S-Printing to the top
Having studied Events Management at Limkokwing University, circumstances pushed business-minded Gofaone Busang out of her comfort zone and into branding.
A year into her unexpected profession, the 27-year-old feels right at home.
Brandeck is a branding solutions provider for companies and individuals. They print T-shirts, caps, masks, and other promotional merchandise as well as graphic design.
“We believe in bringing out the best of brands and we have solutions that bring out the best results,” states Busang leaning towards her computer, fingers interlocked.
Brandeck, as the young entrepreneur explains, is derived from two words – one obvious, the other less so!
“Brand represents branding, which is what we do and deck as in DJ’s deck because like a disk jockey we mix this and that to come up with the best branding solutions.”
The studio, situated above Nandos at Kagiso (BBS) Mall, looks cramped and small. However, there is nothing small about Brandeck clients, who include Native Events, 52 Sundays, football clubs and new Premier League champions Jwaneng Galaxy as well as churches and corporations.
To attract customers, Brandeck maintains an impressive presence on social media where they interact with clients and potential customers via Facebook, Whatsapp, Twitter, and Instagram.
After completing her studies, Busang found the market was saturated and did not pay novices well. Thus she decided to do events on a part-time basis. Ambition burning inside and inspired by a vision of her future self, she decided to become a protocol and training services consultant, sometimes even working for free.
Busang was no stranger to ‘hustling’, as she calls it when she ventured into business two years ago. She reveals that she has always been one to take up opportunities and has pushed her side hustle since university.
They say fortune favors the brave and Busang can attest to that. She was completely blank on matters of branding yet she spent her small windfall on the business.
“As luck would have it, I got a bit of money from a modeling gig for a Stanbic Bank advert and I decided to invest in the business.”
From that point on, there was nothing ‘lucky’ about Busang’s success.
“I started by printing on plastic glasses until I met my business partner and we used his company, Shining Flaws, to trade until last year when Brandeck was born,” she continues, her model-like good look slighting up with a proud smile.
Having survived the difficulty of setting up a new enterprise, Busang and her business have been stalled in their tracks by the Covid-19 lockdown.
“We are going to have to utilize what we have to the max in order to pay rent and utilities as well as the two employees. Staying home during lockdown meant no work and no income yet we have expenses to pay including fumigation, thermometer, and sanitizers,” she laments.
Covid masks seem to be big business at the moment, but not for Busang.
“It is an opportunity yes, albeit very small. Printing on masks is cheap and it’s being done everywhere,” she ruefully explains, shifting slightly to lean back on her chair, momentarily lost in thought as she contemplates the immediate future.
If her 10-year vision is anything to go by, Busang is hooked to branding. She dreams of a larger company with specialized departments to handle different aspects of the business. She also wants bigger printers and graphic designers.
For those considering venturing into branding, Busang has one word for you: Patience.
“Some days there won’t be any business but you will still need to spend; never compromise on quality,” she ends.