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So we continue with our programme of unlocking business opportunities for our members. ZBIN does not promise anyone any monetary returns, we however promise you detailed business information that will help you in decision making. This morning we talk to one of our Business Admin, She as an active Watsapp Admin for our various business groups such as Baking, Human Resources and the Mozambique Business Opportunities groups.

Below are some of the questions that I posed to her and her responses.

How long have you been living in Canada?

I have been in North America for 17 years. Six of those where in the USA. But only three months in Europe, Germany, on a scholarship.

How is the weather in Canada, have heard that its extremely cold?

Canada has 4 seasons but three predominant ones. Coast to coast has different weather patterns/ The summer can get quite hot with temperatures going up to 36 or 39Degrees Celsius. Winters are also cold depending on the region. In the northern territories winter temperatures, can get to -50Degrees Celsius. But on average winter temperatures are anywhere between -15Degrees Celsius to 10 Degrees Celsius.

Coast to coast winters are characterised with snow, ice and rain. Snow levels can reach 5- 10 metres in some cases. In winter the sun goes down around 4 pm and comes out around 8pm.

However, while this might sound scary, Canada has some of the best winter clothing worldwide. If you dressed correctly for the outside you will hardly feel anything. Indoors houses are heated so the chances of feeling cold are minimal. The body has a remarkable capacity to adjust to the weather.

Zim Community, is there a big Zim community in Canada?

Yes there is a big Zimbabwean community spread out in popular provinces where there are jobs such as Alberta and Ontario. The most popular cities being Toronto or Edmonton. However more Zimbabweans are venturing out to the Northern remote parts of Canada

Tell us about education for kids, is it expensive?

Canada has an excellent public education system. The Prime Minister’s children go to public schools. Education is very free and state of the art with smart board, smart pads etc. Kids receive homework online and all kids have school email accounts. They have virtual classrooms with their teachers for homework and revision. College and university is not free but each province has different rates. The students have access to grants and loans and these are available until they complete whatever level of education they want. A Canadian education is acceptable anywhere in the world.

Cost of living, how is it?

Canada is a bit more expensive than the USA but cheaper than the UK in terms of housing. Plus, our standard of living is higher than the UK and US. Canadians have good work times and hours. Parents have maternity vacations for both husband and wives. Pensions and retirement plans are available.

Healthcare is free from maternity to cancer surgeries or treatments. Name the issues you get treaed for free. Jobs for professionals are highly rewarding with popular jobs being in teaching, nursing and social work. Finance jobs are also popular as well as energy jobs. Artisan jobs are indeed very popular. Economic resistant jobs are in the social and nursing fields and if you want to go out to serve the remote communities you get very good packages. The remote communities being NorthWest Territories, Yukon and Nunavut.

Which other African communities dominate the immigrant communities in Canada?

Anywhere you go in the UK, US, and Australia perhaps, the biggest African communities are West African and Eastern African namely Nigerian, Ghanaian and Kenyans, Somalians and Ethopians.

Which cities do you recommend for first time immigrants?

Toronto, Montreal and Edmonton

Five good things you like about Canada?

1.Safe. Can sleep with door unlocked and keys in the car. I am speaking from experience!. 2.Family friendly. There are plenty of vacation and holiday spots that are affordable. Plus work schedules are not horrible like the UK and US.

2.Family friendly. There are plenty of vacation and holiday spots that are affordable. Plus work schedules are not horrible like the UK and US

3. Education opportunities: you can advance as far and as wide as you want to go

4.Business and work opportunities: when you think outside the box, the sky is the limit

5.Strong economy and policies. Canada is safe foe everyone 51/2. Friendly people and not too much race issues

So there you are forumites, our Forum Admin is one helpful and friendly person feel free to add more questions and she will answer respond when free.

Twalumba

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. There are a lot of advantages that come from registering your business and they include ability to access funding and access to big projects and tenders.

As ZBIN we are encouraging our members to formally register and this is good for you. On this post we discuss the process of company registration, the problems encountered by members and the proposed solutions.

Responses from ZBIN Members

Catherine Shava tru mdara kana.uine registered company mabasa hobho kunyanya.matender u bid with confidence kani

Moreblessing Tsungai at tyms we consider how small my business is the kuzoregister and taxes but it pains looking at tenders

Ad Mire Prime Makusha anyone who does company registration

Mlaleli Mcgreager Mhlanga in byo have a friend at Tradgold his terms are better

Hannah H. Tarindwa Can you register a cc in Zim?

Nyasha Nguwo so like here is my case I have an idea to start something but should I just register my company with what I want to do without having the things on the ground?

Mdala Wa Rue Anyone with figures? How much are companies charging to register?

Ishmael Sithole I would prefer registering a PBC but wont bid for public tenders

Ad Mire Prime Makusha i agree with you Ishmael a PBC is easier for the entreprenure

Mlaleli Mcgreager Mhlanga from $250 up

Brett Tamsanqa Dube whats a CC OR PBC

Ad Mire Prime Makusha Public Business Corperation

Hannah H. Tarindwa CC is Closed Corporate its very effective for starting a sme

Hannah H. Tarindwa Nyasha test run your biz before registering if possible. Some businesses that’s easy but some will need a registration esp if you are going to need clients of big companies

Praise Chabona Kungofunga registrar of companies chete unotonzwa kuneta. Wen u are still small one might think kuregister ega without using the so called consultants but ey marwadzo kwaregistar kwacho. So one will end up shelving it achiti ambotsvaga mari $350 yacho iyi

Hannah H. Tarindwa $350 yakawanda hama dzadiwa. Kuno its abour N $300 but for 6 months kana uchida 24hrs N $1000 which about Us$110

Tori Elles Mum Whatever business u want to do just register guys. The Memorandum and Articles of association covers I believe all kinds of businesses unless its a business that requires licencing like MCAZ for pharmaceutical supplies. I registered my company last year October at 250 but a shelf company is cheaper. I wouldn’t advise on a shelf company tho as I was enlightened to some aspects I overlooked in my previous company which was a shelf company. I thot having a CR 6 showing change of directors was good enough yet I didn’t know that when the company does well those former directors could come claim a certain percentage. There was need for another document which these consultants don’t mention that deals with that aspect. I’m being vague coz I can’t remember exactly wat I was told by this banker coz it didn’t affect me. My company was new.

Tori Elles Mum U can go wega kuregistrar of companies. It must be around 50bux if u are not in a hurry to have your certificate coz it takes forever.

Tori Elles Mum After registering then u go kuZimra get a bank tax clearance certificate that will help u open a company bank account then u can register for tax and get a tax clearance certificate.

Tori Elles Mum Whatever business u are into, please legitimize it. U never know wat happens tomorrow and Mdala gave a good example kuti a company registered 2013 has greater advantage over a company registered in 2015. Sedco was/is giving loans and unlike in the past where u could just go with your proposal now one of the requirements is that u have a registered company that’s also registered with ZIMRA.

Ishmael Sithole Personally I feel a lot of things in Zim are tilted in favour of urburnites especially Hararenites. Imagine a rural entrepreneur in rural Chipinge like myself having to travel multiple times to Harare to register a business entity that is yet to perform well. Since we are in the IT age I strongly feel company registration should be done at provincial or even district levels.

Rose Magorokosho Ndakambo vharwa mari yangu nevaiti vanogona kundi register. Ndikazoedza ndega zvikapedza makore zvinonetesa. Vakavimbika varipivanobatsira kuregister company

Mdala Wa Rue Register…Register n it’s for your own good..comply with all relevant laws of the country and it pays off in the long run..Wa Mdala will be registering his company for the first time and I will share my experience when done…Yeah. .registration inongonzwisa nungo..its a pity those who advertise on the forum about company registrations are not willing to share…anyway infor obtained by those who responded is still very important

Mdala Wa Rue Mukoma Ishmael..now this is inconvenient! So you cannot register your company in Chipinge?We are hoping that in future the registration will be decentralised or computerised

Tori Elles Mum Rose ini it was supposed to take 2 weeks but it took a month and one of the reasons for the delay was mazita andaiendesa for name search. The person I dealt with has a very good reputation but is not on fb. I paid 250 while others had charged me 300+. If u are interested and when u are ready let me know ndimubvunze if I can give u his number.

Ishmael Sithole @Hannah H Tarindwa, what I am saying is that we are aware of the vast benefits registering a business entity can usher one into, but the process of registering a business entity is Zimbabwe is not simple and fast. Its vailed in obscurity and unnecessarily too centralized. Since we now have computers why not decentralise it to privincial levels since we have government complexs in all provinces and some districts? That will make the process accessible to most intrested people and our government will benefit emensely from formaly operating entities through taxes and all. Personally I desire to register my business but the process is not as easy and simple as it OUGHT to be.

Judith Zimunya and the money like the one i and my frend wanted to register wanted $500 yet it might be small to some ,,bt to us haa it was a draw back

Kava Matemai Chikore It takes seven working days from name search to the final registration. Please inbox or whatsapp on 0772347279 and we will take it up from there

Kava Matemai Chikore Rodwell Maoneke first one has to come up with the main objectives of the company to be registered (meaning what the company will be doing when registered). Secondly one has to have at least six names from which the Register of Companies will approve one name for registration. After name search, at least two share holders and two directors will be required. In normal circumstances the two share holders automatical will be the directors. Then a document called memorandum and articles of association is prepared which is submitted again to the Register of Companies for final registration

Hannah H. Tarindwa Ishmael I was surprised that it’s still centralised… sorry shuwa!

Praise Chabona I read in the Sunday Mail that company registration can now be done online

Ishmael Sithole I am pleased to inform you all that I managed to register my business MacJohnson Apiaries. I registered it via the ministry of SMECD. The process took me 3 months ie August2015 to October 2015. The saame month we got incoperated ie October 2015, MacJohnson Apiaries scooped 5 awards at the Manicaland Agricultural Show and emerged as the best business in Apiculture/Beekeeping. We produce and retail the best honey, beeswax, hives, honey processing equipments etc in Manicaland(and some say the best honey in Zimbabwe comes from Manicaland). I overcame all excuses and so should you. Go ahead and register. We also offer beekeeping training and consulting services, swarm removal and relocation services. You may like our facebook MacJohnson Apiaries. We are also on linked in. We are working on our website and on how to penetrate the Harare market and supply the best honey out of Manicaland. If a rural 31 year old like myself can do it, so should you!

Tapiwa Mubonderi The PBC is the equivalent of the CC it has got the same rights as a private company and can do the same things. Its simpler to register as it has less documentation, costs less and doesn’t need annual returns. Its drawback is some bigger entities won’t want to deal with it as it seen as a one man band. Some bigger contracts or import or export trade would need a private company and its difficult to get loans. Our advice is to use for simple businesses especially trading. It can be converted to a private company, but a private company cannot be converted to a PBC.

Tapiwa Mubonderi If you are interested in business its advisable to register a company beforehand and keep it compliant in case you may wish to use.

Tapiwa Mubonderi The Company’s Office is a bit bureaucratic and delays do occur because they handle a huge volume of documents. It’s advisable to deal with a competent consultancy firm there are over 200 such firms in the market. The drafting of memos and articles are a challenge to a lot of untrained people , this may delay your registration.

Post initially appeared on the Zimbabwe Business  Ideas and Network Facebook Page in May 2015. One of our main tasks in 2017 will be to encourage our members to register their businesses, our target is to help register 5,000 companies by end of 2018.