Veronica Shezi wins 2012 GIBS MBA Business Plan Competition

Veronica Shezi was crowned the GIBS MBA Business Plan Competition champion for 2012. Here she accepts one of her cheques for R10 000.

Her business plan was for a bakery specialising in gourmet cakes, which she started four years ago in her garage at home and only recently acquired business premises for in Randburg. The judging panel were very impressed with her presentation; not only did she exude confidence, but her plan showed that she had managed to identify a niche market and had a clear strategy from the onset. This proved that she had a sustainable competitive advantage over competitors in the market.

Shireen Chengadu, executive director, academic programmes said, "Given the current economic climate, there is a need for more entrepreneurs to start up new business ventures. To see some of the plans presented by the GIBS MBA class for 2012 come to fruition would create much needed jobs in various sectors.

Now take the plan and turn it into a commercial success

"We would like to congratulate her for an outstanding presentation. It is a competitive world out there; this competition was designed to emulate real life environments in which competition plays an integral part. We hope that she takes this winning business plan and translates it into commercial success,"

The competition forms part of the institute's curriculum for the entrepreneurship track. Students are expected to deliver a dynamic presentation, which demonstrates strategic thinking and use of analytic skills. The aim of the competition is to give students the opportunity to develop business skills that they will then integrate and apply in a number of settings when they venture to do their own businesses.

Shezi had some tips to share with prospective entrants of this gruelling competition, "Pitching an idea might be hard, but executing is going to be the more challenging part. I hope to use what I have learnt during my MBA programme to catapult my business to its fullest potential."