Words: Zena le Roux | Images: Supplied
NewPlan Town Planning in Pretoria East offers the full range of town planning services to the private and public sector. With local and international experience, the company brings an innovative and forward-thinking approach to projects at hand. Owner Herman Wessels tells us more.
How did your business start?
I started my career at a well-known town planning consultancy in Pretoria, where I learned the ins and outs of the field. After a number of years of valuable experience, I had the opportunity to work abroad as a town planner. I always had the dream to one day be a business owner. Upon my return to South Africa, I read Marnus Broodryk’s book, 90 Rules for Entrepreneurs, and decided to act on my dream and took the leap of faith to open my own business. NewPlan Town Planning officially opened on 1 March this year.
Why did you choose this area to set up shop?
I’m fortunate enough to be able to run my business from my house. This type of business doesn’t require me to rent expensive office space or machinery. Working from my home office saves me a great deal of time that would otherwise be wasted commuting to and from an office. We live in the far east of Pretoria (The Wilds Security Estate). The east of Pretoria is where development is taking place at the moment and thus makes the location ideal for meeting clients and providing people with information on how to best utilise their properties.
How did you find your premises?
I’ve lived in the east of Pretoria for the majority of my life and almost know this area as well as the palm of my hand. I’ve seen how the area has grown and developed over the years. It was a logical decision to base my business in this area as I love and know it very well.
Why are the premises ideally suited to your business?
As I don’t require a big office space or machinery, it’s ideal to run my business from my home. There are also a variety of restaurants and coffee shops nearby when a quick meeting with a client is required.
Who are your neighbours?
As I have a home office, my neighbours are residential owners.
What are the shop rental/sales prices like in this area?
Luckily, I’m not renting office space, but I would imagine it to be high in this area. The east of Pretoria is known to be expensive.
How many people visit your business each day?
As the business is not focused on walk-in clients and not bound to a specific area, it has a footprint that stretches across the whole of Gauteng. It’s difficult to give an exact number of how many people make use of our services per day as it varies so much.
Do you have any expansion plans?
Without a doubt! As the business is in the early stages, there’s still plenty of room to grow and expand. It’s my goal to scale the business in the next few years and to become the go-to town planning firm in Pretoria.
Do you operate online as well?
Yes, we have a website where people can find out more about the company, the services offered and how to get in touch with us.
What’s your most popular service?
We don’t have a specific popular service, but I have noticed that more people have started to enquire about rezoning their existing residential properties to obtain business rights.
For more information on NewPlan Town Planning, phone 083 822 6712 or visit the website.
