When I first opened my business, I did not think that the business would grow to such an extent that I would consider exporting our products.We have been involved in minimal exporting which was sponsored by SEDA National Office and the DTIC. Our products were displayed at South Africa Lifestyle Centre in America, the project was sponsored by SEDA National. When the SA Lifestyle project came to an end, we thought it was the end of the road for our American dream as Americans were becoming aware of our products. Through this project, we did not learn much about Exporting as the export processes were done by SEDA National.

Before the GEAP Programme, we were not too sure about certain aspects of exporting e.g. choosing the incoterms as our exporting knowledge was limited.One day our customer called us to buy Isolezwe paper and respond to the export accelerator program article. I quickly applied and I was one of the lucky ones to join the program and the rest is history.I enjoyed the three months in contact training which was packed with loads of export information, networking with other businesses, and motivational talks.

GEAP Learnings

• At the beginning of the pieces of training, I learned that for the business to sustain itself it needs to be consistent in getting more money coming in the business as opposed to money coming out. In marketing and sales, I learned that I am a constant advert for the business.
• I enjoyed the session on the Emotional Intelligence of the business, now and again I use the exercises if I feel I have the anxiety to deal with it. Other pieces of training which made a huge difference in our business operations include sales, packaging, quality and environment issues, and export insurance.
• From the various export-related sessions, I learned more about how to gather foreign market intelligence and marketing strategies. We foresee our business doing well in Africa, Europe, and America
• Before the Export Training we were struggling as a business to identify suitable Incoterms and identifying HS Codes for our products. We now have a list of our products and the correct HS Codes which identify our products and attach the correct duties and taxes. This has been a problem as we did not know where to get the correct HS Codes. We now verify the correct HS Codes at four different sites
• The Training on Incoterms was well explained even though we have not yet exported anything between now and the training, but we are more knowledgeable as to which Incoterms to use which is best for the business to minimize the risk when exporting
• I enjoyed the Social Media training sessions; we have now added a Tik Tok account to our Social Media presence and we have reached over 3000 views and still counting. At first, I was a bit shy, but I am now confident in creating regular content.
• Through the GEAP program we are now aware of useful websites, and exporting agents to use to assist us when we get international business, it is also a wonderful journey as we network with other businesses, and we learn more from each other.
• We have reviewed relevant bodies that we need to join to gain more experience, skills, and exposure. Our business is now compliant.

I was humbled to be awarded a Certificate of appreciation for being the most decorative and stylish student and I was recognized for my modern and design ability. This was humbling and encouraging.My business mindset has changed since joining this GEAP program. The business is now expanding, We will be showcasing our products at a newly opened Social Gallery in Umhlanga and Hilton Market. We are grateful for the ongoing support from the Training facilitators, Mentor, and fellow GEAP participants. We can’t wait to secure an international order so that we can apply our export knowledge.