Diaspora Matters

Every entrepreneur needs to have a friend, partner or a mentor who is an engineer and this is because business is going through a digital transformation. When you talk of digital transformation, then the first field that is affected is engineering. Way back it used to be finance people controlling business but the power was taken by engineers who are now leading all new business innovations.

The best example of how engineers helped entrepreneurship

When it comes to investment-finance people think of capital first. How much capital is available for investment and then apply investment models such as NPV, IRR, ARR and Payback. When you start with capital, the weakness that you will encounter is that your thinking is restricted by amount of capital available. If $10.000 is available, then you cannot come up with ideas above the $10.000 threshold.

Engineer’s Perspective: Engineers came up with a reverse model to investment. Realising the shortcomings of the above model-they came up with a model that starts with markets with capital coming last. Coming up with markets means that your thinking is not restricted and you can come up with more investment options or ideas than the finance people model. After coming up with ideas that are not restricted by capital, one can therefore end with the capital question where you can consider the following options;

1. Raising funds from bank loans
2. Raising funds through crowdfunding
3. Raising funds through partnerships
4. Raising funds through salary advances
5. Raising funds through donor funds
6. Raising funds through government funds.

So engineers made investment easy for entrepreneurs-the one with access to markets is King, so the focus of business should first be on markets and not finance.

Other contributions to the finance field by engineers

Balanced scorecard model

Kaizen theory

Total Quality Management

Digital Marketing

Big Data Analysis

Six Sigma

So make sure you have an engineer in your team and use their expertise and apply to the business world. Now does this make sense why the richest person in Zimbabwe is an engineer? Not surprising because the future of business is technologically driven.

Most of the business models and concepts were designed by the West with none designed by Africans. The good news is that our forum has been researching on the ‘Art of Business Convenience’ and realized that there is no ‘Convenience Value Chain’ The good news is we have researched and developed one. A small achievement for our business forum and a challenge to many entrepreneurs, researchers and scholars from the continent-we need more business innovations from the continent.

We will officially launch the model by end of week.

Way back the focus used to be on collection of historical data and present it to the board for decision making. You run financial statements and present budget versus actual and the CEO uses the information to review performance right? This used to work a decade ago when historical information was good enough for decision making-in 2018 however historical information is not good enough. The advent of the digital revolution has enabled business to have access to a wide array of information. Instead of concentrating on the past, now they can use look into the future and develop business models that help businesses to accurately forecast future business events.

Banking Sector
Take for instance the banking sector where clients get ATM cards. An ATM card helps to track the amount of money a client withdraws from the ATM machine, it helps track how much a client receives in terms of deposits as well as expenditure. Information can help track the type of expenses one spends money on, when they spend and where. Your bank can even tell where you are going to be spending your money the next 12 months. Using historical data they can tell which places you visit often out of town through the use of your card to pay tollgate fees.

They already know how much you are going to be spending this Christmas and where! Welcome to the interesting world of data analytics where businesses get a competitive advantage by developing business models that tell them about the future. The days of finance experts presenting historical data are now archaic-for key decision making, decision makers want to know what the future holds. Who is going to be the next customer, how much customers are supposed to bring to the company and more importantly who are the customers.

Now we have technology and it gives us all the information we want about our clients, competitors and business performance. In the nineties we had no option but had to rely on historical data but now we have no excuse, Your bank can run your profile and tell the time you spend money, they can even predict that next week you are going to be at this place buying this or that ! However their main purpose is to use Big Data for business purposes and be able to predict your future needs of cash, loans or bank services.

Your Clicks or Edgars member card also helps the shop to know you better and be in a better position to predict your future needs and this brings efficiency to them and improves overall profitability.

Learn Big Data
If you are still relying on historical data for decision making then you are still stuck in the analogue era-you have a lot of catch up to do! If Big Data does not appear during your staff meetings or strategic meetings then you urgently need to review how you operate. There are 2 institutions in town offering Big Data workshops, get one of your team members to attend and then apply what they learnt to your business.

