The courage to go on your own

November is National Entrepreneurship Month in South Africa, a time to recognise the people who take the risk of turning an idea into a business. After nearly two decades in the communications industry, Cheryl Reddy took that leap, founding Comms Reddy in October 2024. What began as a three-person operation has grown into a team of nine. She reflects on the challenges of building a business, the lessons learned and the qualities needed to make it work.

Entrepreneurship is often celebrated for its promise of independence, innovation and opportunity. Less visible are the financial pressures, difficult decisions, long hours and uncertainty that come with building a business from the ground up. For every success story, there are lessons in resilience, adaptability and the determination to keep going.

For Cheryl Reddy, founder of Comms Reddy, the decision to go out on her own came after almost 20 years in the communications industry. She had built business units, led teams, managed client relationships and developed strategies. But she reached a point where she wanted to create an agency that reflected her own values, vision and approach to business.

“I wanted to create an agency that was free from the limitations I had experienced, where the focus was on the quality of the work, the strength of relationships and the value we brought to our clients, rather than simply being driven by numbers,” she says.

Equally important was the opportunity to build a working environment in which talented people could do their best work, develop their skills and feel valued.

Be prepared

Even the business name carries a personal meaning. Comms Reddy is a tribute to her late father, whom she describes as a role model, mentor and adviser. It also reflects the agency’s commitment to being communications-ready and prepared.

For Reddy, entrepreneurship was not an entirely unfamiliar territory. Her previous experience had given her a grounding in many of the skills needed to establish and grow a business. However, taking responsibility for her own venture brought a different set of demands.

“You quickly realise that you are not only responsible for delivering an excellent service, but also for managing cash flow, making difficult decisions, building a team, navigating uncertainty and thinking about the long-term sustainability of the business.”

It is a distinction that aspiring entrepreneurs would do well to understand. Being good at a particular profession does not automatically make someone good at running a business. Commercial understanding, financial discipline and the ability to make decisions under pressure are just as important as expertise in one’s chosen field.

Willing to learn

Reddy says entrepreneurship has taught her to trust her judgement, adapt when circumstances change and remain resilient when things do not go according to plan. It has also reinforced the importance of being willing to learn.

Her advice to those considering starting a business is to begin with a clear understanding of why they want to do it and what they want the business to represent. Purpose, she believes, becomes particularly important when the inevitable difficult days arrive.

She also emphasises the value of relationships and reputation. New entrepreneurs should understand their numbers, manage cash flow carefully and avoid compromising on the quality of their work in pursuit of growth.

“You do not have to chase every opportunity or say yes to every client. Focus on doing great work, building trust and creating value. I genuinely believe that when you focus on doing your best work, the opportunities and financial rewards will follow.”

The responsibility

That requires discipline, but also the confidence to recognise that not every opportunity is necessarily the right one.

For Reddy, one of the hardest aspects of entrepreneurship is the knowledge that responsibility ultimately rests with you. Decisions have consequences for clients, employees and the future of the business. There is no guarantee that a particular strategy will work, and sometimes decisions have to be made without all the information.

Learning to let go has presented another challenge. Founders are often closely involved in every aspect of a business, particularly in its early stages. But growth requires a shift in approach.

“When you have built something from scratch, you naturally want to be involved in everything. But growing a business means learning to trust others, delegate and create space for your team to take ownership.”

It is also where she finds some of the greatest satisfaction. Watching Comms Reddy grow from three people to a team of nine has been rewarding, particularly seeing employees develop their skills and contribute their different perspectives and strengths.

She values the freedom to build a business around her principles, the opportunity to do work the team can be proud of and the relationships developed with clients who regard the agency as a trusted partner.

Making it thrive

“Success is not simply about growing revenue or the size of the business. It is about building something sustainable, doing meaningful work and creating an environment in which both the business and the people within it can thrive.”

Asked what qualities entrepreneurs need most, Reddy points to resilience, integrity, adaptability and self-belief. Resilience makes it possible to recover from setbacks; integrity builds the reputation on which lasting relationships depend; and adaptability allows a business to respond to changing circumstances.

Courage is equally important. Starting a business means making decisions when the outcome is uncertain and sometimes standing by your values when doing so is not the easiest option. Self-awareness matters, too: knowing when to ask for help and recognising the value of people whose strengths complement your own.

Above all, Reddy believes entrepreneurs should remain curious and committed to learning. There is no point at which the work of building a business is complete or all the answers are known.

“Entrepreneurship is not about having everything figured out; it is about having the courage to start, the discipline to keep going and the humility to learn along the way.”