Getting Businesses off the ground

Luthando Teyise is publishing editor of SMME Business friend. As the New Year tapered to an end he spoke to Lebohang Motse about his new publication…

LEBOHANG: Why is it so difficult for so many black companies to get off the ground?

TEYISE: Alas, statistics have revealed that many newly established close corporations seldom survive beyond the first six months. Only recently, Cipro which is the registrar for intellectual property rights has lamented the fact that of the five thousand new businesses which are registered each month, only around 10 percent survive the first twelve months of operations. This has the result of making thousands of c.c’s to lie dormant at any given point in time. This really is a shocking state of affairs and something drastic obviously needs to be done to reverse this trend. This and other factors gave birth to the idea of publishing informative newsletters to assist the emerging and existing SMMES. My publication is appropriately titled “SMME BUSINESS FRIEND” and is a small contribution towards addressing the above problem.

LEBOHANG: What will you be reading during this festive season?

TEYISE: I always read anyway, no matter how busy I am. I will be reading some good books once again during the break. I was lucky enough to get a copy of Bolaji’s new book, Tebogo and the pantophagist. It was very nice of him to dedicate the book to the late journalist, Gloria Marobele. It was such a tragedy when she died so young, as she was so promising.

LEBOHANG: I presume you are planning great things for your publication next year?

TEYISE: Of course. A good publication is predicated on adequate marketing, and I have quite a lot of experience in this wise throughout South Africa. I believe the sky is the limit for my SMME Business Friend…