We spoke to Brendon
Burmester, partner in the figg Excel
Accounting Solutions business, about his views on being an entrepreneur,
what drove him to start figg,
and a whole bunch of other things!
· You come from
a training and teaching background, tell us something of your background and
history that influenced where you are today.
Teaching and training have
given me the types of people skills and organisational skills required to
manage the business of figg. I’m in no way saying I’ve got all the skills but
they both have provided me with an excellent base.
What motivated
you to get figg Excel Accounting Solutions started as opposed to another
business in another industry, and what skills do you draw on from your background
in your current life?
This is one of the ironies
of life – one of my pet bug bears has been accounting and numbers. Give me
something highly creative to do and I’m there but accounting??? So when
the opportunity came up to get involved in figg it was my opportunity to
confront my fears but also to get involved in the creative side of developing a
new product from scratch. VERY exciting stuff.
The name figg
is interesting as opposed to something generic and descriptive, how did the
name figg come about? Tell us something about figg.
Deciding on figg was a
group effort. Firstly we spelt the name of the fruit incorrectly in order for
it to stick in one’s mind and secondly we chose the figg because the word fits in
well with figures –
What three
pieces of advice would you give to others who want to become entrepreneurs?
Focusing on what you want
to achieve – I speak from the experience of being everywhere and traditionally
being multi focused. Live your product. The best form of marketing is
word of mouth so every opportunity is a moment to sell and everyone is a
potential customer. Plan carefully and source good reliable suppliers. If
you don’t you can waste a lot of money.
What would you
say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?
Ability to network, focus, stickability!!!
What have been
some of your failures, and what have you learned from them?
I have at times not
effectively put my mind to a single task at a time meaning that in the past
jobs get left undone, another failure has been that of effectively using
contacts – a work in progress.
What motivates
you?
Seeing this amazing brand
growing into something that becomes the preferred choice for small businesses.
How far are
you willing to go to succeed?
All the way!
What is your
greatest fear, and how do you manage fear?
I don’t have a greatest
fear – fear grips one and paralyses one’s ability to look forward and to see a
way out.
Do you believe
there is some sort of pattern or formula to becoming a successful entrepreneur?
Nope, if there was then
this would have been a walk in the park.
If you could
talk to one person from history, who would it be and why?
Hitler – don’t get me
wrong at all, I certainly don’t follow the far right neo nazi movement or
support any of the incredibly evil things he did, but what fascinates me about
the man is his ability to have misled so many people and get into the hearts of
so many Germans.
What is your
favorite aspect of being an entrepreneur?
The freedom it gives one
to expand your mind and grow in the direction life chooses for you rather than
being dictated by the rules and regulations of a corporate environment.
How do you go
about marketing your business? What has been your most successful form of
marketing?
Online Online Online,
Facebook Promotions and competitions, Linked In and Twitter, and flyers – slow
but effective – as with any marketing it is about consistency and shoving your
brand into people’s faces so that you shout louder than the rest..
In South
Africa, CSI has a big role to play. Do you see figg as having a role to play in
corporate social investment?
Most certainly, in time we
will grow that part of the business, the fact is that many South Africans need
a helping hand a way out of their situation and a lot of it revolves around
money and managing money effectively – exactly what figg is all about!
· Excluding
yours, what company or business do you admire the most? Woolworths – I like their approach to business, the ethical, quality,
‘get into the hearts of South African’s’ approach
Join Brendon
and his partner Gail
Emmerick on Friday 4 May as they give a live online
demonstration of their products.
Brendon Burmester is also the Director of the acclaimed Jozi Film
Festival a one of a kind film
festival in South Africa which aims to become the first stop in film for local
and international Film Makers and Industry Professionals, providing a platform
for up and coming South African Film Makers.
