Diaspora Matters

Did u know that registering your business is one of the best things you can ever do as an Entrepreneur? Paying your taxes and all relevant rates is extremely important.
Wa Mdala used to review tenders ten years ago,Whenever we flighted tenders one of the requirements was that you must be a registered company,you must comply with all relevant country laws etc.

The same still applies today.I urge you all to look closely at tenders and fi…nd out.The key message is that it pays in the long run.Here is another important tip…Whenever reviewing tenders we really looked at Year of Registration…izvi ndizvo zvairakidza your experience…now that’s a million dollar advice..muchazodei nhai hama?

So the trending business in Zimbabwe is Baking Cakes for Sale, even on ZBIN a total of 4 groups with more than 1000 members have been created. Suddenly –everyone is into baking apo neapo baking resulting in flooding of the industry.

As ZBIN we encourage members to always research and improve in their business and this evening we bring you a new area that has not been tested on a commercial basis. We bring to you the idea of Home Made Chocolates. With a lot of import restrictions now in place-here is a fabulous opportunity for members to try and enter the market. It will not be easy to compete with established big companies who enjoy economies of scale when it comes to cost of production and marketing but still its worth a try.

All one need to do is to start small and sell in your local area just like cakes and if it works out then time to expand your business and engage local supermarkets. For inspiration- we copy and paste below an inspirational story/interview  from India.

MoShik’s Homemade Chocolates

With a Burning Desire in heart to do something and serve our country, we started our own business with an expertise in the fine-art of making yummy homemade chocolates. I always wanted to become self-dependent and job was not the right vehicle which I was driving. This thing I realized in the first three months of my job. We were looking for some good opportunity which came in my Life after my marriage. Initial financial support came from my job salary and then for next some time the sales took care of the business itself.

Biggest Hurdles in our path were PEOPLE. Initially friends, relatives – nobody supported us and said that leaving a high paid white collar IT job and going to start this silly venture will take you nowhere, but we were firm to start something on our own.

Our first few orders came in New Year and then for the next order we had to wait for 4-5 months. It was a testing period for us but then the doors of opportunity opened when we got the opportunity to deal with the largest growing sector in today’s Indian market–“E-Commerce”, with the leading e-commerce company – Snapdeal. Once we started the journey with Snapdeal, there was no looking back. At present we have more than 60+ E-commerce sites/Mobile Apps where our products are listed and now this month we are launching our own E-Commerce Portal for exclusively selling Homemade Chocolates. We have done Trademark registration on our own, building the credibility of our brand day by day. Our Brand MoShik’s is the first Homemade Chocolate Brand in India having both Trademark Registration and ISO 9001:2008 Certification at present.

May any day, any occasion or any event come, our chocolates are available for the masses, 24X7 for customers. In this journey many people criticized us, many left us in between but we were rock solid with our decision. Today our chocolate has reached 283+ cities/towns/villages in India, covering 28 States/UT, all because of the decision we had to hang their till the end. We have delivered our product to our customers even at 12:00 Midnight as well as 06:00 AM also, all on our own must because of our commitment to serve our customers.

Still many paths have to be crossed, still many challenges have to be faced, still more improvements are required but we are moving ahead with our goal to provide people the best of the best homemade chocolates at a reasonable price within their hands. More than 200 plus flavors in chocolates, 150 plus flavors in Truffles and more than 1000 plus packaging styles distinguish MoShik’s from its competitors. Initially, we only managed everything from being worker to boss but now we have distributors, suppliers, dealers, helpers all associated with us across India.

Some experts believe that the best homemade chocolates can be procured in Ooty (Tamil Nadu), while others believe that Kerala is gradually becoming a hot destination for homemade chocolates and cakes.

At present, there are more than a dozen factories in Kerala that manufacture several variants and flavors of this delectable dark brown confection. Also, ‘home made chocolates’ is one of the top Small Business Ideas that early to middle stage entrepreneurs are exploiting in Karnataka and Kerala. But the success of our company MoShik’s’ shows us that the trend is changing and entrepreneurs from other parts of the country are also trying to get their share of India’s chocolate market which is worth about Rs 7000 Cr and expected to double in the next 7 to 8 years.

Being from a simple middle class background and having no business degrees, knowledge, it was a challenge for us to establish ourselves in the market, but day to day practical life experiences helped us a lot to deal with people and is still helping us a lot to grow and become a better businessman and a better human being first, every single day which is passing. Today many of my friends who are still working in highly paid white collar IT jobs are facing heat of recession, slowdown, layoff and are having a full tensed life but on the other hand I am making every day of my life count to indulge sweetness in other’s life. I am my own boss and I am a successful Entrepreneur.

