What are the options available for getting the help and advice your scaleup needs to grow? Have you considered a part-time director? #scaleup #businesschallenges @JohnGCourtney #businessgrowth

There are many challenges entrepreneurs will encounter on their entrepreneurial journey, but pundits tend to place accessing funding at the top of the list. In a security-based lending environment that values collateral over project-based funding, accessing funds is an impediment, but entrepreneurs will also face other challenges. Examples of challenges include the lack of skills and knowledge, the cost of doing business in a geographically large country with a small domestic market, unfriendly and obstructive bureaucrats, and conducting business in a skewered environment that favours foreign investors. Although funding is always an important factor, depending on the entrepreneur’s personal circumstances and access to start-up or business development needs, it may not be considered to be at the top of the list. Some entrepreneurs may have benefited from generational wealth, others have financial backing from an investor or there is a relative who can provide the security requirements required by a bank against a loan. For those entrepreneurs, funding will not be included on their challenge list, but for most, locating affordable workspace is a challenge. At the beginning of nationhood with foresight, the founding fathers and mothers of Namibia positioned transformation and inclusivity on the nation’s economic development agenda. Throughout the demographics of a diverse population, there were opportunities for individuals with an entrepreneurial ambition to venture into business. Enterprise and entrepreneurial development support programmes were crafted by the public sector. In a complementary and collaborative manner, the private sector and development community incorporated others as a strategy to make it attractive for young and older Namibians to start and operate an enterprise anywhere in the country, and thus transform the business landscape. At both national and local government levels, enterprise incubation centres and small and medium enterprise business parks were constructed at towns across the country to offer affordable workspaces. But the shocking state of disrepair and the lack of basic maintenance of the business parks managed by a public enterprise is evident in many towns. It has been reported in the media that services such as water, waste removal and electricity have been suspended at many of the business parks by local authorities. The vacancies are visible in some of the centres – in the units still occupied by rent-paying tenants, they are required to carry drums of water from their homes. The public enterprise cites unpaid rent and the tendency of tenants to use units for storage instead of productive purposes as significant challenges. However, lease agreements that govern the rental requirements must provide for the eviction of tenants who are in default. In terms of finding a lasting solution to the perennial issue arising from suboptimal property management, there are several options available, such as learning from the Windhoek and Katima Mulilo local authorities how to properly manage incubation centres and business parks. Public-private partnerships with reliable property management firms or transferring the management of business parks to regional councils and local authorities are other options. The lack of affordable workspace is a challenge that can easily be addressed with renewed enthusiasm, and by using available resources. * Danny Meyer is reachable at danny@smecompete.com The post Productively Using Available Resources appeared first on The Namibian.

Are you an entrepreneur feeling the weight of constant worries? You're not alone. From financial stresses to market shifts, the journey of building a successful business is filled with hurdles. Let’s ...

Small Businesses Caught in Trump’s Tariff Whiplash: “I’m So Angry My Own Government Did This to Me” Small businesses across

Budget cost increases and business insolvency: Will the Budget trigger a major rise in business failures?

Latest data from the Insolvency Service has found that the construction sector experienced the highest number of insolvencies by business sector in the 12

Those who Venture into business swiftly discover that starting and running an enterprise is not the proverbial walk in the park. Therefore, many drop out as quickly as they started. The dropouts opt for a job and the convenience of paid employment free of the challenges entrepreneurs encounter daily. Disruptions include dealing with unreliable employees, demanding suppliers and service providers, and bureaucratic funding institutions. Additionally, there are customers with unreasonable demands, unhelpful government officials, and difficulties encountered while attempting to operate in a hostile environment. Those are some of the bad things, but the good part of the story is the satisfaction entrepreneurs feel as they become aware that they are creating wealth and jobs in their respective communities – thus contributing to Namibia’s economy. There is also the satisfying sense of being your own boss and not referring to an egotistical functionary who holds a managerial position at a company but has minimal, if any, leadership abilities. Bosses do not have to constantly remind employees that they are the boss. This is something staff members already know from the day they join an enterprise. The purpose of leadership in business is to make employees feel it is their business, that they are the boss of their own job, and that your role as the owner or manager of the enterprise is to provide leadership, support, guidance and mentoring. For some employees, particularly those in the lower echelons, this is challenging to comprehend, so I have learnt early on my entrepreneurial journey that it is better to discard formalities such as hierarchical titles. Rather promote the use of first names in and outside of the workplace and refer to employees as ‘colleagues’ and not ‘employees’. It is remarkable to be an entrepreneur who owns a business, but there is also an ugly side, as I learned this week after hearing of the death of an entrepreneur who reportedly took his own life. The young man demonstrated so much promise, certainly over the past years that his colleagues and I have had the opportunity to collaborate with him and assist him in establishing his business. There are family, friends, colleagues, associates, connections, and others, including clients who are suffering in silence, and something must be done about it. Many individuals have been affected by mental illness. I don’t know what can or must be done, but what I do know is the feeling of sorrow when reading or hearing news reports of people taking their lives. It is estimated that over a quarter of the nation’s population has experienced mental health issues at one time or another. What is the reason for this figure being so astonishingly high? Researchers contend that the main causes of mental illness in Namibia are socio-economic factors, the use of illicit drugs and alcohol, and chronic illness. There may be other reasons. The nation must move beyond hearing what research is revealing and find solutions to help those who are so obviously crying out, albeit in silence, for help. * Danny Meyer is reachable at danny@smecompete.com The post The Bad, Good, and the Ugly appeared first on The Namibian.

Product development can feel messy. Ideas clash, timelines slip, and tech choices multiply faster than anyone can track. Businesses face mounting pressure to release products that work, delight users, and stay profitable. That’s where professional product development companies step in. They bring structure, technical expertise, and a fresh perspective—helping organizations move from concept to functioning […] The post 8 Product Development Firms Solving Complex Business Challenges in 2026 first appeared on Flowster.