AFRICA NEEDS CREATIVE BUSINESSES

SUB-TITTLE: WHY SOME BUSINESES FAIL AT INCEPTION

Small businesses create a large pool of employment in different ranges. They are also a large contributor to every country’s GDP. The concept of entrepreneurship, if embraced at National Level and be supported fully could solve many economic and social challenges. 

Many countries today still struggle to feed the hungry, create employment, combart crime or sustain their economic growth because their focus is on large scale investment which only pools in macro-investors who intern reap of the country’s gross profits through tax evasion and other hidden schemes. This exploits the national resources instead of benefiting in the fight against hunger, poverty and unemployment. I’m not emplying that macro enterprises do not benefit the countries, they do. But more could be achieved if we had more entrepreneurs and other small scale businesses to address some of these challenges. However, there seem to be a great divide between doing businesss and the reason for doing it. Often times there is a blurry picture for why people do business and how to sustain them.

There is a need to understand the impact of having creative small industries and business from government perspective, community perspective and personal perspective. We should conciiously ask and answer this question: why do we need entrepreneurs?

Why do we need entrepreneurs?

1. They bring social and community upliftment. Where entrepreneurs strive, local problems are solved easily. It takes more people from unproductive consumption lifestiles to productive producers lifestyle.

2. Add to national income

3. Community development. When entrepreneurs begin to grow and make profits, they are able to support local projects, support local charity programs and also inspire other like-minded entrepreneurs. Some people will not rise to do any good until they see someone they know do good. You may be the one entrepreneur that your whole village is looking for to change the systems. 

4. Entrepreneurs conserve the outflow of national wealth. They share im if

The need for creative businesses 

By creative I mean businesses that provide innovative solutions to common contribute to failing in business.

Here are some of my thoughts about it:

• Lack of clear perspective or vision for the business. Often times people in business do not have a picture (well thought, documented and communicated) of how and where the business will be in the medium and long term. They only think of the current or just the next project they have tendered for. There is also no clear cut answer as to WHAT THE BUSINESS OF OFFERING and how does it differ from other businesses.

• Most businesses are created to make money for the business owner.

• Some businesses are made to redeem the owner from Poverty or to help him make connections in powerful offices.

• In South Africa, for example, some people start businesses with the aim of getting or scoring a tender from government.

The absence of clear picture on the above will literally mean you do not endeavor to create a system that operates your business or that make your business sustainable. You end up being no different to someone who has a day Job because you work from hand to mouth.

While all the above matters are  OK, otherwise if a business does not make profit, it’s not good for the owner. But, they should not be the reason fstarting a business, it should be a means to an end. A business should be first created out of a clearly defined problem that is identified in a small area, in a regional space, a national space or global space.  Global enterprises are born out of Global problem(s) that is (are)  identified by the drivers of that business, then create a solution (s) for it and sell it for profit. So after identifying the solution, then develop expertise in the area either before or during the process of solving it. This is born out of asking the questions critically and not be afraid to seek till you find the answers or solutions to existing or future probmems. I heard this statement some time a go:

SUccessful people are those wHo had the courage to answer the questions the questions that we were all asking and later turned around to sell their answers to us. That’s how businesses are born  business should be created to offer solutions to an existing problem or an anticipated problem. Business is solutions offered for sale. Your marketing tag line should be SOLUTIONS FOR SALE!  DEFINE THE PROBLEM, MODEL THE SOLUTION. 

Am I saying we don’t need more security firms? No. Am I saying we don’t need more cleaning  firms? No. Am I saying we don’t need more curtering and decorations firms? No!

I am saying we need creative solutions. We need business solutions that are birthed out of creative innovations because sometimes non creative solutions are not sustainable. 

Ignite Creative Business ThinkinG

When creating an empire: one need to ask critical questions.

Jay Samit, in his book Disrupt yourself  states that “the key to finding a big idea is first finding a problem in need of a solution. Every disruptive idea makes use of new technology to solve a big problem”. Now, let us look at some of the things you can put into action. 

1. What are the common problems around me or my society, country, etc? problems or limitatiins could exist in how people do business, how people go to work, how people require fast food in your home town and don’t get what they want when they want, people could be getting obese and suffer illhealt, what is the gap in the music industry. Dr Tumi realized there is need for fresh, new songs in the gospel industry. He works hard to bring new songs… and who doesn’t buy his music or not go to his show??? 

1. Ive discovered that Africa has good potential that is destroyed by men and women with broken values. The economy suffers in the hands of broken leaders… so im developing training materials that will help restore, recover or rebuild or introduce Leadership Values in family, in schools, in business, in politics and ultimately solve a bigger crisis. 

b. Uber, for example discovered that creative and productive people don’t always haver time to go to a texi rank. They want a texi to come to them without having to make a call or walk, anywhere anytime and be able to predict its time movement. Through studying the transport industry’s inificiancies, they created a model that is disrupting the traditional meter Texi industry and reap billions in profits…what problems have you seen that could be solved through a creative Enterprises?

2. Then ask why is there a problem untill you find a missing link.

Jet me give an example. I know a guy ń who is busy creating an app that will link people from rural areas with their designated hospitals and clinics who currently collect chronic medications at a very high transport cost. His solution will link health care service providers with the patient through ordinary taxis. That way patients will save more than 50% of the hospital related transport cost and save them time. They will be productive and still get thei meds delivered close to them,, and if successful, he will reap large sums of money.

3. So, the third thing is to ask, what are the possible solutions that can be employed to solve this problem? When you ce a business value proposition, you need to look at the problem that exist or may exist and come up with an innovative way to solve a problem in such a way that people, businesses or governments are willing to pay for your solution.

4. When you have identified the problem and the proposed solution then this series of questions should follow:

a. What needs to be done?

b. How should it be done?

c. Where should it be done?

Business success is not just by chance, it comes from a fair dealnñ of hard work, careful observantion, brilliance, and training on creative thinking.

Now let me leave you with what I believe is brilliant way to come up with a creative concept. And it comes from asking observation questions: if you are looking for an idea, ask these questions: 

 Is my world perfect

 Are all my friends enjoying the stress free lives they imagined for themselves when they were young 

 All the goods and services available for use properly priced and easy to find

 Does everything function smoothly at your job or company or community or town?
know much òo about this, I will be launching Africa School of Entrepreneurship and leadership Excellence in December, you may want to be part of it. It’s a four mo the program that is aimed at unleashing the Power of Ideas and building creative and innovative sustainable business. Watch my Facebook wall and my website: www.farazcr