May
18
2010

I started a business 18 years ago when I was 17. I sold groceries because my grandmother was selling meat, vegetables, fruits and cooldrinks with customers always asking her to sell groceries as well, whereupon she always replied “no!”. Without telling her, I grabbed the opportunity. I started selling groceries from the garage and my business was doing well. My business collapsed after a while  because I did not know how to work with its money and because I extended credit to people who did not / could not pay me.

I started another business after 6 years, selling pillows and pillow cases. That also did well. Again it collapsed after a while because of laziness. Customers kept on asking me for more stock whereupon I usually replied “next week.” (I was simply too lazy to get more stock). The money eventually ran out as I also began using it for private affairs.

After all the failures of many businesses, that I started and never finished [meaning a success], Boland College intruduced me to EBS. The first year was not easy, I wanted to give up. Everytime though, I remembered the words of our teacher, Mr Pieter Bouwer, who said that the “…loser is the one that gives up. The one that gets up one more time than he’s fallen, is the winner”.  In my heart,  I was already excited to start my big business.

The second year with EBS,  I understood everything very well and no longer feared that I was  going to fail. Sometimes now, I even have meetings with big businessman without  looking down upon myself, as I believe much more in myself because of the courses at EBS.

I  started small businesses, namely a hairsalon, spaza and dressmaker shops. I don’t want to put myself in debt now and have sleepless nights because of it. I am still working and making use of jobless family members. I even took them to some courses and also gave them a few shares in the business.

I wanted to open a hairsalon that also sells cosmetics,  but do not have enough money yet to put down as deposit for hiring a place.

EBS taught us not to be lazy, to be aware of family business, marketing and putting the money generated by the business, back into the business. Today, because of this I overcame my laziness and is also teaching this to other young people.

Thank you EBS


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