Would you like to change your life by putting your skills and knowledge to good use? Do you have the ability to think creatively? Would you like to be your own boss? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you may have what it takes to become an entrepreneur.

‘Entrepreneurship is a skill which can be learnt, and all it takes to be a success is the ability to think strategically, achieve small goals in the beginning and to have a long-term outlook. You also need to be focused and be able to devote time to growing your business’, says Prof Alex Antonites, Head of the Department of Business Management.

‘Most entrepreneurs fail because they do not have the necessary skills or support to continue once they hit a bumpy patch, but the need for entrepreneurs in South Africa has never been greater. At the University of Pretoria, we have a custom-designed course and support system developed for our students. All they need to do is sign up for a free Professional Online Development (POD) course where they can learn these skills from in their own time. The course is valued at over R7500 and teaches vital business skills to any registered student.’

Being an entrepreneur allows you to work for yourself and not to depend on finding a job, which is becoming increasingly difficult in the current economic climate. The World Economic Forum estimates that the world needs approximately 75 million entrepreneurs in order for families (and society) to prosper.

In SA, approximately seven out of 100 people are entrepreneurs, but we need approximately 20-25 out of 100 people to be entrepreneurs to grow the economy and create jobs. For each student that becomes a successful entrepreneur through UP’s support, five people will directly benefit.

UP’s support system for encouraging an entrepreneurial mindset is based on a multi-pronged, eco-system approach.

Firstly, students have to sign up for and complete the POD. Then the #Start_UP phase will see the business plan or idea assessed and refined by business experts. The next phase is the #Link_UP where (if applicable) a prototype is designed with the assistance of the Library’s MakerSpace and rapid incubation (business start-up support, office and meeting space, market research and industry linked networking). Finally, the #Grow_UP phase will provide support to grow your business. By registering early and starting on the path to becoming an entrepreneur, students have the potential to be successful business owners by the time they graduate.

The course is open to students, regardless of their field of study. The skills and support offerings are transferable to any entrepreneurial environment, whether your business idea is based on selling for profit, or offering a product or service for social change and improving lives.

To get on the road to being a successful entrepreneur, sign up for the Entrepreneurs POD right now. Enrol now: http://www.enterprises.up.ac.za/training-solutions/ready4work/