As seen and heard on:
Important
From the desk of Leon Lategan – Founder & CEO of The School of Entrepreneurship
Re: [URGENT!] Making the most important decision of your young life the best decision you’ll ever make
Dear Matric (and parents too),
Congratulations on your looming departure from school.
You’ve reached an important milestone.
Welcome to adulthood.
You finally have your independence.
I bet you have big dreams for your future!
And you must be nervously excited about finally leaving home, getting a degree and making your own money.
But, in case no one has told you…
You're facing the biggest challenge of your young life!
Did you know...
- Our youth unemployment rate is 59%? - Stats SA, 2020[1]
- Only 45% of matriculants have a chance of finding a job? - Stats SA, 2019[2]
- It costs approximately R192,600 in total to study a three-year degree? - Old Mutual, 2019[3]
- More than 90% of student applications will be rejected? - Sunday World, 2020[4]
- Of 190,000 new graduates per year, only 41,000 will find jobs? - HEMIS & QLFS, 2019[5]
- 33% of graduates were unemployed in 2020? - Stats SA, 2020[6]
Finding a job is impossibly hard when you are young, unskilled and inexperienced—even with a degree
Here’s why:
- There are more people looking for jobs than there are jobs available
- Companies prefer to hire qualified people with work experience, so your chances of finding a job with just grade 12 on your CV are slim
- Spaces at universities and colleges are scarce due to limited capacity, so getting accepted is tough even if you got decent grades
- Studying at a university or college is expensive, and possibly unaffordable for your parents
- Even if you graduate with a degree, it’s not guaranteed that you’ll find a job in our crippled economy
- New technologies like robots, automation and AI are changing the working world so fast that your degree might be worthless one day soon
All of this means, you’ve got your work cut out for you.
And the situation is set to become even more desperate for job seekers because South Africa’s economy shrunk by 51% in the second quarter of 2020.
The Wall Street Journal called it the “worst quarterly decline in at least a century and one of the steepest contractions recorded by any major economy during the coronavirus pandemic.”[8]
In our crippled economy, earning a paycheck so you can afford to move out into a place of your own, buy a car, travel the world and enjoy life doesn’t come easy.
Standing on your own two feet as an adult is much harder than you could ever have anticipated
The situation sucks.
And you aren’t alone because many young adults are feeling hopeless and worry about their work prospects and financial future.
Perhaps you’re thinking to yourself that life is unfair, and it can be.
But you can’t throw in the towel.
You don’t want to be known among your school friends as the “broke one who isn’t making it after school” while they are living the good life, do you?
What now?
What do you do?
Learn to create your own opportunities as an entrepreneur!
What is an entrepreneur? “A person who sets up a business in response to an identified problem or opportunity, taking on financial risks in the hope of profit.”
Becoming an entrepreneur is a better option than studying to become an employee, here’s why.
As an entrepreneur, you have unique career benefits such as:
- You can design your future which means you can build a business that gives you your desired lifestyle
- You have unlimited income potential which is to say the only limit to your financial prosperity is the value you provide to people
- You are the boss meaning that you get to make the decisions that determine your success and financial security
- You can pursue your passions which means you can work on projects that have meaning to you and have fun expressing your uniqueness
- You build an asset you own which implies your business can give you wealth and financial freedom as it grows in value over time
- You don't need a degree to reach the top (e.g. Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg[7]) which is to say a piece of paper isn't standing between you and your dreams
- You create jobs meaning that you are helping families put food on the table
- You set your own goals which means you can think big and work towards making your wildest dreams come true
- You decide how to spend your profits which is to say you can make a positive impact on the world by helping people who are less fortunate in life
- You can work remotely which means you can travel the world as a digital nomad while building a business that funds your adventures
It’s a fact that entrepreneurship offers you perks you don’t get with any job.
As an employee, you are working for a boss who tells you what to do, when to do it and how to do it.
That’s the nature of having a job. You trade your time (your most precious resource) for a paycheck.
Nevertheless, entrepreneurship isn’t child’s play.
It’s hard work.
And being an entrepreneur is risky if you don’t know how to start a business the right way and run it profitably.
The reason so many people fail as business owners is that our schooling system trains us to become employees
The world of an employee is very different from the world of an entrepreneur.
Entrepreneurs play by a different set of rules.
While the mindset of an entrepreneur differs drastically from the mindset of an employee.
Entrepreneurs lead. Employees follow.
However, entrepreneurship is a skill-set you can learn.
Just like you can’t be a competent engineer without the relevant degree, without training you probably won’t succeed as a business owner.
At least, not on your first try.
