Mead trots on with new meaning

"I wanted to work for myself. I had a vision ? I looked at my employers and thought if they can do it then so can I.

"Those were exciting times. For the first year my competitors tried to close the door on me," he says.

Mead (41) survived because his previous customers supported him, paying cash for goods and "carrying" the business.

He had the experience to make a success of selling into Africa, gained over a decade while working at two trading houses.

"We shipped container loads of vehicles, tyres, chemicals, build‑ materials, sanitary ware, oranges, eggs, longlife milk and potatoes into Africa," he says.

One of his business coups was to negotiate deals with businessmen in Somalia at the height of that country's civil war.

He was held hostage, released and negotiated a food contract for his trading company with the UN that was worth $2 million.

Today he runs Tireworld Exports, an export company that acts as an agent and distributor of branded passenger and light truck tyres, batteries and exhaust systems into Zambia, Malawi and Tanzania.

The rest of his business is general trade, including flour, oil and steel.

In 1997 he won a national competition as an entrepreneur of the year.

Born and educated in England, in a family involved in the steel industry, Mead did a five-year city and guilds management apprenticeship involving all aspects of steel and tube making,

Disillusioned with how the policies of Margaret Thatcher were impacting on the steel industry, he moved to South Africa and joined his first trading house.

Encouraged by his wife Janet, who joined him in his business, Mead grew the firm by building up a relationship of "trust and honesty" with customers,

"We shipped curios from flea markets to Australia and coffins in kit form to Zambia.

"The mortality rate in Africa is very high and people are getting into huge debt to pay for funerals. We saw a market in supplying kit coffins that could be put together in 10 minutes."

To prevent the pilfering of handles for coffins Mead got a supplier to make plastic coffin handles that looked like brass.

He describes his employees as being "team members in an entrepreneurial company".

Business is about people and not products, he says. It is important for his team to get together, share ideas and laugh. Staff are empowered to make decisions.

He believes it is fine for people to make mistakes, as part of their learning experience.

The father of two young children, Mead has encouraged his eight‑year‑old son to work in the business for two hours a week as a way of teaching him important life lessons on the value of money.

Mead keeps a daily journal in which he writes down entrepreneurial thoughts and ideas. Some of these ideas are written up and displayed for the staff to see.

The company has a reputation north of the border of "giving service".

"We do not make the problems of South African manufacturers the problems of our customers. This is not an 8.30am to 4.30pm job ‑ it is seven days a week and 24 hours a day. We are always contactable. "

Mead wants to grow the business by venturing into outsourcing ‑ using the company's experience on behalf of manufacturers who want to sell their products into Africa. His company would take care of documentation, marketing, expediting and payment.

Africa offers great opportunities for business, he says. Even countries like Zimbabwe offer major opportunities.

"The best deals are often in economies that are spiralling down, because that is when the competition jumps ship."

Not enough consideration is given to barter trade, he says. Because of his relationship of trust with customers, some of them pay cash. It is also possible to work out deals that exchange goods of similar value.

He says South African banks are slow in their response to business opportunities and tend to tie things up in red tape.

His own way of dealing with potential customers is to get close to business people who have "family business values". Over time one develops a gut instinct for these people, he says.

He spends three months of the year travelling into Africa and meeting with clients. Business cannot just be done by fax or phone."

Networking is also very important for entrepreneurs and he taps into the business community through the Exporters Club. He also gives motivational talks to would‑be entrepreneurs on business life skills.

"I really want to make a contribution by putting something back into the business world."

His advice to aspirant entrepreneurs was to find gaps in the market, be persistent, work hard and develop good relations with customers.

DEON DELPORT