SMME owner building her business step by step

Ondwela J General Trading is a professional 100% black woman youth-owned enterprise, and a proud participant of SAICA Enterprise Development’s SMME development programme. Initially, the business specialised in domestic household and cleaning services, but as it grew, it diversified its services to include cleaning, supply and distributing cleaning chemicals, hygiene equipment, pest control, horticulture, gardening services and construction. Their footprint is in Mpumalanga, Tshwane and is rapidly growing into other major towns and provinces.

Before joining the programme her financial knowledge was very limited. Being on the programme expanded her financial skills in her business operations. Having a designated finance mentor and a life coach helped Kholofelo forecast future projections for her business. SAICA Enterprise Development emphasis on entrepreneurs excelling financially, was of great benefit to Kholofelo, and upskilled her with the ability to interpret financial statements, and report on cashflow statements and balance sheets. As a result, over the duration of the programme, her net profit increased by 63%!

“My personal development coach helped me to translate my vision as an entrepreneur into a goal for the entire organisation,” says Kholofelo. Her mentor assisted her in drafting efficient processes that enabled the company to be more formally established in terms of structure.

Kholofelo is passionate about female empowerment. She is currently working on a skills development initiative; her company is in the process of being an accredited training provider.

Ondwela J Trading is making great strides. Since the SAICA ED programme, they have been awarded CIDB grading 2; have received a license for petroleum distribution, and have put in an application with the Services Seta to train for hygiene and housekeeping.

When posed the question, what were your biggest learnings while on the programme? “That’s easy,” she says with a smile, “How a company’s book keeping should be done and finances managed; how to manage my time and maximise my capacity operationally; how to be a more effective leader; how to handle conflict and lastly, how to deal with issues around emotional intelligence.

“I highly recommended this programme. It encourages entrepreneurs to stay focused on their goals. It reminds us that as much as we are leaders, to be effective we need to have sound knowledge of the business and be mindful of how we are perceived. We have a key responsibility beyond employment which is to empower people and create sustainable businesses. Financial literacy is crucial as a small business owner, and financial statements need to be accurate, especially when applying for funding.”

SAICA Enterprise Development’s vision is to play an active role in economic transformation in South Africa through advancing the sustainable growth of entrepreneurial black businesses.