to learn and become actively involved in the development of the dynamic small business sector,” said Executive Committee Member for Economic Development, Tourism and Property Management, Councillor Kent Morkel. 

 “Ultimately, our goal is to bring about the sustainable empowerment of communities and engender an ongoing process of job creation and opportunity in a stable, progressive and prosperous metropolitan economic environment. 

“It’s also a wonderful chance for the formal big business sector to get more actively involved in opening dialogue with small business, perhaps providing supplier opportunities and even establishing venture partnerships for the long term benefit of both.” 

Clem Sunter has endorsed Small Business Week saying, “For Cape Town to retain its status as a world class city, it is going to have to improve the job prospects in the surrounding communities.  This can only be done through small business development and therefore Small Business Week is crucial in creating a positive future for the Western Cape.”