Entrepreneur Incubator turns 5
It is the small milestones in business that we need to celebrate in order to gain the huge victories as a result.
I first stood in a queue in a post office back in 1998 to send of my first business registration documents to CIPRO. It was an exciting time for me as the opportunities were plentiful and risks seemed irrelevant. My first business was in Computing and we ran an outsourced service back to various retail companies in connection with JDA and customised solution design. This soon morphed into additional services. We added Graphic design and printing and then branched out with an NPO that addressed the refugee issues in the Muizenberg area and surrounds.
After some years, the business once again morphed into the personal coaching and training arena and together with a couple of friends we launched Well4Life that was sold to one of the partners a few years later. A few other business ventures and partners have come and gone, some good, some not so, but all have added to the development of what is now Entrepreneur Incubator and Academy.
In 2009, some computer issue in CIPRO disallowed us from filing our annual return and like so many other businesses we were deregistered and our bank closed the account. So I started again and this time had more focus on what we were doing and where we were going. It did take 5 turns to reserve the name I wanted and in October 2010 we received our CK1 documents, giving us the green light to begin the dream.
Over the last five years we have moved offices 3 times. Employed 5 staff members and assisted over 450 businesses to get started or get growing. Our relationship with Shanduka Black Umbrellas is key to investing in the emerging markets and our own clients have shown us many different ways to overcome challenges.
We currently have a huge online presence with our blog read the globe over, our e-learning courses on 5 different platforms and our very spiffy Cape Town offices boasts a full training room, office suites, a board/coaching room and a fully equipped video studio.
What does the future hold: Well that would be telling, but I can share that we are thinking hard about the online video space, together with some partners as well as a possible growth strategy that will put us on the national map as a business support partner with a big influence in the market.
So here is to us: hip hip horray….. now to the next 5 years.
Congratulations Bruce !
Thank you for the wonderful, important work you do in inspiring others to be more and do more and keep our South African economy going with your brilliant ideas and quirky sense of humour.
Onward and upward, my friend.