“Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become.”
This inspirational piece of advice from former Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, was directed at entrepreneurs and more generally to anyone with goals to achieve. It alludes to one of the benefits of entrepreneurship, which is that it allows business owners to pursue their passions as they are able go into fields closely related to their personal interests. Entrepreneurship allows individuals to follow their dreams and transform their lives, as well as to transform society.
Entrepreneurs not only gain financial independence by starting businesses, but also create jobs and wealth for many more people. Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises play a vital role in any country’s economy; the more business ventures there are the more robust economy the economy.
Despite the benefits of entrepreneurship, there are barriers that stop people from pursuing it. Many local entrepreneurs have a difficult time setting up with access to finances being the most common constraint. Business skills training is also limited. Most local entrepreneurs operate in informal settings such as markets and often sell their wares on the streets or build small shops (tu ntemba) from basic materials.
Entrepreneurship breeds innovation as long as a small company comes up with new and unique ideas to stay ahead of the game in a highly competitive business environment. It can also fulfill basic human needs and transform the way we live.
Entrepreneurs who started on a small scale created many of the items we use on a day-to-day basis. For instance, the applications we use on our phones were more than likely made by a small startup company. Examples of other important products created by entrepreneurs include the artificial heart and traffic lights. Isn’t that amazing?
A growing form of entrepreneurship is social entrepreneurship that has the same drivers of entrepreneurship but the profitability of such enterprises is derived from creating products and services that support positive social change and develop creative solutions to some of society’s most pressing problems. However, ambition and innovativeness are still at the heart of it.
An example of a local social entrepreneur is Mutoba Ngoma who founded Tapeera Industries Limited, which has produced eco-friendly soap using restaurant and agricultural waste. This socially positive initiative created jobs and encouraged an environmentally friendly lifestyle while still delivering a healthy profit. As with any other social entrepreneurship venture, it was good for the economy and good for society.
To promote transformative entrepreneurship in Zambia and to help overcome the may challenges faced by entrepreneurs, we are excited to announce the coming of a unique opportunity called Nyamuka Zambia. Funded by the UKAID, Nyamuka Zambia is a business plan competition that will discover and showcase Zambia's most talented and dynamic entrepreneurs, offering them an opportunity to develop and grow their businesses.
Nyamuka Zambia will transform Zambia by empowering a new generation of entrepreneurs with resources and opportunities to realise their dreams. The Nyamuka Zambia package includes invaluable support and business skills development, coaching and mentoring sessions and networking opportunities, as well as providing winners with funding to set-up or boost their enterprises.
Nyamuka Zambia is looking for entrepreneurs with transformative ideas; the kind of ideas that will drive growth in the economy, create real jobs and add sustainable value. If you feel you have an innovative business idea and you have the passion and energy to drive this through to success and take it to the next level, call us on 5066 or visit our website, Facebook page to learn how you can be a part of Nyamuka. Zambia is rising and this is your chance to get involved!
For more information : info@nyamukazambia.com,
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