In starting an enterprise you often hear that your first customers should be your immediate social circle. All things being equal, that should be the case. Just imagine how many people constitute your social circle – from family to friends and relatives. If there are no issues, given how such social circles can be complex, it should be easy to land your first customers from there. They can ultimately lead to the perpetuation of word of mouth which further drives up your brand awareness. For your benefit, let me share with you businesses you can start by selling to your friends and family.
Handmade Products
Handmade products come in all shapes and sizes. They fall under numerous categories as well. Examples can be soaps, clothing, jewellery, candles, foods, artwork, digital products, and many more. What you can sell will mostly depend on what you can make or source. People generally have an appreciation for handmade products.
Second-Hand Products
The market for second-hand products in Zimbabwe is huge. One particular product in this domain is second-hand clothing. I have noticed that many people who do this business operate from their homes. One of the things that make it easy for them to operate is that they tap first into friends and family. The same applies to a wide range of other second-hand products. This can be things like furniture, vehicles, machinery, gadgets, and many more.
Fresh Farm Produce
Agricultural activities are abuzz nowadays in Zimbabwe. Horticulture and livestock production are some of the most common focuses. The ways to become active in involved in this area are many. You can choose to be a producer i.e. doing the actual production (e.g. growing crops or rearing livestock. You can also choose to be a trader i.e. you source and sell. Either way, you can make good money and you can easily start by selling to your family and friends.
Home Products
Here I am referring to a broad spectrum of things commonly used in homes. These can be things like furniture, appliances, food (e.g. groceries), building materials, and countless more. This can also span home décor, home security, and temperature control products, amongst others. Anything that can be handy in anyone’s home can be a great product to sell.
Beauty And Wellness Products
People are in constant search of the best products for their looks and their wellness. That is why you find that many people are actively involved in the network marketing of these products. Cosmetic products and wellness products such as herbal teas sell a lot these days. In general, more and more people are leaning towards what is called healthy foods. Selling such products can be lucrative and there perfect utility in starting by targeting family and friends.
Services
This is probably one of the biggest areas to focus on given its broadness. After all, most of the thriving businesses these days are services businesses. Let me give examples of service businesses so that you get the idea. Tutoring, cleaning, virtual assistance, and consultancy are examples of service businesses. What is a service business? This is a business whose focus is experts or skilled professionals doing tasks for clients.
You might wonder since this is more or less what a business in general is. However, for a service business what the customers pay for is something not tangible like a product. That is why I gave you those examples to enunciate that point. So service businesses can be many and almost anyone can start a service business. The question is what are you skilled in or what is your expertise?
At the end of the day, you want to kill several birds with one stone. One, you want to reach the market with limited to zero costs. Reaching out to friends and family achieves that. Two, you want to create brand awareness. Your friends and family, after buying your products, will most likely spread the word. I must, however, caution about dealing with friends and family. Whilst they can be a great social pool to consider they can also be problematic. We all know how doing business with close loved ones can create tensions. Thus you must be very cautious in all this – not every friend or family member can be a good customer.
