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SMALL BUSINESS HUB
Following the successful launch of the SEIFSA Small Business Hub in May 2015 we are proud to report notable achievements the hub has recorded thus far, proving the very important role envisaged for this hub in being the voice for small businesses within the metals and engineering sector and in the broader economy. One of the most exciting aspects of the small business hub is that while it is a brainchild of SEIFSA, the solutions designed, stakeholders involved and overall coverage of the hub is not only limited to companies operating in the metals and engineering sector, but intended to serve any and all small businesses in Southern Africa. This is exciting because it gives the small business hub the necessary scale in order to take on substantial initiatives that will result in meaningful impact to the broader economy. The key functions of the Small Business Hub are to: • Facilitate important interaction between large and small businesses; • Give small businesses access to the various expertise that exists within SEIFSA through our industry-renowned and knowledgeable Executives within the fields of Economics and Commercial; Industrial Relations; Legal Services; Human Capital and Skills Development; as well as Safety, Health, Environment and Quality; • To be a hand-holding guide for small and microenterprises through the often complex compliance and regulatory regime through which so many small businesses struggle to navigate; • Facilitate interaction between government and small businesses through workshops on incentives offered by the different government departments to small companies, incentives available to small companies from the South African Revenue Service (SARS), State-owned Entities and any other important government-affiliated departments; • Organise networking events in order to give small companies the platform to expand their businesses through interaction with other small businesses.
The core objectives of the Small Business Hub include: • Providing cost-effective products and services addressing the overall needs of SMEs; • Creating alliances with outside partners to strengthen the SEIFSA small business proposition; • Offering cost-effective support services that are sector-focused and related to SME categories (micro and small); • Identifying sector and company-specific challenges, monitoring trends and developing specific interventions to improve SME performance; • Identifying, simplifying and facilitating opportunities and linkages to business development and financial services in order for SMEs to improve productivity and profits, support job creation and achieve economic growth; • Ensuring a reduced rate of failure of SMEs through proper coordination of accessible and cost-effective support services; • Lobbying for and representation of SMEs’ interests on various issues with government, other business organisations and with labour.
UPDATE To date our priority has been to set up formal strategic alliances with various stakeholders that will have an important role to play in the growth and development of the small business hub and ultimately, the growth and development of the small businesses which the hub intends to serve. We are proud to report that the hub has enjoyed noteworthy traction both in terms of expression of interest by various small and large businesses. It has also been very well received by the respective alliance partners we have approached. The alliance partners approached include Developmental Funding Institutions (DFIs), government departments overseeing various small business initiatives, the SARS and various State-owned companies whom we are currently in discussion with.
SEIFSA ANNUAL REVIEW 2015