What is up with ZBIN?
1.SA Entrepreneurship Book Completion: We do not want to beat our own drum but we firmly believe that this is probably the best entrepreneurship book for South Africans. How to make money in Mzantsi, how to mobilise resources, skills needed and where the money is! The book includes many voices of SA entrepreneurs and is simply inspirational. It answers the simple question-how does one make money in South Africa?

2.Digital Marketing Training: Hundreds have been making inquiries about our training on digital marketing. The good thing its on and we are perfecting material that should produce the best digital marketing experts in Zim. Digital Marketing is all about sales. How much sales can one make? What is the Return on Investment ROI? Having made regional digital marketing records, we hope to produce the best class of entrepreneurs who get more than 500% return on their investment in training.

3.Online Newsletter: Our online newsletter email addresses have reached 2.000 with numbers increasing every day. We are going to be spending more time on our online newsletter which is regional in nature. Great exciting stuff to be shared with everyone who has subscribed.

So we wish you a productive week, expect the forum to be rather quiet with little posted as we get busy with a lot of inhouse stuff preparing for many trainings coming at the end of May and June.
Kwaheri

Are you interested in starting a cement distribution business? Would you like to start buying and selling cement on a LARGE SCALE? Do you want to become a distributor for cement producers like Dangote, BUA, IBETO, LAFARGE WAPCO, CCNN, etc?

If you answered YES to any of the above questions, then pay attention to the content on this page, as I walk you through the steps to starting your own cement distribution business that generates millions of Naira monthly!

I know you have been looking for how to start buying and selling cement. I understand. You have been trying your possible best to become a distributor of Dangote.

Today, it has become very easy to become a distributor of Dangote; which is rated as the biggest (and possibly the best) cement producer in West Africa. How are you so sure I will make money by becoming a distributor of Dangote I understand.

It’s okay for you to doubt. But know this: there’s a very high demand for cement in Africa. With the on-going construction going on around Africa, you can make a lot of money within a 1-year period of becoming a cement distributor of Dangote.

Two years ago, Ronald Nzimora (a top copywriter, and information marketing strategist), started an haulage firm with two trucks; leased it to Dangote and made close to a Million Naira doing nothing (he still makes millions leasing his trucks to Dangote).

If he could make close to a Million naira leasing his trucks to Dangote, then tell me; how much you stand to make as a distributor? In this blog post, I will reveal the ULTIMATE secrets to becoming a distributor of Dangote cement, and I will also give you tips on how to start your cement distribution firm. All I need from you is your attention and willingness to act on instructions.

Why You Should Become a Cement Distributor for Dangote

a. Nigeria, and Africa at large is developing rapidly; just at the population is rising. Infrastructures are being erected and cement is a fundamental material for construction work such as bridges, roads, houses, monuments, etc.

b. With the huge population in Nigeria and Africa at large, coupled with the present housing problems facing the government; this means that there is a present and future demand for cement; as the government and private real estate investors try to meet the housing needs.

c. The federal government of Nigeria is currently implementing a plan that will require cement to be used for road construction. If you have foresight, you will know what this means. Remember what happened to the price of flour and cassava when the federal government made a policy that cassava flour should be the composite material used for baking bread, instead of the conventional wheat flour?

d. Dangote Cement is currently the dominant and leading cement company in Nigeria. Thanks to the business acumen of  its founder “Aliko Dangote”, a formidable management team and a strong distribution network (Dangote currently have over 3000 trucks registered under the brand).

e. For the records, Dangote Cement PLC is currently the biggest cement company in the world with factories spread across Africa; and with the future potential to export to the rest of the world. It is high time you align yourself with the rapidly growing company that is backed by a strong management.

How Much Money Can I Make as a distributor of Dangote Cement?

Listen:  As at the time of conducting this research and writing this article, a bag of cement directly from the factory goes for 1,450; and you are only allowed to purchase a minimum of 600 bags (a truckload of cement is 600 bags). If you supply the 600 bags at the retail price of 1,650; that’s about N120,000 from just one trip Now, how much do you think you will make if you go 3X in one day! That’s a whopping N360,000 daily!

Now you may not have the capital to purchase 600 bags at a go, but that doesn’t stop you from doing this business. You can align with two or more people, form a corporation or company, become a distributor, buy your cement produce and split it accordingly amongst yourselves.

