Our company was chosen as one of the 50 British Airways Opportunity Grant Winners of 2010. As an Opportunity Grant Winner the airline will provide us with business class travel for one full year.

British Airways has always been in the business of connecting people and business. That’s why they created their most ambitious initiative to date: The Business Opportunity Grants program. They’ve partnered with some great companies that help businesses be more productive, efficient and agile. Their collaborative research with the Harvard Business Review proved the importance of conducting business in-person and its direct relationship to the bottom-line. The study shows that 87% of professionals think that face-to-face meetings are essential for sealing deals, while 95% said it’s the key to successful, long-lasting business relationships. So, it’s imperative that business people get quality face time with clients, no matter how far they need to travel.

With a history of supporting small businesses and a desire to do their part to keep companies moving forward during tough times, British Airways has proudly awarded Business Opportunity Grants to 50 South African companies. Each grant includes a year’s worth of business class travel anywhere British Airways flies. Additionally, each winning company receives business support from their partners. The idea for the grants was inspired by the collaborative research with the Harvard Business Review. We discovered the great importance of conducting business in-person and its direct effect on the bottom-line.

The airline had an overwhelming response to the initiative and Sytech Supplies was one of the lucky winners of the 50 Grants on offer to companies in South Africa. The standard of the entries were exceptionally high and there were more than 1000 applicants in South Africa. Thanks to our Technical manager, Richard Haarhoff, and his lovely wife’s ability to accurately articulate our company’s long term objectives, Sytech Supplies was chosen as the standard of our entry demonstrated how business travel would allow the company to achieve its goals and aspirations for 2010.

Winning this grant will enable management of Sytech Supplies to travel abroad to events like the coming FESPA 2010 and other major international industry events.