NEWS RELEASE                                                                                          11 July 2001 

VISIT SMALL BUSINESS WEEK IF YOU WANT TO START A BUSINESS  

Anyone wanting to start a small business or even if they’re interested in making their existing business a better one, should pay a visit to the City of Cape Town’s first ever Small Business Week, being held at the Peninsula Technikon 17th to 20th July. 

For only R30 a day, it’s a valuable chance to pick up some basic business training skills, attend vital workshops, get indispensable access to a wide range of exhibits and hear what a number of experts have to say about small business financing, management and market prospects. 

That’s just the beginning……….. 

The event also gives small business people a platform to input into the future Economic Transformation Programme for the city. 

Small Business Week will function as a showcase for the significant and well-established local government, NGO, private sector and institutional network available to assist new entrepreneurs to get going. 

Executive Committee Member for Economic Development, Tourism and Property Management, Councillor Kent Morkel, believes that the timing is right to give people who are brave enough to start a new business, a one-stop opportunity to help make their dream come true. 

“The reality is of course wider than that,” he said. “We need to foster a new spirit of entrepreneurship. These people are after all the employers of the future. 

“Through strengthening the small business sector, the City of Cape Town is showing its commitment to the creation of a viable and sustainable economic environment that deals with issues like unemployment, venture financing and business skills training. 

“We believe that the key lies largely in empowering the small business sector and through this, engendering a new era of economic empowerment for the communities they serve.” 

New Business Week’s basic business skills courses will offer access to a variety of subjects, from the writing of business plans, record keeping and costing of products and services, marketing and risk management, to market research and occupational health and safety and a whole lot more. A Certificate of Attendance will be awarded. 

During the four days, speakers from both the public and privates sectors will address issues and lead discussion on subjects such as the financing of small business, joint venture financing, franchising and local government procurement opportunities, as well as AIDS in the workplace and the role of labour in stimulating economic growth. 

“Our economic stability and prosperity lies in making small business big business,” said Councillor Morkel.

 The Small Business Week is to be held in the Main Sports Hall, Peninsula Technikon from Tuesday 17 July to Friday 20 July 2001. 

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.” 

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