*This was taken from the Doing Business report for 2014.
**DB2014 report data covers regulations measured from June 2012 through May 2013
**DB2014 report data covers regulations measured from June 2012 through May 2013
 One day, someone is going to ask about YOUR BUSINESS and INNOVATION, instead of grasping at straws, we are going to make sure you know what to say.
Why is it free? Because EntreCorporate has a purpose and that is to make Africa innovative. Innovation rises and falls on leadership, that’s why they believe it’s important to train African Business leaders on what innovation is and why it’s vital to taking their business development to the next level. Our good friends have developed short audio clips [Less than 5 minutes] to tackle many pressing questions that executives have on innovation, including;
By the end of this short series, you will never be left looking puzzled if someone asks, “how innovative is your company?” When there’s a discussion on innovation, you will be able to add your two cents confidently. While this isn’t a comprehensive course on innovation, it’s a good place to begin. It’s free and it’s 5 minutes a day- what excuse do you have for not trying it out? None! To register now click here It goes without saying, but I will say it again... starting a business is really tough. Even before you launch your business, you have to write that business plan, secure some funding , register your business and get patented. That is all done before you open your doors to the world. Then once you open its marketing, selling, planning, reviewing and re-planning. Let us not forget customer feedback and this is just to mention a few things of the many you have to do to start a successful business. It is therefore no wonder why 85% .. yes 85% of new businesses fail in the first year. You basically need all the help you can get when dealing with the emotional and mental tolls that comes with setting up a new business. Partnerships are one way you can get stronger and last longer. More often than not a good partner can bring something different to the table than you do. The partner complements your skills and personality. "In a world where competitors can come from around the corner or around the globe, it is increasingly difficult for firms to operate in isolation and establish and maintain a valuable competitive advantage" - Greg Fisher I have been studying successful businesses and one important thing I identified was that most huge businesses we admire today were in fact started by partners and not sole entrepreneurs. Take a look for example at Microsoft, Apple and Google. They are were they are today because they took advantage of partnerships when they were starting up. This is why I have decided to do a Pondering on Partnership series of posts. All about partners so stay tuned for the next post on choosing the right partner. P.S - What do you think about bringing on a partner when starting a new business? Please comment below.  About The Author
Vongai C Mudzamba Co-Founder Zimbabwe Entrepreneur Zone Twitter: @vongzie I am and always will be inspired to inspire. It is so important in business to have FOCUS and to know where you are going all of the time. Too many of us, well.....about 95% of us spend our lives performing acts of randomness as we go through life. By having a clear 1 year goal all the time clearly in your mind you will always know what you should be doing and will start actively taking steps both consciously and subconsciously towards that goal. Don't spend another day misdirected. It is very important that you get a clear picture of your 1 year goal. Here are 5 steps to getting a clear 1 year goal: 1.Think carefully about what you want to achieve 1 year from today. Close your eyes and picture yourself having already achieved this goal in as much detail as possible. If you are not sure what you want to achieve, force yourself to sit down and think about it. Get clarity on where you are going and get a clear picture of it. Your goal may be to make more money, to be more happy, to double your business, to get married, to be healthier etc. 2.Once you have a clear picture of yourself 1 year from today, you need to write down a 1 line sentence that describes your goal. This sentence must be specific and measurable not vague. Rather say...."I want to have $100,000 saved by Date" rather than "I want to have more money" 3.Once you have decided on your goal phrase, write it down on a piece of paper and stick it on the mirror on your bathroom! (or on the back of your toilet door) 4.Every day, read your goal and picture yourself already having achieved this goal clearly in your mind. This process is really important as it will help you focus your thoughts and actions for the day in line with this mental picture. 5.Whenever you get stressed, flustered, confused or overwhelmed, remember your 1 year goal and get excited!! We hope this week's tip serves you  About The Authors
Brendan and Sally Palmer Business Consultants | Authors | Speakers | Coaches | Motivator Twitter: @SabreBusinessW We are a husband and wife team who are passionate about teaching and inspiring people in business to become more successful. Be Cool ! Be Great ! Be Alive !  Elections are over. For politicians, their business has just begun. For serious entrepreneurs it is time to ignite their passion and accelerate their growth. Many people I spoke to have the belief that business will improve if there is a new single government, which is not in a coalition as we had over the past five years. Well, here is a wake up call: your success in building a sustainable business relies not upon any government, but upon you! Sitting and waiting for the government, or someone else for that matter, for help is an exercise in futility. Businesses have been built and grown under all forms of governments,from democracy to totalitarian. Entrepreneurs have shone under some very difficult economic conditions. If you want to succeed now, you have to ignite your passion, motivate yourself and get fired-up. No-one is going to give it to you, you gotta take it There is nothing for free in life. You have to work for what you want. Your success or failure depends almost entirely upon your own thoughts and actions. The decisions you make today will determine your future. I really enjoy reading Brian Tracy’s works. One thing he mentioned is that people can only become successful once they accept that they are personally responsible for their own lives. You are responsible for everything that happens to you. Now is the time to take stock and decide whether you want to be a fired-up entrepreneur or just another victim of the environment. If you want to be a successful entrepreneur or business owner, how many books have you read on how to succeed in business? Do you use your time wisely learning the skills necessary for success, or do you spend time in unproductive conversations and worrying over things you have no control over? Are your friends people who are working hard and are determined to succeed? Or are they losers complaining and continuously blaming others for all their problems? Choose now. Half of success starts in your mind, the moment you decide to achieve greatness in your life. You can learn anything you need to learn to accomplish any goal you set for yourself. No one is smarter than you and no one is better than you. All business skills, sales skills and moneymaking skills are learnable. Everyone who is good in any area today was once poor in it. What the successful have done you can do as well. You just need to get up and start doing something towards your goal. So what are you waiting for?  About The Author
Phillip Chichoni SME Business Link Website: www.smebusinesslink.com Facebook: www.facebook.com Twitter: @Chichonip Business Planning consultant and entrepreneurship champion, SME trainer, speaker and author of the book Business Planning Simplified. I wrote a post a while ago, titled "Choosing the right business to start: Part 2". In the post I mentioned being realistic. Asking yourself the right questions is one of the keys to a successful business. You have what you think is a great idea! Now, ask yourself these 20 questions to make sure you’re thinking about the right key business decisions:
 About The Author
Vongai C Mudzamba Co-Founder Zimbabwe Entrepreneur Zone Twitter: @vongzie I am and always will be inspired to inspire. "The global market is quickly arriving on each and every one of our doorsteps and in order to remain in business, we need to aim for "best in the world" with our products. Have good quality just isn't enough any more. Entrepreneurship is taking over the world so there are millions of people in business and countless people doing exactly what you are doing.  About The Authors
Brendan and Sally Palmer Business Consultants | Authors | Speakers | Coaches | Motivator Twitter: @SabreBusinessW We are a husband and wife team who are passionate about teaching and inspiring people in business to become more successful. Be Cool ! Be Great ! Be Alive ! Fun Facts
"I really wish someone would wake up and say something here! I mean, we need to make it easier for people to start formal businesses that have many immediate benefits for the companies and for business owners and employees. Legal entities can outlive their founders. Resources are pooled as several shareholders join forces to start a company. Formally registered companies have access to services and institutions from courts to banks as well as to new markets. And their employees can benefit from protections provided by the law.Where governments make registration easy, more entrepreneurs start businesses in the formal sector, creating more good jobs and generating more revenue for the government." The detailed procedure of how to register your business is provided below. Minimum one can pay for a small business is $105 if you decide to do it alone for a small business however you can expect to pay more depending of the size of your business as well as your industry as some industries have additional requirements. The alternative is to get lawyers or business consultants who will deal with the process for you and who will know the laws that apply directly to your business. This is actually my recommendation - pay extra for the business consultants/lawyers because that way your business is set up properly from the get go. Everything is FIGURE-OUT-ABLE - Marie Forleo I wonder if you have had a chance to take a look at our project - Zimnovators. Zimnovators is a platform where we profile young successful Zimbabwean innovators. The intention was to inspire the ordinary Zimbabwean to start their own business. I found while working on this project that I myself was inspired by the sheer determination of the profiled innovators, against all odds. It just reminded me that it would be a tragedy if any person did not have the courage to follow their dreams of starting a business. While listening to Marie Forleo, I heard her say the most amazing thing - "Everything is figure-out-able" This is the very reason why you should start your business today. This is the alternative mindset that can make you a successful entrepreneur. Here are some examples for you to take a look at. 1. Your problem: Financing your business Example Solution: If you find yourself without enough money for your business idea you could work for it an save, borrow from your friend, bootstrap or even barter trade. Further reading on solutions, click here. 2. Your problem: What business to start Example solution: Maybe you have money but do not have any business ideas, you could look at your passions, your skills or look at your community and figure out how to make something easier. You could even be an investor in other people's visions. Further reading on solutions, click here or here. 3. Your problem: Fear of failure. Example solution: You could hold on to your day job until it starts generating the income that you are comfortable with. You could also develop your entrepreneur mindset by studying more about entrepreneurship or getting a mentor. "You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win." -Zig Ziglar I could write a thick book with reasons not to start a business and ways to deal with those obstacles. The point is you have to realize there is not one obstacle you cannot handle. There is always a solution, an alternative. That is why you must start your business and start it today. Be inspired!  About The Author
Vongai C Mudzamba Co-Founder Zimbabwe Entrepreneur Zone Twitter: @vongzie I am and always will be inspired to inspire. |
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