Starting a business in Zimbabwe is not easy. From the time one wakes up in the morning to prepare for their day, anxiety rushes through their mind like an illegal taxi, trying to dodge the police.
The fear of failing then pushes most people into panic mode. Although running a company is generally complex, most people attest that in Zimbabwe it feels like it’s a steeper mountain to climb. Are business owners making their environment harder for themselves? Maybe it’s their neglect for the values of UBUNTU which is making different businesses have a short lifespan. This makes starting a business in Zimbabwe harder.
In some cases, when someone is running a thriving business, the next thing someone else does is to take that idea. Now, there is nothing wrong with that, competition is good. However, in Zimbabwe this competition is a direct replica of the first business. Making the other obsolete without having full scale knowledge of its market share. With competition, filling out the gap left by the other business is a sure way to penetrate the market and be viable. Albeit most of those starting a business in Zimbabwe copy and paste as much as they can from their competitors.
Importance of partnerships
If someone pitches a proposal for a collaboration, greed for control forces some to believe they can reach greatness on their own. Additionally, so many failed businesses serve as testament on how this is a ridiculous vision to believe in. Think about how many events are advertised of people starting a business in Zimbabwe? How many boutiques open in town frequently? What is the number of car sales are operating right? How many second-hand clothes sellers are there in the city? What about electrical appliances shops downtown? Maybe it’s time to form business partnerships. A time to feed the hunger of growth with partnerships.
What if people in the same industry normalised joining forces. Cutting costs on rentals and other overhead expenses. Also, sharing the burden for the collateral required to secure an investment in the business and widen their customer reach. History has proven that if one wants to go fast, they can go alone, but if they want to go further, they should go with someone. Maybe that’s exactly what Zimbabwe needs. Starting a business in Zimbabwe with the right mindset and being open to partnerships will benefit all players involved.
