The future of job creation is here!

Seasoned and aspiring entrepreneurs alike are excited and preparing to take advantage of a newly energised nation with a pent-up desire to spend. Although this may not appear to be so right now, there is no doubt that a frenzied 'Startup Nation' has arrived. This is a global trend, with millions of start-ups expected to take flight.

Taking control of your destiny by owning your business isn't just a way to wealth – it's a way to pursue your life's dreams, find personal fulfilment, and take control of your life. This path isn't an easy one, but it's one that all of history's greatest entrepreneurs have had to follow.

For most South Africans, starting a business can be unnerving. Although it may feel like an almost impossible task, for many, thinking beyond a job and opting for the entrepreneurial way of life is the only way of the future – and it doesn't need to take money to achieve this.

Act now if you have decided that the entrepreneurial way of life is for you. A key learning is not to wait until the conditions are perfect, as they usually never are. However, taking every small entrepreneurial step counts to start your business and inspire you to act on the next steps. Soon, you will not only have the idea, the name of your company, but the business plan, and before you know it, you will be on your path to where you want to be.

"Entrepreneurship is a viable and exciting career option for many. However, starting a business is challenging at any time. When starting a business, it's not only about getting your company registered and compliant quickly and professionally, but also about doing what we can to help every new start-up succeed in business and to do this right from the start. The National Small Business Chamber (NSBC) is proud to partner with the CIPC to create and grow successful businesses with the ultimate vision of driving job creation and alleviating unemployment," says Mike Anderson, NSBC founder and CEO.

"A key customer segment of the CIPC is micro and small businesses. Up to 90% of the over 400,000 companies that we register annually fall into this category, i.e. startup businesses comprising between one and three directors, who make a huge contribution to our economy, creating much-needed employment opportunities. The CIPC, therefore, welcomes the collaboration with the NSBC, with which it had concluded a formal MoU in recent months. Through this partnership, small businesses will enjoy the benefit of webinars and other online tools, access to CIPC's business and registration channels to not only formalise but also to remain compliant as required by the Companies Act," says Adv Rory Voller, commissioner of CIPC.

As a trusted partner to businesses and entrepreneurs in the digital era, Sage, the market leader in accounting, financial, HR and payroll technology for small and medium businesses, is a proud associate of the Launch My Startup initiative, in partnership with NSBC.

Sage supports small businesses through the Forum for Business Builders, which offers entrepreneurs insights, events and policy-forming partnerships to give them a powerful collective voice that can be heard on the world stage. The company also provides free tools and a range of training programmes to help SMBs run their organisations effectively.

Viresh Harduth, vice president: Small Business, Sage Africa & Middle East, says: "We are excited to partner with the NSBC through the Launch My Startup initiative. This aligns with our commitment to knocking down barriers for startups so that they can thrive by enhancing the competitiveness of South African SMBs so they can contribute to more inclusive growth.

"We do this through innovative technology that automates repetitive, low-value activities and empowers customers with powerful analytic capabilities. Our goal is to free business owners and their teams to focus on what matters – growth and customers – by removing friction from manual processes and giving them powerful business insights."

Starting a business with little or no money but plenty of passion, perseverance and persistence is the way to go. Don't allow not having start-up capital to destroy your dreams. It's time to change the mindset and go from zero to hero.

If you are serious about starting out and taking control of your own life, from 01 April 2022 you have the opportunity to get your CIPC company registration and life-time membership to the NSBC 100% sponsored. This journey will give you all the insights, tools, start-up guidance, company registration, business ideas, learnings, access to professionals, etc. Get all the Launch My Startup insights now on how you can seize this incredible opportunity.

So, if you are ready to go, let's get you going. Success is yours to discover. Imagine!