The West Coast Business Development Centre’s (WCBDC) satellite office in St Helena Bay is proving to be an asset to the communities it serves.
Weslander reported in February that the WCBDC opened the centre to serve aspirant and existing business owners in the West Coast towns of Laingville, Steenberg’s Cove, Stompneusbaai, Velddrif and Lamberts Bay. This was made possible by Lucky Star, which forms part of the Oceana Group.
Programme Manager for the WCBDC, Chris Meyer, says they are appreciative of the contributions from Lucky Star that has allowed them to assist almost 200 people with a variety of services that has helped grow their businesses.
“The services offered ranged from receiving business advice, registering new companies and ensuring that small businesses have their ducks in a row to responding to business opportunities in St Helena Bay and the West Coast at large,” explains Meyer.
Meyer spends every Thursday at the St Helena Bay office, assisting SMMEs with company registrations and registration on various databases that allow them to respond to tenders advertised by large corporations and government.
“This is a sure indication that the contributions received from Lucky Star are adding real value to the local SMMEs and the demand for our services in this area is keeping us very busy from the time I arrive until I leave,” Meyer says.
Some of the training provided to business owners include courses in financial management, health and safety, first aid and computer training.
“The financial management training taught business owners to understand financial statements, prepare budgets, costing their products and to manage cash flow. Having a basic knowledge of computer programmes is a must in today’s business world for both employee and business owner,” Meyer said.
The first aid and health and safety training will enable business owners to tender for jobs at Lucky Star and other fishing companies in the area. “Working at heights is another requirement for suppliers to the fishing industry. Participants valued this course as it will prevent accidents that result in downtime, an unnecessary cost for small business owners,” he added.
There is such a demand for the service offered by the WCBDC that they needed to train an additional staff member to also assist entrepreneurs on a Thursday.
Staffer Luleka Khibithwayo says in addition to working in such a scenic environment, it is rewarding to be able to make a positive impact on the socio-economic conditions in these coastal communities.
According to Suleiman Salie, Managing Director for Lucky Star Operations, supporting the growth and development of small and medium businesses is critical in addressing South Africa’s high unemployment rate.
“It is our responsibility to convert our fishing rights into shared value, especially in the communities where we operate.
Lucky Star is proud to partner with WCBDC in this initiative, and we invite other corporates in the area to assist the WCBDC in providing additional services to small business owners,” Salie concluded.
Funding from other corporates in the area will assist the WCBDC to provide additional services to small business owners that will result in their growth and sustainability.
Visit their website on www.wcbdc.co.za.
