Can You Afford To Be Trained?

There are two great one-day seminars for business owners coming up during this month and next. However there is a huge discrepancy in the pricing and therefore affordability.

The first is one called "How To Turn Your Idea Into A Profitable Business" presented by Imagin8. This one-day event will reveal why 90% of businesses fail within the first five years and will teach attendees essential skills for giving your new business idea the best chance possible. It takes places on 23 June at Gallagher Estate in Midrand and costs R699 per day.

The second is an event entitled "The Leadership Habits Of South Africa's Business Champions". This is presented by Leadership Works. The conference will feature Ricardo Semler, President of Semco SA and Professor Gary Hamel of the London Business School as well as a host of other leading South African business executives. The conference takes place at the Sandton Convention Centre on 10 July and will cost each participant R6994.

There is no doubt that each of these events will have great speakers, inspiring and challenging content and that those attending will leave having felt that they have spent the day well. I also have no doubt that those who implement their learnings will find benefit to their businesses.

What I do question however is the huge discrepancy in pricing - R699 / R6994. I would think that a small business owner would hesitate to spend almost R7000 on a one day seminar even though there may be long term benefit to his/her business. In an economy so desperate for competent, well-trained entrepreneurs and small business owners surely effort must be made to keep the cost of training as affordable as possible? Perhaps bringing in overseas speakers is not such a good idea when our own country has so many superb speakers who understand the South African economy, the complexity of our cultural melting pot and who are able to get into the mind of the South African business owner.

Increasing the skills base of our small business owners must be top priority and therefore affordable training is key to future success.