Hi, I can do that! [2006]
- Date : (2006-01-04)
- Author : SAIE
Small beginnings can lead to great futures!
Siyabulela was keen to start a business of his own. He told us that he had finished matric and done 2 years study at tech but couldn’t find a job. When we asked him what he wanted to do, he said that he wanted to be involved in making movies as he loved watching them. Many people have grand ideas and big dreams but often they need to be brought down to earth to be able to put bread on the table. We challenged Siyabulela to think of what he could do if we gave him a loan of R 20. How could he make it grow by the next week? At first Siyabulela was reluctant to take the money saying that there was nothing he could do. We pressed him to think again. Could he sell something? Could he make something? Eventually Siyabulela said that he knew a friend who bought watches in town and resold them in the community. Our reluctant hero eventually took the money and we arranged to meet up again the following week. This time Siyabulela was all smiles and his confidence was blooming. He had bought one watch and then sold it, with the proceeds he had bought two more and sold them. He was now on a roll. A week later he paid back the R 20 loan and had R 120 in his pocket. Siyabulela is now looking out for a bigger business opportunity to grow his R 120. Who knows, perhaps we will get movies from the Siyabulela Studios one day!
The R 20 Challenge!
Why don’t you try out Siyabulela’s challenge for yourself? Here’s how. • Beg, borrow, or set aside just R 20. (Don’t cheat and add more money)
• Use the R 20 to buy or make something. (There are many ideas on this page)
• Sell your products to your friends and family, neighbours, anybody you can find. (Try to sell your goods for double the price you paid for them)
• Take all the money you get in from your sales and use it to buy more goods or materials.
• Surprise yourself with how much money you can make (after repaying the R 20) in one or two weeks.
• If you think you have done well, write in and tell us how has your understanding of business has changed?
Business ideas you can start from home with very little capital.
- Recycling business. You can collect empty cooldrink cans, bottles, bottle tops, scrap metal, used paper, ink cartridges and plastic and sell them to recycling plants.
- Home baking business. If you can bake and cook, you can bake cakes, biscuits chocolates, sweets and muffins, make jams, pickles and preserves or cook meals or make sandwiches for lunch and sell them in office buildings, near train stations or taxi ranks, at markets or supply existing shops.
- Sewing business. If you can sew, you can make clothing, toys, placemats, curtains, cushions, duvets, bed linen and so on. Your products can then be sold at craft markets, on street corners or you can supply craft and home industry shops.
- Craft business. You can make a wide range of crafts such as candles, soaps, wooden toys, wooden furniture, wind chimes, CD racks, mailboxes, brooms, brushes, jewellery boxes, woven baskets, jewellery, potpourri, lamp shades, ornaments, decoupage, bead-work and leather-work. These can be sold at craft markets or supplied to shops.
- Service business. If you have skills which you can offer other businesses then you can run a service business from your home. These can include document typing (letters, CVs, proposals, research papers, etc), research, web design, brochure design, book keeping, logo design, event management, public relations, training, marketing consulting, freelance writing, photography, beauty treatment, hair dressing, house painting, interior decorating, graffiti removal, window cleaning, car-washing, home cleaning, home-based selling and so on.
- Child-related business. You can offer a baby sitting service, make toys, sew baby and children's clothes, knit jerseys, make dolls and dolls' houses, make kites, re-sell used baby clothing, equipment and furniture, or offer entertainment at children's parties, such as puppet shows, or acting as a clown, fairy, or wizard. Business ideas you can start from home with very little capital