Fortunately, there's now a solution to the problems you're facing!
Let me introduce you to the School of Entrepreneurship, a brand new virtual training and coaching programme where you acquire the mindset and skills you need to become a confident and capable entrepreneur.
Anyone can become an entrepreneur and experience the benefits of entrepreneurship as listed earlier.
But, you should learn the fundamentals of running a business before you invest any time and money in starting up a company.
Moreover, you should learn entrepreneurship from someone qualified to teach you about entrepreneurship… someone who has already done what you want to do… someone who can point out the pitfalls and show you how a business makes money long-term.
You want to learn entrepreneurship from an accomplished entrepreneur, not a classroom professor
As the School of Entrepreneurship’s Founder, CEO and Head Coach, my name is Leon Lategan and I have been helping businesses succeed for over 20 years, from large corporations to the entrepreneur on the corner of the street.
I have experience working with the likes of some of South Africa’s biggest brands: Vodacom, Nedbank, Renault, Jeep, Pam Golding and many others.
Plus, 12 000+ international entrepreneurs, small and medium-sized businesses.
Internationally, I have worked with multi-million dollar entrepreneurs around the world in countries such as Qatar, Bahrain, Egypt, Botswana, Tanzania, Mauritius and Rwanda among others.
However, my story is one of failure and rather unique. I went to university in 1986.
I studied for a Bachelor of Business Science degree in Marketing.
I failed in my third year and was not allowed to continue.
As a university dropout, today I am South Africa’s No.1 Conversion Optimisation Specialist.
I help companies grow their businesses through REAL marketing, sales, customer experience and communication.
And I have subsequently been a leader in my field for the past 8 years.
Ironically, I was invited by The IMM Graduate School (Institute of Marketing Management) to be the keynote speaker at their graduation ceremony of more than 200 marketing students. 
My journey proves that you don’t necessarily need a qualification to succeed in life or as an entrepreneur.
As an accomplished entrepreneur, my advice to South Africa's youth is simple: Even if you are able to, do not go to university or college... just yet
If you’re having difficulty choosing a field of study, don’t worry about it.
That’s okay.
It’s normal.
It’s expected.
Why?
Because you have no working experience.
How are you supposed to make such an important decision at this point in your life?
You’re not alone in your uncertainty.
Start asking the adults around you and you will quickly discover many of them weren’t sure about what they wanted to study either.
But many of them were forced into a decision.
And a great deal of them, knowing what they know today, if they could choose again they would choose a different career.
Not everyone, but many adults feel that way.
Don’t rush into a field of study blindly.
Instead, first, do something to expand your perspective.
Why not take a 'Gap Year With Purpose'?
And get clarity by enrolling in an entrepreneurship programme next year.
Learn about all the different areas of business.
Get some experience under your belt.
Thereafter, if you still want to study at university or college, go because YOU REALLY WANT TO GO.
And go as a far wiser and informed student.
At least you’ll have a better understanding of the business world and be able to make an informed decision when you choose your area of study.
On the flip side, you might discover you want to be an entrepreneur rather than work for someone else.
If that happens, at least you didn’t waste time and money following a path you were forced into without all the facts at hand.
The School of Entrepreneurship is offering you a 'Gap Year With Purpose'
We believe every young adult should have some degree of business skills before embarking on tertiary education so they can consider starting a business in their line of study, and create jobs for others in the process.
Our Entrepreneurship Mastery Programme sets you up with the necessary knowledge, tools and skills to start and run a business.
After completing your five months of theory on entrepreneurship, you have three months of practical application.
During this time you will work towards the launch of a business should you wish to pursue entrepreneurship and start making an income.
The programme is delivered in ‘layman’ language for anyone to understand.
We don’t overcomplicate things with confusing academic jargon.
Furthermore, while you work on your business model during the programme, you acquire practical, “hands-on” (not theoretical or “textbook”) experience.
This increases the likelihood of your first venture succeeding because you will be better prepared for the competitive nature of the business world.
Students who fully commit will get results because of our Concept-to-Company Creator Formula
The formula is based on proven principles in starting a business from scratch.
This is the same formula I have used to launch various profitable companies in the last eight years.
Companies such as Purple Cow Digital Marketing Agency (sold to Yellow Pages in 2012) and The Lions Den.
At the end of the Entrepreneurship Mastery Programme, you will walk away with a feasible business model in hand.
And have the opportunity to get funding and support if your business idea is investable.
This can put you on the front foot as your step from the classroom into the competitive world of business.
