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a Reply to : How South Africa Can Create Millions of REAL Jobs
On 19 Feb 2017, Xavier7034, posted :
Xavier, brilliant posting, brilliant ideas, and absolutely it CAN work.
But, without being negative, when I just read that posting and all those brilliant ideas, I can't help but just see all the problems pop one by one, when anyone would attempt to put those brilliant ideas to work.
That idea you have, many people have tens of thousands of different ideas, all that can be working business models, all that can create employment, all that can make our economy thrive. So, why do they not see the light off day ? This is why. In you way, you have a government that stands in your way with a book full of red tape and laws that will stop you dead in your tracks. It will suck the life out of you. It will leave you flat as a battery.
First, to make your plan work, who is going to fund these projects ? In my view, government should fund it. If you get past this hurdle you would think you are at least 35% on your way, nope, you are maybe 5% on your way.
Second, even if government funds it, or they do not fund it, and you fund it, who is the going to get those businesses off the ground, and run it, and manage it ? Definitely not government, they are poor at running and managing anything. They are brilliant at interfering though. They can create or build nothing, but they can break down successful businesses very quickly. At best, if they wanted to run with your ideas, they can outsource this. And we all know what happens when they outsource anything, tenders, and all then costs two to five times what it could have cost.
But lets say, you have the money, and you have the desire, to make this work, you are going to manage and run with this. Now you are maybe 15% on your way.
Now, get ready for a ton of laws and red tape, to get through, just to get your company registered.
Once that is achieved, get ready for your BEE certification. Remember, you can't hire who you want, government is going to prescribe to you, who you may hire.
Once that is achieved, now get ready for all that want a kickback to do not stand in your way, of running with your idea, and holding you back around every corner where you need a license or approval from government or municipalities.
Once that is achieved, I hope you are deeply involved in the running of all this, for if you dare to appoint others to source tenders to do certain work, be ready to pay at least double or triple than was necessary.
Now get ready for paying tax, and registering for VAT, and do not dare to make a mistake in your returns, else you will pay penalties until doomsday comes.
Once you got past all that, now get ready for a workforce that wants a minimum wage of R3,500 no matter how much, or how little work they do. If you have someone just washing your office's floors, they must get R3,500 at least.
Once that is no problem anymore, now get ready to deal with unions, that can take you on on anything dreamed up by the people working for you, be it a valid complaint, or not.
Next be ready for staff that can strike and burn your business down, for any reason they can dream up. For some reason they forgot you did all this for them.
And never forget, you are not allowed to fire anyone, for any reason, ever, unless you go through tremendous steps of getting all your evidence and hearings over many months, and even then, you will not be assured of success of letting anyone go.
Also, if some of your employees blatantly steal from you, or if the public steals from you, be ready to deal with a police station that will hardly be interested in your problems, and at best will maybe come take a statement from you. You are on your own to try and secure your businesses.
And, in the end, if you got through all this, and heaven forbid, you do make some profit from all your efforts and ideas, you are now seen as a minority white capitalist, who suck the population dry, who takes all the money for himself, who do not want to share his wealth and knowledge and help others to run their own businesses as well. You are the enemy and must be fought as hard as possible, many are coming for you. Many entities will not be able to wait to shut you down, take control of all your businesses, and hand it over to themselves first, and maybe a little to the people.
This is the reality, to opening a business in SA, and trying to do everything legitimate. Now, start a businesses, and follow none of these laws, break them all, and you will have far less trouble. Why is that, simple, government and police love to make a ton of laws on those that follow the law, and come down hard on those that follow the law. But they do not have a taste for those that do things illegally, for some reason those people are left alone to do as they wish. It is far to dangerous to try to get them to follow the law. It is much more easier to come down hard on soft targets.
So Xavier, I know this sound extremely negative, but why don't you give it a try, and come tell us how it worked out, and if the life and spirit was drained out of you in quick time, or if you actually had a great success. Maybe I see it all wrong. Bottom line is, over the decades, I have seen many many businesses close for exactly the reasons I mention above. Most could not stand all the problems that come with just trying to run a business in this country.
Until the day we have a government that strives to assist the economy, and not fight it, and assist people with dreams, like you, to get it off the ground, and protect you, instead all that break the law, until that day, your dream can not work. Your idea is so good, and there are so many others, that I think it is possible that ALL people of SA, that want to work, can have a job, but you can never have it, if you have the interference and plain hate government has against businesses.
But, proof me wrong, show me I see it all wrong. Present these ideas to government, and lets see how far you get. Lets see if you even get a reply from them.
I still recommend you for trying. Who knows, we may dream, may we not ?
