Representatives from the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) as well as Softstart Business & Technology Incubators were also present. The evening was characterised by inspiring presentations and networking opportunities for young entrepreneurs.

The guest speaker was Prof GH Nieman, Head of the Department of Business Management and an esteemed academic and highly successful entrepreneur. His presentation, entitled From Business Plan to Start-up, dealt with numerous factors regarding a new start-up, like dealing with high levels of uncertainty and stress, personal sacrifice, the entrepreneurial mindset, hidden costs and failure.

Prof Nieman also encouraged the entrepreneurs to take a mindset leap and become aware of the window of opportunity to start a business, as well as to take risks, as they can afford failure and recover from it. The young entrepreneurs in the audience were given the opportunity to question him and the most popular question of the evening revolved around how to evaluate an opportunity and how to get started.

Three successful student entrepreneurs also presented their businesses to the audience – clear evidence that showed that students can be successful in creating innovative and high-potential start-ups.

The purpose of these network evenings that the UPBI will host once a month, is to introduce young entrepreneur clients to the world of entrepreneurship and business. It also introduces them to the importance of networking in overcoming barriers such as raising funds, skills shortages and obtaining advice. These network evenings furthermore serves as platform for energising entrepreneurs and providing them with role models whom they can shadow.

The next evening will be held on 14 March 2012 in the Sanlam Auditorium on the Hatfield Campus of the University of Pretoria and all interested individuals are welcome. For more information and to RSVP (which is essential), contact Johann van der Spuy at [email protected].