Tìm kiếm ý tưởng kinh doanh có lợi nhuận ở Châu Phi? Bạn sắp học được một số điều tuyệt vời!

Châu Phi là điều lớn tiếp theo và là vùng đất của những cơ hội vô tận. Không có gì ngạc nhiên khi các nhà đầu tư, các tập đoàn đa quốc gia và các doanh nhân từ khắp nơi trên thế giới đang đổ xô đến lục địa này, tìm kiếm một phần của hành động.

Mặc dù có những cách đảm bảo để tìm kiếm cơ hội kinh doanh tuyệt vời ở Châu Phi, nhưng chỉ những doanh nhân thành đạt nhất mới thành thạo nghệ thuật tìm kiếm những cục vàng tốt nhất.

Bài viết này hướng dẫn bạn những con đường dẫn đến việc khám phá ra những ý tưởng kinh doanh xuất sắc có thể thay đổi cuộc đời bạn mãi mãi!

Hãy gặp họ…

(1) Khắc phục sự cố: Bất cứ khi nào sự cố được khắc phục, ai đó sẽ kiếm được tiền!

Hầu hết các doanh nghiệp trên trái đất tồn tại để khắc phục sự cố.

Thật thú vị, phản ứng tự nhiên của con người trước các vấn đề và thử thách là phàn nàn, đổ lỗi, nguyền rủa và chỉ trích. Đó là những gì nhiều người làm.

Mặc dù những hành động này thực thi quyền tự do ngôn luận của bạn, nhưng chúng hầu như không cung cấp bất kỳ giải pháp nào cho các vấn đề.

Nhưng các doanh nhân nhìn vấn đề theo cách khác. Đó là lý do tại sao chúng tôi là những người độc đáo. Chúng tôi nhìn thấy cơ hội kinh doanh trong mọi vấn đề. Chúng tôi nghĩ về các giải pháp thay vì than vãn về những khó khăn của mình.

Và bởi vì hầu hết mọi người đều thất vọng trước các vấn đề và thách thức, nên họ sẵn sàng trả tiền cho bất kỳ ai có giải pháp để giải quyết vấn đề đó.

Bạn đã bao giờ gặp sự cố xe hơi trước đây chưa? Nếu bạn giống như hầu hết mọi người, bạn ghét một chiếc ô tô không khởi động được hoặc tiếng ồn khó chịu trong động cơ có thể là dấu hiệu của một điều gì đó thảm khốc. Tôi ghét rắc rối xe hơi!

Nhưng bạn thấy đấy, đối với một người thợ máy, xe gặp sự cố đồng nghĩa với một cơ hội kiếm tiền. Bởi vì một kỹ thuật viên ô tô có giải pháp cho sự cố ô tô của bạn, bạn sẽ sẵn lòng trả tiền cho anh ta để giải quyết vấn đề đó mãi mãi.

Khó khăn của người này thường là cơ hội của người khác.

Nghiên cứu trường hợp châu Phi 

Iroko TV là một ví dụ điển hình về cách xây dựng một doanh nghiệp thành công từ việc giải quyết vấn đề. Iroko TV là dịch vụ phát video trực tuyến cung cấp danh mục hơn 5.000 bộ phim châu Phi trên internet.

Trước khi hoạt động kinh doanh này bắt đầu vào giữa năm 2011, các bộ phim châu Phi chủ yếu được phân phối bằng Đĩa compact (CD). Kiểu phân phối này đã hạn chế sự lan rộng của những bộ phim nổi tiếng này và nạn vi phạm bản quyền cố thủ khiến các nhà sản xuất phim ở Nigeria liên tục thua lỗ vào tay bọn cướp biển. Tệ hơn nữa, hệ thống phân phối đĩa CD khiến người dân ở các nơi khác trên thế giới gần như không thể và tốn kém để có được những bộ phim Nollywood yêu thích của họ.

Jason Njoku hiểu vấn đề này và đã xây dựng một nền tảng trực tuyến giúp truy cập dễ dàng những bộ phim này từ mọi nơi trên thế giới. Chỉ hơn hai năm kể từ khi Iroko TV bắt đầu, nó đã thu hút được hơn 10 triệu đô la Mỹ vốn đầu tư và không có dấu hiệu ngừng hoạt động!

