{"id":257807,"date":"2020-05-19T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-05-19T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/257807\/young-businesswoman-remains-positive-while-trying-to-keep-her-business-afloat\/"},"modified":"2020-05-18T15:02:17","modified_gmt":"2020-05-18T13:02:17","slug":"young-businesswoman-remains-positive-while-trying-to-keep-her-business-afloat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/news-headlines\/2020\/05\/19\/young-businesswoman-remains-positive-while-trying-to-keep-her-business-afloat\/","title":{"rendered":"Young businesswoman remains positive while trying to keep her business afloat"},"content":{"rendered":"

Twenty-six-year-old business owner Nomsa Nhlabathi and her staff have been feeling the side effects of the lockdown.<\/p>\n

She has, however, made it her mission to remain positive and lift her staff up where she can.<\/p>

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Nhlabathi is an entrepreneur at heart and takes the lead, although the rest of her team has the freedom to grow within any space they choose.<\/p>\n

Her Bedfordview business recently turned a year old.<\/p>

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\u201cI chose Bedfordview as my business’ headquarters because I grew up in the East Rand and I wanted to be a part of the change which will completely shift the quality of the East Rand.<\/p>\n

\u201cI see the potential of its growth and I want to contribute immensely to it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Nhlabathi\u2019s father is a warrant officer at the Bedfordview Police Station.<\/p>\n

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Business owner Nomsa Nhlabathi.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI spent most of my childhood admiring Bedfordview and as I grew older, I knew it could be and would be a place for business,\u201d said Nhlabathi.<\/p>\n

On why she decided to start her own business, Nhlabathi said while studying for her BCom in economics, she needed a job, and worked for a prominent business.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe business I started out with was impressed by my business acumen and hired me on the spot.<\/p>\n

\u201cI quickly realised I was innovative in my methods and the systems I had established for myself brought success to the business,\u201d said Nhlabathi.<\/p>\n

She added she has always loved business as a whole, and wanted her own business as the best retirement plan for herself.<\/p>\n

She registered her business in 2017, and had a number of challenges launching it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had run out of money and I could not market it as well as I would have loved to,\u201d said Nhlabathi.<\/p>\n

Even with many struggles, she described having her own business as a joyful experience.<\/p>\n

Nhlabathi sites educating in-house and outsourced staff as bringing joy to her.<\/p>\n

\u201cI enjoy that I am able to constantly pour into my staff, in spheres of life related and unrelated to my business,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

She also stated her clients have become like family and it makes her happy.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen they invite me for their family functions or lunches or anything else outside of work, it truly warms my heart,\u201d said Nhlabathi.<\/p>\n

On difficulties being a business owner, Nhlabathi said she is a problem solver and loves being one.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur biggest hurdle would have to be the bootstrapping.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have great ideas on how to run the business, how to grow it and how to impact more people but the ideas need resources,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

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Nhlabathi described these resources as not immediately available without financing; therefore, bootstrapping is a process she needs to go through until there is no need to go through it anymore.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have been blessed with a staff who understand that,\u201d said Nhlabathi.<\/p>\n

Nhlabathi\u2019s business has been affected negatively as a result of the lockdown.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are a commission-based business with normal business overheads. so we are expected to pay those regardless of whether or not we are making sales,\u201d said Nhlabathi.<\/p>\n

The businesswoman said level four of the lockdown is no different from complete lockdown as certain businesses, including her own, are not allowed to operate.<\/p>\n

She added that her business has hardly stayed afloat.<\/p>\n

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Business owner Nomsa Nhlabathi.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI expected SMMEs would be hit harder than most, therefore, I was a little bit prepared and assisted some of my staff with food, data, some rent and other essentials they may have needed,\u201d said Nhlabathi.<\/p>\n

Nhlabathi believes her staff have been affected terribly, although she has tried her best to keep the spirits up through bi-weekly meetings.<\/p>\n

She described her staff as having high energy, as most of them are extroverts and keeping them home and happy has been a struggle for her.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am mostly concerned about their mental health coming back and the adjustments needed to in order for the team to thrive, but I am excited about bringing new people and expanding my business,\u201d said Nhlabathi.<\/p>\n

Because of the nature of her business, Nhlabathi said she was unable to get SMME fund relief but she and her team are staying positive and looking forward to the new normal.<\/p>\n

* Notice: Coronavirus reporting at Caxton Local Media aims to combat fake news<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Dear reader,<\/em><\/p>\n

As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as \u201cfake news\u201d) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19.<\/em><\/p>\n

Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za<\/a>) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za<\/a>).<\/em><\/p>\n

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Contact the newsroom by emailing: Melissa Hart (Editor)\u00a0<\/span>germistoncitynews@caxton.co.za,<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>Leigh Hodgson (News Editor)\u00a0<\/span>leighh@caxton.co.za\u00a0<\/a><\/strong>or Busi Vilakazi (Journalist)\u00a0busiv@caxton.co.za.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

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