RIVERSANDS GROWTH & LEARNING

We equip entrepreneurs with information, insights, tools and training to improve the quality of their business.

Our Growth & Learning pillar is open to on-campus entrepreneurs as well as members of the Riversands Entrepreneur Alliance.

INFORMATION, WORKSHOPS & TRAINING:

We offer a rich mix of guest lectures, workshops, information sessions delivered by specialists and practical training to help entrepreneurs and their teams build vital business management expertise.

We recognise that entrepreneurs are busy; our courses are designed to be short so that entrepreneurs are not taken out of their business for long periods of time.

In addition to the face-to-face lectures and workshops, Riversands Incubation Hub has launched the Riversands Business Academy in partnership with the African Management Initiative (AMI) to deliver online and blended learning solutions to on-campus entrepreneurs and their staff. In keeping with the Riversands philosophy, the Riversands Business Academy is designed with entrepreneurs mind and is tailored to suit the South African business environment. It is easy to access and available 24/7.

CRITERIA:

To qualify for Growth & Learning entrepreneurs need to meet the following criteria you have to be a member of the Riversands Entrepreneur Alliance

Markets and Back-office services are available to on-campus entrepreneurs with special offers extended to selected members of the Riversands Entrepreneur Alliance. [Riversands Entrepreneur Alliance was established to cater for business owners to take advantage of the entrepreneur support programmes offered at Riversands Incubation Hub. Once on the database, members of the Riversands Entrepreneur Alliance receive invitations to events and updates on what is available to help them grow their businesses.]

COSTS:

Premises at Riversands Incubation Hub are available at a highly subsidised rate of R54 per square metre. The three other support pillars are available at affordable prices or free of charge thanks to corporate sponsorship.

RIVERSANDS BUSINESS ACADEMY:

Riversands Business Academy has:

• 45 practical business management modules covering topics including:

• Programmes are delivered via the internet, mobile and in-person workshops
• Completion certificates are issued per module completed.

The full Growth & Learning programme is available on the Riversands website, Facebook page as well as on noticeboards in the Riversands Café and reception areas. Entrepreneurs can also register to receive email invites and updates. In addition to the topic description, each training intervention carries indicators depicting the level of information covered – from introductory (Intro), intermediate (Builder) to advanced (Master).

TRAINING

As business owners grow and develop, they require a range of skills and insights. Training covers five streams:

• Sales & Marketing: The mastery of marketing and sales is essential for ensuring the growth and survival for small businesses. This stream covers the many facets of marketing and selling skills.
• Teams and Organisation: Hiring the right people is critical but it’s not enough. This stream covers how small business owners can shape employees into a productive, motivated workforce.
• Workplace skills: Our workplace skills stream equips entrepreneurs’ employees with the necessary skills to be an asset in any small business. This could include anything from computer skills, customer care to more technical training.
• Finance & Operations: Finance provides the information necessary informed decision-making while operations ensure the smooth day-to-day running of the business. This stream covers the many financial, compliance and operational aspects of a business. We also have regular seminars on accessing funding for business growth.
• Leadership & Strategy: The importance of leadership and leading according to a strategy can never be underestimated. This stream deals with the broad topic of leadership, entrepreneur personal development and strategy.
• Industry-specific: Each industry is unique and has a set of ‘unwritten rules’. In this stream, we introduce entrepreneurs to industry-leaders and subject experts to give insider information about the workings of different sectors.

MENTORING AND COACHING

At Riversands, we believe that coaching and mentoring have different roles and both play a crucial part in developing entrepreneurial skills and personal effectiveness.

Coaching

Coaching is a structured process to improve the entrepreneur’s ability to do the various and functions need to make a business successful. This can include selling, managing a sales pipeline, marketing, finance, people management, administration through to quality management and the technical aspects of manufacturing. An entrepreneur may be assigned a different coach for different skill sets. Coaching at Riversands is done both one-on-one and in groups.

Mentoring

The original sense of the word mentor is a “wise or trusted advisor or teacher”. At Riversands, mentors are experienced, successful business people who preferably come from the same industry as the entrepreneur they are mentoring. They are able to pass on knowledge that cannot be found in textbooks and open doors to otherwise out-of-reach opportunities.

Mentors are typically busy people whose availability to meet with an entrepreneur may be limited to one or two hours every two or three months.  However, the extensive experience our mentors have usually allows them to quickly identify key issues and offer valuable insights and suggestions within that time.

Source: www.riversandsihub.co.za