Bạn có thể đọc thêm về câu chuyện thành công thú vị này tại đây.

As you already know, our dear Africa is awash with problems. Most of our roads are broken, the electricity supply is poor, young people can’t find jobs, our schools don’t teach well and food is insufficient.

Compared to the rest of the world, Africa’s problems are very many.

But while many people think this is a bad thing, I think it’s really good for us. Because within all these problems are golden business opportunities to make money!

It all depends on your perspective.

You need to stop seeing problems in your life and environment as ‘problems.’ Instead of whining, ask yourself: ‘How can I create a business from this problem?’

This is exactly how smart entrepreneurs think in Africa.

If you want to make money in Africa, you need to start writing a list of all the problems you’ve noticed and start to think of possible solutions for them.

By the time you’re done, you’ll be flooded with great business ideas. That’s for sure!

(2) Convert your natural abilities and knowledge into a business – You don’t need to be the best!

Every human being is born with a unique and special contribution to the world. The sad reality is, less than one percent of humanity is confident enough to find and exploit their natural potential.

In my experience, I have found that everyone has some skill or knowledge that can be turned into a business. The interesting thing about this principle is that you don’t need to be the best at anything to succeed in it.

A lot of people make the mistake of thinking they have to be the best at something before they can make money out of it. Not true.

Here’s a reality check:

The most gifted people in almost every field are usually too SCARED, and can hardly muster the guts to start a business.

Have you ever wondered why most of the people who start businesses in Africa don’t have MBAs and PhDs?

In my opinion, I believe the more a person knows about a subject, the greater the fear they have to take risks.

I call it the ‘curse of knowledge.’

The truth is, you don’t need to have the largest fountain of knowledge to use it to your advantage. What you need is confidence to apply the knowledge that you have (or can learn). Unfortunately, most people do the reverse; they spend all their life acquiring more knowledge that they’ll never use.

In my experience, knowledge is overrated. What we need is passion, creativity, and courage to exploit the knowledge and skills we currently have.

African Case Studies:

Linda Ikeji isn’t the best writer in Nigeria, by any means. Yet, her blog is one of the most successful on the continent, earning her thousands of dollars in income every month. Linda is not a trained journalist, but millions of Nigerians depend on her blog for a daily dose of breaking news and society gossip. By applying some creativity, she has successfully transformed her keen interest and passion into a viable business.

Faustina Sakyi, the highly successful Ghanaian cassava farmer is not by any means the most skilled cassava producer in her country. She doesn’t even have a university degree. But by applying some basic knowledge and experience in farming, she has transformed her small cassava and gari products into a multinational export commodity. Just by applying ‘common sense’, this woman was able to earn enough money to rise out of poverty.

Bimbo Balogun was a novice at making African bead jewelry and was only ‘passing time’ with the art until she discovered by accident how lucrative a venture it was. Today, her bead jewelry is worn by celebrities and public figures in her country.

One thing is clear from the stories of these entrepreneurs: they are hardly masters or experts at what they do. Their successes prove that determination, passion, and a will to take action with what you already have may just be all it takes to succeed as an entrepreneur.

Are your natural abilities in cooking, writing, organizing, farming, or influencing people? Do you have a basic but specific knowledge of a trade, product, or market?

Even if you don’t have the knowledge or skills, but have a strong interest and passion for it, you can learn it.

There are several free platforms on the internet where Africans can learn anything for free these days.

You should take out a sheet of paper and write a list of all the things you know and can do quite well. Remember, you don’t have to be the best at any of them.

In my experience, I have found that most of the things on your list are likely to be things you’ve known all your life, and can do almost effortlessly, but you’ve always taken for granted. People may have often praised these abilities but you never gave too much thought to it.

Think deep, they can’t be that far away.

(3)  Copy an already successful product or service and improve on it – Life is too short to be reinventing wheels!

Yes, copying a business idea that’s already successful can be legal, if you do it intelligently.

As you already know, Africa’s market is huge and there is more than enough room for new and existing businesses to satisfy the expanding consumption.

Copying an already successful product or service is one of the most popular and easiest means of starting your own business.

This strategy is a huge part of how next-generation economies like China and India are building their fortunes. They intelligently copy great ideas and products from the developed world, and create their own cheaper versions.

