All posts filed under: Business

BREADrev launches SA’s first mobile bakery school

Published by Media Release

Efficient wood-fired rocket ovens and the aroma of baking bread have turned some local Kalk Bay bakers into change agents. “We’re passionate about baking bread and I love doing things differently so I started an uprising, so together with fellow revolutionary, Pete Rutherford, we’re focusing our skills and passion on teaching people in poor communities to bake bread in highly efficient and effective wood-fired rocket ovens, which require no electricity”, said Jeremy Barty, the visionary behind the project. “BREADrev is a mobile bakery school, the only one of its kind in South Africa”, said Barty. “Our ovens are portable and so is our bakery school. ‘Aside from my passion for baking artisan bread, I want BREADrev to help individuals and families create an income opportunity with minimal capital inputs and low overheads to generate daily revenue that is equal or better than basic formal employment’, said Barty. We launched our Thundafund campaign last month and our aim is to raise R45 000 for the first micro-bakery in Nkanini, Khayalitsha, one of the poorest communities in …

Small business – tips on weathering the storm

Published by Kim Barty

I’m reading Henri J M Nouwen’s, The Inner Voice of Love, his personal journal during a time of deep anguish to freedom. It’s a book about spiritual imperatives.  I wondered whether these could be mirrored in business imperatives.  So this is a journey I am going to pursue. Small business is under pressure and it is challenging to maintain a smile, hope, creativity and new ideas.  But small business is critical to our country’s blooming. Some estimates indicate that the total economic output of SMEs makes up about half of South Africa’s GDP and that SMEs provide employment to about 60% of South Africa’s labour force. In an SME (small to medium enterprise), there is usually a handful of people who come up with the idea, produce the item, take it to market, handle complaints, do the books, manage the admin, remember to tweet, capture news on Facebook, update the website, and make coffee.  When competition, rejection, regulation are just the breeze of any day, that’s a lot to manage without falling over. As an …

Dynamic Decorator launches in Brisbane

Published by Lois Nicholls

Interior decorator, Nicci Freeman, has launched her Brannic Interiors website in Australia. With her years of experience working for a range of clients in South Africa, Nicci brings an exciting new element to Brisbane’s interior decorating scene. Her love of fabrics and textures, and above all, her ability to transform a home into a sumptuous haven is a hallmark of her creativity. Whatever your requirement – renovating, starting a room from scratch or simply needing decorating advice – remotely via email or through a personal consultation, visit www.brannicinteriors.com.au Ph: 0413 445 628 (Australia), +61 413 445 628 (International) Email: info@brannicinteriors.com.au Twitter: www.twitter.com/niccifreeman Facebook: Brannic Interiors  

New Zealand-based specialists in Presentation Skills

Published by Lois Nicholls

OLIVIA MITCHELL, who together with husband, Tony, owns and operates one of New Zealand’s few businesses solely dedicated to running presentation skills training courses. JournoNews spoke with her. Tell us about your business, effective speaking, and how it started? We’re passionate about helping people become more confident and effective presenters. We’re one of the few businesses in New Zealand who only run presentation skills courses. Most other training organisations also do time management, negotiation etc. So we’re specialists and pretty obsessive about being up-to-date on research and current trends. Tony started the business about 10 years ago as a natural progression of his career. One of the things he particularly wanted to help people with was fear of public speaking. So he went to university and did a psychology degree and a post-graduate diploma in Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy ( a school of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) before starting the business. What do you love about your line of work? Challenges? We love seeing people gain confidence. There is nothing better than witnessing the transformation of someone who …

Joanne Kennard – Reaping the rewards of ‘jumping off a cliff’

Published by Lois Nicholls

What is your business and how did it start? Mums and Kids Enterprises started in 2005. The idea was to solve a problem I had with sheets, sheet bags and all the bits I had to remember to take to and from Childcare! This was the start of the Kozy Koala™ Sleepmat which is an all-in-one padded mat with attached sheet that folds into a pillow. We now have two brands Kozy Koala™ (www.kozykoala.com.au) and Kiddysac™ (www.kiddysac.com.au).  Kozy Koala™ has a range of new bedding solutions for children and the newly purchased Kiddysac™ range which are storage bags for busy little people and their treasures! What were the pitfalls? Not having local knowledge of where to find suppliers, manufacturers and retail outlets. Are you self-motivated? What inspires you? Yes, I am self motivated! I am up very early in the morning (around 5am) to start my day around 5.05am (that is enough time to put on my dressing gown and the jug for coffee!) I have owned my own businesses for over 12 years in …

Kim Barty, Trojan Horse, Cape Town

Published by Lois Nicholls

What is your business and how did it start? Trojan Horse is a specialist PR and communications business. I’d worked in corporate PR for years and had always longed to do my own thing. Two friends started a brand development business and asked me to join them, so I waved goodbye to my boss, packed up my desk and set up office in a corner in my little cottage. I used my pension payout to buy my first laptop – R25,000 in 2001, considering they are now under R10, 000, I thought that showed commitment! Words hold magic, and over the last year Trojan Horse has conceptualized and implemented some large scale communications campaign in the financial services industry: The Coffee Campaign for Board of Executives The Fine Art of Wine for Nedbank Sweet Success for Old Mutual Bonsai Campaign for Citadel In addition to these campaigns, Trojan Horse has focused on publicity in the lifestyle and sporting categories. Some of our clients include the Gourmet Festival, The SA Golf Open, Peninsula Beverage (Bottler of …

Tamryn Lee D’Aubrey, Toptots, Dubai

Published by Lois Nicholls

What do you love about living in Dubai? How long have you lived there? I’ve lived in Dubai for five and a half years. We have a great lifestyle here with lots of good friends. It’s really easy to travel from Dubai as it’s only a short flight to some beautiful and interesting destinations. What is Top Tots? Toptots is a development program for Mums and tots that has been designed by a team of educational and developmental specialists. At Toptots, we provide stimulating, fun, age-appropriate activities that develop the child holistically. Mums get to meet other Mums with children of the same age. What do you love about your job? I really love working with the kids. I love the interaction I have with the Mums; seeing Mums and kids having so much fun together in our stimulating, creative environment is very rewarding. The flexibility that my job gives me is great too. What does a typical day consist of? My day starts at 5:30am – this for me is the best time of …