How to Become a Registered Cement Distributor for Dangote Cement PLC

The following documents are required before you begin application:

• A copy of the certificate of company registration from the CAC (Corporate Affairs Corporation)
• A scanned copy of the bank reference letter
• A detailed application letter to become a credible distributor
• Passport of the company’s CEO
• And a minimum purchase of one trailer (600 cement bags monthly on cash & carry basis)

Feel free to send completed applications to cementdistributor@dangote.com 
or call Customer Care hotlines: 01-4616193, 01-4616196 and 01-4630569.

You can also contact the Group’s head of corporate communications  in Ikoyi:

3rd Floor,
Union Marble House,
1 Alfred Rewane Road, Falomo,
Ikoyi, Lagos.

5 Facilities you Need to Put in Place to Get Started as a Distributor for Dangote Cement

1. You Need to Write a Business Plan for your Cement Company

A business plans gives you direction and open your eyes to the wealth of resources you have at your disposal. Who are your target prospects? How much would it take you to start a cement business and haul products to your selling point? What things can you add to make your product more superior than your competitors? These are question you must answer in your business plan.

2. Study the Competition

Who’s your competition? What are they doing that you can do better? You need to study and understand their strengths and weaknesses. This is your advantage!

3. You Need a Warehouse

You will need a ware house to accommodate at least, a minimum of 500 –  1,000 cement bags. You can also talk to the town leaders in your vicinity, about allocating a space for you to store your cements. It is advisable to rent a ware-house to prevent unexpected occurrences

4. You Need to Arrange for a Vehicle

If you can afford to buy a supply vehicle (possibly a van or mini truck), then get one. It will help you sell faster, and make work more convenient for you. A haulage truck will also be needed to haul your cement products from the factory at Obajana, Kogi state or Benue state. However, you don’t need to own the truck, a pay per delivery contract will do.

5. Learn from the Gurus and not the “GOOROS”

Do you know why there are so many struggling businesses in Africa today?  It’s because they have been listening to the “GOOROS.” To succeed in this business, you need to speak with someone already in the GAME. Learn from someone with a cement business outside your community.

Many established business owners are happy to give advice to serious entrepreneurs. They love industrious young people, and are ready to go the extra-mile in helping them Don’t be scared. The worst answer you will ever get is a “NO.” Rejection is part of the game.

In conclusion, I want to restate that there is so much money to be made as a cement distributor. Even right here in NIGERIA, you can still function as a cement distributor while still working your day job. Isn’t this amazing? You can make a realistic profit of N300,000 monthly by distributing cement. All you need is ACTION, hard work, and determination!

However, you must bear in mind that no business is hassle-free, so expect some challenges while venturing into this business. It is your ability to deal with these challenges effectively that will make you a successful cement  distributor.

Finally, I want you to also know that there are other great cement companies out there like LAFARGE WAPCO, IBETO, BUA, CCNN, etc. So feel free to contact them and become their distributor. I wish you the best.

Credit: www.profitableventure.com

The best way to empower an entrepreneur is to let them have access to markets. A person with access to markets is more empowered than one with access to finance! Marketing comes first and finance follows. A market is where all the business is, money does not necessarily mean business.

A college student finishing college should have skills on how to obtain a market and benefit from it-this is the ultimate empowerment. Once you secure a market then you have many options on securing capital such as bank loans, salary advances, crowdfunding, invoice discounting or partnerships. Digital marketing is therefore a must for every business owner as it helps to unlock opportunities in an efficient and effective manner. Our forum has done highly successful regional digital marketing campaigns that has resulted in Zimbabwean designed programs going viral across the region.

We have had over subscribed training events in South Africa, Malawi, Lesotho, Namibia, Swaziland, Botswana and Zambia and created valuable contacts and distribution channels. Our global thinking approaches have enabled us not to worry about current cash crisis in the country as Durbanites, East Londoners or the BaSotho have different economic environments to Zimbabwe.