The ways this strategy works are simple: Find a business idea (product or service) that’s already successful and think of a way to make it better, cheaper, more convenient, or more beautiful. Of course, you must be mindful not to steal or infringe on somebody’s copyright or patent. You could get sued!

African Case Study:

In my former neighborhood, there used to be a popular and very successful laundry and dry cleaning business. Let’s call them ‘Wash Brothers’. It was the only laundry and dry cleaning service in the area and people didn’t really have any alternatives.

I would often hear customers complain that their prices were expensive and the customer service, horrible. But because the next laundry shop was just too far away, everyone had to put up with Wash Brothers, which was apparently making a lot of money in spite of its poor and expensive services.

It kind of crossed my mind a few times but I’m glad somebody else could see the opportunity in the market caused by Wash Brothers’ reckless monopoly.

Guess what happened?

Another laundry and dry cleaning shop opened a few blocks away from Wash Brothers! Their prices were far more reasonable, and the customer service was just too excellent! In fact, they totally beat Wash Brothers in their game, and it was evident they were stealing their customers.

This new business stole the Wash Brothers’ idea, improved on it, and then stole all of Wash’s customers. And guess what, it’s all perfectly legal!

The ‘copy’ principle works beyond your immediate neighborhood. You can copy business concepts and ideas from foreign countries and introduce them to your locality.

Are there needs, problems, or challenges you have noticed around you that already have solutions in other parts of the world? You’ll find clues when you travel, browse the internet or read the news.

Just be very observant and you’ll be amazed at the opportunities you’ll find. And when you find them, copy them intelligently and improve on them.

Good business ideas to copy aren’t too hard to find in Africa. Because many markets on the continent are still virgin and competition is light, the few businesses which dare to exist are shining lights in their markets.

But as Africa’s economies grow, more new businesses will enter our markets to compete.

You can learn a lot from the existing products and services around you. Can you make them bigger, better, safer, cheaper, faster, more convenient, or more beautiful?

Life is too short to be reinventing wheels.

(4) Closely watch changes and trends in your environment – Change and opportunity are blood brothers!

Most people don’t like change. Fortunately, there’s nothing we can do about it.

Change is a constant player in human life. While we may hate, fight and try to avoid it, change will always happen. And only smart entrepreneurs who have learned to be friends with change and are ready to exploit it, are always handsomely rewarded.

Especially in rapidly growing economies like Africa, the tastes and needs of the market are constantly changing. Entrepreneurs must learn to watch out for trends and changes in their environments that could lead to new business ideas.

The nature of the trend, good or bad, is not very relevant. There’s always an opportunity to make money during both good and bad times.

When people are excited, they buy. When they’re afraid, they buy. When we panic, we buy.

African Case Studies

Ebola – During the recent outbreak of the Ebola pandemic in West Africa, a palpable panic gripped the region, from Senegal to Nigeria. As the authorities encouraged people to limit personal contact, improve hygiene and wash their hands frequently, the demand for sanitizing gels went through the roof, and most shops ran out of stock.

An acquaintance of mine, a Nigerian chemist by training, did well to exploit this gap in the market. With his knowledge of chemicals, he was able to make a local, but equally effective, brand of hand sanitisers. As expected, he couldn’t make them fast enough, as his supplies disappeared into the ultra-high market demand.

Recyclable paper bags – In 2008, the Ugandan government put a ban on the use of plastic bags in order to reduce its negative environmental impact. Andrew Mupuya, then 16 years old, knew that due to this change, businesses (especially in the retail sector) would need a new and recyclable type of packaging. That’s the idea that led him to found Uganda’s first paper bag production company.

Starting with only $11, Andrew’s business produces over 20,000 paper bags every week for its clients. His long list of clients includes restaurants, retail stores, supermarkets, medical centers, as well as multinational companies like Samsung.

Good and bad trends either lead to opportunities to be exploited or problems that must be solved. Whichever way it swings, the smart entrepreneur always wins!

The key is to be on the lookout for changes and fight the human impulse to fear them. Instead, ask yourself: ‘Who will be affected by this new trend/change?’ and ‘What products or services will they need to adapt to the trend/change?’

As an entrepreneur, you need to react to changes differently. Changes and trends usually lead to a reaction in the market and an upsurge in demand for certain products and services.

