The 4th Annual Soweto Conference on Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development is being held next week from 28 to 30 October.
The theme for the 2013 event is “Turning tangible and intangible assets and resources in townships into business opportunities”. The aim is to highlight the availability of resources in township communities. It will focus on how entrepreneurs can use their skills, innovation and talent to turn these resources into business success stories.
The conference is being held by the University of Johannesburg (UJ) Centre for Small Business Development (CSBD).
Moipone Molotsi, director: CSBD, the conference is positioned to be a platform for engagement, debate and discussion between various stakeholders in the same field.
“We aim to expose those with small businesses, or thinking of starting up, to the availability of current resources within their communities.”
Making the most of available resources
The conference will assist delegates to examine what resources entrepreneurs have in the township. “Firstly, they need to diversify in terms of their business models,” Molotsi says, “and find ways to commoditise their assets.”
Furthermore, an intangible asset, such as dancing, bead making or even a cultural custom, can be adapted and treated as a commodity—in fact, any talent or skill-set can be explored as a small business or a form of income.
“It’s all about innovative ideas and using the platforms already in place to turn these ideas into real business opportunities,” she says. “Often entrepreneurial ideas are born out of a need for a solution for social problems. If a business is addressing a need, it has more chance of success.”
Conference details:
- Where: The University of Johannesburg’s Soweto Campus
- When: 28-30 October 2013
- For more information: Click here for more information about the conference or to register.