MAKHADO (LOUIS TRICHARDT) – The Soutpansberg Chamber of Commerce has taken a new approach towards the hosting of their annual Soutpansberg Entrepreneurs Week from 5 until 10 September this year.

Following an executive meeting on Monday, it was decided that more emphasis should be placed on catering for the needs of local businesses, including members and non-members of the Chamber. Although the competition aspect of the Entrepreneurs Week will remain, allowing only high school learners to enter this year and doing away with the categories for primary schools and school leavers, the Chamber opted to put in more effort towards developing business skills. To this end, the Entrepreneurs Week will stop focussing mainly on the entrepreneurial aspect and can now be seen as more of a Business Week.

Already plans are underway to host several workshops over a five-day period. These workshops will, amongst others, focus on business planning, good book keeping principals, the compilation of a business plan, the importance of marketing and much, much more. The idea is to sharpen business owners’ business skills, while at the same time offering those wishing to start a new business a spring board into the business world.

This new approach to the annual Entrepreneurs Week was well received. It can been seen as a deliberate attempt by the Chamber to uplift the standard of service delivery to its members even further. More information about the planned Business Week will be made available closer to the time.