Proponents of change need only a spark to reimagine their destiny.

A small group of business leaders in Honeydew are hoping to ignite a fire in their fellow professionals. A new non-profit organisation has been created to channel actions into achieving short and long-term goals that improve the greater community. To announce their mission to peers and the like-minded, Laser Park Business Association (LBA) held a launch at the Blueberry Hill Hotel on June 7.

Operating more as a residents association for commercial property owners than a business networking platform, the NPO will connect, collaborate and coordinate the combined resources of businesses in the area to develop Laser Park into a world-class industrial hub. With separate portfolio committees for infrastructure, environment, security, local community and local business, their volunteer actions have the potential to galvanise an unshakable solidity.

A formal structure has been two years in the making. From an idea to informal chats and more focused efforts necessitated by exterior forces, the brainstormers met weekly for over a year to put in place the legal entity needed when launching community-initiated change. The group studied the methods and characteristics of other successful business parks across Johannesburg and tailored a vision unique to Laser Park.

2025 will be the first checkpoint on the path of demonstrable success

As their business acumen would have them understand, incremental goals are essential to measured growth. LBA has portfolio-specific goals for 2025, these will form the foundation of the greater project. There can be no prosperity without security and under that portfolio, led by Cameron Robey, the 2025 goal would be a central security office with advanced technology and monitored access points across Laser Park.

Loitering, litter from informal traders, and unkept verges and sidewalks are minor aesthetic issues that contribute to a suburb’s self-esteem. The environment portfolio aims to have well-maintained commercial spaces as well as a system to hold businesses and commercial property owners accountable for the upkeep of their properties. This runs parallel with the infrastructure portfolio which will have a reporting and support system in place for service delivery issues as well as being a driver of sustainable partnerships with key municipal stakeholders.

LBA is cognisant of the role Laser Park plays, as an employment node and destination for job seekers. The Local Community portfolio will by 2025 have a skills development network in place, focusing on upskilling employees in the area. The cascading effect will be to uplift families through outreach programmes to inspire pride within their communities of origin. The Local Business portfolio will aid this through connected local businesses promoting each other through a forum providing resource support.

A shared responsibility to improve shared surroundings

“This is about advancing from our current reality to a preferred future. We are all on the same page but we don’t know each other. Who makes the change? We make the change. If we have a centralised voice we can promote the interests of not only our area but those around us. We can not run this without a vision and we need a shared vision and desire to do whatever it takes,” said Veronique Stanley, who will be leading the environment portfolio.

Veronique asked attendees of the launch, who were all property owners and businesspeople from Laser Park, four questions. She asked if they were happy with the current state of Laser Park, whether their business knew how to solve the issues, what would happen if they did not rally together, and how together they could foster a ‘whatever it takes’ mentality. This call to action, Veronique said, was to light a fire in business owners ‘to eliminate the gap between the current reality and a preferred future’.

This was just day one of a long-term commitment but the pace of progress will be determined by the weight of involvement.

“As of today, we need to start doing what is needed to realise these priorities. LBA is here and this is going to happen, but we can get there faster with your help,” said Anthony Beer, who led the presentation with Veronique and who will champion the infrastructure portfolio.

A LBA website is live which details the message as well as the individuals involved in making the vision a reality. LBA can be reached at laserparkba.co.za, with requests and inquiries directed to info@lbassociation.co.za. Membership is open as is the challenge to help fulfill the LBA purpose statement: ‘We exist to revitalise Laser Park and see its businesses thrive’.