The Bodibeng Technology Incubator, a section 21 not for gain ICT incubator located in Midrand, has expanded its service offering to hi-tech entrepreneurs.
Once only a mentoring and coaching organisation, the BTI has grown in size and shape to become a full service one-stop shop for start-ups and existing companies that are positioning to grow their businesses.
The BTI now offers both physical infrastructure and business building management consulting to SMMEs in the IT, communications and electronics technology market space.
Brian Brown, a senior management consultant and facilities manager at the Bodibeng Technology Incubator, explains: "Our methods centre around the basic premises of business success. Our main goal in assisting companies is to increase top line turnover. Robust sales are the primary factor in the success of a start-up or small growing company. After we get the pump primed with some cash flow, we can focus on solving other problems, refining profit margins and creating additional opportunities.
"Our new facility in Midrand has given us the space to allow our consulting clients to locate their business in our offices. The clients have access to infrastructure and facilities they could never economically justify on their own in facilities they can be proud to invite potential customers to. We have office space ranging from an inexpensive single desk in an open plan configuration to large private offices. We can help SMMEs of all sizes. When our clients` office is down the hall, we can be more intimately involved in the day-to-day operations of their business," says Brown.
One of Bodibeng Technology Incubator`s newest clients, Knowledge Doc, has benefited greatly from his association with the BTI. Knowledge Doc utilises advanced media capturing software and hardware to record video, sound and presentation information into a convenient package which can be streamed live as well as on demand via intranets or the Internet. The resulting media stream can also be simultaneously recorded onto CD or DVD media for immediate distribution or permanent storage in physical form.
Salim Latib, founder and majority shareholder of Knowledge Doc, says: "When I shopped around the various support mechanisms for start-up technology companies, only the BTI offered the full range of business services I needed combined with a hands-on approach to business building. The BTI has certainly lived up to its promises. My business building coach was key to our first large sale and that was only one month after I moved in. With his help, I have quickly accelerated the growth of my company. What more could I ask for? They have literally brought me customers and directly contributed to growth of my revenues and profits."
Another BTI client, Ascot Systems South Africa, has tripled in size since joining the incubator in October 2004. Ascot Systems offers enterprise network and domain support, but has expanded its product line significantly since moving into the BTI. The focus has shifted from service delivery of network and server support to a suite of complementary high-end, high-margin products including sophisticated call centre software, innovative educational software systems and a unique, scalable display system.
Duncan Gilliland, Executive Director of Ascot Systems, explains: "When we came to the BTI we had lots of ideas and plans for fast growth. The BTI helped us focus our dreams into a workable roadmap for success. We have increased our opportunities in ways we couldn`t have imagined. We find we are doing business with other incubated companies and companies affiliated with the BTI - customers we would never have sold to if we were not part of the BTI. More importantly, they have created deal flow from outside the incubator. In the last few months I have had to increase staff and rent additional space in response to our increased sales and our new opportunities."
By combining physical infrastructure with well-tuned business advice from a team of seasoned professionals, the BTI is making a valuable contribution to individual entrepreneurs and their direct employees as well as South African society as a whole. By offering a network of contacts and access to financing, the BTI has all the elements of successful business creation. Its mission is to help entrepreneurs start and build sustainable businesses that will be the future pillars of a vibrant South African economy.
In addition to networking, management consulting and physical infrastructure, the BTI showcases the products and services of member companies with a view to promoting sales. The BTI also has begun to offer formal training courses geared for the entrepreneur including marketing and sales. Beyond formal training, the BTI also holds monthly topical events to keep their members up to date on the latest business and technical issues.
"We`re very proud of our growth and our successes in helping high-technology entrepreneurs grow their own businesses. We have made a substantial impact on those companies and we foresee making a marked impact on the South African economy," says Leon Lourens, CEO of the BTI.
The BTI was founded in April 2002 and supports hi-tech entrepreneurs in starting and growing their businesses by offering innovative products and services to the entrepreneurial community. The BTI is a networked or "virtual" incubator providing opportunities for interaction with companies that are not physically located at the incubator. The BTI assists all member SMMEs by connecting them to a network of local and international partners and associates, and by making consultants available for ad hoc as well as contracted management consulting.
The BTI`s services are available to the entire technology development and entrepreneurship value chain, and include support for start-up companies, established corporates, academic and research institutions, and financial investment institutions. The BTI is supported by the Godisa Programme, which is funded by the Department of Science and Technology and the Department of Trade and Industry. For more information, visit and register on the BTI Web site at www.bti.co.za or call the BTI on (011) 695 4800.
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