Not a walk in the park
Danny Meyer’s primary role is to develop programmes, initiatives and activities that will help Namibians of all ages start and grow a business.
Elizabeth Joseph
Business and economics have always fascinated Danny Meyer, the founder of SMEs Compete.
For as long as he can remember, Meyer has always harboured a desire to venture into business.
“Then when an opportunity presented itself, decades before most of the readers of your publication were even a twinkle in their mother's eye, I embarked on my entrepreneurial journey.” Meyer said.
Since then hardly a day has passed without excitement, in one form or another.
So while it does not require any tertiary education for one to venture into and make a success of a business, the importance of gaining skills and knowledge, eventually even a diploma and a degree, must not be underestimated, Meyer said.
“There are many ways to learn on your entrepreneurial journey, starting with attending business skills development programmes such as those run by SMEs Compete - all home-grown and developed to suit the needs of Namibia's fledgling and budding entrepreneurs who are operating in this business environment.
“Resultantly our training is inclusive and the content practical in nature, with knowledge gained easily applied in business, irrespective of the size or nature of the enterprise,” he said.
His roles
Meyer’s primary role is to develop programmes, initiatives and activities that will help Namibians of all ages start and grow a business.
He also helps colleagues and others with an interest in enterprise and entrepreneurial development implement and run their programme or activity.
Ancillary roles include the provision of business mentorship and growth support to entrepreneurs across Namibia, including to colleagues and interns.
Overcoming hurdles
“Balancing the long hours of work that inevitably result from starting and running a business with the needs of a family and family life more broad. In the process of engaging in this balancing act, avoid neglecting one or the other.
“Being an entrepreneur is not an eight-to-five job, so finding time to routinely socialise with family and friends, or to regularly engage in a sport or hobby, is also rather challenging. As for accomplishments, well there is little to beat seeing your business creation flourish.
“At SMEs Compete, the greatest satisfaction for me is to see first-hand the entrepreneurs’ one works with, grow their enterprise. And thereby to marvel at the contribution that they make every day towards the development of Namibia's economy,” Meyer said.
A day in the office
As the nature of SMEs Compete's work is to help entrepreneurs create wealth and jobs, in a manner tailored to the needs of the entrepreneur, no two days are alike, according to Meyer.
He says they respond to the needs of individuals, and although some can, most of those needs cannot be anticipated or predicted.
“My day at the office starts circa 07:00 and typically ends at 19:00, although it reduces time-wise on Saturdays and Sundays.”
Meyer says that having the benefit of being a little older and having more knowledge is the only thing that sets him apart from his colleagues. Other than that they work as a team, striving for a common goal.
“I have the benefit of age on my side and with age comes knowledge and hopefully wisdom too. In reality there is really nothing that sets me apart from colleagues. We are all the same and work towards striving for a common goal - promoting entrepreneurship and an enterprise culture,” he said.
Advice
“If you feel that entrepreneurial pull, consider yielding to it. Be bold and be brave. Don't shy away from taking that first step on your entrepreneurial journey. If the will exists there is going to be a way to find the means to venture into business - that needed funding or resources - but don't go into business for the wrong reason, such as the failure to find a job or to secure employment.
“Some misguided person will tell you that with some training, an equipment grant and a little seed funding or a micro-loan you can start and will run a business with ease,” Meyer added.
The future
He hopes to help his partner Claudine Mouton with growing SMEs Compete and tweak and improve the business model, thereby underscoring the organisation's viability and sustainability in the long run.
In the longer term he wants to replicate the SMEs Compete business model in other countries in southern Africa.
“Although foreign investment helps, it is grassroots entrepreneurship that grows an economy.”
Meyer loves economics and entrepreneurship. He also enjoys reading, writing, history and community service through the Rotary Club, as well as travelling and exploring new places, all and any music, the arts and the theatre.
Business and economics have always fascinated Danny Meyer, the founder of SMEs Compete.
For as long as he can remember, Meyer has always harboured a desire to venture into business.
“Then when an opportunity presented itself, decades before most of the readers of your publication were even a twinkle in their mother's eye, I embarked on my entrepreneurial journey.” Meyer said.
Since then hardly a day has passed without excitement, in one form or another.
So while it does not require any tertiary education for one to venture into and make a success of a business, the importance of gaining skills and knowledge, eventually even a diploma and a degree, must not be underestimated, Meyer said.
“There are many ways to learn on your entrepreneurial journey, starting with attending business skills development programmes such as those run by SMEs Compete - all home-grown and developed to suit the needs of Namibia's fledgling and budding entrepreneurs who are operating in this business environment.
“Resultantly our training is inclusive and the content practical in nature, with knowledge gained easily applied in business, irrespective of the size or nature of the enterprise,” he said.
His roles
Meyer’s primary role is to develop programmes, initiatives and activities that will help Namibians of all ages start and grow a business.
He also helps colleagues and others with an interest in enterprise and entrepreneurial development implement and run their programme or activity.
Ancillary roles include the provision of business mentorship and growth support to entrepreneurs across Namibia, including to colleagues and interns.
Overcoming hurdles
“Balancing the long hours of work that inevitably result from starting and running a business with the needs of a family and family life more broad. In the process of engaging in this balancing act, avoid neglecting one or the other.
“Being an entrepreneur is not an eight-to-five job, so finding time to routinely socialise with family and friends, or to regularly engage in a sport or hobby, is also rather challenging. As for accomplishments, well there is little to beat seeing your business creation flourish.
“At SMEs Compete, the greatest satisfaction for me is to see first-hand the entrepreneurs’ one works with, grow their enterprise. And thereby to marvel at the contribution that they make every day towards the development of Namibia's economy,” Meyer said.
A day in the office
As the nature of SMEs Compete's work is to help entrepreneurs create wealth and jobs, in a manner tailored to the needs of the entrepreneur, no two days are alike, according to Meyer.
He says they respond to the needs of individuals, and although some can, most of those needs cannot be anticipated or predicted.
“My day at the office starts circa 07:00 and typically ends at 19:00, although it reduces time-wise on Saturdays and Sundays.”
Meyer says that having the benefit of being a little older and having more knowledge is the only thing that sets him apart from his colleagues. Other than that they work as a team, striving for a common goal.
“I have the benefit of age on my side and with age comes knowledge and hopefully wisdom too. In reality there is really nothing that sets me apart from colleagues. We are all the same and work towards striving for a common goal - promoting entrepreneurship and an enterprise culture,” he said.
Advice
“If you feel that entrepreneurial pull, consider yielding to it. Be bold and be brave. Don't shy away from taking that first step on your entrepreneurial journey. If the will exists there is going to be a way to find the means to venture into business - that needed funding or resources - but don't go into business for the wrong reason, such as the failure to find a job or to secure employment.
“Some misguided person will tell you that with some training, an equipment grant and a little seed funding or a micro-loan you can start and will run a business with ease,” Meyer added.
The future
He hopes to help his partner Claudine Mouton with growing SMEs Compete and tweak and improve the business model, thereby underscoring the organisation's viability and sustainability in the long run.
In the longer term he wants to replicate the SMEs Compete business model in other countries in southern Africa.
“Although foreign investment helps, it is grassroots entrepreneurship that grows an economy.”
Meyer loves economics and entrepreneurship. He also enjoys reading, writing, history and community service through the Rotary Club, as well as travelling and exploring new places, all and any music, the arts and the theatre.
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