PACIFIC Entrepreneurship Training Institute founder and managing director Joeli Tukana is advising indigenous businesses to build strong, repeatable processes and strategic networks in order to thrive and expand. Speaking during the Fiji Indigenous Business Council (FIBC) Symposium he highlighted the “think big, start small, stay concept” to indigenous business owners who were present.
“Don’t network with everyone, network with the right people. Network selectively, audit your network. Identify those who align with your vision and your mission, who can add value to your business, who can help you and the other thing is, you can identify those who are draining your momentum,” Mr Tukana said.
“Building trust-based strategic relationship is the key. Networking is not about the contact that you have, it’s about who you align with your goal, set values and that can grow with you.
“Build strategic network, strategic partnership.”
He said that large and successful companies don’t do things alone and to avoid unnecessary cost or duplication, they work in partnership.
“It will reduce your cost; it will improve your efficiency and your profit margin. One example of strategic partnership that you can form is outsourcing, logistics, supply partnership, joint ventures or shared services.
“One thing that I’ve learned while working at RB Patel, if you want to grow or if you want to scale up, you need a good system. System of ordering, system of production, system of customer service, system of networking, so everything is done through the system to build a good network.
“When processes are consistent, growth becomes predictable.”
Mr Tukana reminded indigenous business owners to move away from doing things on memory and trust alone.
