Civil Engineering October 2021 | Vol 29 No 9

Civil Engineering October 2021 37 Do you think the industry at large is supportive enough of small and emerging businesses? MM  Government has made it compulsory for the big players to include small businesses in their contracts, and enterprise and supplier development is now an important part of the B-BBEE scorecard. While it is encouraging that government is enforcing this and not falling for window dressing, it is discouraging that many of the large corporates did not see fit to take these steps before it was mandated – it has a more meaningful impact when done willingly. Unfortunately, you now see some big companies opening small businesses within their own group so that they can still get the contracts and the money allocated for SMEs. We now find ourselves competing with big companies disguised as small companies. This is not true transformation and makes it difficult for SMEs to compete. My vision as a business owner is to breed ‘INTRA- preneuers’. I am creating a platform that allows my employees to share their ideas with the business and see where they can branch off on their own in a nurturing environment. It is important to take advantage of your employees’ innovation and business-mindedness, otherwise you may lose good talent. And if Experts on the Go grows into a large organisation, I hope to nurture and help grow other small businesses. I wish that more big companies shared this vision because the small players cannot compete with the big players, but we compliment each other on so many levels. There is more than enough money and opportunities to share. How do you help uplift other young professionals? MM  I loved being mentored and I love being a mentor. I currently mentor several individuals in my company and help to provide them with the tools they need to succeed in their careers. I had a young engineer working for me who joined as a graduate but resigned after a year to work in the public sector. I cautioned and advised him, but I supported his choice to leave and gain new experience and told him that my door is always open. During this time I continued to mentor and advise him, and one year later we welcomed him back to Experts on the Go with open arms. I definitely consider him one of my success stories. What is your advice to new business owners and hopeful entrepreneurs? MM  If you want to start your own business, have an idea of what you want to create and work towards it. The vision will be blurry in the beginning, but every step you take towards it should make it clearer. When you really understand what you want to achieve, you will know what you need to do to realise that vision. You also need to make an effort to consistently learn what it takes to run a business and feed it so that it will grow. Always invest in yourself academically – this doesn’t have to be through an academic institution, it can be reading and researching – to ensure that you understand the soft skills as well as the systems you need. Not having the right systems, procedures and protocols in place is what can cripple a busi- ness, regardless of how much work you get. A STRONG FOUNDATION FOR INFRASTRUCTURE SUCCESS ROCLA is South Africa’s leading manufacturer of pre-cast concrete products. Surpassing 100 years of product excellence. • Pipes • Culverts • Manholes • Poles • Retaining walls • Roadside furniture • Sanitation Including other related products within infrastructure development and related industries. Visit us on www.rocla.co.za for our nationwide branches