Our Work
Our work
We include Monitoring & Evaluation in all our work, with the aim of refining our approach & increasing our impact; & where feasible, programme design is always preceded by a needs assesment.
What we do, we do well!
The EPI is dedicated to empowering small business owners & entrepreneurs through focussed interventions!
Get your report to take your next step with digital progression!
Our impact
1557
Entrepreneurs
578
Practitioners
82
DigiBiz Contributors
3
CPD Programmes
3
Published articles
13
Expert Associates
3
Facilitated CoP Round tables
0
Conference Papers
0
Parliament Submissions
Current activities
Our current programmes include research into small business trends, training courses for Entrepreneur Support Organisations (ESOs), coaching programmes for entrepreneurs, online learning events, communities of practice round-tables, hosting of networks, and development of entrepreneurship programmes & tools.
Some examples include…
Enterprise Development Programme Design & Implementation
We do not have a “cookie cutter approach” to enterprise & supplier development, but rather a needs-based method that works towards specific business objectives of the client company as an ESD benefactor or BEE-measured entity. The method is based on first determining the needs of the corporate client, & then to design an ESD intervention that meets their business requirements.
20X Small Business Acceleration Programme
The focus of the programme is to multiply impact by building the capacity of small business support practitioners, the use of digital solutions by their small business clients, & the promotion of social inclusion & job creation, thus reaching 10s of practitioners, 100s of small businesses & securing 1000s of jobs. Participating practitioners may include advisors, mentors, coaches, facilitators, programme managers, incubation officers & others involved in serving the growth needs of small businesses.
DigiBiz Network & Platform
The DigiBiz Network provides an online space for the network members, consisting of past programme participants, to share information & advice, connect with peers, get access to training courses & participate in MasterMind groups. Our digital platform connects entrepreneurs, Entrepreneur Support Organisations (ESOs) & ecosystem contributors for learning & collaboration.
MyDigiScore Assessment & Plan
Our Digital Progression Assessment & Planning Tool is available at https://MyDigiScore.com. The assessment tool provides a user with a Digital Progression Score & a report offering guidance in developing a Digital Progression Plan that guides the user in taking the next steps towards preparedness & adoption of digital solutions.
Research, Benchmarking & Indexing
Information gathering & research projects meet both scientific research standards & provide practical information or insights that may shape the way business support or product marketing is aimed at the small business market. Bespoke research projects, our National Practitioner Survey & Digital Progression Index are examples of projects through which practice & policy have been influenced.
Entrepreneur Coaching Programme
The EPI’s intensive coaching aims to help entrepreneurs overcome challenges & grow their businesses. The coaching approach is embedded in the EPI’s emphasis on Entrepreneurs Supporting Entrepreneurs (ESEs), which means that our coaches are able to approach their support from a lived experience as entrepreneurs themselves or as professional coaches who are able to reflect compassionate “in-the-boots-of-entrepreneurs” support.
Technology Commercialisation
Innovators & research teams often battle with taking their created technology into commercialisation. We support them in planning & executing the commercialisation of their technologies. Many of these are research teams from tertiary & research institutions who are envisioning a spin-out company to commercialise their innovations or inventions.
BizClinicZA
This clinic-style event offers new entrepreneurs and small business owners the opportunity to get quick guidance on the challenges they face through an online event, where attendees explain an issue they need to address, and experienced business advisors offer them guidance. Not only does the question-asker get value, but all attendees benefit from the shared guidance.
Our Methodology
We have a unique approach to enterprise development, entrepreneurship promotion & small business support.
Our methodology is based on meeting entrepreneurs where they are at, leveraging the experience of entrepreneurial practitioners, embracing innovation, focusing on planning, promoting social inclusion & our monitoring for continuous learning.
At its core, our methodology embraces the creation of safe spaces for participative learning exchange. Some key principles include: tailoring our approach to individual needs; sharing our own insights from our experience as Entrepreneurs Supporting Entrepreneurs; supporting Digital Progression; emphasising Holistic Business Planning; promoting Social Inclusion; & refining our work through Monitoring & Evaluation.
I see the community as a good opportunity for collective service delivery & change.
I’m not a tech-savvy person but joining boosted my technical skills & self-confidence.
The Benefits
Our current programmes include training courses for Entrepreneur Support Organisations (ESOs), coaching programmes for entrepreneurs, online learning events, communities of practice round-tables, hosting of networks, development of entrepreneurship programmes & tools, & research into small business trends.
We deliver tailored benefits to entrepreneurs, practitioners, programme managers, commercial partners & development institutions by:
- Providing entrepreneurs with coaching, networking & resources to grow.
- Equipping practitioners with innovative approaches & opportunities to sharpen skills.
- Helping programme managers achieve quality impact & return on investment.
- Allowing commercial partners to enhance their reputation through brand impact alignment.
- Customising support for institutional partners’ entrepreneurship activities & programmes.