Shakeel Karjieker

Shakeel relished the idea of setting up a real business for himself.
He jokes that he went to university only to become a typical Indian “brother behind the counter”.
Being able to dream big business dreams and pursue his own vision excited him.

The entrepreneurship journey changed Shakeel for the better.
The change was so big that an old friend noticed and commented on it.
The peaks and valleys of entrepreneurship teach you to deal with hardship and with success.

The digital industry has a lot of opportunities, but is not right for everyone.
Choose an industry you understand, enjoy and in which you feel you have a calling.
Use tech to enhance your business.

While a business plan must be comprehensive, it doesn’t have to be complicated.
The business plan must include your vision for your business.
Having a plan doesn’t guarantee a straight road to success; you will have to adapt your route but your vision will keep you focused on the end goal.

Start small and test the market, because not every product is a good product.
The testing process gives you the opportunity to improve your product.
Gain visibility and feedback through social media, as well as your personal networks and local resources, such as craft markets.

Product testing doesn’t have to be a big and expensive exercise.
Start by exposing people to your product and looking at their reaction.
You can get the same results using different, and simpler research methods.

The four stages of funding are self-funding, help from family and friends, bootstrapping and seed funding.
For others to invest in you, you have to display qualities such as trustworthiness, honesty and self-motivation.
Look to VCs or angel investors for seed funding because they understand business dynamics better than the banks.

All you need to create a business in the legal sense is a name and CIPC registration.
The first priority is to register with SARS and become tax compliant, as that opens many doors.
Watch your spending and adhere to the principle of money in before money out.

Marketing and sales must be the focus in the first 100 days.
The job is to build marketing channels, sales funnels and return customers that will get the business to break even.
Also make sure that there is congruence between the marketing message and the sales experience.

The advice gem that resonates most with Shakeel at this time is “this too shall pass”.
Economies work in cycles of ups and downs, and resilient entrepreneurs understand this.
While it is understandable that entrepreneurs can feel despondent right now, they can take heart from knowing that better days will come again.

Shakeel Karjieker shares his secret ingredient.