Rick Purchase

• Structured goal-based investment portfolios aligned to specific financial outcomes, not generic return targets.
• Reduced portfolio costs through disciplined low-fee fund selection to improve long-term compounding.
  
• Implemented tax-efficient contribution strategies across retirement annuities, preservation funds, and discretionary investments.
  
• Consolidated fragmented investments into streamlined structures to improve oversight and decision-making clarity.
  
• Designed sustainable retirement plans focused on income durability and capital preservation.
  
• Protected income and assets through appropriately structured risk cover aligned to clients’ earning capacity.
  
• Replaced reactive financial decisions with clear, written strategies built around measurable objectives and accountability.

From the age of 16 to 24, I built and operated a consignment and resale business focused on pre-owned technology. The objective was straightforward: simplify the buying and selling process while making quality tech more affordable and accessible. I structured systems around sourcing, evaluating, refurbishing, pricing, and reselling laptops, desktops, consoles, and smartphones, ensuring each transaction delivered clear value to both buyer and seller.

By leveraging platforms such as Takealot, Shopify, Facebook Marketplace, and Gumtree, I expanded reach and streamlined national distribution. Operations were built on process efficiency, disciplined margin management, and transparent deal structuring. Trust was central — accurate product representation, fair pricing, and reliable delivery were non-negotiable.

The business required hands-on negotiation, working capital management, risk assessment on inventory, and consistent customer communication. Over time, this created a scalable model grounded in execution, accountability, and commercial discipline — principles that continue to inform how I approach financial strategy today.

As part of a five-person technical team, we were tasked with planning, setting up, operating, troubleshooting, and striking a live show for Cape Audio. I was responsible for Front of House, managing the full audio environment from 10:00am through 11:00pm using a Midas M32 console.

My scope included complete console configuration: line checks, gain structuring, channel naming, routing, processing, effects configuration, monitor coordination, and feedback control. I interpreted technical riders, built and organised track lists, and ensured signal flow integrity across all channels. Throughout the event, I maintained continuous communication with both the team and performers to ensure seamless execution.

The show ran without a single technical failure. The experience required sustained concentration, real-time problem prevention, systems thinking, and disciplined preparation — ensuring that complex moving parts operated cohesively under live conditions.

Rave and Repeat was a small-scale events venture I co-founded with two partners. We identified an opportunity to host controlled, ticketed events for high school students within Somerset West by negotiating short-term property use agreements with homeowners in exchange for structured rental payments.

My involvement included venue sourcing, negotiating usage terms, coordinating logistics, managing budgets, overseeing ticket sales, and ensuring event operations ran smoothly. We focused on controlled access, clear communication, and financial discipline to protect both margins and stakeholder relationships. Each event required coordination of security, sound, setup, crowd management, and post-event reinstatement of the property.

The venture generated consistent demand and proved commercially viable. It concluded when I relocated to Rondebosch to pursue my studies. The experience strengthened my skills in negotiation, risk management, operational planning, and revenue structuring under real-world constraints.