“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,” said Nelson Mandela. Our society lives by this quote, not purely because it is from the father of the nation and a world renowned leader of his time. Chiefly because from a tender age, the average South African child is taught to aspire towards prestigious educational achievements in order to change his or her life.  

As a child growing up in this society you become accustomed to phrases such as “education will open many doors for you” and with a childlike faith, you grow up and set out to make this happen. This can be misleading and give people the false impression that every educated individual will be successful upon completing school. Many parents overlook the need to prepare their children adequately for the harsh and disappointing reality of unemployment after graduating from college, university or any other institution of higher learning.  

When a fresh graduate is faced with such a predicament, it is best to opt for the entrepreneur route.  What’s better than waiting tirelessly to find employment, whilst frying your brains in your mother’s house, than starting a business of your own? Bearing in mind every prospective entrepreneur starts a business with the hope that it will flourish and be able to address the societal need of providing employment while making profit.  

Congratulations to both our nation’s graduates who were fortunate enough to find employment and a big shout-out to those who started their own businesses straight out of varsity. If you are looking to kick-start something along your interests or qualifications this year or just looking for inspiration while weighing your options, let’s delve into some must-have essentials to position your business to prosper in just under a year:  

• An authentic product or service in demand and can satisfy a need or want in your community. Your business offering needs to be first and foremost attractive to people. If you are already thinking major profits, perhaps you would like to move that down your priority list for later.
• Educate yourself and your fellow business partners. Attend free seminars, small business events and research government funding opportunities. There is a wealth of information in inspirational and educational books from successful businessmen and women you must read to prepare you for challenges you will face in the near future as a business owner.
• Take your business online. Think big, think e-commerce, think digital. You can take advantage of Google Adwords for online advertising and search engine optimization (SEO) strategies. Make sure you have a mobile friendly website and tap into the world of mobile commerce for your business. Your customers are connecting to the internet (google and social media) through mobile devices - meet them there.

You are a young business that is keeping up with the times and your ever-evolving target market. Although Desktop PCs are great for conducting business, I do not see you travelling in-between meetings with one in your back seat. Check out the HP 250 range of entry-level laptops and notebooks for professionals on the move. You need devices ideal for everyday computing on the go. Your business will rarely be in one place.  

“Changing the world is the first step, believing you can is the next step and then aligning this with your passion is the last step. If you do those three things, the money will come.” Some startups might not give the necessary attention to Intrapreneur Tim Denning’s belief and might make up the 90% of businesses that fail within the first five years. Choose not to be part of that statistic.