Our carpet making course included Digital Marketing as an empowerment tool which helped thousands of entrepreneurs to successfully market their products across the region. Our training is therefore hands on and include the following:

1. Online opportunities in Southern Africa.
2. How to design a successful regional digital marketing strategy
3. How to create online content incorporating the experience economy and graphic designing
4. Search Engine Optimisation [SEO]: How to benefit from having your online content being on top of search engines
5.  Big Data and Google Analytics use for small business owners
6. How to effectively use your website to create value for your business
7.  Effective use of tools such as Facebook Boosting to reach out to millions of clients at little to no cost
8. E-commerce including how to open your own online shop

This is a hands on training and you should be able to produce content that helps you market your products or services across the borders. Being business centred, the training introduces you to Big Data and the simple to use tools business owners can tap into in tracking who their clients are, where they are based and how to tap into their online buying behaviour.

Target Audience

Small business owners | Lawyers | Medical Practitioners | NGOs and Consultants

The training costs $40 and will be held over 2 weekends at our offices located at No 34 Quendon Road Monavale in Harare. Our contact number is +263339454 and +263774081808. There is a bonus of a Digital Marketing Book plus Business Opportunities for Zimbabweans Book.

Have you been to Harare lately and witnessed traffic congestion? Driving on Harare streets is now a nightmare especially during peak hours. The number of registered cars is estimated to be 700.000 and they keep rising everyday with new imports of mostly second hand cars coming from Japan. What is the future going to be like in 5-10 years time? If town planners and policy makers do not take drastic measures then Harare will be like Nairobi or Dare-salaam where during peak hours travelers can spend more than 3 hours in traffic jams to travel distances of less than 30 kilometres.

Anticipating more traffic trouble, our forum discussed about the possibility of a new city which is far from Harare and Selous is one of the places proposed.

Selous Proposal

Advantages of Selous

Access to land |Access to water |Access to railway transport |Access to busy highway| 73 kilometers from Harare

How about a  modern city that can become a technological hub for Zimbabwe-our own Silicon valley? We can invite private land developers to develop high class residential and commercial buildings. Top colleges to set up campuses, top ICT giants to set up warehouses, amusement parks, top Hotels and Conference centers, financial institutions, world class shopping malls etc

A modern city built in post independence Zimbabwe showcasing the brilliance of Zimbos. Who can fund the built up of the city?
1. Multinational companies
2. Diasporans
3. Locals (individuals and groups)
4. Local institutions, Old Mutual, NSSA and other financial institutions.

So no one can really say the Government has no money because its role will be to provide the strategic direction, provision of legislative framework, provision of the land and  other resources.

We take advantage of the Export Processing Zone concept and develop a city that is anchored on the services economy. The nearby Chengeta Safari lodge means there is more room for tourism.

Who benefits?
We can spend the whole day talking of benefits but think in terms of a regional powerhouse for commercial services. Contribution to the economy, job creation, forex generation, employment creation. All of this without taking funds from the treasury!

Beneficiation
This has been an issue we have been talking about for several decades but little done to date. We are still exporting raw materials to Durban, how about inviting investors to set up plants here?

Remember we are not saying we should abandon investment in other regions but this can be a great model which can be replicated across the country.

Impossible?

If the concept seems far fetched then look at the Catembe Bridge under construction in Mozabique. It is creating new opportunities on an island across Maputo.

Zimbabwe has dubbed the year 2018, the year of business! Business has taken centre stage since November 2017 resulting in the country being dubbed ‘Zimbabwe is Open for Business’. The number of new books, trainings and conferences on business is encouraging. The number of business inquiries have shot up resulting in more than $7 Billion being earmarked  by foreign investors. Most of the investors are likely to set up shops if the country holds free and fair elections expected in a few weeks time.

Inorder to help investors, our forum is sharing with you an official book on investment in Zimbabwe in 2018 for free download. We also have a book on business opportunities for Zimbabweans available for sale from our shop page on the link below: http://zbinworld.com/shop/

The book contains more than 40 detailed business opportunities in Agriculture, Mining, Education, Tourism and Services sector.

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The reality is when you complete college education, you are not guaranteed of landing a job. If all colleges are asked to track what happens to students who are finishing college some could be shocked to find that more than 90% of their former students are unemployed! What is worrisome is that most colleges are still using the same syllabus and same teaching methods that are producing little results.

