The Hope Factory's mandate is to develop and grow black South African entrepreneurs and their businesses. “We are calling on industry experts in Port Elizabeth from various fields to join and share their expertise with upcoming entrepreneurs. They will be part of the transformation journey towards economic growth and financial sustainability we are all trying to build as a country,” says Ashley Murray, Enterprise and Supplier Development Programme Manager.

On 26 June 2015, The Hope Factory is hosting an information session for experts in the engineering, construction, telecommunications, catering, hospitality, property and manufacturing industries with five to ten years of experience who have the desire, time and capacity to provide input into the business of black South Africa entrepreneurs. Murray says, “They will hear why it's important for them to impart and share the knowledge they've gained over the years with others. Benjamin Franklin explained it better when he said, Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” This can only be achieved through a mentorship programme.

Each of The Hope Factory entrepreneurs has a full-time mentor assigned to them, to assist them with their personal and business development. However, “very often we would require the services of an external consultant who would provide business consulting or mentoring services specific to the entrepreneur's area of expertise within their relevant industry,” says Murray. This type of coaching or mentorship gives the entrepreneur ‘real-life' exposure to their industry and they can relate to the person teaching them. They experience first-hand the challenges and issues relating to their specific industry.

“We believe that a service offering such as industry expertise addresses some of the needs that entrepreneurs and small business owners require. Access to an industry expert could facilitate an increased understanding and technical competence in their area of operation. This initiative is also beneficial for the industry experts, as this will give them an opportunity to give back and add value to other people's businesses and become part of the change we need to build a booming economy for the city, and more so for the country.

Since the launch of the industry experts' service offering, there's been a great success with matching entrepreneurs to experts and the feedback from both sides has been remarkable. “We are inviting more experts in Port Elizabeth to get involved, concludes Murray.

The information session takes place at The Hope Factory offices on Friday, 26 June 2015. The address is 81 Cawood Street, North End, Port Elizabeth. The session will start at 12:00 and you can contact Bernadette Koert on 041 4847400 or bernadettek@thehopefactory.co.za  for more information or to book your seat.