So the iPhone X (ten) came out last year, boasting face recognition and a bunch of other features that won’t seem as nice when you’re intoxicated. The iPhone lover will appreciate it as a great phone, this I know because a large percentage of iSheep (serial Apple gadget cultists) who bought the iPhone 8 wanted to swap it within weeks for the X. Bear in mind both devices wear launched on the same day.
The official international price when the iPhone X arrived was $999. Of course, thankfully because we are in Zimbabwe we will get it for almost double or triple that price.
1. Tutor
If you have a skill, teach it. So many millennials are multi-skilled and could share their skills with people around them. Tutoring isn’t the flashiest thing to do but you can earn at least $10 an hour or per lesson and have a chance to make a difference. Anything from another language to graphic design can be tutored.
2. Photographer
If you’re a stay-at-home parent with a knack for photography, creating family portraits or photographing events for people in your neighborhood could be the start of a fruitful business. The trick here is that you’ll probably need to have a nice camera, a tripod and equipment insurance — the total cost of which will most likely exceed $1,000. If you can get a deal on a good camera at a lower price or already have the equipment, then the start-up costs are low. Examples of this taken and done well are PictureHub as well as Profound Photography and Tnash Photography.
3. Errand runner
Lots of people don’t have the time to run errands daily, and a local errand service business could be a great solution. Zimbabwe is almost the perfect place to start such a service. A good number of shops close around 6-7pm and sometimes you aren’t even in town by then. Even those who finish work between 4:30pm – 5pm end up stuck in long queues in our supermarkets because that’s the peak time. I personally would love it if I could get someone to run some shopping errands for me during the day.
4. Makeup artist
If you’re a professional makeup artist or hairdresser at a salon, you could earn extra income by setting up your own side business. If you love makeup or hair care but aren’t an expert, consider investing in a class or certificate program. Talk with professionals to find what they recommend. Zimbabwe has make up artists like Gamu (of Make Up by Gamu) who have become household names for brides all over. She has made a solid name for herself and she doesn’t come cheap. This could be you.
5. Virtual assistant
Organized self-starters could find good work being a virtual assistant, a person who does all the things an assistant would normally do, just via the internet and phone.
6. Personal chef
Roll up your sleeves and break out the spices. A personal culinary business where you are a chef for private parties could be a delicious venture. I take too much fast food to understand this one, but of it’s on the list it must be good.
7. Graphic designer
Graphic design has be frustrating for the non-designer. While there are free design tools out there, many do not offer customization or the insight an expert would. That’s where your business could come in. This just happens to be one of the few creative services that almost every company needs and which they unfortunately don’t value enough to pay for on time. I’m pretty sure executives can sit in rooms and easily think that graphic designers just click several times and graphics suddenly appear. Luckily I consult for a creative house called Studio Chiratidzo and it has been during these past several years that I have seen how much work goes into the simplest looking logo.
8. UI/UX designer
This one’s a little more obscure to the average entrepreneur than the others. User interface (UI) design and user experience design (UX) make sure your website or app is user friendly, intuitive and visually pleasing among other things.
9. Social media manager
Many small companies or other entrepreneurs can’t afford to have a social media manager or marketing team. Starting a social media company where you manage part-time or full-time other people’s accounts could be a profitable gig. This one is a difficult one in Harare. Zimbabwe is where the world was about 10 years ago; no understanding of social media management’s place in the business and no appreciation of the level of expertise needed to be a successful SM manager. Also, social media success is easy to take for granted; social media fails are hard to come back from.
10. Consultant
“Every industry could have a consultant. In order to be a successful consultant, you need to have some sort of success in that particular field,” career expert Jill Jacinto said.
As a consultant, you could help businesses make contacts, form deals and guide their strategic plan as a consultant. Consultancy needs a whole post for me to really sell the idea. The long and short of it is that if you at something and you have extra time the you should try to sell your expertise.
11. PR professional
Have experience in a particular field? Recently retired? You likely have a lot of contacts and expertise in a specific industry, which you could leverage for your own venture. PR managers work with the media, government agencies and advertisers. With all the PR disasters that we tend to see these days, this is a market waiting to be carved.
12. Wedding planner
If you love detail and decor and don’t mind the stress of dealing with last-minute changes, a wedding planning business could be a great fit. I have seen brides and grooms to be alike lose half their weight in the wedding preparation phase. Who knew there was extreme stress before the happily ever after. Actually, if you wanna lose weight then don’t jog, don’t diet…just plan to get married! So yes, wedding planners are a big yes.
13. Event planner
Weddings aren’t the only events that need planning. Birthdays, anniversaries, graduation parties are just a few of many events people need help organizing. I’m so lazy that if I had to set up an event I would totally outsource this.
14. Caterer
While a personal chef usually caters to smaller groups, caterers prepare meals for big events. If you’re a great cook who can handle multiple meals cooking at once, you could start your own catering business. While you’re thinking about this, you could try starting a small restaurant. I have a friend who started Le Spot, a amazing small spot with great ambience and watching her grow has been such an experience. If you live in Harare, you should really try it out. If you have a boyfriend who needs to be nudged towards proposing…this place may just do it. Le Spot.
15. Personal trainer
Insurance is something you’ll need at the outset with this business. If you love to work out, look into certifications you could get to become a personal trainer. If you’re already certified, even better! I’m personally struggling with weight issues and I don’t mind anyone sliding into my DMs with a proposal for some personal trainer services. I’ll even let you drive behind me while I jog playing Eye of the Tiger on full blast. See how MaKupsy (an amazing fitness freak who turned a hashtag into a brand) created a service out of this with the moniker FitnessBae.
16. Accountant
If you’re a certified accountant, you could start your own practice. With the hundreds (or thousands) of small businesses in the country, it’s easy to see how accountants would be needed. Especially since we know that ZIMRA has been growing efficient in the past couple of years and businesses are trying to be compliant.
17. Copy editor
Business pamphlets, grant proposals and blog posts all need copy editing. Why not take your literacy and grammar skills to the market? Copy editors make a median of $18 per hour (in the US). In Zimbabwe, I am not aware of the actual values but the need for the services is a real thing.
18. Landscaper
Those who enjoy working outdoors can provide lawn mowing and landscaping services to clients. For this, you’ll need a lawnmower and some other outdoor tools. It’s a very good investment in terms of capital and you are almost always guaranteed to have enough jobs to tick you over.
19. App Developer
You could focus on mobile technology and develop your own mobile app, or even start a business developing apps for clients. There are some relatively affordable mobile development platforms you can use. So you mainly need to spend on an actual mobile device for testing and submitting your app to app stores. Try to solve problems with your apps…don’t just replicate apps that have worked in other places.
So yeah, would you rather have an iPhone X or be able to start one of these business. Unfortunately there will be need for commitment to make it work. Pouring money into a plan does not mean it will work.
Business Blunders & Brilliance 