Startup Story

Connie Matlejoane is a female entrepreneur from Klipfontein View in Midrand, Johannesburg, in South Africa, and has built a thriving business, CRM Enterprise, despite facing numerous challenges along the way. After being retrenched from her previous job, Connie decided to start her own business, and 5 years later has grown CRM Enterprise into a successful corporate gifting and branding enterprise with six permanent employees. Connie is an inspiration to other female entrepreneurs, and her story is proof that with hard work and determination, it is possible to overcome the odds and build a successful business.

LoA spoke to the tenacious Connie Matlejoane about her entrepreneurial journey, her vision for the future, and her continuing motivation to realize her ambitions.

What does your company do?

CRM Enterprise provides services in corporate gifts, promotional products, PEE, as well as branding and signage solutions. In addition to these offerings, CRM Connect is part of the CRM Enterprise family, providing internet café services and small business support services.

“I was inspired to start CRM Enterprise as a way to contribute to the economic growth of the country and to create employment opportunities in the township where we operate.”

What inspired you to start your company?

Besides being passionate about business and a strong believer in the philosophy "you control your own destiny", I was inspired to start CRM Enterprise as a way to contribute to the economic growth of the country and to create employment opportunities in the township where we operate.

Why should anyone use your service or product?

Being a small business we offer flexibility to clients and are able to accommodate low quantities, and in most cases can also accommodate last minute orders. We have a strong focus on transparency, partnership and improvement but pride ourselves on our speed, pricing and care to provide exceptional services. We are also a Level 1 BB-BEE black women-owned company. We are committed to excellence and empowering other small businesses and entrepreneurs as well.

“I hope to one day build a state-of-the-art branding factory and a showroom in the township where people from the community can come to see what our line of work is all about.”

Tell us a little about your team

I am a product of opportunities that were given to me, and I excelled. Therefore, when I recruit I don’t necessarily look for experience, I look for potential. This has worked at times and sometimes it did not work, and that’s ok. I am passionate about young people and my team reflects that. All the team members are youth from the community in which we operate. Seeing them grow from strength to strength is very fulfilling.

Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?

I come from a gaming (Casino) background but I started my business after being retrenched from my previous job. I was given a desk and a laptop, and armed with that, together with my cell phone, I started the business from the corner of my bedroom. After a few months, one of my children offered to design my website and a sales PowerPoint prospectus for me that I used to send out to potential clients. A short while later I joined a development programme through a corporate company and was offered the incredible support and funding to convert a single garage of my home into an office space, where we now operate from.

What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?

I hope to one day build a state-of-the-art branding factory and a showroom in the township where people from the community can come to see what our line of work is all about. I'd also like to open a PPE shop where clients can come and buy off-the-shelf products right away and avoid having to place orders if they are in need of urgent supplies.

“Being part of the solution to the current unemployment crisis in the country brings me so much joy.”

What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?

Being part of the solution to the current unemployment crisis in the country brings me so much joy. Secondly, I love a challenge, so seeing a complicated client brief come to life in the final products that we deliver is always worthy of a celebration in our office. I love what I do, and it never feels like work. To me this is a lifestyle and I could not imagine myself doing anything else.

What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?

I always advise other women who are looking to start a business to start something they are passionate about, as it will motivate them to push through challenging times.

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Why LoA loves it…

It is so often the case that out of initial adversity or challenge comes entrepreneurial opportunity, and that has been the foundation of Connie Matlejoane’s journey to business-building. She harnessed her own challenges and identified local market gaps as the driving the motivation to create a business that today serves not only her family, but also the local community. Her business creates much needed jobs, local businesses get the products and services they need, and the community as a whole thrives better for her business thriving. It’s an inspirational model for others to follow. — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo, Lionesses of Africa