What’s your name and designation?

My name is Nqobile Ndlovu. I’m a founder & director of Qophelo Medical.

Tell us about your journey. How did you get started with your business and what inspired you to do so?

I am an enrolled nurse and have always had a passion for helping people. My husband once worked for a company that supplied ultrasound machines and we both got fascinated by this medical equipment. We decided that we were going to venture into ultrasound, everything about it. We also love to see parents’ hearts melting when we offer free scanning for expecting mothers as they virtually see their baby from the ultrasound.

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced when starting your business and how did you overcome them?

The equipment we sell costs quite a bit of money, so we faced challenges such as building a trusted brand. We needed our target market to recognize us as a legitimate business that could meet their demands. To overcome this, our strategy was to start small, targeting clinics and General Practitioners who were looking for entry-level, low-cost machines, and we have built our reputation from there. We also didn’t get any form of funding and have been working from our pockets, and thus we have looked to partner up with someone else to bear the financial challenge.

What unique aspects of doing business in South Africa would you highlight (good or bad)?

In our field, most of our clients somehow have a connection. Most of them know each other, as they have attended Med school together or they know each other through a mutual friend. That makes networking flow much easier and hence makes brand awareness easier.

How do you differentiate your business from competitors?

As much as we are a small business compared to most of our competitors, we offer very personalized service. We deal with our clients on a friendly basis that makes them relate to us easily and be willing to refer a friend or colleague to us. We have also made our profit margins small because we don’t currently employ a lot of people and do not have a heavy wage bill.

What strategies have you found to be most effective in growing your customer base?

We have found networking through referrals as our biggest source of business. We connect so well with each client that we build something more than just a business relationship. We know most of our clients personally and they know us. We have thrived to be the first thought whenever ultrasound is brought up.

What’s one mistake you made early on that you wish you could go back and fix?

When we started out, we were not entirely aware of the compliance licenses we needed to get to work. That delayed our progress a bit.

What’s the most rewarding part of being a business owner?

The feeling of knowing that you’re doing it for yourself and your family. Running a business can be very taxing, but knowing that you’re building your own empire and no one else’s, makes it all worth it.

How do you approach innovation and staying relevant in your industry?

We take every opportunity to learn anything and everything that’s new out there. This knowledge-saturated generation makes this a whole lot easier. We implement everything that we can to keep our business up to date, like listing ourselves on Google listings.

How has your business adapted to the digital age, and what advice would you give to others looking to do the same?

We have put our business on the most common social media platforms. We still continue to learn how we can take advantage of other forms of digital marketing to get our business out there. They provide us with next to free advertising since everyone is glued to their phone lately. We would definitely recommend everyone to do the same, but also learn how they can get the most out of social media and the other forms of digital marketing platforms out there.

What advice do you have for someone just starting a business in South Africa?

South Africa is still filled with plenty opportunities. The country provides a diverse market and if done right, their business would flourish.

For more information, visit Qophelo Medical’s listing.

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