See what some of the entrepreneurs I've coached have to say
Pierre van den Berg
“Leon is an awesome presenter and motivator, and he is creating amazing opportunities for all entrepreneurs / or people aspiring to become entrepreneurs.”
Herma Koch
Rene Vosloo
Scott Pitso
“His master class on how to properly market or promote your business cannot be found in text books or college/university lecture rooms. They are on based on practical real tested events.”
António Roque
“Leon is an absolute master in everything he teaches, His knowledge and commitment is outstanding and second to none. If you are a serious entrepreneur this is for you. Highly recommended.”
Tersia Van Der Schyff
Isaac Mensah
“Leon’s marketing training is almost like the 2 years MBA Marketing programmes we undertake in Universities. This is more practical, even more than the University.”
Tshepho Mothlasedi
Sharon Jessop
Reinhardt Jobse
An 8-month business training and coaching programme delivered in the 19 masterclasses as outlined below
Unlike any other programme:
- You get an extremely affordable and practical programme;
- You learn from real entrepreneurs who have walked the talk;
- You discover your Entrepreneur Type through the Enneagram Assessment;
- You are exposed to real live case studies;
- You have an alternative to tertiary education and formal degrees;
- You create your own 'job' and secure your future as a self-reliant individual;
- You to start an income-generating business within a year with the possibility of funding; and
- You receive ongoing support and coaching through The Lions Den and Rafiki Referral Network.
The programme curriculum is presented in 19 masterclasses
- Programme Orientation
- 1. Mindset & Motivation
- 2. Business Model
- 3. Product & Service
- 4. Market Research
- 5. Innovation & Change
- 6. Branding
- 7. Marketing & Influence
- 8. Sales & Closing
- 9. Customer Experience
- 10. Money & Finance
- 11. Leadership & Team
- 12. Creativity & Design
- 13. Tools & Automation
- 14. Conversion & Optimisation
- 15. Reputation Management
- 16. Referral Networking
- 17. Implementation
- 18. Growth Hacking
- 19. Investor Pitching
- Programme Orientation
- 1. Mindset & Motivation
- 2. Business Model
- 3. Product & Service
- 4. Market Research
- 5. Innovation & Change
- 6. Branding
- 7. Marketing & Influence
- 8. Sales & Closing
- 9. Customer Experience
- 10. Money & Finance
- 11. Leadership & Team
- 12. Creativity & Design
- 13. Tools & Automation
- 14. Conversion & Optimisation
- 15. Reputation Management
- 16. Referral Networking
- 17. Implementation
- 18. Growth Hacking
- 19. Investor Pitching
Start your entrepreneurial journey with self-awareness
Exclusive to the School of Entrepreneurship, you will complete the Enneagram Assessment at the start of the programme.
The Enneagram is a sense-making tool and framework that enables the development of self-awareness.
Your results will reveal your Entrepreneur Type, intrinsic motivators, strengths and weaknesses.
Armed with this newfound self-knowledge, we will customise your journey for accelerated development and success.
Everything you get with the Entrepreneurship Mastery Programme
- Training and coaching by accomplished entrepreneurs
- Practical knowledge and skills needed to start a business
- Concept-to-Company Creator Formula for launching a business
- Enneagram test and your Entrepreneur Type profile
Your complimentary bonuses:
- The Lions Den membership for one year*
- Rafiki Referral Network membership for one year*
*Membership activates after the programme ends to provide ongoing support.
Your classes or lectures:
- Begin on 1 March and run until 29 October 2021
- Run over 28 weeks (excluding holidays)
- Start at 10 am and finish by noon
- Are interactive and includes Q&A at the end
- Will be recorded and available online to watch 24/7 for 12 months
- Are accompanied by assignments
Note that attendance and assignment submission logs are kept to ensure students are attending lectures and completing assignments.
Bonuses
Bonus 1
The Lions Den membership priced at R2,990* annually
*The pre-COVID price was R5,940
- the P13 MBA Online Training Programme
- a community of ‘like-minded’ entrepreneurs
- a professional landing page with hosting
- a listing in the Entrepreneur Movement Business Directory
- specialised business courses (topics covered: Facebook, Google, Instagram, LinkedIn, and more)
- exclusive discount deals from other members
- professional virtual assistants for hire - a growing database of vetted apps and tools for your business
Bonus 2
Rafiki Referral Network membership priced at R3,990 annually
- build a reliable source of business contacts
- nurture business relationships and find opportunities for collaboration
- get more clients and sell more products
Students will complete the programme with the knowledge and skills needed to:
- Start a profitable and sustainable business by following the 'Concept-to-Company' Creator Formula
- Understand all the areas of running a business from operations, to sales, to marketing, to finance, to creativity and more as outlined in the programme curriculum
- Stand on their own feet and build their future regardless of the economic or political situation they find themselves in
Our Entrepreneurship Mastery Programme is a 10th of the price of a degree, yet the value is priceless.
Fortunately, at the School of Entrepreneurship, you won’t pay approximately R50 000 per year for 3 years (just on student fees), to learn the skills you need to generate an income.
Our mission is to make this programme accessible to as many students as possible.
We want to teach you income-generating skills in less than one year—without draining your parents’ bank account.
As such, you get everything the Entrepreneurship Mastery Programme offers for just R24,900 (payment options are available).
However, you are fortunate because our launch special is running right now…
Take advantage of our launch special
Get 20% off and
Save R5,000
We are celebrating the launch of the School of Entrepreneurship by letting our first students to enrol at the most affordable price possible.
Enrol in the Entrepreneurship Mastery Programme at the discounted fee of R19,900 until 8 February 2020 at 5 PM.
The price reverts to the regular fee of R24,900 thereafter. Enrolments close on 28 February 2021.
How you enrol in the programme and what happens next:
- Select a payment option
- Press the 'Enrol Now' button
- Enter your details as the parent or sponsor
- Make payment through PayFast
- You will receive a payment receipt email from PayFast
- Check your inbox for a 'welcome' email outlining your next steps
Start the enrolment process
Not ready yet? Have questions? Need more information?
Enrol risk-free because of our gutsy 100% Fee-Payback Guarantee
We are so confident in our Entrepreneurship Mastery Programme that we offer our students a 100% Fee-Payback Guarantee.
This is how the guarantee works:
After watching ALL the lectures and doing ALL the assignments, if you feel we didn’t show you exactly how to start and run a business, and we didn’t equip you with the knowledge and skills you need to be an entrepreneur, and you didn’t walk away with a viable business model, and you’re genuinely unsatisfied with the programme…
Then we don’t want your money!
We’ll give it all back.
No questions asked.
No hard feelings.
But, you have to do the work.
So, the 100% Fee-Payback Guarantee comes with conditions.
The programme is designed to be demanding. It is for dedicated, ambitious and self-motivated go-getters with resilience and a healthy work ethic who are motivated to create their future.
We don't tolerate slackers here!
Meaning, you have to fully commit to the programme, attend ALL the lectures and complete ALL the assignments to be eligible for the 100% Fee-Payback Guarantee.
And you will be held accountable through a lecture attendance and an assignment submission registry, which will be the primary indicator of your commitment to the programme.
Important: If you fail to engage in the programme as described here, you will forfeit your guarantee.
Are you a dedicated, ambitious and self-motivated go-getter?
Are you resilient?
Do you have a healthy work ethic?
And are you motivated to create your future?
Then you can sign up for the Entrepreneurship Mastery Programme without any risk because you are covered by our 100% Fee-Payback Guarantee!
Meet your coaches
Leon Lategan
Head Coach and
Creator of Entrepreneurs
Sharon Malherbe
Emotional Intelligence Coach
Shakes Dlutu
Mind Power
Coach
Unotida Nyoni
Money
Coach
A few of the other coaches
Verity Price
Thinking Differently
Coach
Brian de Beer
Sales
Coach
Charlotte Kemp
Leadership and Team
Coach
Sajen Thathiah
Tools & Automation
Coach
Andrew Gibson
Referral Networking
Coach
Magriet Groenewald
Facebook and Instagram
Coach
Rabison Shumba
Inspiration
Coach
Oscar Emetuei
Customer Loyalty
Coach
Ntsiki Mkhize
Mentor & Social Entrepreneurship
Coach
Scott Cundill
LinkedIn
Coach
Sylvia Malinowski
Branding and PR
Coach
Andre du Toit
Pitching and Speaking
Coach
Brian Drury
Legal
Coach
...and many more to come
Your future as an entrepreneurial success story is just 3 steps away
Launch your business and start earning an income
Get 20% off
Save R5,000: Sign up for the Entrepreneurship Mastery Programme right now for only
R19,900
How you enrol in the programme and what happens next:
- Select a payment option
- Press the 'Enrol Now' button
- Enter your details as the parent or sponsor
- Make payment through PayFast
- You will receive a payment receipt email from PayFast
- Check your inbox for a 'welcome' email outlining your next steps
Start the enrolment process
Not ready yet? Have questions? Need more information?
What will your life look like after the School of Entrepreneurship?
Imagine for a moment:
It’s the day after you completed the Entrepreneurship Mastery Programme…
You don’t snooze your alarm.
