The Colourdots Story began years ago. I ran a small manufacturing business from home, supplying upmarket shops. While shops have overheads, their 120% markup seemed excessive, so I decided to sell directly. Realizing many others were in the same situation, I conceived an online directory for small “Mom and Pop” businesses and suburban entrepreneurs.
The idea grew, but convincing people to take the site seriously without a lot of content was challenging. I began writing this content, enjoying the research and discovering interesting places and activities, plus wonderful creative and enterprising people in the Western Cape. The site evolved from a directory to an information portal.
I aimed to make the site comprehensive and user-friendly, linking relevant information and updating posts with new details. I welcomed contributions to enhance the site.
The site faced many challenges, including delays due to COVID. Finally, it found a home with Komtra and was optimized by a WordPress expert, Murtaza. Now, it offers targeted searches, avoiding irrelevant information, and allows users to select specific areas and categories. The search is further refined with tags and keywords.
Traditional methods like Google and social media can be unreliable, and other directories don’t focus on small businesses. As Colourdots grows, so will the choices for the customers.
The Colourdots story is about highlighting the small guy: the man with a bakkie who handles small furniture moving or rubbish removals, the handyman repairing things in his garage, and the seamstress who will replace a zip or alter a hemline. These essential services align with Colourdots’ philosophy of reducing the need to always buy new from big corporate stores. The vision for Colourdots is to become an interactive kind of “Yellow pages” for small businesses.
