There are times when I discuss business ideas in a particular domain. For instance, I can discuss top horticulture business ideas – I have done several articles like that before. In this article, however, I want to look at popular business ideas in general; the focus is Zimbabwe. My aim is to at least guide you in musing over which business ideas you can dwell on. Lockdown or no lockdown entrepreneurship remains a noble undertaking.
Bulk Water Delivery Services
Mining and construction are two of some of the most active industries right now. The demand for water in those domains is ever-present all the time. This is exacerbated by the fact that generally, across Zimbabwe, there have been (and still are) acute water shortages. This is why the bulk water delivery business has picked up momentum over the past year or so. When you realize that some people are actually paying to get just a bucket of water then you know this can be a thriving business. I once detailed the bulk water delivery business in an article not too long ago. You can go through it to know more.
Horticulture
Growing horticulture crops has become big business in Zimbabwe. The list of horticulture crops in Zimbabwe is quite long. Tomatoes are actually at the top (i.e. most grown) followed by onions, cabbages, leafy greens, and potatoes in that order. The great thing about horticulture crops is that they can be grown on small pieces of land and still significant yields can be realized. I know of people using just their backyard gardens to do horticulture and they are making money. What more when you have a much bigger piece of land?
Sourcing, Selling And Delivery Of Fresh Farm Produce
Some are not keen on doing the actual growing of crops. They simply focus on sourcing, selling and delivering fresh farm produce. Depending on their capital, storage, and logistical capacity they can sell to wholesalers, retailers or individuals. Turnaround period is much faster because you do not have to wait for crops to mature and all. You just to identify who has what you need, you source from them and then sell and deliver to your clients. The major issue here is that you must carefully read market trends – therein is where the biggest risk is. You would not want a situation whereby you source fresh farm produce and fail to get a market for it then it rots.
Herbal Solutions
People are becoming increasingly interested in using herb-based solutions to their health-related issues. It is now commonplace to see people looking teas used to shed weight and the like. Even to basic issues such as BP anomalies, body aches, and so forth people now prefer herb-based solutions more than ever before. Recently we have also been seeing a surge in people looking for concoctions to use to deal with flu – Zumbani being the core ingredient. All these are clear indications of how businesses dealing with herbal solutions can be lucrative nowadays. There are even other business models where people simply retail herbal products from established brands and they are making lots of money from that. I believe there is more home-grown potential that is still to be unlocked in this domain.
Errands Services
It is funny how so many people are using this service and others are offering it yet they are not even looking at it as a business. Ever since the coming in of lockdowns last year movement became restricted. This created a scenario where few people with vehicles could move into and out of town freely. Basically, those under essential services were and still have ease of movement. With that said I began to notice that such individuals would get requests by people to purchase stuff for them in town and deliver it to their homes.
Some of the common items I noticed were grocery items (mostly for those running mini tuck shops at their homes), stock feeds, medication, LP gas refilling, and so on. Given how even now accessing medical facilities and buying essentials is considered exempt this can be a good business to venture into. I have a buddy of mine who throughout the lockdown last year was making a living from providing errand services. Even when there is no lockdown, the business approach is worth pursuing, try it out!
Small Livestock Production
This is a hotbed nowadays since more and more people are entering this space. By small livestock, I am referring to animals such as poultry, rabbits, pigs, goats, and the like. Of course, more and more people are entering into this space but it is still laden with opportunities. Not only just small livestock production but also retailing stock feeds and veterinary products. If you identify a place where there is small livestock production and yet no service providers you can fill that void and make money. For instance, most rural and peri-urban areas do not have small livestock production service providers. For example, someone in Chiredzi can travel all the way to Masvingo buy veterinary products or stock feeds. Do your research; I bet you there is money to be made by being a retailer in this domain.
All the businesses I have discussed in this article can function even during the lockdown. They, to varying degrees, fall under the banner of the essential service. The list is nowhere near exhaustive but I thought to share some of the most popular ones.
