Hawkers: the guys who are at almost every single robot at which you stop; the reason you keep your windows rolled up and enjoy your air conditioning. I spend a considerable amount of time in traffic, like every other Johannesburg resident. The one thing that never ceases to amaze me is the spirit of these hawkers.
I am a young lad who was fortunate to be blessed with an entrepreneurial spirit. Along with that spirit came common business sense, which was fortified by mathematics, economics and a few other subjects I took while at school. My mathematical skills tell me that if I buy an item for R20 and sell it at R20, I break even. Anything above R20 is a profit. However, business economics taught me that there are other expenses incurred when selling an item, such as transport and other operating costs. So selling something that cost me R20 at R25 might not be making me a profit after all.
My economics class taught me about the laws of supply and demand. If the demand is great enough and there is a supply, then I have a market in which I can trade my goods or services. Unfortunately, the guy wielding the purple dinosaur and bright green hats at the robot doesn’t have the same knowledge I do. I think that the basics of supply and demand are purely common sense and that anyone could clearly see that there is no huge demand for the items he is offering.
I admire the spirit of these hawkers. They are not turning to crime; instead they are trying to make a decent living. I am not bothered by the fact that they are trying to sell something to me on the side of the road. I might not buy it, but I am sure glad it’s one fewer criminal. No matter how many times they get turned down, they still persist. They are even willing to break even or sell at a loss just to recover the cash, because they need it to eat or get home.
Although I might not buy anything from these guys, I sure do wish them the best of luck. I feel sad because they do not have the business education that I have, no matter how little it is. I do believe their entrepreneurial spirit will pay off and maybe one day I will be able to share my knowledge with a few of these guys and make a difference in their lives.
To anybody who runs business or who is an aspiring entrepreneur. I really recommend watching Door to Door, a true story about Bill Porter. In my opinion, it will reinforce the importance of two of the most important values in starting a business or closing a sale: patience and persistence — something I think those hawkers have perfected.
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