- Great experience working with you to gain clarity of what needs changing in my business. Stephen Jordan Access to Africa - 25 August 2011, Marketing Module
- The past four weeks have added invaluable skills and methodologies which I have implemented in my business. The facilitator was outstanding in imparting marketing techniques. Thank you Aurik for the Business Incubator opportunity!Kagiso Moima Blackmotion Productions - 1 September 2011, Marketing Module
- The module was fascinating and helped me to see the business from a different point of view. Focusing on how to organise different elements of the business was the best!Karabo Mathang P Management - 15 November 2011, Marketing Module
- The facilitator has a great understanding of who I am and what I want for myself and my business. Thank you.Romon Gardener Rocca Promotions - 27 October 2011, Strategy Module
- You have made me hungry for more - can't wait to do the other modules!Pap and Zol Bheki Yende - 23 November 2011, Marketing Module
- My eyes are wide open!!Sipho Maluleke Ekaya Office Furniture - 16 November 2011, Sales Module
- A very professional and well managed programme. Well done!Pragasen Ramiah Sanitation World - 15 November 2011, Marketing Module
- The experience was beneficial. I will be in a position to put into practise useful tools that I have learned.Charles Thiongo ACF Technologies - 14 October 2011, Marketing Module
- Very valuable process that has cleared up many points for me as a business owner and given me valuable tools to facilitate the processes and changes needed in my business.Stephen Jordan Access to Africa - 13 October 2011, Sales Module
- I am very happy with the services and I have benefited greatly from the sales module. I would say keep on doing what you are doing for you really are making a difference. Thabiso Mango Siphethumnotho Investment Holdings - 18 February 2011, Sales Module
- The content was invaluable to me in both my business and personal life. I learnt not to over-analyse processes and to get them done. The module helped me break down processes in my business.Brendan Naidoo Good to Great Gifts - 3 June 2011, Sales Module
- Having never done any sales, this has been a tremendous challenge but at the same time it has opened up my understanding of the tools necessary in the business process.Ashley Hendricks Bursary Management Systems - 1 July 2011, Sales Module
- I found the module very useful, especially in helping me focus on important issues within the business.Renier Dreyer Crunchyard - 14 December 2010, Sales Module
- The module was very helpful and I have learnt alot in a short space of time. I am now confident that I can start growing my business. Thanks a mil!!!Thabiso Mango Siphethumnotho Investment Holdings - 14 January 2011, Marketing Module
- The module assisted us in clarifying our structure thereby reducing potential conflicts and confusion.Norman Hlakudi Titan Trade Technologies - 15 June 2011, Human Resources Module
- My facilitator was friendly and professional through all my sessions. Thanks for an awesome module, it will really change the way I run my business!Babalwa Rasane Urban Glamour - 14 July 2011, Sales Module
- The module was excellent and the facilitator was great at addressing the issues of my business, always adapting the module to demonstrate the benefits of the marketing concepts to my business and my strengths.Brendan Naidoo Good to Great Gifts - 8 April 2011, Marketing Module
- Aurik's advice and coaching methods were extremely beneficial to me and my management, it was an eye opener in a lot of areas of our business processes. Patrick Makhubela Neledzi Services (Pty) Ltd - 6 June 2011
- I think that you chose the right facilitator for the marketing module. She is so passionate about what she does. It keeps you interested and instils confidence.Neo Moleko Mandatory Placements - 24 March 2011, Marketing Module
- It was very encouraging for me to get a professional independent opinion regarding the potential value of Clicks2Dreams. Your re-orientation of the business to market to NGOs at launch is sheer genius.AJ Munian Clicks2Dreams - 3 June 2011
- Since I started attending training and applying the skills acquired at Aurik we have managed to triple our turnover in a month's time (a miracle).Sandile Zwane Flybrother SA - 3 March 2011
- I cannot think of anything else that could be improved on, the level of service that we received was amazing. Moloabi Boipelo Pele Green Energy
- 10/10 for the content and the facilitator! Cannot give any suggestions currently, have learnt alot. Thank you for giving me the tools to sort the sales out. Heather Smithard Webmedia - 29 July 2011, Sales Module
- 10/10 on the module content and the facilitator - It was great as is!Ashley Hendricks Bursary Management Systems - 1 April 2011, Marketing Module
- The program was excellent and execution immaculate, we are blessed to have gone through the module.Gqi Raoleka Pele Green Energy - 23 June 2011, Marketing Module
- Aurik added enormous value in our business processes, risk indicators and referrals to other professionals who helped us with the functionality of our website.Patrick Makhubela Neledzi Services (Pty) Ltd - 6 June 2011
- We do not know how we could've articulated our offering without this process. I cannot put into words the amount of gratitude we have towards Aurik. Thapelo Motlegeloa Pele Green Energy - 23 June 2011, Marketing Module
- If they don't fail outright, most businesses fail to fully achieve their potential. Michael Gerber Business - Achievement - Failure
- The industry is very new and I think more clients will benefit from Aurik’s better understanding. I will certainly recommend to other businesses. Obakeng Moloabi Pele Green Energy - 12 August 2011, Sales Module
