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| Michael Holenstein, De Hoek Country House |
With
years of experience in the food and hospitality industry, it was hardly a surprise
when, in 1994, Michael Holenstein was invited to join De Hoek Country House in Magaliesburg with seven staff and seven rooms. Today, thanks to loads of hard work, tenacity
and a great reputation, De Hoek has grown to be named one of the best country
houses in the world.
Have you always been entrepreneurial?
I
always wanted to have my own business and work for myself
What were you doing before starting your
business?
Prior
to starting at De Hoek, I owned my own Italian restaurant and before that, I
owned a catering company with two partners.
What kind of planning went into starting
the venture?
In
the beginning it was really hit and miss, as my very supportive business
partner, Johann Redelinghuys, and I had no real experience in the hotel industry, although I had
trained as a chef in Switzerland and cut my teeth in the kitchen. My wife and I
had the responsibility of running the business; our goal was to become the best
country house hotel in South Africa. We had a very informal plan and just
worked very hard and long hours to build up a reputation for excellent service,
comfortable accommodation and, obviously, very good food.
What was your start up capital and where
did you work from?
As
you can well imagine, starting a hotel – albeit a small one – is a huge capital
investment. I was fortunate to have a partner who is very supportive of our
ideas. We started with seven bedrooms – that was it. We’re now up to 20
bedrooms, four conference rooms, a restaurant and beautiful extensive gardens.
What was your big dream for this venture?
Our
big dream was to turn De Hoek Country House into the best country hotel in
South Africa. We were awarded the accolade for Best Country House in the World,
in both 2007 and 2008, from the World Luxury Hotel Awards.
How does a new entrepreneur find business
leads and profit from them?
Be
sure of what you have to sell to the customer, stay true to your offerings and
rather under-sell and over-deliver than over-sell and under-deliver.
How does a new entrepreneur figure out what
makes them unique and leverage that difference?
A
start would be to do a SWOT analysis: identify your strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities and threats, and then focus on key issues.
How does a new entrepreneur figure out what
to charge for their service/product?
By
researching the marketplace. What do my competitors charge? Can I charge more
if I provide a better product/service?
What was your most epic fail in the early
days?
We
had a coal AGA stove in the kitchen – try doing a function for 60 or 70 with
one oven and one hot plate; very challenging! We upgraded the kitchen with good
industrial equipment.
What are the two biggest/most common
mistakes that new entrepreneurs make?
I
think you must stay focused and keep working towards your goals; and watch your
cashflow carefully.
How do you keep yourself motivated?
Being
in the hospitality industry, I have become accustomed to working hard, missing
out on weekends with friends and family, and staying focused on the goal and
dream.
Did you have a mentor?
My
mentor was my father. He encouraged me to work hard and to keep going even if
the going gets tough. My business partner is also someone I look up to for
guidance and advice.
How long does it take for a venture to get
off the ground, in your experience?
It
probably takes a good five years to reach a certain stability. We’ve been going
for 18 years. Business is never without its challenges. We continuously have to
think how we can “sweat the assets”, re-focus, re-strategise and keep going
In your opinion, is it ever alright to give
up on a dream?
Don’t
give up the dream; you might have to start another business or re-focus, but
never give up. Richard Nixon said: “Defeat does not finish a man – quitting
does. A man is not finished when is defeated. He is finished when he quits.”
Do
you believe in internships for your business?
I
definitely do. I think it is a very good way of addressing our unemployment
problems in South Africa. The Swiss have a very good apprenticeship programme,
a Private Public partnership that has stood them in good stead for about a
century. A similar programme should be instituted in South Africa, companies
should be accredited to train people for a certain number of years and, once
the “apprentice” has completed their time under the watchful eye of accredited
mentors, they will be qualified in their chosen field and employable.
If you could give yourself any advice back
then, what are your top 5 wisdoms?
*
Work smarter.
*
Take some time off to re-energise
*
Keep staff motivated.
*
Be prepared to re-invent yourself.
*
Stay in touch with technology.
To
get in touch with Michael Holenstein from De Hoek Country House, email: mholenstein@dehoek.com, visit: www.dehoek.com or find him on LinkedIn.
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