The Naked Economy The Real Network

All coffee shops are more or less the same, right? Well... maybe not. Discover the story of a business producing quality as a direct result of the way it treats its staff. In this first episode we explore whether The Whippet meets the criteria to become part of the Naked Economy.

Got milk and bread? Spaza shops solve many people's problems every day. So what happened when the spaza shops realised they had a problem? One man had the perfect solution. Imagine how powerful the inspiration is if seeing the struggles of your dad leads you to build a business that directly solves those problems for the community you're from.

Shane turns the tables on Ernie and gets him to tell his own story – how he learnt from the inside why there is usually so little love for insurance companies... and how he discovered that it could be so much better. It's a redemptive tale of second chances and finding opportunities to do something different and meaningful.

“Build a business that solves a problem you have”. This age-old advice served to be critical for these young mavericks who believed there had to be a better way of connecting investors with aspiring entrepreneurs. And using new tech it simplifies, refines and accelerates the process of both - finding investment for entrepreneurs and finding investment opportunity for investors.

Art class takes on a new meaning when it’s designed to equip kids for thinking outside the box, and for being relevant in future. But what makes this business really special is the innovative franchise model, with all the prep (the curriculum) and the admin (payments etc.) automated and built into a smart online system. This business is booming because they make it so easy for other people to become entrepreneurs.

Vula is an app that puts primary healthcare workers directly in touch with on-call specialists. It's the brainchild of Dr William Mapham, who conceived the idea while working in rural Swaziland and experiencing first-hand the difficulties faced by rural health workers when they need specialist advice. Listen to his personal journey and what inspired him to dedicate his career to giving health workers – particularly those in remote rural areas – a tool that helps to get patients quick and efficient specialist care.