Month: November 2020

Kuanzisha biashara Tanzania huambatana na changamoto kadhaa kama ukosefu wa mtaji na mkakati dhaifu wa uuzaji. Lakini badala ya kuangalia sababu zinazofanya biashara kushindwa, napenda tujikite katika makala hii kwenye mambo yanayoweza kufanikisha biashara inayoanzishwa. Mawazo haya nimeyagawanya katika dondoo zifuatazo.

Tazama biashara za maeneo jirani unayoishi au biashara za watu unaowafahamu. Je, ni mambo gani yaliyofanya biashara hizo kufanikiwa, kubaki vilevile kwa muda mrefu, au hata kushindwa? Ni sababu zipi zimeleteleza matokeo hayo?

Kwa hakika kuna sababu nyingi,  zikiwemo sababu binafsi ambazo ziko nje ya uewelewa wetu. Kwa msingi huo hatuwezi tukadai kujua sababu za kila biashara kushindwa. Hata hivyo, napenda tutazame baadhi ya mambo muhimu yanayopelekea biashara kufanikiwa au hata kushindwa.

1. Mkakati dhabiti wa uuzaji. Watanzania wanafahamu kutumia fursa katika kufanya biashara zao. Hii huusisha kufungua biashara katika maeneo yalio na watu wengi, au karibu ya kaya zao ambapo wanaweza kuduhumia kaya za jirani kwa bidhaa na huduma huku wakitimiza majukumu yao ya nyumbani. Popote pale biashara yako ilipo, ili ikue na ifanikiwe, inapaswa kujikita katika kutimiza hitaji flani la watu walioko katika eneo hilo.  Hivyo shauku ya kuanzisha biashara na kujishughulisha haina budi kuambatana na mahitaji ya msingi ya watu katika eneo husika. Ili kuweza kujua mahitaji ya wateja wako wa baadaye na kufanya uamuzi mzuri wa aina ya biashara ya kuendesha, unapaswa kufanya utafiti wa soko.
2. Naamini unafahamu tabia ya baadhi ya watu kuelekea katika fursa flani ya biashara na kubadili mwelekeo, yaani biashara, pale wanapoona fursa nyingine. Ni kweli kuwa kupata uzoefu katika biashara tofauti tofauti huleta manufaa. Hata hivyo, swala la kubadili badili biashara lapaswa kutathminiwa kwa kina, hasa pale ambapo matokeo yake yanaathiri kipato cha familia. Kwa hakika jambo hili tunalitazama kwa utofauti, iwapo mtu ana kipato thabiti kutokana na ajira, chenye kukidhi mahitaji yake na familia yake huku “akijijaribu” katika biashara flani. Kutimiza wajibu wa riziki yako na familia yako ni muhimu huku ukijikita katika biashara yako kwa uvumilivu na kutafuta mafanikio katika biashara hiyo.
3. Udhibiti mzuri wa mtaji. Nimekutana na baadhi ya wanafanyabiashara wanaotumia pesa au bidhaa za biashara kwa ajili ya matumizi yao binafsi (k.v. kwa ajili chakula, nauli au dharura). Hili jambo, hata kama wakati flani halikwepeki, linahitaji nidhamu kubwa. Ikarimu unaweza kuhatarisha biashara yako. Kutenganisha matumizi ya biashara na matumizi binafsi ni jambo la msingi sana. Ni kweli kuwa upatikanaji wa mtaji ni muhimu katika kuanzisha biashara. Mtu achukuaye mkopo kwa ajili ya mtaji anapaswa kutuambua deni analodaiwa na umuhimu wa kulipa deni hilo, ukizingatia kuwa kipindi cha awali cha biashara huwa kinaambatana na hasara. Kiasi kikubwa cha mkopo humaanisha pia kiasi kikubwa cha deni na kiasi kikubwa cha deni huweza kupelekea kushindwa kulipa kama pesa haidhibitiwi vizuri au ikijitokeza hasara kubwa kutoka na mauzo au wizi. Kama unakusudia kuanzisha biashara ndogo, fikiria kuhusu biashara zisizohitaji mtaji au zinazohitaji mtaji mmdogo. Kumbuka methali inayosema: “Mtaji wa masikini ni nguvu zake mwenyewe” . Jipatie mawazo kupitia mtandao au marafiki kuhusu aina za biashara zisizohitaji mkopo au zinazohitaji mkopo mdogo. Unaweza kuwasiliana nasi kwa mawazo zaidi.
4. Jifunze kuboresha biashara yako. Kimsingi, ni vema kupata maarifa ya biashara hata kabla ya kuanza biashara. Unaweza kuona wepesi wa kufanya biashara, lakini kuwa mnyenyekevu ili kujifunza zaidi na kuepuka makosa ya kibiashara, kunaweza kukusogeza mbele zaidi. Kama umeshaanza biashara yako, jipatie muda, utoke katika mihangaiko ya biashara yako, ili ujifunze namna ya kuiboresha. Kutana na wanafanyabiashara wengine wazoefu zaidi na waliofanikiwa, pata ushauri kutoka benki, jiunge katika jukwaa la majidala au tafuta mshauri wa kitaalam ili ujifunze kutokana na uzoefu wa wengine na changamoto zao. Unaweza kufaidika sana.

Je, kuna mambo mengine ya kuzingatia katika kuendesha biashara? Tafadhali tushirikishe. Kama una swali au haja yoyote, jiskie huru kuwasiliana nasi. Kama inahitaji kufahamu zaidi kuhusu uendeshaji wa biashara, jipatie nyenzo hapa.

