The
SME Zone will feature step-by-step guides on how to identify, start and grow a successful business; educational modules such as The Small Business MBA; real-life mentoring sessions with experts; and tips and inspiration from some of South Africa’s top entrepreneurs.
“Nine out of 10 small businesses fail within the first three years,” says Semeyi Zake, creator and executive producer of the SME Zone. “That’s a terrible waste of hope, energy, and resources. We aim to give entrepreneurs a fighting chance, via clear templates and business models that will greatly increase their chances of success.”
Some of the shows in the SME Zone line-up include:
Jumpstart (self-help jobs you can start with R500 or less);
Biz Guide 101 (a blueprint for running 25 popular businesses);
Pimp my Bizz (revamping a faltering enterprise);
Pitch & Polish (a nationwide search for the best ideas); and
SME Funding.
The SME Zone is a weekend extension of Times Media’s finance and news channel, Business Day TV. It follows the success of programmes like
The Big Small Business Show, now in its fourth year.
“We realised there’s a hunger for business knowledge beyond the markets and corporate deals. As a channel, we are passionate about small business, realising that this is where we can make an impact in addressing the country’s skills gap and play our role in creating employment and growing this economy,” Zake adds.
Vernon Matzopoulos, head of broadcast at Times Media, says; “We’re looking to help grow the next generation of business, and TV is an incredibly powerful medium of instruction to drive that. Thanks to DStv’s generosity in making the airtime available, we can now reach into 5.5 million homes – and hopefully inspire a small business revolution.”
For more information, visit
www.dstv.com. Alternatively, connect with
Facebook or on
Twitter.