I always thank the almighty GOD who I believe is always with me. I thank my parents also who slowly and patiently now understand our startup and give more than full support to us at every single point.

Taking a spiritual angle now, I can only say few things to new budding entrepreneurs. First is a firm belief in yourself. If you have a burning desire in your heart, the entire Universe will work towards making your dream a reality. You, Almighty God and your Family Members..Always keep these three in your favor and then no matter how tough situations you face in your path, you are bound to succeed. I always work on the principle of GOD and the Universe and now my family also has a huge support for me and has a firm belief on us that we will achieve more in LIFE.

In LIFE you never fail, either you succeed or else you gain experience and what is called as failure is the stepping stone to success. I always follow Godly principles and move ahead towards my goal with a razor sharp determination and commitment. My only motto is to do dedicated and committed work and Lord will give me benefits, as also said in Bhagwad Geeta.

With very high dreams in my eyes, MoShik’s is set to rule Homemade Chocolate Industry in coming decade.

For details, visit MoShik’s Homemade Chocolates

We have a WhatsApp forum for real estate called ZBIN Real Estate and three quarters of the members on the group are Zimbabweans in foreign land. Most of the members are in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria and a few in London.

So during the weekend members had discussions about purchasing real estate in Zim-heated discussions that resulted in members agreeing on forming real estate societies.In these societies, members are supposed to pool funds and to do this by doing monthly contributions.

The Bad News

Now ZBIN discourages members from any schemes that result in any pooling of funds-this is a high risk venture similar to a Ponzi scheme. We did shoot down this idea which needed endorsement from us for members to speedily put in place a scheme for the Zimbo-Cape Town community.

The Good News

The good news is that as a community we will continue to bring to light business issues that concern the Diaspora. If feasible we will engage relevant authorities. In the case of the Diaspora and Real Estate we believe that only reputable institutions should handle these issues. Gentle reader, we are talking of an industry with a potential to reach a quarter of a billion if handled carefully.

From discussions with the diasporan community there are common issues-most of them would like to come back home one day. Most of them are interested in participating in the local economy through establishing their own businesses. As shown by the recent ZBIN Real Estate discussions, there is massive interest in the Real Estate sector.

So in the absence of formal mechanisms, in the absence of programs targeting this massive community of more than 3 million people-folks are forming own informal platforms. They are forming risky platforms where loss of contributions is extremely easy. The question is –how many real estate societies are out there?.

Recommendation

To the RBZ Chief Dr Mangudya, after fixing the Bond issues, kindly address this sector. I heard you on radio emphasising the issue of exports and foreign currency generation. Here is one way to help in mobilising foreign currency. Have a relook at the Homelink concept, very good concept on paper and initially performed well. However somewhere along the way, the wheels came off.

So restrategise, engage a new vibrant team, incorporate the Diaspora voice too and unlock hundreds of millions that exist in this sector. Do offer schemes for all diasporans and not the middle income earners as happened last time.

Other Real Estate Players also need to do thorough market researches of this important sector and develop marketing strategies targeting our hard working sons and daughters on foreign land. So to FBC, Fidelity, Old Mutual, Way Mark do restrategise and look closely at this sector. Other Financial institutions also need to look closely at developing products that meet the needs of the diaspora.

This is the best that ZBIN can do-Politely engaging key players through posts such as this one.

So its Mid-November and technically we are in the festive mood and the question that arise is are you prepared? As an Entrepreneur are you prepared for more business? Do you have strategies to win more customers during the festive season or you have given up complaining about the economy? As ZBIN we believe that there are a lot of opportunities that exist and if you are well prepared, you actually stand a chance to increase your business during this period when compared to last festive season.

So how can you improve business during this festive season? There are a number of factors that we need to look closely at. Where is the money? Is it the formal sector or informal? You may also want to look at the impact of returning diasporans on the Economy of Zim. What changed last year? Do you have any lessons learnt from last year?

Below I copy and paste advice on preparation tips for the festive season. This is just preliminary stuff and on a weekly basis I will build on this article and share more tips

Create your holiday offers It is not wrong to say that Nigerians are likely to spend more during the festive period. Tap into this by offering reasonable discounts, vouchers and the best price. You can also offer customers promotion like buy 3 get 1 free. You shouldn’t wait till December before kicking off your holiday offers. Jumia Travel has fantastic travel packages for the holidays. You should also send these offers via your newsletter to your customers.

