Smart Entrepreneur Zimbabwe

Smart Entrepreneur Zimbabwe Smart Entrepreneur is the supreme business source for all start up's and growing business. We offer business advice, information, inspiration and support.

Welcome to Smart Entrepreneur Magazine: The Supreme Business Source. So we choose the name Smart Entrepreneur. Why Smart? We will define Smart as quick of thought, informed, shrewd, aware of one’s strengths and weakness, astute and calculating in business. This business resource came through the realisation that Small to medium businesses are the lifeblood of our economy and it is essential they a

re given the right advice and guidance for them to start-up and scale up. It is an important part of our long term objective that we provide them with necessary information, support and inspiration to make the most of their ambition and aspiration. We intend to provide sound business advice to SMEs to aid them grow and be run professionally and move away from museyamwa.com

16/06/2022

DripTech Irrigation provides an end-to-end solution by advising on design and installation of irrigation and pump systems, supplying all the required equipment, and offering spares and technical back-up. We believe in building long-term relationships and creating lifetime partnerships and support fo...

T shirt Business - Planning Continuing from the previous post, Launching a business is not about finding something to se...
22/04/2019

T shirt Business - Planning

Continuing from the previous post, Launching a business is not about finding something to sell and then selling it. Business is never random but very INTENTIONAL.

Once your message is clear, the designs are in place and research and potential feedback gathered the following plans need to be in place:

1. Product Collection - never launch a t-shirt business with just 1 or 2 designs. Have various designs that will be launched at different intervals. e.g. summer or winter. Have designs for atleast 6 months., which can tweaked accordingly.

2. Financial Plan - Know how much money you will need for production and marketing. Marketing on social media needs a budget if you are to boost posts to reach a wider audience. Have budgets and forecasts for the launch e.g. Photoshoot or videographer budgets etc. Photoshoots are critical to ensure you have a "bank" of high definition photographs to post on social media.

3. Social Media or Marketing Plan - You need a plan on how to introduce your products, call these teasers. For example in March you may post a teaser of a winter tshirt to just create a hype of your upcoming winter tshirts to also gauge interest etc. The marketing plan will guide on when to put teasers and how to drop the teasers and the full on product release. for example you may plan around:

1. Black Friday
2. Fathers Day or Mothers Day
3. National Days e.g Independence Day specials.
4. Babies e.g Tiny but bougie
5. National Elections - I voted tshirts etc

For social media it is critical to post everyday. You have to be dedicated and consistent in your marketing and social media efforts. If you still forget to post you are not ready to launch the business.

It is also critical to know which media channel you will use to reach people, how many people are you looking toward to reach and how many will engage with your post or medium? Will you have a mailing list? How will you gather contacts etc. Make sure you start building your tribe before you launch the tshirts.

Plan Plan Plan, this will help the business survive.

T-SHIRT BUSINESS - RESEARCH Following the previous post, apart from the message on the t-shirt, it is very key to study...
21/04/2019

T-SHIRT BUSINESS - RESEARCH

Following the previous post, apart from the message on the t-shirt, it is very key to study t-shirts. Tshirts like any other business needs research. I work closely with Vault Cosmetics / Jacque Mgido Cosmetics and over time I have watched "socialites" launch cosmetic lines with NO idea what so ever about the touch, smell or feel of the product or how well the product will work in what climate resulting in business failure. Sadly most celebrities think that their name will sell a product but its not always the case. We have a classic example of Beyonce's House of Dereon which failed in the first 2 years. Its more than a name, research your product and know your tribe or target market.

Research is key. Look at tshirts in various stores or online etc. Have a scrapbook of designs you like and don't like. Will they be hoodies, long sleeve, tank tops. Look at the designs, feel the fabric and know your product. Can you spot a custom made t-shirt from a distance or you cant even tell the difference?

Start gathering conversations and stories that your tshirt will sell. Have mock designs and ask people which they would choose A B or C, what they think of the design, texture, colour combination . For those with a bigger budget you may proceed to have a sample of 10 done and ask your target market for feedback. Pay attention to this feedback as it helps better the product. Which fabrics work better in Zimbabwe for example and why? Do I purchase ready made t-shirts or do I buy fabric and have them locally made? What will be the business model; ready printed tshirts or print on demand? What is the cost benefit analysis of the various models?

Never start with a product and hope to get customers, business is about people and it is critical to connect your vision and people's needs or passion.
RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH, this will ensure that when you launch your business its solid.

Starting a T-shirt Business -Know your Tribe As highlighted in the previous post, the message a tshirt conveys is critic...
20/04/2019

Starting a T-shirt Business -Know your Tribe

As highlighted in the previous post, the message a tshirt conveys is critical . What is it that you want people to "feel" when they wear your tshirt? How do you describe your message:
1. Rebellion
2. Raising Awareness
3. Sport
4. Political Affiliation
5. Social
6. National pride
7. Religion and Ideology etc

Feeling and emotions evoked by a t-shirt are very key to sustainability of your business. Most t-shirt brands are born out of a viral statement e.g. the Straight out of Compton which saw the birth of Straight out of Mbare, Soweto, Lagos trends etc. However the challenge of viral statements is lack of sustainability. Every day or week has a new viral statement and be careful to have stock of an irrelevant tshirt.

