Small businesses get a boost

A Kirstenhof resident, Marc Bovim, has launched a local business network and directory to give small businesses a boost and help residents find anything they need - from a butcher or a baker to a candlestick maker.

- JANICE MATTHEWS

The Kirstenhof Community Business Network (KCBN) was started in July 2023 and grew out of a business breakfast Mr Bovim had arranged selfishly to find clients of his own, but it turned into a great connector for small business entrepreneurs, he said.

"Right off the bat, it was clear there was this need for a local directory, a place where residents could find the services they needed and support local business.

"While WhatsApp and Facebook groups are constantly bombarded with the same referral questions for the names of plumbers, house sitters and dog walkers, without a directory, you'd never know if you had a locksmith living next door."

This insight inspired the tagline for KCBN: 'Get into your neighbour's business.'