Gift of skills

As part of their community- based initiative to uplift and assist local business owners, specialist marketing agency Marketing Grit recently ran a four-part marketing training course for local entrepreneurs from Ocean View and Masiphumelele recently. The opportunity was offered free of charge to business owners and operators.

Owned by marketing aficionados Noëleen Bruton, CEO of Marketing Grit (and former Group Marketing Director of Tsogo Sun, and Marketing Director of Pam Golding Properties), and Debbie Combrink, co-owner (and former Group Manager of Events and Entertainment for Tsogo Sun), Marketing Grit is a recently established enterprise specialising in strategic marketing consulting, digital marketing, and social media implementation.

Held in the Ocean View Multipurpose Centre (municipal sports centre), the course covered all the basics and groundwork of a marketing plan: the importance of brand positioning; company value; a SWOT analysis; target market identification; setting up and managing a Facebook business page; as well as the basics of financial accounting.

The range of entrepreneurs living in the marginalised communities of Ocean View and Masiphumelele located on the Cape’s southern peninsula included among others:
a construction company owner, a seamstress and an image consultant.

Wellness Practitioner and owner of Feelgood Energy, Rushda Richards opened her business at Imhoff Farm in December 2020 and says the course has been beneficial to her. A stay-at-home mom and single parent, Rushda says she has no other financial support, so she needs to make her business work. “I had no previous marketing experience, and just from the Marketing Grit course, clients are beginning to say that they now see and recognise me.” Rushda offers different alternative and holistic health therapies and hopes to grow her business quickly.