The launch of job creation and SME development survey

27 June 2018: The United Nation’s General Assembly recognizes the importance of SME’s, and thus decided to declare 27 June the Micro— Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day to raise public awareness of their contribution to sustainable development. South Africa’s economic landscape is continuously evolving and coupled with domestic and foreign political and socio-economic mixed policy messages, it is becoming ever urgent that all stakeholders of this economy grab the bull by its horns and chart out a new path for South Africa’s economic future — which cannot exclude entrepreneurs.

Which is why A-Game Business Consulting today announced the launch of a nationwide survey of entrepreneurs, SME owners, large corporates, BEE and ESD (Enterprise and Supplier Development) practitioners, business development service and policymakers to coincide with World SME Day.

The survey will ascertain the amount of support currently received from government and the private sector by entrepreneurs and SME owners, as well as the level of satisfaction for companies currently investing in job creation and SME Development. A-Game Business Consulting will roll out an online survey followed by a national roadshow of face-to-face consultations with industry stakeholders and beneficiaries in each of the provinces, to further refine the empirical outcomes of the survey.

The initiative will culminate in a series of events and discussions intended to share insights gained from the survey and facilitate informed resolutions and decision-making on how best to approach and invest in SME development and ESD over the next 3 – 5 years. “What makes this approach different is that the conversation will be led by the SME’s and entrepreneurs themselves”, said KK Diaz, CEO of A-Game Business Consulting.

The United Nations states that enterprises, which generally employ fewer than 250 persons, are the backbone of most economies worldwide and play a key role in developing countries, and according to data provided by the International Council for Small Business (ICSB), formal and informal Micro— Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) make up over 90% of all firms and account on average for 60-70% of total employment and 50% of GDP.

At the heart of what A-Game Business Consulting are trying to achieve with this survey is to challenge the entire ecosystem and find best, and long-lasting practical solutions which incorporate small and medium enterprises into the mainstream economy. In the USA for example, 2/3rds of the economic landscape was and still is being cultivated by entrepreneurs. This is your opportunity to have your voice heard as well as to influence the future-focused development of SME’s, and therefore the future of the country’s economy.

The Survey is now open for a limited time to the public on the A-Game Business Consulting website via this link: https://agamebusiness.com/smedaysurvey/. The findings of the survey will be released to the public by end of July 2018. Following this will be the national roadshow to further refine the results. Thereafter, the survey outcome rationale will be presented to the relevant government departments and business leadership, for an ongoing conversation focused on real change and authentic SME development.

KK Diaz