SPANK Industries

[Headshot]

Hey Gavin, please send me a bling red stem in 50mm with matching bars in 780 - thanks!

[Super_mil]

So who brings the Spank stuff into South Africa...? I've always struggled to find it...ESPECIALLY in LBS :S

International Trade

[Thermophage]

International Trade

But one cannot buy direct from them, correct?

[V12man]

But one cannot buy direct from them, correct?

Correct - but your LBS that stocks HOPE or WBS kit does deal with them.

[gummibear]

I worked with Gav at Beachbreak for a while before they closed down.Bumped into him on the plane and had a chat a while back.

[V12man]

I worked with Gav at Beachbreak for a while before they closed down.Bumped into him on the plane and had a chat a while back.

Now I wonder who you actually are - I also did a couple of summers at Beachbreak - but I am a fair bit older than Gavin.

[Danger Dassie]

Very inspirational story, I just think its so unfortunate that entrepreneurs like this have no choice but to take their skills and entrepreneurial spirit to other countries to achieve the success they desire.

 

As a businessman I have always asked myself why is it that South Africa has so few entrepreneurs who are prepared to risk it all and follow their dreams, and the answer in my opinion is that the cost of failure in SA is extremely high, much higher than in most other countries perhaps, both from a socially stigmatized perspective as well as a financial perspective.

 

The USA as an example, encourages this entrepreneurial spirit, going broke here is not frowned upon, its accepted as a normal business risk and in many instances even admired, I never hear economists here saying dont try its too hard and you may fail, they encourage those prepared to try, they have a "can do" mentality, in fact I know of a few very successful companies which are owned by guys who went broke two or three times before they became successful, this spirit, in my opinion is absent in the SA business world, at least from my experience, and, maybe not unexpectedly so, lets face it, going broke in SA is devastating, their is no social security or similar catch net, but I also think S.Africans are brought up very conservatively, as a nation we are scared of failure and we stigmatize those who have taken the risk and perhaps tried and failed.

 

Very unfortunate that we lose this spirit to another nation, when heavens knows its so heavily needed in SA.

 

I think it's tough anywhere, we definitely do have a conservative approach to so called failure here though. 

But on the flipside I know one or two expat entrepreneurs here who feel it's so much easier to start out a small business in South Africa, the one especially mentioned how intensively bureaucratic it is in the US. There's an interesting blog by a US expat in Cape Town on how many US citizens who travel end up not wanting to return to this states.

 

Then there's local guys like Patrick Morewood, Mark Hopkins and Victor Momsen who have lived and worked in Asia for extended periods of time and base themselves in SA, there's actually a large cottage industry of industrial designers and engineering here. As you say though, a lot more could be done. 

[gummibear]

Now I wonder who you actually are - I also did a couple of summers at Beachbreak - but I am a fair bit older than Gavin.

I worked at Radical Sports in the afternoons after school with Chappy in the week and weekends at Beachbreak with Turtle and Gavin.

Deon that owns Cyclefunatics also worked there.

I still have my Beachbreak cycling kit in a box somewhere.

Those were great times and funny thing is I hated mtb as I was racing triathlons.

[V12man]

I worked at Radical Sports in the afternoons after school with Chappy in the week and weekends at Beachbreak with Turtle and Gavin.

Deon that owns Cyclefunatics also worked there.

I still have my Beachbreak cycling kit in a box somewhere.

Those were great times and funny thing is I hated mtb as I was racing triathlons.

Definately good times - I had forgotten Turtle worked there too - mates with him on fb - I shared the link with Neil so he will see it some time soon.

[gummibear]

Only met Neil a few times but he was older so never socialized with him.

[Bomberman]

Well big up to Gavin ( Spank you very much for my cool bearclaw 777 bar)

[gummibear]

Definately good times - I had forgotten Turtle worked there too - mates with him on fb - I shared the link with Neil so he will see it some time soon.

Now I know what type of Guy you are[emoji3][emoji6]

[KingTJ]

Very inspirational story, I just think its so unfortunate that entrepreneurs like this have no choice but to take their skills and entrepreneurial spirit to other countries to achieve the success they desire.

 

As a businessman I have always asked myself why is it that South Africa has so few entrepreneurs who are prepared to risk it all and follow their dreams, and the answer in my opinion is that the cost of failure in SA is extremely high, much higher than in most other countries perhaps, both from a socially stigmatized perspective as well as a financial perspective.

 

The USA as an example, encourages this entrepreneurial spirit, going broke here is not frowned upon, its accepted as a normal business risk and in many instances even admired, I never hear economists here saying dont try its too hard and you may fail, they encourage those prepared to try, they have a "can do" mentality, in fact I know of a few very successful companies which are owned by guys who went broke two or three times before they became successful, this spirit, in my opinion is absent in the SA business world, at least from my experience, and, maybe not unexpectedly so, lets face it, going broke in SA is devastating, their is no social security or similar catch net, but I also think S.Africans are brought up very conservatively, as a nation we are scared of failure and we stigmatize those who have taken the risk and perhaps tried and failed.

 

Very unfortunate that we lose this spirit to another nation, when heavens knows its so heavily needed in SA.

The problem in south africa is funding, most of my mates and entrepeneurs and fairl successfull...but try start a business there is almost no genuine seed funding available...everybody wants you to run for a couple years before investing (which is too late). That is the main reason why the great entrepeneurs leave....because starting a business in south africa sucks, more chance of success overseas.

[Guest]

Very inspirational story, I just think its so unfortunate that entrepreneurs like this have no choice but to take their skills and entrepreneurial spirit to other countries to achieve the success they desire.

 

As a businessman I have always asked myself why is it that South Africa has so few entrepreneurs who are prepared to risk it all and follow their dreams, and the answer in my opinion is that the cost of failure in SA is extremely high, much higher than in most other countries perhaps, both from a socially stigmatized perspective as well as a financial perspective.

 

The USA as an example, encourages this entrepreneurial spirit, going broke here is not frowned upon, its accepted as a normal business risk and in many instances even admired, I never hear economists here saying dont try its too hard and you may fail, they encourage those prepared to try, they have a "can do" mentality, in fact I know of a few very successful companies which are owned by guys who went broke two or three times before they became successful, this spirit, in my opinion is absent in the SA business world, at least from my experience, and, maybe not unexpectedly so, lets face it, going broke in SA is devastating, their is no social security or similar catch net, but I also think S.Africans are brought up very conservatively, as a nation we are scared of failure and we stigmatize those who have taken the risk and perhaps tried and failed.

 

Very unfortunate that we lose this spirit to another nation, when heavens knows its so heavily needed in SA.

There are a few of us who are going against the SA grain , no "oogklappers", and doing our best inspite of how dire things are Were out there 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

The problem in south africa is funding, most of my mates and entrepeneurs and fairl successfull...but try start a business there is almost no genuine seed funding available...everybody wants you to run for a couple years before investing (which is too late). That is the main reason why the great entrepeneurs leave....because starting a business in south africa sucks, more chance of success overseas.

Indeed, I do agree, banks locally are very risk averse, especially when it comes to new start ups. 

[Raceboy1]

Fitted Spank pedals, bars and stem today so had to post a pic here