Local entrepreneur Bevan Jacobs is set to launch a book to inspire youth to grasp the economic opportunities available within the country and the world.

The 25-year-old Bellville resident is also the founder of an organisation carrying his name and is involved in various other business ventures. Becoming an author was always one of his goals and the book, titled “Economic Warrior”, looks to highlight his failures and how vital it is to overcome these.

Jacobs owns Premier Debt and Legal Services, Bevan Jacobs Media and Bevan Jacobs Property and, what he calls his “baby”, the Bevan Jacobs Foundation.

“ ‘n Mens is a mens deur ander mens. I am Bevan Jacobs because of people, because I have people behind me.”

This is a sentiment he shared when asked how someone so young could become so successful.

From a young age Jacobs had begun his entrepreneurial ways, selling sweets while on school and then later opening a “stalltjie” (stall) outside his house.

Jacobs told of how he was raised by his step father, who had told him he was either going to become a preacher or a businessman. At the tender age of 20, he had already lost the second biggest debt solution company in Cape Town at the time.

He confesses to many failures in his book with the hopes that youth will learn from each of them.

“There are lot of points in my book that focus on not making the same mistakes I did.”

A passionate Jacobs explained that to become successful, you must prepare yourself mentally.

“The first people that will not believe in you; will be your family. They will call your ideas crazy and say you must get a job and just pay your bills and just go on. But you have to believe in yourself (and) you be mentally prepared to achieve your goals. You must be prepared for failure. If you can overcome failure, then you are ready,” said Jacobs.

Jacobs joked how there is a “mindset” that being an entrepreneur is something fancy but says that there have been times where he was left with as little as R2 after paying salaries.He further highlighted the importance of networking and having a strong support structure.

“It is not about what you see, but what other people see in you. It’s whether people can buy into your dream and vision.”

Obtaining investments is one of the most crucial aspects that can make or break your business and, according to Jacobs, you should never be ashamed to ask for help.

“Asking the right questions is very important. Understand the power of asking. You’ll never know who in your network has what you need, and people won’t see that you need that, if you don’t ask.”

To overcome the challenges along the way Jacobs developed the “ABC of business”:
Attitude, Belief and Commitment.

He explained that it is your Attitude toward your Belief and your Commitment to your goal that will allow you to succeed, regardless of what challenges you face.

He added that time management has always proven to be the hardest and that taking control of your time will help you achieve anything. He also highlighted how important it is to take time off, emphasizing that as a founder, you are the heart of your business. He advised to always take time to “reinvest the energy in yourself.”

Another challenge faced by new business owners is managing finances. Jacobs described how important it is to account for every cent and reminded aspiring business people to learn to say “no.”

“Don’t buy and invest in things you don’t need. Learn to say no to family and friends who will suddenly need your help. You will teach them to take care of themselves. You control where your money goes. Don’t lose sight of what you spend and invest in.”

His book is expected to be launched on Saturday 2 February 2019 and will be available at selected book stores May/July.

Jacobs let us in on the phrase that motivates him every day: “In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.”

Contact: 073 541 3439 or e-mail at bevan@jacobsinternational.co.za for more details.

VOC / Tauhierah Salie