Employees can literally make or break your organisation, and no one knows that better than serial entrepreneur and global business tycoon, Sir Richard Branson. Nova Human Capital Solutions is Virgin Atlantic South Africa’s partner of choice for Payroll and Human Resources. When Virgin hosted its "Business is an Adventure" Seminar, in Johannesburg during November, NOVA was pleased to join the event and gain valuable business insights, with Sir Richard Branson and a host of Africa's finest entrepreneurs.

Hosted by Sir Branson himself and facilitated by Jo-Ann Strauss, the "Business is an Adventure" Seminar is a global event aimed at providing new and established entrepreneurs, as well as other business leaders with the opportunity to share their experiences. These included their experiences in spearheading new business opportunities and navigating the treacherous business landscape during one of the most turbulent economic periods of our time.

“Being successful in business means that you need to create a product or service that changes people lives for the better, and then you need to surround yourself with employees that share your passion and drive” says Danél Odendaal, Lead HR Consultant at Nova Human Capital Solutions. “This seminar highlighted the importance of that entrepreneurial passion, confidence and drive that all business leaders need to thrive in this economy,” she says.

“The importance of entrepreneurship, cannot be underestimated,” adds Vaughn Botha, Head of IR Consulting at NOVA Human Capital Solutions. “In fact, we believe that the future of South Africa’s economy is dependent on entrepreneurs who can pioneer new opportunities and accelerate the growth of our local economy,’ he said.

The Seminar featured a panel of Africa’s finest business mavericks who are all too familiar with the ups, downs, trials and tribulations of managing a business in South Africa.

Adrian Gore, the Founder and CEO of Discovery spoke about the risk of starting a new business in the political uncertainty that characterised South Africa in 1992. Today, Discovery is taking another leap of faith by starting a bank at a time when South Africa is once again facing turmoil and uncertainty.

Multi-millionaire, Casper Lee is British-South African YouTube sensation, who has achieved what many people perceived as the impossible. He simply started to make a living by doing what he loved. By the tender age of 20, this dynamic young personality boasted over seven million global subscribers and is respected international entrepreneur.

Gil Oved is the co-founder of South Africa’s largest advertising agency, The Creative Counsel, and an avid ambassador of the future of business in South Africa. His advice to young people is to love what you do and never stop having fun.

Ike-onu Sophia Nkechinyere is a style guru and business powerhouse, who hails from Nigeria. Her online clothing store has earned her international recognition and the title of one of the world’s most enterprising women under the age of 25.

“If your life is one long success story it won't make for a good read. What's more, you're most likely a liar. We all have ups and downs, trials and tribulations, failures and triumphs: we just hope to come out stronger on the other side.” This is one of the memorable passages from, Sir Richard Branson’s latest autobiography, Finding My Virginity, where he documents the highs and lows of building businesses and balancing that with raising a family and embarking on new adventures.

The Business is An Adventure series of global seminars are coinciding with the launch of Sir Branson’s new book, and during the Seminar in Johannesburg he once again highlighted the importance of financial backing for young and established entrepreneurs and as a result, Virgin, is a passionate supporter of many up-and-coming local and international start-ups.

“At Nova Human Capital Solutions, we understand only too well that no business can succeed without a key ingredient – human resources,” says Scott Barrett, Managing Director at Nova. “One of the key drivers of organisational success is the right combination of human capital.” He adds that while all these successful organisations and their leaders have experienced tremendous success, most of it would not be possible without the commitment, drive and hardwork of dedicated employees. And to find the right combination of human capital, a business needs exceptional Human Resources (HR) Management.

“HR can really make an enormous impact on business, and with the right Human Resources Consultancy, HR can add real value as a strategic business partner,” says Barrett. “An entrepreneur who is trying to make an impact on the business environment, while exceeding client expectations and managing employees, really needs the insight and expertise that comes with outsourcing critical HR management to an experienced HR consultancy who manages everything from payroll, HR administration and recruitment,” he says.

Barrett says that the right people will fuel the success of your business, which is why you need an HR consultancy that partners with you as a strategic business partner to offer an end-to-end solution that seamlessly manages HR, recruitment of top talent and payroll, while you drive business growth.

“It was awe-inspiring to be in the presence of these hugely successful business leaders and gain insight into how they take challenges and turn them into opportunities,” says Odendaal. “We wish to thank Virgin Atlantic for the invitation, and the opportunity to fly high with Africa’s finest business leaders,” she concluded.

IMAGE: Scott Barret, MD of NOVA Human Capital Solutions