What a high-impact and inspiring day at the Manifest Women in Business Summit panel. Our founder, Nokuhle Kumalo-Chamoto, joined a brilliant lineup to share real, actionable talk on building businesses that do not just look good on social media, but actually make money and thrive.
This panel discussion was hosted by Keitumetse Sesana, where Nokuhle Kumalo-Chamoto (Founder of Lomaku) was joined by Prudence Manaka (Founder of P AND M Fresh Produce)
Here are the top high-energy takeaways to help you boss your business journey.
1. Compliments Are Great, But Cash Flow Is King
An idea becomes a real business when customers demonstrate an actual willingness to pay, not just leave encouraging likes or comments. When Nokuhle noticed viewers asking for direct help with accounting, bookkeeping and tax, free educational content naturally transformed into building the Lomaku Professional Services division.
2. The 7-Day Market Challenge
Stop sitting on that big idea! You can test its commercial potential in just one week:
- Days 1 to 2: Write down the exact problem you solve, what makes you 'the best/ ideal person' to provide this and set one test price.
- Days 3 to 4: Talk to 10 potential clients about how they currently solve that hassle. We call this a customer interview.
- Days 5 to 6: Create a simple test-solution/ pilot offer or create a pre-order page.
- Day 7: Ask for the deposit! Real financial commitment is the ultimate green light.
3. Get Your 4 Foundations Ready
Before taking on your first client, set yourself up for stress-free success:
- Choose the Right Structure: Decide between operating as a sole proprietor or registering a formal company with CIPC and ensure you understand how your choice impacts your SARS tax obligations.
- Make Yourself Reachable: Establish a dedicated email address and contact line so prospective clients can reach you with zero friction.
- Separate Your Money: Open a dedicated (business) bank account on day 1. Keeping personal living expenses strictly separate from business overheads protects your cash flow visibility and your sanity.
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Build a Feedback Loop: Actively gather feedback from early clients so you can continuously refine your service delivery, sharpen your offer and collect valuable social proof.
4. Know Your Worth and Price for Value
Building for optics is unsustainable - we need to see the profit. Likes and follower counts do not cover your expenses, but net margins and cash reserves do. Charge for your years of technical expertise, qualification and value, rather than just the hours spent doing the work.
5. Starting Fresh with R10 000? Here is the Plan!
If Nokuhle had to start from scratch tomorrow with R10,000, here is how she would allocate that capital:
- R2 000: CIPC registration, domain setup, and basic statutory alignment.
- R3 000: A quality lapel microphone and basic lighting to start publishing helpful content online (would use cellphone to record).
- R5 000: Kept strictly as a working reserve to cover software and execution costs for early clients.
Entrepreneurship is an exciting journey of growth, resilience and continuous learning. If you've identified a problem that 'no one seems to be solving' - take that leap! Thank you to Harrieth Mabuza (Founder of Manifest Youth Empowerment) and her team for organising such a remarkable event for women in business (or thinking of it).
We wish you all the financial success and if you ever need someone to bounce ideas off of or help you organise your business finances - Lomaku Professional Services is only an email away 🌱!