Nakutakia kila la kheri katika biashara yako

Starting a business in Tanzania can be challenging due to different factors like lack of capital and poor marketing plan (undiognonized markets). Instead of looking on reasons which make businesses fail in Tanzania, I would like to focus our mind here on different aspects to consider, which can make a newly started business to succeed. I welcome you to dive in into the thoughts below.

Take a look on businesses in your neighbourhood and the ones you know about more. Think about those businesses which perform well but also about those which have been stagnant for years, and those which failed. What are the reasons which led to each of the mentioned results?

Surely there are many reasons, some of which are individual ones and thus beyond our knowledge. We can therefore not comprehensively jugde the failure of any business. Few common factors, however, I would like to look at which decisively determine the success or failure of a business.

1. Proper Marketing Plan. Tanzanians are aware of using any chances possible to make business. This includes opening business at places with high traffic or near/at their homes where the neighbourhood can be provided with needed goods and services while private domestic activities are performed. Wherever the business is situated, it needs to be oriented to the needs of the customers for it to prosper. Once a business saftisfies the major needs of the people, that is when the business is likely to grow and succeed. Therefore in satisfying ones own thirst of running a business it important to consider the needs of the potential customers (type of bussiness) in the area you start your business. An easy way to find this out is to conduct a market research.
2. You may be aware with people who go for a certain business opportunity and stay with it until they find a better business opportunity they change to. It is indeed legitimate to try out different businesses and gain experinces from them. However, this act has to be carefully reflected, especially if the outcome of the business has negative consequenses on the family you are taking care of. It has a different dimension, if have a stable income though an employment and try out different businesses. Taking responsibily for your own livelihood and that of your family is as important as being persistent to your business as it yields results.
3. Good Management of Capital. I have come across business men and women who take money from the business for private expenditure or take products from their business for private use. This is an act – if it is all necessary – which requires much discipline. Generousity in business can cost your business. Seperation of private matters with business matters is, I think, one of the basic thing a business man or woman should do. Well, talking about capital… Capital is indeed an important factor in starting a business. A persons taking loan to start a business should be aware of the debt and the necessity to pay back the money as he or she runs the business, considering that the first months of the business may be chatacterized with losses. A huge amount of loean obviously means a huge amout of debt, and a huge debt can likely lead to inability to pay back, especially due to loss, theft or poor management. If you consider starting a small business, consider starting a business which requires you little nor no capital. Remember the Tanzanian proverb: “Mtaji wa masikini ni nguvu zake mwenyewe” (The capital of a poor person is his own strength). Please get inspired in the internet or by your friends about different business ideas which required no or little capital. You can contact us for more ideas.
4. Learn to optimize your business. In fact, get business basics even before starting a business. Business may be easy, but being humble to learn and avoid mistakes can only help you. If you have already started your business, take time to get out of your business turmoil and learn how to optimize your business. Meet other successful business men and women, get advised by the bank, join a forum, seek a coach/counsellor and learn from different experiences, share ideas and learn from challenges. It can only help.

Do you have more factors to consider? Please, share them with us. If your have any question or concern, feel free to contact us. If you want to learn more about business, click on this link to get study materials.

All the best in your business.

 

 

 

To lack study fees in pursuing education in Tanzania is a common phenomena, unfortunately. The provision of loans to university students has lessen  this problem, and yet, the loan is not available to all students needing it. On top of that, there are difficulties for (unexperienced) students to get jobs which can provide them with money to pay their academic fees and cover their living expenses.

There surely be other factors hindering the way towards accomplishing your academic dreams, but that is not the thing this article is going to fucus on. The Focus here lies in encouraging you and giving you some ideas on how to attain your academic dreams. Before I provide specific ideas on how to go about the above mentioned problem, there is one more thought  I would like to share with you.

Success in accomplishing your academic dreams requires the courage to proactively take the responsibility of your own life. Disadvantages experienced due to the situation of your family, system or the environment you come from are to be examined carefully as you turn them into an advantage necessary to move on. This may surely require sometimes encouragement and guidance from another person. If you need someone, we are here for you. After setting up your mind, please consider the ideas below which can help you to overcome the barrier of study fees in attaining your education.

1. Registration for your study semester requires direct payment of study fees. Semester fees my cost about 600 000 /- Tsh. You are properly advised, if you secure this amount before heading for your university. Apart from taking it from your savings, you can borrow the money or collect of from friends and relatives.
2. Other expenses apart from academic fees, like rent/accomodation, cost for living/food, transportation etc. should be kept in focus. List all neccessary and unavoidable costs to be sure about the money which is actually needed. Consider the possibilty of saving costs by, for example, sharing an accomodation with other students/ people you know, taking enough food or other necessary items from home (e.g. sack of rice, beans, cooking untensils etc.)
3. While studying, consider taking lunch box with you if it can help you to balance your expenditures. Having Chapati, maadazi, or rice with beans/vegtable in your hotpot can make you enjoy a decent lunch as well insted of going for more expensive canteen food.
4. Consider looking for a part-time job. Free time (especially weekends) spent in working can help you to get money to cover living expenses and open doors and connections for getting money for your study fees, especially by working during semester breaks. You are well advised if you are not choosy. A student who is ready to work in normal places like in petrol stations, restaurants, stationaries, schools, saloon or any other places, depending on talent and availability of the job makes a big step towards independency. In case you have tried to look for a job at five different places, lower your expectations and try at ten other places. You will surely find something.
5. Last but not least: As you strain yourself, dont forget to rest. Mental hygiene is very important to balance your study life and generate strenght and endurance to continue. Everybody has his/her own way here. While other practice religion, other practice sports and arts. Go for your onwn unique way.

There are different challenges to overcome as students, while making sure that studies are managed and performed well. Please, be one of those writing their success stories and inspire others by encouraging them. Do you have questions or challenges, feel free to contact us. We will be glad to help you as good as we can. Stay blessed.