Contact details

Investing in Entrepreneurs™
Business Partners is committed to investing in South Africa’s entrepreneurs in every way by providing
them with integrated full-service investment and business solutions.

Should you have any questions or would like additional information, we invite you to call any of the offices
listed below.

Business Partners Limited Business Partners Centre

Corporate Services 5 Wellington Road, Parktown, Johannesburg
Tel: +27 11 480 8700
Fax: +27 11 642 2791
E-mail: enquiries@businesspartners.co.za
Website: www.businesspartners.co.za
Company registration number: 1981/000918/06
ISO 9001:2000 certified
National offices
Bellville East London Nelspruit Queenstown
Tel: (021) 919-3242 Tel: (043) 721-1525/6/7 Tel: (013) 752-3185 Tel: (045) 838-1004
Fax: (021) 919-3333 Fax: (043) 721-1528 Fax: (013) 752-4669 Fax: (045) 838-1008

Benoni* East London Polokwane Richards Bay

Tel: (011) 422-2640 (Arcadia Park)* Tel: (015) 297-1571 Tel: (035) 789-7301
Fax: (011) 845-3005 Tel: (043) 743-5485 Fax: (015) 297-1461 Fax: (035) 789-6727
Fax: (043) 743-0596
Bethlehem Port Elizabeth Springbok
Tel: (058) 303-7842 East Rand (Jet Park) Tel: (041) 582-1601 Tel: (027) 712-1120
Fax: (058) 303-6801 Tel: (011) 397-2616/7/8 Fax: (041) 585-2297 Fax: (027) 712-3519
Fax: (011) 397-2619
Bloemfontein Pretoria (Centurion) Stellenbosch
Tel: (051) 446-0536 George Tel: (012) 664-3397 Tel: (021) 809-2169
Fax: (051) 446-4978 Tel: (044) 873-6112 Fax: (012) 664-2641 Fax: (021) 809-2187
Fax: (044) 873-3397
Cape Town Pretoria (Waterglen)* Upington
Tel: (021) 464-3600 Johannesburg (Industria) Tel: (012) 993-5513 Tel: (054) 331-1172
Fax: (021) 461-8720 Tel: (011) 470-3000 (012) 993-5415 Fax: (054) 332-2334
Fax: (011) 470-3123 Fax: (012) 993-4490
Durban (Westville)
Tel: (031) 240-7700 Kimberley
Fax: (031) 266-7286 Tel: (053) 831-1778
Fax: (053) 832-2389 * Property Services only

Dynamo Citigate 20949/5

 Business Partners
Mentorship and Consulting
Services
Tailormade
for entrepreneurs

Mentorship and Consulting Services

In today’s complex business environment, entrepreneurs often need to supplement their own skills and
experience with specialist knowledge in order to remain competitive. Business mentorship and consulting
services enable them to do just that.
An established practice world-wide, business consulting enables companies to contract specialist advisors
on an ad hoc basis to advise on all aspects of business management. Amongst others, these include
strategy, development planning, systems development and implementation, problem diagnosis and financial
management.
As part of its commitment to providing a full range of added-value services tailor-made for entrepreneurs,
Business Partners relaunched an independent business unit in September 2000 to provide a range of
mentorship and consulting services specifically for entrepreneurs. The unit operates through Business
Partners’ offices nation-wide and is supported by the company’s national infrastructure.
Business Partners’ Mentorship and Consulting Services provides access to both ad hoc and on-going
mentorship and consulting through an established database of highly-skilled business and industry specialists.

Mentors and Consultants

The mentors and consultants contracted by the unit are carefully selected individuals with proven track
records in their areas of expertise. They undergo rigorous screening before being accredited and support
the mission of the group’s mentorship and consulting programme. This is to harness the expertise, skills
and wisdom of senior business and professional people and to make their services available to South
Africa’s burgeoning small and medium enterprise sector.
The unit has a database of over 400 mentors, who are able to provide services specially designed to assist
entrepreneurs in improving the efficiency, profitability and growth potential of their businesses. Mentors are
typically retired specialists who are able to provide services to entrepreneurs at preferential rates negotiated
by Business Partners Mentors on their behalf. Consultants, on the other hand, are independent advisors in
private practice and provide services at market-related rates.
All mentors and consultants subscribe to the Business Partners code of ethics and are committed to
adhering to the principles of honesty, integrity, confidentiality, impartiality, incorruptibility, accountability and
professional conduct.

Mentorship and Consulting options

Business Partners knows that there are as many mentorship and consulting needs as there are
entrepreneurs and has developed a range of options to suit every entrepreneur. These include:
• General Business Mentorship and Consulting
• Specialist Mentorship and Consulting
• Industry-Specific Mentorship and Consulting
• Turnaround Management

General business mentorship and consulting

This service provides the entrepreneur with access to general business mentorship and consulting as
and when needed. Mentors and consultants provide a holistic service, encompassing the full spectrum of
business management. They are able to advise on and assist with basic, practical business functions, as
well as to provide coaching, problem diagnosis, customised solutions, implementation assistance and even
investigations, if needed.
Specialist mentorship and consulting
As the name implies, this service provides more specialised assistance with specific management
functions such as budgeting, administration, credit control, cash flow management, information systems
development, marketing, human resources management, production, expansion planning, construction,
accounting and taxation. Specialist mentors and consultants are assigned when professional expertise, not
available internally, is required for a short period of time.

Sectoral mentorship and consulting

In some cases, the assistance required by an entrepreneur is industry-specific and a specialist with
knowledge of a particular sector and its unique challenges is required. Business Partners Mentors is able to
provide specialists in sectors as diverse as manufacturing, retailing, hospitality, travel and tourism, transport,
information technology and construction.

Turnaround management
Every business goes through rough patches and sometimes entrepreneurs may require assistance when
they are experiencing difficulties in their business. More often than not, these have a serious impact on the
financial stability of the business and outside assistance is required to sustain profitability.
In cases like these, Business Partners’ Mentorship and Consulting Services is able to provide the
entrepreneur with either a mentor or consultant to assist the entrepreneur in turning the business around.
Turnaround initiatives may be either short- or medium-term interventions and require the structuring of a
contractual agreement for the period of the intervention.

The Business Partners difference

Business Partners has been investing in entrepreneurs for twenty-five years and is the leading specialised
investment company for small and medium enterprises in the country.
The company’s risk financing model is internationally regarded as highly innovative and ideal for use in a
developing economy. Similarly, the Business Partners’ due diligence process is thorough, tried and tested,
often exposing inherent risks in a deal. This however is no guarantee of success and it is ultimately the skills
and dedication of the entrepreneur that determine the level of success.
Business Partners’ systems and processes are ISO 9001:2000 certified and the company is the first
financial institution in the country to be accredited in this way.
Some of the many services the company offers to assist and enable entrepreneurs include:
• a free business planning model, which is accessible on the Business Partners web site at www.
businesspartners.co.za
• easy access through a nation-wide network of offices
• a range of information leaflets, available free at all Business Partners offices
• the best expertise and experience in the small and medium enterprise sector that the country has
to offer
• personal service from a team of dedicated Portfolio Managers
• a property broking service to assist entrepreneurs in finding rental premises or suitable properties
to purchase for their businesses
• a property management service both for entrepreneurs with their own large premises to manage or
with investment premises that require intensive management.