Take advantage of last year’s data Data is important for any business. It shows you if your business is growing or shrinking. It is this same data (campaign, sales, website traffic, channels, and competitors) that will reveal the things you did excellently well or you did poorly. Your business should make deductions from this data and make necessary adjustments. You should also consider the impact of the trending recession.

Decorate Make your employees feel the festive season by creating a different atmosphere both offline and online. Your office and website should be decorated to reflect the season. This can also help!

Disclose your holiday hours Customers may not inform you when they want to make purchases. If he is one of your loyal customers, he will be utterly disappointed if you are not open for business. Hence, you should send emails to your clients informing them of days you will be closed for business. This information should also be on your website.

Decide which marketing channel you want to use

The channel to reach your customers is essential. Some organizations may prefer to do both online and offline marketing while others strictly focus on online marketing. Your budget is key to determining which one to use.

Make your employees ‘happy’ The biggest motivation for employees is for them to be paid as at when due for the job done. They will be willing to give their best and work extra hours. So, employee motivation is key.

Do take advantage of the Bond: The official word is that a new currency will be in town-The Bond and that it will be introduced during this festive season. So read our advice on taking advantage of the introduction of this new currency and plan accordingly.

So get ready, sit down with your staff members and plan for the festive season. It may be helpful to have a Festive Season Preparations Committee that crafts and drives your festive season strategy.

Happy Holidays

From Inbox My wife has a capital of $1500, she would like to find out what sort of business she can do that has quick returns?

Responses

Exavior Chitova  poultry kana muchigara kune market huku dzine mari

Tendai Trajeek Cabinda Pliz chengetai mari yenyu kusvika nyika yanaka. Munonyura

Watson Musenda The essence of a business is to make a profit ,interest or commission. Keeping money in the house does not earn the profit but will accrue risks ,and next thing its zero

Watson Musenda Mudhara this is a very common question.The answer is ,there is no magic answer to that question because there are a number of factors that detemine the success of the business whether small or big YOUR MINDSET There is a mindset that is tuned to business and there is that mindset that is tunoff.What is the state of yours?Are you prepared enough to think and act like an entrepreneur? Can you see opportunities where others are complaining?Can you get the idea? BUSINESS IDEA What exactly are you prepared to do?Do you want to offer a service or a product?What needs did you identify that your product or service will respond? Is it a viable idea? Is it profitable? THE LOCATION What you can sell in Mutare might not sell in Kariba..Where are you based? Is your conceived business idea suitable in that area?Is it the right location for your idea? STRATEGIES YOUR MIND Having an idea is one thing..you need to think through your idea,the whole process from procurement to a satisfied customer/Market.

Watson Musenda EXECUTION PLAN Strategy might look good and profitable on paper…. but how do you translate it into action is another game all together. A well thought Act execution plan is critical if you have to translate your idea into a viable business idea

Mai Anashe Tagwirei Mazuwano zvakuda kuti vanhu vaite ma businesses that require you to import less and export more.

Mai Anashe Tagwirei Ngavachengete mbudzi ne hwai

Maggie Shoko Biszness ,is to try yo luck hapana zvinoramba even ukatanga nesmall amount to keep broilers even to sale fruits ,mabhero ehembe ,shoes so many ways to invest money !

Florence Matombo Mining bisness kana ari serious ndibate

Chitapi Edwin Nzara yakuvadza ma boarder vana vari kuzvikoro uku. Tsvakai ma boarding school muchitengesa maquater bread and beef stew mozondipawo ma shares mu government yacho mukoma kkkk

Cly Locksoh haende kubhero or kamota kepamushikashika uko

*Post originally appeared on the Zimbabwe Business Ideas and Network Facebook page

On second line do take note of 2 beds, on third line do take not of 2 buses.

Congrats if you got 5!

So its looking good! Yesterday was our final day for logistics planning and we met at Paramount in Hatfield Harare. Thank you Clara Mapfumo ‘Ntombi Yekanyi’ for a well organised meeting and website launch.

For those not aware of the purpose of the gathering-the group ZBIN has a Mozambique Business Opportunities Group which was formed in October 2015. The group is made up of Zimbabweans from across the globe and we share business opportunity information about Mozambique.

