This week’s featured business, Express Employment Professionals South Africa, make it their daily mission to ‘help as many people as possible find good jobs by helping as many clients as possible find good people’.
The Express Employment Professionals Franchise was brought to South Africa in 1998 from the United States and currently has offices in Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Centurion, Durban, Midrand, Pietermaritzburg, Port Elizabeth, Pretoria, Randburg, Richards Bay, Sandton and Middelburg.
They are under the leadership of Managing Director, Carolyn Diaz, who joined Express as a Franchisee in 2006. With over 15 years’ experience in the staffing industry, a dynamic and driven personality and having owned her own successful independent staffing firm, she was approached by headquarters to fulfil the role of Managing Director in 2007. They have continued to flourish ever since.
Express South Africa currently employs 18 team members at the South African headquarters in Centurion and the franchisees around the country have different sized businesses, ranging from 3 to 20 employees.
But will all successes come range of challenges that need to be overcome. For Carolyn, ‘establishing oneself, and competing in a market (especially in the staffing industry), can be daunting as there is always someone who has more experience, has more money, and has entrenched themselves in the market and territory. Breaking into established markets and confidently competing was, and still is, challenging. It is also difficult to finance a small business. I always encourage anyone wanting to go into business to try and obtain potential business and or contracts, in order that they have a good and sure start to their venture.’
When asked what makes a successful entrepreneur, Carolyn explained that having a strong plan is essential – a financial plan, a marketing plan, a good business plan, and a plan to walk a path with passion for whatever it is the entrepreneur loves to do. She also emphasises the value of finding a good mentor and coach (either a business coach or business banker). But above all she emphasises that research, perseverance, passion, networking, hard work, surrounding oneself with a great team of people, great courage and strong faith are what truly make for a great entrepreneur.
Carolyn Diaz believes in the importance of supporting small business and their critical role in the economy and in job creation. She continues to state that South Africa has a beautiful, diverse culture and its people are talented with a strong survivalist mentality ‘Supporting small business is empowering, it’s that simple.’
Get behind small business today and keep the #SmallBizFriday momentum going.
For more on Express Employment Professionals visit:
www.expresspros.co.za
https://www.facebook.com/ExpressSA
https://twitter.com/ExpressSA
https://www.instagram.com/expresssouthafrica/
Small Business Friday is brought to you by the National Small Business Chamber (NSBC) and Nedbank (Title Sponsor) and encourages all South Africans to interact and support small business everyday; especially every Friday and even more so on Small Business Friday, the first Friday of Spring every year. This grows local communities, drives job creation and ultimately builds the nation. With your support small business will be able to employ more, therefore reducing rates of unemployment and harvesting the entrepreneurial spirit.
For more on Small Business Friday visit:
www.smallbusinessfriday.co.za
www.facebook.com/smallbizfriday
www.twitter.com/smallbizfriday
www.instagram.com/smallbizfriday
#SmallBizFriday