For the dreamers. For the do-ers. For the journey. For the sales.
Launching our very first brand video, which features small business owners going about their morning rituals, was an enlightening experience for us. Getting to spend time with entrepreneurs in their businesses was incredibly inspiring, and affirmed why we do what we do as a company.
I sat down with Yanick, our visual content developer here at Yoco, to find out what he learned while spending time on the ground with South Africa’s small business owners.
Why did we decide to use Yoco merchants and not actors in the video?
There was really no decision to be made. Our merchants are of superhero quality. The stories and personalities that exist in our merchant base is one of our greatest gifts. We firmly exist to support small business, and granting our merchants media exposure is a natural progression of that.
Our north star is a platform where SME’s are being spoken about and uplifted by each other. With over 27 000 businesses on the Yoco platform already, we see our community becoming a force in the sharing economy. One of the biggest challenges that a small businesses have in their early stages is finding an audience and reaching it. We hope to make this a lot easier through our platform.
A great amount of care goes into developing a brand. It’s kind of like bringing a child into the world. During it’s early development it acts as a sponge to external forces as it goes through it’s most malleable period.
What was it like to spend time in the merchants’ businesses and to see their inner workings?
The appeal of a small business comes from the passion with which owners and staff run the space. You can’t help but be inspired when immersing yourself in these environments. You really feel the great potential of small.
What are some things you learned through this experience?
I had an enriching chat with Lethabo from Walkfresh, the lead in the video.
He shared with me that the phone he was using during the shoot (seen in opening scenes of the video) was a feature phone because he had “unplugged” for about a month. Growing a business for three years is no simple feat, and he needed some time to take a step back. Hearing this confirmed once again the dedication that’s required to be an entrepreneur. Lethabo also was proud to show that Walkfresh could operate without him being around.
A great amount of care goes into developing a brand. It’s kind of like bringing a child into the world. During it’s early development it acts as a sponge to external forces as it goes through it’s most malleable period. Lethabo has prioritised the independence of the Walkfresh brand, it must stand taller than it’s interested entities. Create the space and own it.
As strong as a brand needs to be, the system also needs to be as strong. Lethabo explained that he is building a system first. As much as he itches to scale the business, he understands that the system needs to be scalable. Running Xero and Yoco’s Point of Sale together is one of the systems that keeps the business operating smoothly. It’s powerful to see technology helping small businesses like Walkfresh formalise and be able to scale their systems quicker.
