Felicia Motau | All Solutionz

Programme sponsor: Vergenoeg Mining Company (VMC)

“I’m proud that I’ve achieved the targets I set myself for year five in business within my second year.”

I worked in banking for eight years, gaining experience in the financial services sector and becoming the manager of a branch. I worked with entrepreneurs and that’s what gave me my business idea. When I went on maternity leave in 2021, it gave me time to get a clear understanding of what I wanted, including the flexibility to work the hours that suit me – when my brain is at its best – instead of having to work an eight-to-five job.

I registered my business in 2021 and after three months back at work I resigned. From the beginning of 2022, I was permanently employed by my company, All Solutionz (Pty) Ltd.

Today, I’m a 31-year-old black, female entrepreneur. My company, based in Thembisile Hani Local Municipality in Mpumalanga, is a registered financial service and credit provider and has three departments: financial skills training (mainly financial education), supplies (predominantly office consumables and cleaning equipment), and sales and HR (selling outsourced professional systems as a third-party supplier, such as Sage software).

Progress and motivation

One of the things I’m proud of is the strategic partnerships I have developed with big entities, such as government and development agencies, which are helping the business to grow and thrive. I’ve also managed to open my second branch. My goal is to have four branches by 2026 so I can reach more of my clients and help other small businesses and entrepreneurs to reach their own goals. My bigger goal is to help bring about change in South Africa by helping to create jobs, to alleviate poverty and to show people that we matter – small businesses matter. Even if you’re only employing one other person, you’re making a change in our economy.

I’m motivated by my family. Firstly, by my late mom. I still look up to what she taught me today, even though she is no longer around. She taught me that as a woman, I have to be bold and determined to do my best independently. She taught me that with education, hard work and determination, I can never go wrong and indeed these are the ingredients I roll with daily. She is my precious angel.

I’m also motivated by my father, who has been an entrepreneur since he was 16. I look up to him and he’s also my business coach. He and my son are my motivation to keep pushing every day.

Lifelong learning

When I started the business, one of my goals was to gain competence and knowledge through doing courses, including the Raizcorp programme. I believe learning should be an ongoing process. I came across the Raizcorp programme on Instagram and applied. I was fortunate to be accepted. It’s not an easy programme – you have to be very disciplined, manage your diary strictly and be accountable to your guides. They’re not there to do the work for you to move your business forward – they will help you to channel your thought processes to do the work yourself.

The programme has helped me to move from “technician mode” in my business to “director mode”. I’m able to delegate better, rather than trying to juggle everything myself. I’ve grown from one employee when I started to three full-time employees now, which I’m proud of.

Advice for other entrepreneurs

My advice to other entrepreneurs is to continue learning and implementing – it’s continuous. Entrepreneurs need to be well-informed to stay ahead of competitors. I also don’t think you can be a successful entrepreneur without discipline. You need to know your goals, live up to them and build a strong business culture by setting a good example. You need to move from being a boss to being a leader by modelling the things you want to see in your team. You need to respect one another and remember that you need your employees as much as they need you.

I think it’s also important to stay eager. I believe that if I’m not growing in my business; if I settle for what’s become easy, my business has failed because it’s no longer pushing me forward.

A message for my sponsor

I appreciate Vergenoeg Mining Company (VMC) for believing in me, and for the opportunity they’ve granted me. They trusted that I would do the work and excel. So, I would like to thank them for seeing the potential in me – I hope they will continue to help others like me. I’d also like to thank my Raizcorp guides, who have challenged me and made me stronger and wiser. They really know their stuff and they have helped me in every aspect of my journey.