The name Mwandayi is well known in Honde Valley including most parts of the Eastern Highlands.

It is a business name from the late Mr Mwandayi who passed on in 1992 after a long business journey that began in 1948.

I welcomed an engagement from the family during the Easter Period back in April. An engagement to restructure the business and maintain the legacy of the founder.

More about Mr Mwandayi

Despite being orphaned at an early age, he rose despite the odds to set up an expansive business.

His seed capital: Hawking beads and bangles in exchange for agricultural produce in Nyanga (Chikomba Area) and selling in Rusape.

He used funds raised to set up a business in Hauna amongst people who had relocated from Tsonzo area in Mutasa.

The business expanded into a GMB Approved Buyer, Wholesale, Supermarket, Butchery and Bakery.

Business Model

His main business was buying grain from farmers and selling to GMB.

Transport farmers with their grain to his shops. Weigh the produce and pay them.

In return farmers would buy from his supermarket and later get free transport back home!

So most of the money in Honde Valley circulated in his hands. He bought 7 brand new trucks to ferry farmers and their grain and had Tax Authorities sending whites to do his tax computations!

Pause and calculate the present values of 7 brand new trucks to appreciate his phenomenal achievements.

Despite little education background, he endured all children had access to education including female children.

After passing on the children took over as he had groomed them well but most of them had married and living far away from the business.

Then 2008 happened…And adversely affected the business.

So 30 years after the demise of the founder we assembled at Mwandayis business and brainstormed on maintaining the legacy.

We took stock of what had happened and putting in place mechanisms for new strategy implementation.

I enjoyed the business ventures for vazukuru, the future Mwandayis.

The DNA has to continue for centuries!

To you entrepreneurs for legacy purposes, invest in commercial properties irrespective of location.

The money capital will inevitably evaporate but infrastructure will remain and becomes a starting point for future generations!

If you go visit the Mwandayis, there is ongoing progress with a new surgery being put in place. New lessees are coming up too.

The Girl Child? On inheritance planning don’t leave out the Girl Child. Yes they maybe married and start own families elsewhere but the Girl Child is passionate about legacy. Great checks and balances too!

So deeply ingrained in the success and maintenance of the legacy of Mr Mwandayi.

A business hero you are unlikely to see recorded in business books, but on ZBIN we will capture his story in our 2023 Book.

So I have just been reflecting on my business and how I acquired customers over the years, and one thing that stood out is that most of my customers come through word-of-mouth referrals. Case in point early this year, I designed a simple flyer for a ZBIN member and later got more than 10 referrals from that individual, all within a space of 3 months! Kudos to everyone who makes it a priority to refer clients to other ZBINites. We salute you.

You have probably heard about Will Smith and the slap that echoed around the world. Most people are already prophesying that his career is over. Just as one wrong move can bring down a person’s career, the same applies to businesses, one bad review can also ruin your brand image. When a customer is referred to you, simply deliver. Period.

A referral is someone else doing your marketing for you at no cost and because they want to. Referrals are the single fastest and easiest way for any business owner to build deep relationships, earn more money, and grow the business. Potential customers who are referred are easier to close, make their buying decision faster, are more profitable because there’s no cost in acquiring them and spend more, and they’re more loyal, they tend to stay with you longer.

One marketing researcher found out that referrals have a higher conversion, close faster, and have a higher lifetime value, and 85% of small businesses say word-of-mouth referrals are the number one way that new customers find out about their businesses.

How to ask for referrals
The art of getting lots of referrals lies in the way you ask for them. If you say, “Do you know anyone else who might enjoy my service? ” naturally people will say they’ll think of someone and let you know. End of story. The chances are they will forget the question once they’ve left your business premises. So be specific and be direct. Ask, ‘Who do you think will benefit from my service?’ When they tell you, ask them specifically where you can find those people.

Use public speaking to reach a bigger audience
One of the best ways to create a lasting impression on potential clients is to deliver your service directly to them. The best way to demonstrate your expertise is to deliver content in a non-aggressive fashion such as at, business seminars, ZBIN Meetings, Premium Chats groups, or any other business gathering. By listening to your presentation, the prospect is highly likely to form an impression about whether they want to work with you or not.

Things to Avoid

• Avoid descending from the terraces to drop adverts and then perform a vanishing act.
• Don’t interrupt an ongoing discussion by dumping adverts on platforms.
• Participate in the lively discussions on Social Media forums, show up at meetings and share your knowledge.

Let’s normalize referring customers to one another, especially ZBINites.