Since attending the Northumbria University Business, Accademia, and Commonwealth Conference in Northumbria in October 2024, BusinessFit has taken a mighty leap forward in meeting its milestone in creating technology to support the growth, development and sustainability of SMEs.
BusinessFit’s global SME network partners are also excited at the creation of the BusinessFit Blueprint technology, which will help ensure that SME business leaders and their teams build businesses that meet market expectations, are governance and sustainability aligned, and are in a strong position to support local business development, growth and ensure effective cross border trade.
SME governance, sustainability and success is at the heart of all BusinessFit’s endeavours. The BusinessFit Blueprint technology forms part of the organisation’s existing five stage quality assurance BusinessFit App, which is available on PlayStore or Apple Store, as Android or iPhone downloads.
The BusinessFit Blueprint methodology mimics a round table enterprise development meeting that a business leader will typically have with their BusinessFit mentor. The methodology is available as a free download on the BusinessFit
SA website, www.businessfitsa. co.za. Over the next few months, BusinessFit and the Northumbria University will work together to complete the electronic version of the methodology and make it available as an easy-to-use application for global SMEs to use themselves at no cost.
Building businesses
BusinessFit’s mission is to support business leaders in building businesses that are confidently able to engage in business ecosystems with intent and purpose, and to meet market, customer, and service delivery expectations.
There are two basic components within an effective SME business ecosystem. The first is assurance that quality products and services are being produced by the enterprise, that meet local and international legislative requirements, is productive and financially sustainable, manages risk and has adequate controls and systems to ensure quality assurance, and has ethical and effective leadership and enterprise culture. The second component being where the SME has access to quality networks and support partners, who can introduce relevant opportunities, and support the business process in providing high-quality outcomes.
BusinessFit now has local presence in three countries, South Africa, where it originated in 2012, the United Kingdom since 2018, and Ireland since 2024. The BusinessFit team realised that it is essential for good business coordination and linkages to have a local presence in the countries where we are most active.
BusinessFit’s biggest network partner is the South African Chamber of Commerce United
Kingdom (SACC UK), who are particularly passionate and well geared towards supporting trade in and out of South Africa. The SACC UK chair the SA Foreign Chamber Council, which is made up of twenty-one foreign chambers. The SACC UK is deeply intrenched in SME
networking and development, and monthly hosts a no cost Ubuntu Networking Session, where SMEs from all over the world can gather to listen to a keynote speaker, ask questions, share stories, interact with international business leaders, and pitch their product and service offers. Please join us at one of these networking sessions, through registering on the SACC UK website https:// southafricanchamber.uk/
Business ecosystem
Further, the SACC UK has created TAMI, whose aim is to support the creation of an effective foreign chambers’ business ecosystem, linking together South African chambers and their members from across the world, to encourage transfer of business knowledge and opportunity, and to promote business development linkages through an efficient integration and networking platform. South Africa is the central theme of TAMI, and its pursuit is in establishing trade and investment relationships into and out of the country. TAMI recognises that exceptional business opportunities exist for international organisations in South Africa, and that through its knowledge base and networking platform, these linkages can be realised.
TAMI operates as an intercontinental business networking portal, supporting economic development linkages between South African business and South African foreign chambers. TAMI links together high-quality functional foundation service providers from South African chambers from around the world, thus creating opportunity for business communities outside of South Africa to engage with in- country functional foundation professionals, and to receive local business understanding, support and guidance. Please register a TAMI circle member on the website www.tami.org.za
More recently, and since the Northumbria Conference, BusinessFit and the Commonwealth Secretariat have entered into a relationship, for the BusinessFit Blueprint technology to be made available across the 56 Commonwealth countries. The Commonwealth Secretariat also recognise the importance of developing SME sectors across their member countries, and the necessity for these enterprises to have quality assured governance and sustainability foundations Governments across the world are desperate to develop and grow their SME sectors, and to encourage them to engage in cross border trade. Such initiatives are essential in creating healthy economies and local employment opportunities. This is where BusinessFit and their many network partners are stepping up to help fill deficits in competencies and linkages, and to create a business ecosystem that not only supports introduction to new opportunities, but also helps to transfer essential knowledge and confidence to help SME business leaders build robust, compliant, and ready to trade businesses.
South African SMEs are particularly well positioned to benefit from the BusinessFit
Blueprint technology, to take advantage of the SACC UK’s TAMI and Ubuntu networking platforms, and to benefit from Commonwealth generated opportunities.
prior to them focusing on and discovering new growth and trade opportunities.
In this past month, BusinessFit has been introduced to the Commonwealth Youth Council chairman, stationed in Ghana. Ghana is also wanting to develop their SME sector, and to effect positive trade with South Africa and other high-quality Commonwealth networks.
Please contact Lindiwe Bhadi on lindiwe@businessfit.co.za to engage with BusinessFit SA directly.
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