Fetola & Associates: 2012 Old Mutual Legends Business Development Programme

The Old Mutual Legends Programme is an award-winning business development initiative that supports accelerated growth in emerging and community-based businesses in all nine provinces. Legends is designed and implemented on Old Mutual’s behalf by enterprise development specialists Fetola.

Started in 2007 as a handcraft-focused initiative, Legends has expanded to include tourism, small-scale manufacture, services and other high potential sectors. Designed by Fetola to meet Old Mutual’s CSI mandate of empowerment, economic development and building sustainable communities, Legends assists entrepreneurs, SMMEs, social enterprises and nonprofits with a special focus on Black-owned, women-led and rural/peri-urban projects.

The overall vision of Legends is to ‘Change lives for the better, forever.’ It achieves this by strengthening organisational viability, boosting individual Skills development, supporting women-owned and rural enterprises, channelling income into impoverished communities and growing broad-based black economic empowerment.

Legends interventions address Nine Critical Success Factors that form the foundation for any sustainable organisation. Using a combination of practical skills workshops, mentoring, an innovative e-learning programme, shared peer networks and ongoing consultant support, we help our beneficiaries attain new levels of success.

The strong entrepreneurial focus of Legends is matched by a number of tailored innovations designed to meet rapidly changing beneficiary needs:

• Vision-sessions & Selection process – extended assessment of beneficiary needs and capabilities ensure selection of high-potential applicants;
• The Mentor Hotline© provides access to mentor expertise throughout the country via e-mail and cellphone on a 24/7 basis;
• Peer to peer shared network – a simple-to-use shared email resource puts all participants in direct contact, encourages communication and builds a sense of community and shared learning;
• Practical e-learning programmes address all Critical Success Factors and provide templates, online exercises and mentor feedback;
• Business systems development provides the building blocks for growth. Systems include Piece-work production management, simple CRM, sales reporting, time management and financial management.

The criteria for accepting participants into the programme include the following:

• The organisation must have viable growth potential;
• They must be black-owned or community benefit/social enterprise projects;
• Must be an established enterprise with proven business viability (minimum two years)
• Leaders must show willingness to learn and to engage in change
• Regular access to communications (email and cellphone);
• Preference to enterprises benefiting women, rural communities, poor and needy communities, high poverty nodes, high impact in terms of job creation.

The programme offers a suite of support for beneficiaries including e-learning, mentoring, workshops, systems development, brand development and practical, needs-based workshops.

To apply for the 2012 Old Mutual Legends Business Development Programme , click here https://fs8.formsite.com/fetola2011/form3/form_login.html.

Please note: This is a national programme and there is no geographical limitation

The application deadline is 16 January 2012.

For more about 2012 Old Mutual Legends Business Development Programme, refer to www.fetola.co.za/projects/apply-for-legends-2012.

For more about Fetola & Associates, refer to www.fetola.co.za.