Our colleges need to shape up and develop curricular that is relevant to the needs of a modern world. When developing curricular they need to consult relevant stakeholders such as :

1.The Government

2.Business Sector

3.The NGO sector

4.Informal business associations

5. Religious bodies

6. Members of the public

7. Diaspora groups

Consultations will help them develop relevant material that will produce graduates who have options upon completion of studies. They do not necessarily have to sit at home when they find no jobs upon graduation. From our forum we have examples of college graduates who have veered from careers they studied at college. Examples include:

1. An accounting graduate from NUST who is writing O level and A level exams study guides in Glen Norah.
2. A mechanical engineering graduate from NUST who opened a shop that sells steel products in Workington.
3. An accounting graduate from UZ who opened a maputi shop in Randburg, South Africa.
4. An engineering graduate from UZ who is involved in carpet making.
5. A masters degree graduate from UZ who is involved in writing study guides for primary school pupils.
6. A law graduate from UZ who is involved in writing business proposals.

A look at the above graduates shows that they have veered off from what they studied at college, so college education was not adequate and will remain inadequate as long as colleges do not review how they are operating and bringing relevant qualifications that are required by society.

Extra skills for graduates

Lets take an example of an accounting graduate from local colleges. The student may need the following skills for empowerment.

1. How to run own small accounting firm
2. Digital marketing skills and unlocking business opportunities
3. How to write business plans for sale
4. How to use research skills and earn money
5. How to write books | blogs | newspaper columns
6. How to use digital platforms such as crowdfunding to mobilise resources
7. How to take advantage of emerging online opportunities
8. Provision of marketing services/human resources/business management to the SME sector
9. Graphic designing and other emerging opportunities
10. How to identify opportunities and take advantage of them
11. How to register companies

All of the above skills will ensure that students have options when they complete college. If an accounting student fails to land an accounting job then there are options in terms of forming own businesses. Graduates can leverage on their financial skills and can even start businesses during their college days rather than finishing college with high hopes of getting jobs-finding no jobs and then start thinking of what else to do.

Lack of consultations of local colleges and relevant stakeholders such NGOs means that most accountants interested in joining the NGO sector do not have financial skills such as donor rules and regulations, donor accounting, grants management, resource mobilisation and risk management in the donor context. With these skills not covered by local colleges, an NGO recruiting an accounting graduate has to start from scratch teaching students how to do donor fund financial management.

A law student from our forums says  law lecturers at UZ could do better in teaching students how to form and run own law firms, how to write blogs, taking advantage of online opportunities and disruptive technology initiatives.

Lessons from Prince Edward School

Covered below is a post from Mono Mukundu an ex black spirit band member who is a prolific writer who has published a very useful book that helps artists and entrepreneurs.

SCHOOLS SHOULD NURTURE CHILDREN’S GIFTS

If you at the exclusive brass section video that I posted on Saturday morning & these pictures, you will notice that 99% of the boys in the band are former Prince Edward (P. E ) students and they are already making a living through  music, some are music teachers, my son is one of the busiest session guitarists right now and is getting paid good money. Mr Mapiye from P.E always boasts”Hapana mwana wedu anogara pamba apedza chikoro“& that is very true, by the time the boy reaches form 3 he would be a pro already, even able to pay his own fees.

The young lady playing sax’s father is a member of the P.E Old Boys Association,s o he is very active at P.E shows  so he always took his daughter with him to play with the boys all the time so she benefited from P. E too.

That alone tells you something about P.E,its a school that finds where the child is talented,then nurture that talent, whether its sports, music or academia.

The school I went to
1:They believed education ‘yema’ books was the ultimate purpose of going to school, anything else was kutamba.
2:If you are not good at academics then the one and only solution was corporal punishment,sometimes the teachers would beat you up for very silly reasons, they kept sticks, sjambocks & ropes in the cupboards. That was the nature yema colonial group B schools, you were supposed kugona Maths so that wozoshandira vachena, vana vevachena were treated like kings isu tichifa nekurohwa.

