Entrepreneurship Touch Base

There are some stories that should not be left untold. Most of our entrepreneurs have made us proud in this just ending year 2023. Sure more is there for us in the coming year. Where will we be? If it was without these constructive discussions we have made so far. We say aluta continua!!!

Here we share some entrepreneurial matters that have taken us through this successful journey as we reconnect into the future of our enterprising.

A business plan has proved not to be the only and sufficient enough for our enterprising prosperity.

Of course it is strategic in mapping the direction of the business and evaluating performance from time to time.

It also needs to be supported by a Business Model Canvas (BMC). This is because a business has to balance between its revenue streams and costs.

This can be achieved when the two become a foundational beacon of an entrepreneurial business.

Mostly looking on the possible ways for improved revenues through building and riding on profitable customer relations, targeting the right customers in our segmented markets and using the rightly preferred channels by these customers.

It has proven that the best of what we can do in our markets is not only knowing the customer better but also the letting the customer know us more through excellence.

In this world of fast changing technologies it has proved that most entrepreneurial businesses can only make it to another level if they are to fuse digitalized marketing efforts with every aspect of doing business.

As we touch base towards successful entrepreneurship in the coming year let us introspect in this area too.

Not forgetting that Artificial Intelligence is becoming a quick tool for quantifying the previously unmeasurable customer satisfaction.

We can do better through such as we progress. We then reflect as we clos the year.

Going global of our entrepreneurs require adherence to some trending sustainable green matters.

This has lacked in the operations of some promising entrepreneurial businesses around.

As we go forward into the coming year and beyond let’s take a smart move and engage in green business.

As a reminder the modern customer is now patronizing those establishments that have gone green in all aspects.

An entrepreneurial business should be green certified for it to exist with sustainable profits too.

It is no longer about recycling waste only but considering packaging, harmonized existence, partnering with the global best and mainly operating as guided by all guided by all Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Many businesses could have made it to this level but as witnessed by many they failed to respect the regulations/legal matters of running a proper business.

Entrepreneurs in their setting and operations do not operate in a vacuum, laws are there for them.

As informed in some of our previous editions there are instituted levels of compliance that our business should adhere to.

These might be in the form of tax remittances, operational licensing and conformity to particular industry standards.

Let’s gear up for such configuration as we move forward. Instead of running away we should seek for those that not only make us lawfully abiding but also global brands.

As we have come to appreciate that customers buy brands not products/services going forward we have to go back to the drawing board in order to extract and connect our operations with those nodes that makes us be reckoned as brands rather than mere producers.

Where we become a first brand of choice through living a promise(s).

This is highly possible especially when we take time to tick a brand checklist that introspect our brand in terms of image, awareness, perceived values, loy2024. alty and association.

Here we ride on moving forward with excellent brand equity as born out of some theories that have taken us far to be real brand practitioners.

Also brands have their laws as discussed previously where they should not fear to showcase beyond borders.

That is the law of borders which makes them international.

We should move towards global dominance through our homegrown brands expansion into newer horizons.

The sky is the limit and let us take time to link our brand with the international bodies and institutes for real global vibrancy.

As another law of branding informs that real brands do fellowship so let it be with yours in year Till then happy Christmas and a prosperous enterprising new year.

*Dr Farai Chigora is a businessman and academic. He is the head of management and entrepreneurship at the Africa University’s College of Business, Peace, Leadership and Governance. His doctoral research focused on business administration (cestination marketing and branding major, Ukzn, SA). He is into agribusiness and consults for many companies in Zimbabwe and Africa. He writes in his personal capacity and can be contacted for feedback and business at fariechigora@gmail.com, www. fachip.co.zw, WhatsApp mobile: