Suppliers & quotes
Mr Omar Hendricks
Omar Hendricks trims the fat from supplier lists, keeping things local and practical for SMEs in places like Rustenburg and Soweto.
Read notes on supplier notes, or email magic@bizmagic.co.za.
From Rustenburg Factories to Main Street Shops
Omar started his working life on the ground at a sheet metal fabricator in Boitekong, just outside Rustenburg. He did everything from site stock counts at sunrise to chasing missing cheques after payday. After a few years, he joined a procurement co-op in Soweto, helping smaller shops in Meadowlands negotiate fair terms with Joburg-based distributors. By the time he joined BizMagic, Omar had built up a contact book cutting across the platinum belt, from fuel depots in Marikana to signage printers in Dobsonville. He’s seen every supplier trick in the book, and he knows how to spot a quote padded with hidden delivery costs when it crosses his inbox. As the head of suppliers and quotes at BizMagic, he makes sure the shortlists in supplier notes only include suppliers who stick to their word and their prices.
How Omar Runs a Supplier Session
Omar’s sessions never start with the supplier first, he starts with what the business actually needs right now. Whether you’re a tile fitter from Phokeng or a jam maker from Alexandra, he wants your must-haves and nice-to-haves written out before anyone asks for a quote. Sessions run fast, usually 45 minutes, always on WhatsApp or a call, never with a crowd. He helps founders clarify scope, set a budget and cut out extras. By the end, each founder walks away with a shortlist of three suppliers and a next step, not nine options and a headache. His notes go straight into the Launch Deck or the latest weekly ops ritual, whichever makes sense for that firm.
Omar's Non-negotiable Checklists
Omar might travel light between his Soweto flat and Rustenburg cousin’s spaza, but he never skips his checklists. He swears by a handful of habits that keep quotes and supplier chats on track, especially during month-end chaos when local couriers are swamped and people are short-tempered. He won't let a session finish unless the basics are checked, even if its a small job like a new POS terminal for Lebo’s chicken outlet in Tlhabane.
- Does each supplier have a valid municipal permit and CIPC docs?
- Are quotes dated within 7 working days, with VAT and delivery split out?
- Proof of address and FICA pack received for any new supplier
- At least one recent reference from a small business in North West or Gauteng
- Lead times confirmed in writing, no "voetstoots" promises
Habits That Make Supplier Lists Work
Omar is a stickler for keeping things short and honest. He reviews every shortlist before it goes out, trimming any supplier who’s late or who slipped in a sneaky handling fee. He always advises founders to check supplier payment terms against their cash calendars, especially if their main payday falls after the 25th. This habit saved Budget Fix Plumbing in Tladi from a panic when their main supplier moved to COD only during stage 4 load-shedding. Omar knows that if a quote is too cheap to be true, it probably is, and he’s taught more than one founder in Sunnyrock HQ to trust, but verify.
In Omar’s Own Words
"When I send a founder a shortlist, it’s because every supplier on there has been tested, not just by me, but by real people running small businesses from Rustenburg to Soweto. The trick is to chase quotes that are fair, clear and don’t leave you guessing about extras. I tell founders, keep your list short so you actually use it. Otherwise you end up back at square one by month-end and that wastes everyone’s time (and petrol). If you need a second opinion, or your stuck between two quotes, just mail me, I prefer straight talk over fancy stories."
