Black Umbrellas is an enterprise and supplier development (ESD) incubation organisation that partners with entrepreneurs, enterprises, investors, and communities, to drive an inclusive and sustainable economic future by enabling the success of emerging SMEs.
The Black Umbrellas Virtual Incubator is an online platform that is designed to offer training, mentoring support, and business coaching from anywhere with an internet connection. No matter where you are in your entrepreneurial journey, they will help you build a resilient, compliant, and sustainable business.
Their programmes focus on developing qualifying businesses to a level where they can gain meaningful access to procurement, finance and networks and then facilitate access to these sorts of opportunities.
While the Black Umbrellas programmes and platforms are available to any business at any stage of their development, their primary enabler is the Enterprise and Supplier Development requirements of the B-BBEE Codes of Good Practice.
Black Umbrellas has three programmes depending on the stage of the journey you are in.
1) Business Foundation Programme
This programme is their beginner programme if you can call it that. If you have passion, drive, vision and a great idea that you have validated or an existing business which you wish to structure properly and prepare a strategy for, our Business Foundation
Programme is for you.
This entry-level programme, which includes support from a business coach together with our customised e-learning programme, is designed to take you from having an early-stage idea or an unstructured existing business to a position where you can take your business to the next level.
The programme takes place over a three-month period during which the aim is to assist the entrepreneur in taking a great idea from just an idea to an operational business.
The programme will guide the entrepreneur on how to develop a comprehensive business plan, and requirements to comply with regulatory matters such as Companies Act, taxation and accounting requirements. Essentially the programme provides entrepreneurs with all the skills, resources, tools and tips to develop a successful pitch for a great idea.
The programme is aimed at passionate entrepreneurs looking to contribute to the economic and social growth of South Africa.
Benefits:
- Access to a range of e-learning modules for your specific programme on their interactive virtual incubation platform;
- Work from the comfort of your own location or any of our co-working or business lounge spaces;
- Prepare your business pitch and present this to an expert panel;
- Get your business supply chain, finance, and network ready;
- Support to create a constant “working on your business as opposed to in your business” mindset due to the automated visual workflow and task management functionality of the Virtual Incubator.
2) Business Readiness Programme
This programme (seen as their mid-stage readiness programme) is for businesses already in operation and generating income but are in need of some assistance in getting their business supply chain, funding and network ready to take that next step in the
journey.
This is a nine-month programme that looks to develop the required skill set of the entrepreneur to operate their business more effectively and take it to the next level of the business evolution and be considered seriously for procurement and funding
opportunities.
What is great about this programme is the access to not only the e-learning programmes but to also have support from leading business coaches and mentors.
3) Accellerator Programme
Their flagship programme is for established businesses that are high growth with the potential to scale and create more jobs.
The programme gives the entrepreneurs access to:
- A customized development journey;
- Support of an Executive business coach;
- Training sessions through master classes;
- Funding opportunities;
- Access to procurement opportunities by way of a premium listing on Black Umbrellas procurement platform;
- Networking events.
The application is a 4 step process:
- Stage 1 – Application (Takes about 45 Minutes);
- Stage 2 – Entrepreneur Screening (40 Minutes);
- Stage 3 – An interview process; and
- Stage 4 – If successful an invitation to the programme which you would need to accept.
Below is a link to some of the success stories of entrepreneurs who have been on the Black Umbrella programmes:
Below is a link to their Social Media page where can get a sense of the type of Incubator you would be working with and supported by: