{"id":74100,"date":"2025-07-18T18:18:21","date_gmt":"2025-07-18T16:18:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/?p=74100"},"modified":"2025-07-18T19:40:08","modified_gmt":"2025-07-18T17:40:08","slug":"lessons-to-launch-your-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/lessons-to-launch-your-business\/","title":{"rendered":"How I started a \u20ac30M brand at 18: Lessons to launch your business"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--generic\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/category\/growth-customers\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">Growth &amp; Customers<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tHow I started a \u20ac30M brand at 18: Lessons to launch your business\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2025-07-18T18:18:21+02:00\">Jul 18, 2025<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"How I started a \u20ac30M brand at 18: Lessons to launch your business\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/lessons-to-launch-your-business\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/header>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/author\/eugeneyiga\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/03\/Eugene-Yiga-Profile-Photo-350x350.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"Profile photo of writer Eugene Yiga.\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Eugene Yiga<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>Starting a business as a young entrepreneur presents unique challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You may worry about lacking credibility, experience, or sufficient capital to compete with established businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, Bruno Casanovas, co-founder and creative director of ready-to-wear label <a href=\"https:\/\/nude-project.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Nude Project<\/a>, proves that these concerns don&#8217;t have to derail your entrepreneurial ambitions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At 18, Bruno co-founded Nude Project from his university dorm room with just \u20ac600.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Six years later, his clothing brand generates \u20ac30 million in annual revenue and employs 170 people across multiple markets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His bootstrapping a startup approach offers valuable youth entrepreneurship tips for anyone wondering how to start a business in South Africa or anywhere else with limited resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Here&#8217;s what we&#8217;ll cover:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><div class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents yoast-table-of-contents\"><ul><li><a href=\"#h-start-with-minimal-capital-to-force-smart-decisions\" data-level=\"2\">Start with minimal capital to force smart decisions<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-real-world-impact\" data-level=\"2\">Real-world impact<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-test-business-concepts-rapidly-and-affordably\" data-level=\"2\">Test business concepts rapidly and affordably<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-how-to-implement-rapid-testing\" data-level=\"2\">How to implement rapid testing<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-how-to-start-a-business-in-south-africa-with-limited-resources\" data-level=\"2\">How to start a business in South Africa with limited resources<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-the-bootstrap-advantage\" data-level=\"2\">The bootstrap advantage<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-build-authentic-partnerships-that-complement-your-skills\" data-level=\"2\">Build authentic partnerships that complement your skills<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-leverage-your-generation-s-authentic-understanding\" data-level=\"2\">Leverage your generation&#8217;s authentic understanding<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-how-to-overcome-common-young-entrepreneur-obstacles\" data-level=\"2\">How to overcome common young entrepreneur obstacles<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-final-thoughts\" data-level=\"2\">Final thoughts<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta gated-content\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Small business survival toolkit<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Get practical advice to help your business thrive.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-80195606-5387-4569-bfaf-b6a518449b24\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Download your free guide<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1305268048-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1305268048-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-start-with-minimal-capital-to-force-smart-decisions\">Start with minimal capital to force smart decisions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The biggest misconception young entrepreneurs have is believing they need significant capital before launching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bruno&#8217;s experience suggests the opposite approach can be more effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;We both had \u20ac300 saved up,&#8221; he explains. &#8220;We were 18 at the time and with those \u20ac600 euros in total, we could do a production of up to 15 T-shirts.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They purchased basic Fruit of the Loom hoodies, created designs using Photoshop, and had them printed locally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Their initial markets were their university dorm rooms\u2014Bruno&#8217;s in Barcelona and his business partner Alex is in Madrid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-real-world-impact\">Real-world impact<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Their first customer was Bruno&#8217;s girlfriend, which initially disappointed him when the order appeared on their new Shopify store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;I was like, &#8216;This doesn&#8217;t count,'&#8221; he recalls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, this humble beginning taught them that sophisticated operations aren&#8217;t necessary to start validating business ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Starting with limited resources forced them to focus on essentials and avoid unnecessary expenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;When we sold the 15 hoodies, we could buy 30 more,&#8221; he says. &#8220;That was like a snowball effect.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-test-business-concepts-rapidly-and-affordably\">Test business concepts rapidly and affordably<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Rather than developing comprehensive business plans, successful young entrepreneurs prioritise rapid testing with minimal investment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bruno references advice from the CEO of Netflix about a woman planning to raise \u20ac1 million for a clothes-sharing platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead of building expensive software, the CEO suggested a simple test: placing a note on her dorm room door saying, &#8220;if you&#8217;re interested in trading clothes, knock on this door.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;If someone knocks, maybe the business is interesting. If no one knocks, maybe you should try a different business,&#8221; Bruno explains, highlighting the power of low-cost validation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This philosophy shaped Nude Project&#8217;s approach. &#8220;The faster you start, the faster you&#8217;re going to be able to test things, and the faster you test, the faster you&#8217;re going to get smarter and learn,&#8221; says Bruno.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-implement-rapid-testing\">How to implement rapid testing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Focus on testing your core concept before building infrastructure. Identify the smallest possible version of your business idea that can provide meaningful feedback from potential customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This approach allows you to understand market demand without significant financial risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-start-a-business-in-south-africa-with-limited-resources\">How to start a business in South Africa with limited resources<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For South African entrepreneurs, limited startup capital doesn&#8217;t have to be a barrier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Several local resources and funding bodies can support your business launch, particularly if you&#8217;re following Bruno&#8217;s bootstrapping a startup approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-government-funding-and-support-programmes\">Government funding and support programmes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) offers various funding programmes for young entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;The Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) provides seed funding for innovative startups, while the Small Enterprise Finance Agency (SEFA) offers loans and business development support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) also provides funding for businesses that can demonstrate growth potential and job creation capacity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-free-tools-for-south-african-entrepreneurs\">Free tools for South African entrepreneurs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Several organisations offer free business development tools and mentorship programmes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These include accelerator programmes through universities such as the University of Cape Town&#8217;s Graduate School of Business, which runs entrepreneurship bootcamps and incubation programmes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Online platforms like the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) provide free business planning tools and resources specifically designed for South African market conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-youth-entrepreneurship-tips-for-local-success\">Youth entrepreneurship tips for local success<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When learning how to start a business in South Africa, consider focusing on local market needs first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bruno&#8217;s success came from understanding his immediate market intimately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;South African entrepreneurs can apply this principle by identifying problems specific to local communities or market gaps that larger companies haven&#8217;t addressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-question-whether-external-funding-is-necessary\">Question whether external funding is necessary<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Many young entrepreneurs assume they need investment to succeed, but Bruno challenges this assumption directly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;When a kid comes up to me and says, &#8216;I&#8217;m about to start my own brand and do my first round for \u20ac300,000,&#8217; the first thing I ask is, why do you need money?&#8221; explains Bruno.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For businesses with circular revenue models\u2014where sales immediately generate reinvestment capital\u2014bootstrapping a startup often proves more effective than seeking external funding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Money makes you dumb,&#8221; Bruno argues. &#8220;When you get a million euros of financing, you think you&#8217;re rich, but you still have zero euros in revenue.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta gated-content\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Small business survival toolkit<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Get practical advice to help your business thrive.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-80195606-5387-4569-bfaf-b6a518449b24\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Download your free guide<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1305268048-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1305268048-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-bootstrap-advantage\">The bootstrap advantage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Bruno criticises how startup culture celebrates funding rounds rather than actual business performance. &#8220;The media publishes articles about what company did a 15 million financing round, but what we should really nurture and celebrate is revenue, good margins, EBITDA [earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation] numbers.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bootstrapping forced Nude Project to develop efficiency and resourcefulness from day one, skills that served them well during scaling phases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-build-authentic-partnerships-that-complement-your-skills\">Build authentic partnerships that complement your skills<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Strategic partnerships can accelerate growth, particularly for young entrepreneurs who may lack comprehensive business experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bruno credits much of Nude Project&#8217;s success to his partnership with Alex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Alex is my business partner, my 50%, and the person I probably call most in my life,&#8221; Bruno explains. &#8220;If him and I are not connected, this business doesn&#8217;t work, and this business is my life.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They treat their partnership as fundamental to business success, following advice from a mentor who told them their relationship shouldn&#8217;t be interfered with by external influences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-build-strong-business-partnerships\">How to build strong business partnerships<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Successful partnerships require shared values and complementary skills. Bruno emphasises the importance of nurturing these relationships: &#8220;I try to listen to him. There are days where he [annoys] me off but there are days I [annoy him] too.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The key is treating the partnership as essential to business success rather than a convenience arrangement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-leverage-your-generation-s-authentic-understanding\">Leverage your generation&#8217;s authentic understanding<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Young entrepreneurs possess a significant advantage: intimate understanding of their target demographic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;The brand I made was tailor-made for myself,&#8221; Bruno says. &#8220;I didn&#8217;t find the clothes I wanted to wear. I didn&#8217;t see the social media management I&#8217;d love to see. I didn&#8217;t see a business I could resonate and relate to.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This authentic connection resonated with customers because it was genuine rather than manufactured through market research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;I think our generation is smarter than what corporate people think,&#8221; observes Bruno. &#8220;We&#8217;re so used to seeing so much stuff on social media that we&#8217;re already very specific with what we want to see.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-real-world-impact-0\">Real-world impact<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When established companies attempt to target younger demographics through boardroom strategies, the results often feel inauthentic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;When you start to see a company trying to do a Gen Z marketing strategy, but they&#8217;re a bunch of old people in a boardroom trying to connect with Gen Z, it just feels disingenuous,&#8221; Bruno explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Young entrepreneurs can leverage this generational authenticity as a competitive advantage against larger, less agile competitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-overcome-common-young-entrepreneur-obstacles\">How to overcome common young entrepreneur obstacles<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-address-knowledge-gaps-strategically\">Address knowledge gaps strategically<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As a young entrepreneur, you&#8217;ll face significant knowledge gaps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bruno&#8217;s solution involves surrounding yourself with experts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;I didn&#8217;t even manage to finish university because I didn&#8217;t have time,&#8221; he admits. &#8220;My resources as far as information and studying are very basic but I&#8217;m very lucky to say that we are 170 people in total now, and I&#8217;ve surrounded myself with people that know way more than I do and are experts in their own discipline.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-accept-failure-as-education\">Accept failure as education<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Setbacks are inevitable, but young entrepreneurs can use them as learning opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Failures happen all the time,&#8221; Bruno acknowledges. He considers hiring mistakes his biggest failures: &#8220;Anytime I&#8217;ve had to hire someone and that person has not worked out in my company, I&#8217;ve had bad judgement, and for me, that&#8217;s a failure.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-combat-procrastination-decisively\">Combat procrastination decisively<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The biggest obstacle most young entrepreneurs face is delaying their start date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;The most conversations I get from young people about starting their own business is always, &#8216;Yes, I&#8217;m going to start, but after I do this study, or after I get this job, or after I get this money,'&#8221; Bruno observes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He compares this to hitting the snooze button: &#8220;An entrepreneur has to have control of the snooze button, and you have to do hard things to get accomplishments.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-final-thoughts\">Final thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Bruno&#8217;s journey from 18-year-old university student to successful entrepreneur demonstrates that age doesn&#8217;t determine business capability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His approach\u2014starting small, testing quickly, building authentic relationships, and learning continuously\u2014provides a replicable framework for young entrepreneurs learning how to start a business in South Africa or anywhere else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The key insight isn&#8217;t that success comes easily, but that young entrepreneurs possess unique advantages: understanding of their target market, willingness to learn, and hunger to prove themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Success doesn&#8217;t require waiting until you feel prepared. It requires starting with available resources and improving through experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As Bruno puts it: &#8220;You have to do hard things to get accomplishments.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your age might actually be your biggest competitive advantage but only if you&#8217;re willing to leverage it properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>For additional support on your entrepreneurial journey, download our <a href=\"#gate-80195606-5387-4569-bfaf-b6a518449b24\">Small business survival toolkit<\/a>, which provides essential resources and templates to help you navigate the challenges of building a successful business.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta gated-content\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Small business survival toolkit<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Get practical advice to help your business thrive.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-80195606-5387-4569-bfaf-b6a518449b24\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Download your free guide<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1305268048-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1305268048-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Discover how Bruno Casanovas built a \u20ac30M brand with just \u20ac600 at age 18. Practical tips for starting a business in South Africa with limited resources.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1064,"featured_media":71322,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sage_video":false,"post_featured_image_hide":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,29],"tags":[315,316,337,209,214],"business_type":[2],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[],"persona":[16],"imagine_tag":[63,83,85,86],"coauthors":[403],"class_list":["post-74100","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-growth-customers","category-trends-insights","tag-business-intelligence","tag-business-strategy","tag-news-insights","tag-staying-competitive","tag-trending-topics","business_type-small-business"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-za","author_name":"Eugene Yiga","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1303226324.jpg","imagine_tags":{"63":"Business intelligence","83":"Growing business","85":"Small business","86":"Start up business"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice South Africa","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74100","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/1064"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=74100"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74100\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/71322"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=74100"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=74100"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=74100"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=74100"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=74100"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=74100"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=74100"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=74100"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=74100"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=74100"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}