- In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensible.Dwight. D. Eisenhower U.S. President
- The facilitators were driven, informative, enthusiastic, professional and inspiring.Moloabi Obakeng Pele Green Energy
- At the end of the project, they packaged an intensive report with graphs indicating all our shortcomings, and professional recommendations to improve our business processes for our consideration. We have already implemented most of the recommendations and business is looking better and stable, our business confidence has improved.Patrick Makhubela Neledzi Services (Pty) Ltd - 6 June 2011
- Entreprenuership is neither a science nor an art. It is a practice. Peter Drucker The Man Who Invented Management
- The facilitator really understood my issues? 10/10. I learned useful skills through the module? 10/10Heather Smithard Websister - 12 April 2011, Marketing Module
- It was of great personal relief to me when you recognised the potential of our business and agreed to air our project and I began to feel less lonely.Ian Wright Ozone Services Industries - 7 April 2011
- I am so grateful to you and your company for your passion, drive and insight you've imparted to me relating to business. I believe that if struggling SME's were to get the same opportunity as I did they would surely turn the tide. Thank you so much!Sandile Zwane Flybrother SA - 3 March 2011
- The entrepreneur builds an enterprise; the technician builds a job.Michael Gerber Entrepreneurs - Jobs
- I wouldn’t change anything, only compliment the high quality of mentoring I am receiving with the organisation. Also would like to thank the facilitator for an eye opening session. Thabang Kubheka Lunakho Productions - 4 August 2011, Marketing Module
- If we could first know where we are, and whither we are tending, we could then better judge what to do, and how to do it. Abraham Lincoln USA President
- The bottom line is that I very much appreciate your interest in OSI, am enjoying working with Aurik and look forward to holding hands with Aurik at least for the next couple of years as we move to bigger and greater things.Ian Wright Ozone Services Industries - 7 April 2011
- Having someone to bounce ideas off and discuss our business with was invaluable. It was good to walk away knowing that I am on the right path. I left with renewed vigour and look forward to 2011.Donald Truluck Pneu Technologies - 8 February 2011
- Your breakdown of what Mooi needed to move to the next level had switched a light bulb on in my mind. A huge thank you for your insights.Karen Koen Mooi Hair & Beauty Salon - 12 November 2010
- The module was the best investment of my time this year, assisted us in turning the business around. Langa Sangoni Apple Green - 9 November 2011, Financial Module
- I have been made to feel comfortable and I have been given a system and tools that I know will be helpful to my business. Thanks to the facilitator and the Aurik Team.Thabang Kubheka Lunakho Production and Staging - 3 November 2011, Sales Module
Real People Doing Unreal Things
- Publication – Financial Mail
- By – Ian Fife
- Date – 13 July 2007
Quietly out of sight to most of the world in their trendy Johannesburg central city office, Carien Engelbrecht and Pavlo Phitidis are building their business from investment opportunities at the bottom of the economic pile, among the city’s informal traders.
Their company, Aurik, has researched 27 services to Jo’burg’s poor and upwardly mobile – mainly food, health, leisure and logistics. They have identified the best informal companies and are trying to develop them into formal ventures. Who, for instance, would have guessed there was a market for a chain of inner-city fitness centres?
“We’re rolling out our third branch of SmartGym, six months after launching,” says Engelbrecht. Others are lined up to launch. Aurik launched as a venture capital business incubator in 2003, funding IT start-up company Mira Networks. “That’s now a successful mobile data aggregator based in Rosebank and provides Aurik’s cash flow,” says Phitidis. “We moved into the city a year ago to turn informal businesses into formal ventures.”
They won’t reveal the opportunities their research has revealed, but they are happy to talk about the potential failures. “We were surprised to discover, for example, that moving hairdressing from the streets into formal shops won’t work,” says Engelbrecht. “You have the paradox of consumers sitting in plastic chairs on the pavement for between two and five hours, paying R80-R120. They want to swap it for a cup of coffee, some warmth and quiet in a salon and feeling special, but can’t pay R200, the cost to make it viable.
“Though all the hairdressers compete with each other in one area, they don’t want to move into a shop. They are close to the main braid suppliers because they don’t have to carry stock,” she explains.
Crèches and child care are another non starter. “There’s a lot of uncertainty concerning children in the city,” says Engelbrecht. “Some children never leave their building. Their parents drop them off at a flat, where they are crowded with other children until the end of the day. It’s not healthy but few inner-city working parents are prepared to spend R300/month for a proper crèche.”
Aurik has a clear process of developing ventures
- Research the service and the market, before selecting a partner with skill and expertise. “If it looks probable that we can build it into a R20m business in five years, we move to the next stage,” says Phitidis.
- Market strategy. “We focus on how we can make a business operational until critical mass is reached,” he says.
- Paying a lot of attention to governance and management processes.
- Launching the business and ramping it up to three or more times its size.
Underlying it all, though, says Phitidis: “We love risk.”
by PauseBreak