One has to have a core message for their brand which speaks to their target market or tribe. Who is your Tribe? Is it for Christians, teenagers, feminists, lovers, gusheshes, entrepreneurs, Zimbabweans, Africans. What your tribe "feels" when they wear the product THAT is the magic of the tshirt.

A friend asked me "How To start a T- shirt Business"Firstly its not a t-shirt business, the t-shirt is a by-product of w...
20/04/2019

A friend asked me "How To start a T- shirt Business"

Firstly its not a t-shirt business, the t-shirt is a by-product of what you do. People don't buy a t-shirt but they buy a phrase, design or message that sticks out to them. Before you even start the "business" ask yourself:

1. Are you selling a message or
2. Are you selling a culture. In Zimbabwe, for example, we have the Mutupo brand which sells "culture" not t-shirts.

You want your t-shirt to invoke emotions and be a part of everyday life. Not just for it to be a t-shirt I bought but a t-shirt I love to wear.

Over the next 10 days I will share some key elements of starting a t-shirt business. You have to be more than a t-shirt business for sustainability.

Happy Easter, be safe
13/04/2017

Happy Easter, be safe

For the longest time I wasn't really sure what direction I wanted to take with Smart Entrepreneur. Being a full time Gro...
06/04/2017

For the longest time I wasn't really sure what direction I wanted to take with Smart Entrepreneur. Being a full time Group resource for a very large Hospitality Group, I knew what I wanted to do but really couldn't invest into it.

As a New Years Resolution, I decided to follow my passion and I came up with various products and a strategy I could implement into bringing Smart Entrepreneur into real fruition.

I'm excited about the future. Loading.................................. Super excited

03/04/2017

A business without a recurring revenue is in danger.

Why?

Because it depends on two things:

1) Hope

2) Promotion

Let me explain…

If your business sells one-off products, then by default you’re “hoping” customers return to buy something else in the future.
Nobody wants to build a business on hope.

So what do you do?

You go into “promotion mode”. And it’s a cycle that looks like this:

Do a promotion > Make money

Don’t do a promotion > Don’t make money

That creates income that’s constantly up and down each month… and that creates stress, burnout and a whole bunch of other nasty effects. I was in this spot a few years ago depending on products that were bought only once a year and it was stressful.
The good news is that there is an easy fix:

MANY companies like Apple, Econet Wireless etc as well as other niche based companies have transitioned to new way of doing business. It's a business model that I have transitioned to as well. And you can too.

Are you an established expert and your current business model has you sprinting a marathon, constantly chasing new one-off clients, speaking gigs or sales…

OR…

You’re someone who has an online following and now you want to turn that into a highly profitable, low-stress business…

OR…

You’ve got an existing business and you’d like more consistent, reliable sales instead of having to chase down new customers every month…

Would you like a blueprint for transforming your knowledge and influence into recurring revenue? Please Inbox for details.

Buying likes on Social Media!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Social media has made it possible for entrepreneurs to directly interact with...
03/02/2017

Buying likes on Social Media!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Social media has made it possible for entrepreneurs to directly interact with potential customers. Many have resorted to buying "likes" on platforms like Facebook and Instagram but however many an entrepreneur will tell you that likes on social media do not necessarily translate to revenue.

It is therefore important to know your ideal Client before you sell anything. Its not about you its about what the Clients want. If you not sure what your Client wants please go back to the drawing board. Your business is meant to benefit the Client and solve a problem. So no matter how many pictures you post or likes you buy it wont add any value.

Knowing your Client, will guide the photo type, time posted and caption to the picture. Instead of buying followers use that money to invest in a class of attracting followers in creating content, build a better page through graphics. You can never buy someone to have interest in your page.

So take your time and work on building what people are attracted to, figure out your ideal Client and actually do the work unfortunately there are no short cuts.

TIPS FOR GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE IN A SALON • Remember that without customers, we have no business. Our customers are our...
12/01/2017

TIPS FOR GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE IN A SALON

• Remember that without customers, we have no business. Our customers are our business, not an inconvenience.
• Research shows that a great haircut/ hairstyle is not enough to get a customer to return. Customer expectations are much higher and it’s the way they were treated that makes them return.
• The consultation is crucial for a happy customer. Some 95% of complaints can usually be traced back to a lack of communication at the consultation.
• It really does equate to 70% emotion how they feel treated and 30% technical – the technical (the actual cut, colour etc) equates to whether they come back.
• Always tell your client the products and techniques you are using, including the electrical items. I recommend giving them a description of the products you are using on them and why. Clients love this information and think it is an excellent additional service.
• We can upset someone within three seconds of meeting them. You need to look friendly, professional and like you have taken care of how you look.
• Attitude is everything! Having a friendly, approachable attitude is very important. How your team communicate with your customers has a direct effect on your bottom line. Give your team guidelines and clearly tell them what is expected. Do you want them to wear make-up, be clean shaven or wear a certain style of clothes?
• Your staff will only know your expectations if you demonstrate them. Send your staff to a grubby coffee shop in the morning and then send them to somewhere lovely for afternoon tea. They’ll quickly get the difference between service levels.

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