Business Plan Competition a game changer for Lucky

Lucky Shabala is a Vereeniging based gaming business owner who entered the 2018 Business Partners SME Toolkit Business Plan Competition. “I found out about the Business Partners SME Toolkit competition through the NYDA which was at Maponya Mall at the time I was struggling with my business model at the time, and I really had doubts and thought the competition was for well-established business.

Putting his hesitation aside, not only did he submit a business plan he went on to be one of that year’s winners. An achievement that came with the wealth of knowledge that is Yusuf Mahomedy, one of Business/Partners most seasoned mentors. A Chartered Accountant by profession, Mahomedy’s true passion is the development of entrepreneurs. The two made a perfect partnership.

Yusuf assisted Lucky to achieve the following:

• Maximise the gaming experience for customers

• Relook the pricing and costing of the products

• Expand products and revenue, with same customers

According to Lucky, “Yusuf is the best mentor out there not only were his empathy skills on point but he is also aggressive enough to push innovation and remove belief systems that prevent progress.” Through the mentoring sessions, the business’s considerable potential to grow revenue and profit, while making a positive social impact in the community were realised, increasing revenue by over 50%.

Lucky further advises entrepreneurs who are considering entering the competition that “the whole experience is rich in information and led by experts. The competition doesn’t require much of your time yet it offers so much towards your business I’ll forever be grateful.”