Friday, March 29, 2024

Profiles

Gcina Madonsela: Entrepreneur & Radio Broadcaster

Gcina Madonsela is an impact entrepreneur, business leader and radio broadcaster with over seven years of experience in business. She has worked with and assisted more than 2000 entrepreneurs lives through her organisation, Small Business Runway a full-service business development agency that provides consulting, business education and networking event services.
Gcina studied media at Boston Media House and has held numerous positions within media houses such as Caxton Newspapers as well as Independent Media which publishes The Star Newspaper.

What inspired you to follow this path? How did you get started and how much work did it take for you to be where you are now?
I started my business purely to solve some challenges I had myself at the beginning of my entrepreneurial journey. The first step I took was quitting my job where I was severely undervalued and underpaid. My journey has not been easy having started out from humble beginnings. I have made it to where I am now through a lot of hard work and serious dedication, my goal being to forge a sustainable and competitive brand.

Every journey has its share of challenges; what were yours? And was there ever a time you felt like giving up?
Most definitely Covid has been the biggest challenge since my business is main clientele are SME’s. Most were negatively impacted by the pandemic which saw a significant decline in their revenues. As such there was a significant decrease in demand for consulting services offered by our firm. The other big part of our business is hosting exhibitions and networking events for entrepreneurs, which was also affected by Covid-19 lockdowns. However, despite these difficulties, we still managed to find creative ways to serve our clients and keep the business afloat. When it comes to giving up, to be honest with yourself even with all the frustration that comes with challenges, giving up has never been an option. Instead, I always rise to the challenge and consistently strive to identify ways we can do things differently so that we stay in business.

Do you have any notable milestones or achievements you would like to share?
Firstly, just knowing that we’ve impacted more than 2000 entrepreneurs is one of my proudest achievements. I have also had the pleasure of hosting government ministers and various esteemed business leaders as well as working with several influential brands such as Yoco Technologies, Business Partners, Regenysys Business School, Soweto Volkswagen plus government departments.

What is the big picture i.e., where to from here?
One of the biggest struggles that small business owners struggle with is money/funding and I am so excited to share that we are now finally able to offer entrepreneurs micro-funding to assist with running their businesses or expanding their operations. So, lookout for more information on SBR Micro Funding.

What are some of the key events you host throughout the year?
We host an exhibition event under the Small Business Runway brand. Our events take place each quarter of the year in major cities across South Africa.

As a woman in business what advice do have for other women who may wish to follow the same path?
As women we are unstoppable so go ahead and start, grow, work on, and do whatever business you desire. There’s enough room for everyone.

One/two interesting facts about you
I’m family orientated and my close friends admire my charismatic personality

Facebook: @smallbusinessrunway
Instagram: @smallbusinessrunway_
Twitter: @smallbizrunway 
LinkedIn: @small business runway
Youtube: @small business runway
Email: gcina@businessrunway.co.za
Website: www.businessrunway.co.za
WhatsApp: 082 094 5799

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