Young businessman brings west and east a little closer
John Weber treats every job like it’s his first.
STAFF REPORTER
The Walvis Bay native spent two years in the United Kingdom on a working holiday. He started out cleaning construction sites but always knew he would come back. On his return, he held several jobs. When Weber walked away from his last position, he knew it was time to start his own business.
“I was 24 years old and I only had N$6 000 in my pocket,” he said. For a while, Weber would buy fish and sell it in Kuisebmund in his hometown. “I told myself I would look for my own clients and not hustle clients off of my previous employer but a previous client called me out of the blue and told me that he wasn’t entirely satisfied and wanted me to handle his business from then on,” he said.
West to East Coast Investments was born. It was 2011.
“For about a year I didn’t have an office, I would arrange to meet clients at shopping centres and I would tell them my offices were being renovated. We now have 11 full-time employees and some of our clients are some of the biggest importers from Zambia and Zimbabwe. We also have our own fleet of trucks and transport mostly steel, salt and paper to South Africa.
The company also does, among others, customs clearing and forwarding, transport to any Southern African destination as well as fish distribution to any country bordering Namibia.
And that’s how his company’s name came about.
“I looked at the map of Africa. We are on the west coast and we mainly move cargo to the east, it tells our clients exactly what we do. But it’s not all been plain sailing.
“We have many challenges. I see new agents enter the sector almost every day. There are a lot of fly-by-night operators in this sector and excessive bureaucracy gets in the way. “Government’s financial difficulties have definitely affected us, said Weber. Some businesses, including ours, have not been able to receive VAT refunds from as far back as July 2017. For small businesses cash is king. You need this money to run your business.”
FOCUSED
However, Weber says he always looks at the positive side. “I treat this as savings. You know you’ll get it but I feel sorry for some of the smaller operators,” he said.
“Even though there are many new agents and many big companies competing with us, I have no fear. I have managed to build strong relationships. You need to have clients’ trust and must remind them that they are in good hands. I have not lost a big client. I treat every job like it’s the first job, I put pride in it. All clients need attention. Just because they have been with you forever, doesn’t mean they’ll always be with you. The better you know your client the better you can cater to them.”
The longtime Nedbank Namibia client said he likes the fact that Nedbank services are fast and efficient “. I have a very good banker who always does that little bit extra for us. We are always guided in the right way. As a small business, you need that. And that’s why I have never left. I have never had another account with another bank and I have never taken a loan from another bank.
SME DEVELOPMENT
Nelson Simasiku, Nedbank Namibia’s head of SME Business advised that your choice of bank, plays a key role. Your bank should not only be seen as an avenue to borrow capital but a valuable partner who will help you plan for the future, assuring your customers of the credibility and stability of the undertaking. This is achieved through various value-added services within Nedbank, such as: practical mentorship, small business seminars, short-term insurance and financial planning.
Simasiku continued that Nedbank understands the importance of digitalisation and embracing it remains imperative for the growth of any business or sector. “We’ve made good progress as we tap into new mobile and other technologies. One such example is our strategic relationship with PayToday – a smart, safe and social Namibian payment App that makes paying a business, or a friend, as easy as sending a mobile text message. It also allows you to buy airtime, pay for fuel, make donation, event tickets and even pay for accommodation as more business, utilities and other services are added regularly.” These partnerships provide SME’s with more access to financial services, he concluded.
Weber said other young people who want to start businesses should open their minds and not get stuck in their ways. “Always put money back in your business. Don’t spend your money on things that do not increase value. And remember, it doesn’t matter where you come from, you can do anything,” said Weber.
The Walvis Bay native spent two years in the United Kingdom on a working holiday. He started out cleaning construction sites but always knew he would come back. On his return, he held several jobs. When Weber walked away from his last position, he knew it was time to start his own business.
“I was 24 years old and I only had N$6 000 in my pocket,” he said. For a while, Weber would buy fish and sell it in Kuisebmund in his hometown. “I told myself I would look for my own clients and not hustle clients off of my previous employer but a previous client called me out of the blue and told me that he wasn’t entirely satisfied and wanted me to handle his business from then on,” he said.
West to East Coast Investments was born. It was 2011.
“For about a year I didn’t have an office, I would arrange to meet clients at shopping centres and I would tell them my offices were being renovated. We now have 11 full-time employees and some of our clients are some of the biggest importers from Zambia and Zimbabwe. We also have our own fleet of trucks and transport mostly steel, salt and paper to South Africa.
The company also does, among others, customs clearing and forwarding, transport to any Southern African destination as well as fish distribution to any country bordering Namibia.
And that’s how his company’s name came about.
“I looked at the map of Africa. We are on the west coast and we mainly move cargo to the east, it tells our clients exactly what we do. But it’s not all been plain sailing.
“We have many challenges. I see new agents enter the sector almost every day. There are a lot of fly-by-night operators in this sector and excessive bureaucracy gets in the way. “Government’s financial difficulties have definitely affected us, said Weber. Some businesses, including ours, have not been able to receive VAT refunds from as far back as July 2017. For small businesses cash is king. You need this money to run your business.”
FOCUSED
However, Weber says he always looks at the positive side. “I treat this as savings. You know you’ll get it but I feel sorry for some of the smaller operators,” he said.
“Even though there are many new agents and many big companies competing with us, I have no fear. I have managed to build strong relationships. You need to have clients’ trust and must remind them that they are in good hands. I have not lost a big client. I treat every job like it’s the first job, I put pride in it. All clients need attention. Just because they have been with you forever, doesn’t mean they’ll always be with you. The better you know your client the better you can cater to them.”
The longtime Nedbank Namibia client said he likes the fact that Nedbank services are fast and efficient “. I have a very good banker who always does that little bit extra for us. We are always guided in the right way. As a small business, you need that. And that’s why I have never left. I have never had another account with another bank and I have never taken a loan from another bank.
SME DEVELOPMENT
Nelson Simasiku, Nedbank Namibia’s head of SME Business advised that your choice of bank, plays a key role. Your bank should not only be seen as an avenue to borrow capital but a valuable partner who will help you plan for the future, assuring your customers of the credibility and stability of the undertaking. This is achieved through various value-added services within Nedbank, such as: practical mentorship, small business seminars, short-term insurance and financial planning.
Simasiku continued that Nedbank understands the importance of digitalisation and embracing it remains imperative for the growth of any business or sector. “We’ve made good progress as we tap into new mobile and other technologies. One such example is our strategic relationship with PayToday – a smart, safe and social Namibian payment App that makes paying a business, or a friend, as easy as sending a mobile text message. It also allows you to buy airtime, pay for fuel, make donation, event tickets and even pay for accommodation as more business, utilities and other services are added regularly.” These partnerships provide SME’s with more access to financial services, he concluded.
Weber said other young people who want to start businesses should open their minds and not get stuck in their ways. “Always put money back in your business. Don’t spend your money on things that do not increase value. And remember, it doesn’t matter where you come from, you can do anything,” said Weber.
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