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Cape Town - More and more businesses are realising the importance of nurturing innovative entrepreneurs among their employees to help drive growth.
The latest research by Regus, a flexible workspace provider, reports that 49% of business people in SA think flexible working is key.
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have been identified as productive drivers of inclusive economic growth and development in South Africa and around the world.
Some researchers have estimated that, in South Africa, small and medium-sized enterprises make up 91% of formalised businesses, provide employment to about 60% of the labour force and total economic output accounts for roughly 34% of GDP.
Given the increasing importance placed on developing entrepreneurship within a business by companies such as Google and Dell, a Regus survey asked respondents to identify which measures they regard as key to nurturing so-called intrapreneurs.
The survey found that more than half of South African firms selected skills updating programmes (55%).
Access to senior management (29%) and mixing staff from different functions (25%) followed.
About 25% of respondents reported formal innovation programmes are a key innovation driver and 90% of respondents think entrepreneurship has increased in the past five years in their sector.
About 14% stated that female entrepreneurship and 11% that repeat entrepreneurship is on the rise.
“Businesses have cottoned on to the powerful innovative drive of entrepreneurs too and are looking to foster entrepreneurship among their own employees," said Rona Sauer, area director for Cape Town and P.E. at Regus.
Encouraging flexible working
She said by allowing employees to work their own hours and from different locations, also helps employees mingle with workers from different functions and even different firms.
"This vastly widens their outlook and experience. Flexibility and diverse inputs can really help employees think outside the box and seek out innovation,” she said.
The latest research by Regus, a flexible workspace provider, reports that 49% of business people in SA think flexible working is key.
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have been identified as productive drivers of inclusive economic growth and development in South Africa and around the world.
Some researchers have estimated that, in South Africa, small and medium-sized enterprises make up 91% of formalised businesses, provide employment to about 60% of the labour force and total economic output accounts for roughly 34% of GDP.
Given the increasing importance placed on developing entrepreneurship within a business by companies such as Google and Dell, a Regus survey asked respondents to identify which measures they regard as key to nurturing so-called intrapreneurs.
The survey found that more than half of South African firms selected skills updating programmes (55%).
Access to senior management (29%) and mixing staff from different functions (25%) followed.
About 25% of respondents reported formal innovation programmes are a key innovation driver and 90% of respondents think entrepreneurship has increased in the past five years in their sector.
About 14% stated that female entrepreneurship and 11% that repeat entrepreneurship is on the rise.
“Businesses have cottoned on to the powerful innovative drive of entrepreneurs too and are looking to foster entrepreneurship among their own employees," said Rona Sauer, area director for Cape Town and P.E. at Regus.
Encouraging flexible working
She said by allowing employees to work their own hours and from different locations, also helps employees mingle with workers from different functions and even different firms.
"This vastly widens their outlook and experience. Flexibility and diverse inputs can really help employees think outside the box and seek out innovation,” she said.
