Bringing ideas to life at the Nelspruit ENGEN Pitch & Polish event

Bringing ideas to life at the Nelspruit ENGEN Pitch & Polish event

 By BRIAN KAJENGO

Entrepreneurs in Nelspruit woke up early on Saturday 12 July 2014, tuned into their local radio station, heard the live interview and turned up in greater numbers than anticipated, to the ENGEN Pitch & Polish event.

Chairs quickly added to the back of the conference room at Emnotweni Arena, for over 200 people.

Celebrating five years of polishing entrepreneurial pitches, the ENGEN Pitch & Polish programme designed to provide business training and give local communities a stage to shine. Engen Petroleum Ltd, in partnership with business incubator, Raizcorp, and media partner SAfm, as well as local stakeholders, SEDA, NYDA and Kruger Lowveld Chamber of Business and Tourism joined forces to bring this workshop and competition to Nelspruit.

 The day provided an opportunity to have ideas brainstormed, tested and challenged – and ultimately for delegates to polish their pitches.

The day began watching a video clip, which captured the essence of events from previous years, setting the scene of what expected. Bret Saks, an expert in business renewal and performance improvement and a Strategy and Finance Guide at Raizcorp, facilitated the workshop. The workshop was highly interactive, where each individual stretched and pushed towards a deeper understanding of entrepreneurship and their business.

“Hope is not a strategy”, says Bret Saks. “As an entrepreneur you need courage, resilience, enthusiasm and focus too”, he continues. These characteristics are not enough to impress the participants who are primed to think and act like investors. It is evident that knowing your business inside and out is what will give you the foundation to pitch with conviction.

 Tina Baer (a winner and through to Round 2), Vincent Chawane, Bongani Mathebula, Themba Sehawu (a winner and through to Round 2) and Willy Sibuyi (a winner and through to Round 2), had a demanding day of pitching. The delegates, now investors, experienced a shift in their thinking to learn lessons for application in their working environment.

They initially had to pitch for 30 seconds, which over the course of the day fleshed out to become well-rounded three minute pitches, as part of the competition element, to judges, Janitta Pieterse, Manager, and Kruger Lowveld Chamber of Business, Flerrie Mashego, Coordinator Business Development Services, NYDA and Jodi Lynn Karpes, Managing Director, GreenQueen Communications. Characteristic to the ENGEN Pitch & Polish format is that entrepreneurs given feedback there and then. The truth, whether harsh or positive, shared in the moment so that the kinks ironed out and the brightness turned up.

 A few key learning from the day included:

·         Know your USP (unique selling point or proposition)

·         Look for efficiency in operations

·         Build a proof of concept

·         Always be prepared

·         Research - know your business and industry

All participants received world class training at the ENGEN Pitch & Polish event in Nelspruit with the hope that the day will nurture their entrepreneurial hearts.

“Today has highlighted for me how important guidance is to nurture entrepreneurs. Professional and expert guiding can really develop and grow the quality of entrepreneurs and Pitch & Polish offers that. We need more quality business people operating,” commented, April Motloung, Regional Manager, NYDA.

This winning formula of workshop-and-competition makes ENGEN Pitch & Polish one of the most stimulating business events of the year – where everyone leaves victorious and with tools to become a successful entrepreneur!

For more information or the opportunity to pitch on SAfm visit www.pitchandpolish.com.