William Robert (Rob) Smorfitt

Independent

Trainer

Dr. Smorfitt started his career in the corporate segment of the electronics and telecommunications sector and then subsequently chose the entrepreneurial route.

As a highly experienced portfolio entrepreneur Dr. Smorfitt reached a point in his experiential learning where he felt the need to increase his academic knowledge of business in the context of business, micro, and macroeconomics. He completed an MBA, with a dissertation focused on SME finance loan applications and then a PhD. The research analyzed SME success and failure criteria and investigated SME intervention policy against the background of the putative benefits and costs attendant upon economic policy intervention (RIA).

Dr. Smorfitt shifted his focus to the education and training of entrepreneurs, SME owners, and their staff. This training was delivered through various universities as well as through new training businesses created by Dr. Smorfitt to focus on BDS delivery nationally in South Africa. There was a natural progression into the consulting sector. Consulting with governments and development organizations lead to the development of specific training material and interventions based upon assessments of SMEs that formed a Business Development Services (BDS) offering.

Dr. Smorfitt developed a range of analytical tools to assist in assessing SMEs and entrepreneurs, identifying their personal and business weaknesses.

Dr. Smorfitt operated predominantly in South Africa and to a lesser degree other African countries and to a very limited degree in the UK.

Dr. Smorfitt has a unique offering, with vast cross-sectoral practical experience in entrepreneurship and business establishment, an MBA and an SME/entrepreneurship-focused PhD, as well as 10 years of part-time multi-university lecturing at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Dr. Smorfitt has been involved in training development since 2000, for a total of 22 years.

Dr. Smorfitt emigrated to Portugal in 2017 to be near his children.