Let me talk about corporal punishment, iwe… schools were prisons,proper torture camps, we were beaten up like hell,i was not good in Maths so ndakarohwa hama, everytime i fell sick i would rejoice internally knowing I was gonna miss school and our parents would give the teachers permission to beat us, hanzi “rovai sterek”& takarohwa,male teachers are the one who were notorious panyaya iyoyo, so basically i hated male teachers.

As a result 
1:I hated school with a passion,
2:When i got to form 1/2 i couldnt stand the beatings no more & started resisting, so i was a constant visitor at the headmaster’s office, for some funny reason kwa headmaster i sort of won all my cases,of course zvanga zvasangana ne anger ye my parents’s divorce and I was now a reggae fanatic, listening to all the “stand up for your rights”music.

But, my son when he was at P.E he couldnt miss school,like father like son he is not good in Maths, but still he loved school,even when he was sick & bedridden if you told him you cant go to school,he would say”Im ok now”so that he could go to school, because his talent,zvaanogona zvacho was being nurtured so he did not feel like a dofo, manje isu tainzi ukatadza Maths uri dofo, so you would end up feeling im a dofo on anything even stuff that you are good at.

I also believe too much corporal punishment & kutukwa makes a kid dumb & less confident,isa mwana we P. E apa woisa vakadzidza kwatakadzidza isusu, vekunana P. E somehow have this American style of confidence & respect wrapped on one,because they were taught kuti since you are good at what you do uri shasha.

So parents, nurture your kids’talent and support them, attend their events too, ukaona ma group A schools aine ma events panenge pakazara mota, kwedu kwaisauya kana 1 parent.

Mono Mukundu can be contacted on 0772 303 736

The country is not short of business opportunities. The list of opportunities available in the country is unlimited and our forum has played its part in exploring them and sharing with you. We have conducted numerous trainings, business researches and also covered most of them on our forums including this website. Top areas where locals and diasporans are interested in investing include the following:

1. Real Estate
2. Mining
3. Education
4. ICT
5. Health and
6. Agriculture

Preparation

By now you should have done the following:

1. Identified an area of interest
2. Developed a business plan
3. Registered your company
4. Solid plan to recruit staff and set up shop

Your current status

If you have not done any of the action points above then you have problem. Remember you are not the only one interested in investment. You are competing with thousands of others and they include locals, diasporans and foreign nationals. They all want a piece of the cake. As for foreign nationals, their advantage is that of doing things formal and this includes getting all the relevant documents, legal processes in order and getting down to serious business. Locals are likely to take registrations for granted. In fact some are going to join when it is already too late.

Funding hurdle

Psychologically it is going to be difficult to come up with solid business plans when you do not have available funds for the projects. However money is not the biggest issue in business, market is. This is why you should start with identifying a business area, a gap and then researching about it more till you are satisfied that there is a ready market and you have a potential viable business. In order to help you solve the problems of capital, you may need to consider the following options:

1. Crowdfunding
2. Partnerships
3. Stokvel concept of pooling funds with colleagues, relatives, friends or others

The Trigger Point

The trigger point for investment in Zimbabwe is going to be the holding of free and fair elections. If elections are not contested and are endorsed by the international community then expect the floodgates to be opened especially with multinational companies competing for a piece of the cake. Most would want to benefit from first mover benefits.

Confused?

Are you still confused of areas to invest in? Have you found an area to invest in yet? If you are not sure then visit our online shop on this site and invest in a Business Opportunities for Zimbabweans book. The book covers more than 50 opportunities and also allows you access to a subscribers platform where specialised investment and opportunities information is discussed.

Are you aware of the good news from POTRAZ? Are you aware that they have funding available for startups? Yes POTRAZ has funding available for you provided you meet their requirements. Through their  Innovation Drive Project  which is a brainchild of the Ministry of ICT, Postal and Courier Services they have a project that aims at promoting the culture of creativity and innovation among Zimbabweans with the aim of creating employment by development of local ICT applications, hardware and related innovations which are rooted in the realities of Zimbabwe.

The deadline for application of funds is 30 May 2018 and you can apply on their website www.innovationdrive.gov.zw.

All the best