You leap out of bed, energised and excited about your day because you have direction and purpose.
Your new business is already up and running.
Whoo-hoo!
Although it’s early days, you are in the driving seat.
You are moving towards a future in which you will enjoy financial independence, security and abundance.
You are working to make your dreams a reality!
And, if you stay the course, you will soon proudly stand “stomach in, chest out” as an accomplished entrepreneur… truly loving what you do… running a thriving business that is making a positive impact on the world through useful products or services, and job creation.
Examples of accomplished entrepreneurs who started as dropouts
Mark Zuckerberg
University Dropout
Richard Branson
High School Dropout
Steve Jobs
University Dropout
Walt Disney
High School Dropout
Simon Cowell
High School Dropout
Bill Gates
University Dropout
You can be South Africa’s next entrepreneurial success story. Enrol in the Entrepreneurship Mastery Programme and we’ll show you how!
You can turn your back on the School of Entrepreneurship and walk away...
However, what does your future look like then?
If you don’t get a degree, you should eventually find a job somewhere.
But, you won’t get paid much.
Financially, life is bound to be a struggle.
And one day you might look back at today and think to yourself, “If only I had…”
If you do get a degree, you might find a better job and have fewer money worries.
Yet, you won’t get to taste the fruits of entrepreneurship.
You will be working for someone else, following their vision and helping them realise their dreams, whether you find it fulfilling or not.
Get answers to frequently asked questions
Every business in the world is risky when you first start off as you are going into the unknown.
However, the chances of success are much higher when you have done the Entrepreneurship Mastery Programme.
With the necessary knowledge and tools, your risk is mitigated, and your chances are much better for success than without doing the programme.
One doesn’t necessarily need funding because there are lots of ways to market your business for free.
We will show you how to market your business without paying a cent.
Yes, we will give you a certificate of completion.
However, as an entrepreneur, the goal is for you to work for yourself and hence a qualification would be unnecessary.
For example, I (Leon Lategan) failed University. I’m a dropout without any qualifications.
The Lions Den is the company behind the School of Entrepreneurship.
And I, Leon Lategan, as the Founder and CEO of both companies, is well known in the industry.
All you need to do is Google my name or visit my websites (e.g. www.leonlategan.co.za, www.thelionsden.co.za, mmb.gives) to learn more about me.
You can also check out my credentials on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/leonlategan.
We require a minimum of two hours from you every day, and for nine months from 1 March to 29 October 2020.
We understand this is a major decision for you
The time and energy you dedicate to learning and the field of study you choose will profoundly shape the opportunities you’ll have throughout your lifetime.
So tell your parents about the School of Entrepreneurship, and if you are the parent of a Grade 12, share our website with your child so you can discuss entrepreneurship as a viable career choice.
Please reach out to us if you still have questions.
My team and I are standing at the ready to help you make the right decision regarding your field of study.
Your future starts here,
Leon Lategan
The Entrepreneur Activist
Founder & CEO: The School of Entrepreneurship
P.S. It will soon cost R24,900 to enrol in the programme.
Our introductory price of R19,900 is a ‘one time only; never to be repeated’ offer, so act now!
P.P.S. Let’s be blunt:
If you pass on this offer, in a year from today, will you have a business up and running?
Probably not!
You’ll still wish and want it, but you won’t create it or make money from it.
Face it, most of what you need is knowledge, instruction and encouragement from people who know how to get where you want to go.
Enrol in the programme and open the doors to your own business next year this time!
Wouldn’t you like to be energised and excited about your future?
Join us now!
It’s 100% risk-free.
Your satisfaction is guaranteed.
Get 20% off
Save R5,000: Sign up for the Entrepreneurship Mastery Programme right now for only
R19,900
How you enrol in the programme and what happens next:
- Select a payment option
- Press the 'Enrol Now' button
- Enter your details as the parent or sponsor
- Make payment through PayFast
- You will receive a payment receipt email from PayFast
- Check your inbox for a 'welcome' email outlining your next steps
Start the enrolment process
Not ready yet? Have questions? Need more information?
Sources
2.) southafricanmi.com/education-statistics.html
3.) oldmutual.co.za/articles/the-costs-of-studying-in-sa/
4.) sundayworld.co.za/news/universities-not-coping/
5.) pdby.co.za/understanding-graduate-unemployment/
7.) thegentlemansjournal.com/20-of-the-most-successful-businessmen-without-degrees/
8.) wsj.com/south-africas-economy-shrinks-51-as-lockdown-restrictions-hurt-businesses