We formed the group after realising that no one is talking about business opportunities in our eastern neighbour. Whenever Mozambique is covered in the mainstream media, they are mostly concentrating on the negative side of Mozambique-wars,poverty and natural disasters. So this specific ZBIN group identify opportunities that abound in Mozambique despite the challenges that exist there.

A lot of foreigners especially South Africans are busy investing there, a lot of Portuguese, Brazilians and Chinese are in Mozambique. If there are no opportunities, so what are they doing there?

We realised that the biggest hurdle when it comes to Mozambique opportunities is that of INFORMATION. There is a vast knowledge gap that exist and our group is trying its best to ensure that we remove the gap in information. We have already toured Mozambique twice-In March and April and our next trip is in December to Tete.

We were therefore putting final touches on logistics for the trip and the good news is that all is now inorder. Inorder to be inclusive, we have incorporated members from outside Harare. Two members will be from Mutare, One from Masvingo, One from Zvishavane and Botswana. A total of 20 ZBIN members will make the trip to Tete which is less than 350 kilometres from Harare.

The purpose of the tour being identification of business opportunities in Tete,  tour of companies, business ventures that are run by Mozambicans and Zimbos. A group Admin called Kiva will be helping the group in terms of logistics in Mozambique. So all is set and we hope to hear from this group when they come back.

We are unfortunately not able to add any new member to the Tete touring group at the moment.

Website Launch

We also launched our website yesterday-Thanks a lot for the support to everyone who managed to come. From Clara and her husband, Odetta Savieri, Tariro Kutadza and everyone. I will not forget our 2 loyal group members who drove from Nyanga. Thank you guys for the support. The website is just over a week in operation but the response from members has been overwhelming. We still need to improve in a lot of areas though and we believe that more will be achieved when we recruit a Forum CEO.

So Mwashuma yaambo, Thank you guys for the support.

This week we will be interviewing Julie Musix a Zimbabwean sister who is based in Angola. This is your chance to know more about Angola…Feel free to ask any business related questions. She might not answer all of your questions but she has promised to do her best

Mdala Wa Rue My first three questions are :1) How long have u been in Angola?2)What sort of business are you doing in Angola? 3)Kwakawanda vanhu here maZimbo ku Angola?

Isaiah Williams What about Angola to USA business. Is their anything Angola offers that could be sold here in the US? I’m from NYC

Blandina Mutero Are people from Angola friendly. ..no xenophobic behaviour. ..do they speak good english…do need a visa do come to angola…is life there expensive

Julie Musix Makumbirofa Anything Angola can offer to USA mmm tricky but i think USA can offer clothing n vanoita mari

Julie Musix Makumbirofa Angolans are very friendly, tolerable,open, helpful not jelousy they are just good

Julie Musix Makumbirofa Sinc they wer collonisd by portugues they dont speak englis bt vakutaura english ndevarikutodzidza now th th rest iportugues

Julie Musix Makumbirofa Yes  visa is needed its100$ &ticket its $685 return.

Julie Musix Makumbirofa Life here is very very expensive. accomodation food everything

Julie Musix Makumbirofa A plate of sadza recasava & kalulu (mixed fish ,ockra vegies etc)10-15$ pasi pemuti

Blandina Mutero So basically mabasa anowanikwa hawo easy here?

Julie Musix Makumbirofa yes its easy bt unofanira kutanga wagona Portuguese

Julie Musix Makumbirofa salaries r ok teachr pay yake its $800

Masibanda Sibs Shumba Yohwee sadza radhura pa Angola

Ps* Interview originally appeared on Zimbabwe Business Ideas and Network Facebook page in April 2015.

So tomorrow is our big day, we will all be going to Paramount in Hatfield Harare for our special meeting. The meeting will help members of ZBIN Mozambique group  travelling to Tete next month with logistics planning.

After the Mozambique Group meeting will come a Special, Special Occasion-the launch of our forum website! A first of its kind in Zimbabwe, the forum will officially launch on Harare soil this fastest growing website that was launched last week. We have already hit the 3000 visitors mark per week and hope to improve in the coming weeks.

So what can you expect at our official launch? Business ideas sharing and how you can benefit from the many free platforms that ZBIN is creating.

Paramount is located along Seke Road near Maruta Shopping centre. Its a family friendly venue with plenty vehicle parking spaces. Entry to the venue is free and we start at 2:30 to 4:30pm. Get in touch with Clara Mapfumo on 0779 330 095 for more information.