Owners of small businesses usually point to one or two crucial factors that prove to be the difference between success and failure. For engineering consultancy TM Khoza and Associates, the chance to establish a solid network trumped any material acquisitions, as owner Mxolisi Gama confides.

When Gama started TM Khoza in 2007 he was charged with establishing a small engineering consultancy within South Africa’s highly competitive, ever-growing construction industry. “When you need to be operating at the highest level without access to that network, it can be tough,” he says.

In 2011 his company was approached to join a comprehensive Enterprise Development programme run by Boogertman and Partners Architects. The programme was developed in 2011 by Business Growth Solutions as a response to the difficulties faced by small business owners in the construction industry, and things changed rapidly for TM Khoza.

“Some aspects of the programme offered immediate benefits,” says Gama. “Marketing and branding opportunities were explored and gave us the chance to reach a new client base.”

A 24-hour call centre was made available, and regular status meetings were integrated with everyday business operations. The programme also offered Gama and his staff courses on the important administrative aspects of running a business.

“We were shown the ins and outs of financial administration, legal procedures and time management. This helped us establish the skills we had on board within the context of a comprehensive business plan.

“But what really took us into the next phase was gaining access to the networks that Boogertman has spent more than 30 years establishing. That was a real eye opener.”

According to Gama, small businesses routinely find themselves unable to compete with the industry giants purely because they lack networking opportunities. “Through the Boogertman ED Programme, we were able to establish a relationship and ultimately do business with the real players in the construction industry.”

Through assessments based on strict performance indicators, Boogertman selected five architecture and engineering companies for their ED programme. Small business owners, who are often thrown into challenging environments without experience, are offered access to mentors and professional guidance.

Since joining the programme in 2011, the five companies have enjoyed a combined 119% increase in turnover – a most significant achievement, and evidence that big business still has a major role to play in the development of a competitive, inclusive local economy.

TM Khoza itself has grown substantially. “In little over a year, we’ve gone from a staff of 5 to a staff of 8, acquired an office and are negotiating deals worth ten million rand as opposed to two or three million.”

According to Gama, ED programmes will have a vital role to play in the development of the formal economy in the future. “If we can encourage more companies to introduce programmes that help SMEs, we will see fewer businesses closing down after only a few months,” he says.