Change is your friend. Embrace it!

(5) Focus on satisfying people’s needs and you will surely find the money!

If we could make and do all the things we need, there would be no need for any business on earth.

If you could make your toothpaste, build your own house, manufacture your car, and refine your petrol, there would be no need to get on the market to buy these things.

And because we cannot produce everything we need to function in our lives, we have to rely on businesses to cater to our most basic needs: food, shelter, clothing, communication, transportation, information, employment, entertainment, etc.

Because life in our modern society is nearly impossible without some of these things, needs are compulsory!

From the time we wake up in the morning, these needs set in and we are more than grateful to pay someone a reasonable price to get these needs satisfied. That’s how many businesses make money; they satisfy a need and make money in the process.

African Case Study

Aliko Dangote – Africa’s richest man is arguably the role model to follow when it comes to spotting business ideas that are built on needs. Just one quick look at his business interests reveal his core focus – meeting people’s everyday needs.

Dangote’s biggest investments are in sugar, salt, flour, cement, beverages, and petroleum products. All of these are products that millions of people use and consume every single day.

It’s definitely no surprise that he’s Africa’s richest man!

Employment – In most parts of Africa, unemployment is a nightmare; millions of young and able people cannot find the jobs they need. In Nigeria, about 40 million people need jobs, and another one million fresh university graduates enter the unemployed labour force every year.

Interestingly, within this same market, companies find it hard to recruit suitably qualified people in vacant jobs. Companies and organisations need an effective and cost-efficient way to hire the people they need.

In 2009, three ambitious university students decided to take on Nigeria’s disorganized job market by providing an easy way to match unemployed people with their dream jobs. Today, Jobberman.com is providing millions of people with the opportunity to find employment.

To learn more about how they did it, read the full story here.

The interesting thing is, businesses that cater to people’s needs hardly ever go out of business.

Why? Because it’s almost impossible to live a ‘normal’ life if your most basic needs are not met. That’s why people will always spend money to have their needs met.

Make a list of needs for different consumer segments: children, housewives, bachelors, school kids, farmers, big companies, small businesses, governments, and many more!

If you can fill a need, the market will reward you quite handsomely.

(6) Get inspired: Spark your imagination with the success stories of other entrepreneurs…

Success has the power to inspire success.

Most times, all we need is proof that something can be done. Success has an inspiring effect on the human brain. When you see what other people like you have achieved, there’s bound to be an ‘I can do that too’ reverberation somewhere in your head.

Studying the success of other people feeds your imagination, ambition, and competitiveness. It helps to open your mind to what’s possible.

There are hundreds of African entrepreneurs who are building amazing businesses, and creating jobs out of simple ideas. The key is to admire their success and see how and what you can learn from them.

Get Inspired is a popular section of Smallstarter that contains profiles of several successful African entrepreneurs. We look at what they’ve done, how they did it, and all the important things we can learn from them.

Many of these successful entrepreneurs started from nothing but were able to achieve amazing business success. Their inspiring stories expose opportunities in agriculture, blogging, entertainment, waste recycling, and many other sectors.

Make no mistake, success is a formula that can and should be, copied. This is exactly why many people love to read Forbes Magazine to see who’s on the list of the World’s top millionaires. We want to know what kind of businesses they run, how they made their money, and what they’re all about.

Admiring these people is good, but learning from their success and applying it to your business life is more important!

(7) Use the Encyclopedia of Profitable Business Ideas in Africa

After months of research and writing, I have put together the first and most detailed ‘encyclopedia’ ever written on business ideas and opportunities in Africa, including several success stories of entrepreneurs on the continent.

The business ideas and success stories you have read in this article are just a few of several contained in this book.

Nếu bạn đang tìm cách truyền cảm hứng cho mình bằng những ý tưởng kinh doanh mới mẻ và những câu chuyện thành công, thì cuốn sách này cung cấp một nguồn thực tế, thông tin, mẹo và tài nguyên phong phú sẽ giúp bạn tìm và chắt lọc những ý tưởng độc đáo của mình.

Cho dù bạn đang dự định khởi nghiệp hay đã có một doanh nghiệp, cuốn sách này sẽ là tài sản vô giá đối với các kế hoạch và ước mơ của bạn.