During an interactive session on September 20th, 2023, Paulo da Santos, the founder of iEducate South Africa, shared his expertise with a group of Salesian learners enrolled in an entrepreneurship course. The discussion began by exploring the reasons why most SMEs struggle to succeed and eventually close. The learners were enthusiastic and engaged in the conversation, expressing a desire to learn practical strategies for implementing their business ideas and creating a profitable organization.
The session emphasized the importance of research, including understanding one’s product and market, as well as proper costing and accounting practices. The learners were introduced to free online tools that could improve their ventures and encouraged to move away from outdated methods of manual bookkeeping and costings.
In summary, while the learners showed potential, it became clear that further interactive sessions were necessary to provide them with more knowledge on available tools and guide them towards a positive mindset for success.
Paul Da Santos engaging with the learners at Salesians studying the Entrepreneurship course.