BUSINESSLINK NEWSLETTER



23, 2012Authored by: Phillip ChichoniBUSINESSLINK NEWSLETTERSME BusinessLink Community Newsletter 23-29 January 2012BUSINESSLINK NEWSLETTERSME BusinessLink Community Newsletter 23-29 January 2012Contents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u Can crowd funding work in Zimbabwe? Let’s try it! PAGEREF _Toc315106310 \h 2Free eBook: 2012 Simplified Guide to Taxes for Entrepreneurs PAGEREF _Toc315106311 \h 3BusinessLink Networking Breakfast Meeting on 27 January 2012- Marketing to Accelerate your Growth PAGEREF _Toc315106312 \h 3Why indigenous Zimbabwean youths cannot build really successful and sustainable businesses PAGEREF _Toc315106313 \h 4Import duty introduction is a big boost for serious entrepreneurs PAGEREF _Toc315106314 \h 5Live Fully, Die Empty! PAGEREF _Toc315106315 \h pioneers mobile phone marketing PAGEREF _Toc315106316 \h 7Business Ideas: Network Selling PAGEREF _Toc315106317 \h 8Young Entrepreneurs Club: First 100 clubs launching in February PAGEREF _Toc315106318 \h 9First business opportunity for BusinessLink Young Entrepreneurs Clubs PAGEREF _Toc315106319 \h 10Business Opportunities: Request for Proposals PAGEREF _Toc315106320 \h 11Financial Literacy training seminar PAGEREF _Toc315106321 \h 12Got what it takes to be an entrepreneur? PAGEREF _Toc315106322 \h 135 ways to make landing customers easier PAGEREF _Toc315106323 \h 14Entrepreneur Profile: Farai Rwodzi PAGEREF _Toc315106324 \h 15BusinessLink Community Referrals Network PAGEREF _Toc315106325 \h 16This free weekly newsletter is sent to subscribers on the BusinessLink mailing list. If it has been sent to you in error, or you no longer wish to receive it, please reply to this email with UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line. To subscribe just send an email to marketing@ with SUBSCRIBE on the subject line. Please pass on this newsletter to those in your network.Don’t miss out on opportunities to grow your businessTo list your profile and / or advertise your products in this newsletter and on the BusinessLink Community website, please see the back page.19050106045Let’s grow the BusinessLink Community togetherPlease send me your thoughts and feedback by email or post your comments at facebook/smebusinesslink or on our website. Invite your friends and contacts to subscribe to the free newsletter and also participate in our activities and accelerate each one’s growth! Best wishes in 2012.Phillip Chichoni –PublisherCopyright ? 2012 Admiral Business Systems (Pvt) Ltd. All rights reserved.Can crowd funding work in Zimbabwe? Let’s try it!Crowd funding is the newest and fastest growing form of financing new small business projects in the developed world. A person comes up with a business idea. He does the initial ground work to prove the viability and profitability of his new product or service; and maybe produces a prototype which he test-markets among friends and relatives. Once sure that the product is in demand, he starts asking friends, relatives and interested customers to put up bits of cash as an investment in the company. This has worked for consumer goods, books, video games, music and movies.19050167640Wikipedia describes it as follows:Crowd funding (sometimes called crowd financing, crowd sourced capital, or street performer protocol) describes the collective cooperation, attention and trust by people who network and pool their money and other resources together, usually via the Internet, to support efforts initiated by other people or organizations. Crowd funding occurs for any variety of purposes, from disaster relief to citizen journalism to artists seeking support from fans, to political campaigns, to funding a startup company or small business or creating free software. See examples at 1971802474The return? Once the business gets off the ground, each investor will receive a supply of the product worth his investment- though usually at a discounted price in order to make the offer more attractive. Some are even promised a share of the future profits from the business.Has anyone ever tried that in Zimbabwe? I’m sure our readers would love to hear from someone who has made that work.But for now, why don’t we try it and see how it works out. If you have a brilliant product or service idea and need funding, please tell me about it and let’s try the crowd funding approach. Drop me an email, chichonip@ and let’s get moving.Free eBook: 2012 Simplified Guide to Taxes for EntrepreneursThis is a must have guide for all serious entrepreneurs. It covers all that you need to know about taxes in Zimbabwe and how to comply with them. Download your free copy at our website, or email me to get a copy if you are not already on my mailing list. The email address is chichonip@.BusinessLink Networking Breakfast Meeting on 27 January 2012- Marketing to Accelerate your GrowthThe networking breakfast meeting will take place on Friday 27 January 2012. The venue is No.46 Fereday Avenue along Robert Mugabe Road in Eastlea.The guest speaker is Nigel Jumbe, a marketing and branding expert and the Managing Director of Summer-Hay Media, a leading corporate marketing, branding and advertising company. Nigel has worked with many market leading companies, including Meikles Africa, Nicoz Diamond, Zimre, Nissan, Servcor Celebration Ministries among others. 34861508953519685030480Many entrepreneurs struggle to grow their businesses and make money because of poor marketing. Nigel will talk about how you can market yourself and your business effectively in order to accelerate your growth.The event starts at 0815 and ends at 0945. Entrepreneurs will have an opportunity to exchange ideas and advice as well as network and share business referrals.The cost is $10 for BusinessLink Gold Club subscribers and $20 for non-subscribers. New subscribers to the Gold Club attend their first breakfast meeting for free. If you bring in two people, you will attend for free.Please book your attendance early by calling Christine on 0772 854 301 or emailing marketing@. Seats are limited, so book and pay-up early to guarantee your place.Why indigenous Zimbabwean youths cannot build really successful and sustainable businessesReason 1: They learned from the worstThe youths of today grew up in the worst period of Zimbabwe’s economic history. Very few business people were operating legally and straight. Shortages meant that customers were desperate and accepted poor service from businesses. Greed, selfishness and desire for a quick buck drove most business decisions. What could kids learn from that?I have dealt with many indigenous business owners. They don’t know about customer service, quality control, efficiency of service delivery or after sales service. They have no values, no business culture or ethics. Are they willing to learn all the basic principles of successful business management? Reason 2: They don’t know the value of money and financial responsibilityEveryone gets a chance to make money sometime. Those who become rich manage to keep more of the money than they spend. The Bible says so; the Richest Man in Babylon said it centuries ago; Think and Grow Rich said it; Rich Dad , Poor Dad repeats it and nearly every business expert agrees.Financial discipline is the key to personal and business success. The spending and bling culture in Zimbabwe, more visible among the young “entrepreneurs”, is a clear sign of that lack of financial control. The moment one gets a bank loan or some other cash windfall, they rush to buy the latest car, iPhone, iPad, etc. The majority of business owners are struggling to repay bank loans because they used the funds for things other than business.Financial responsibility is the first thing that any serious entrepreneur has to learn before they can run a business successfully. Reason 3: They lack self-relianceI talk to a lot of young people about business and entrepreneurship. A common thread usually comes out from these discussions: we cannot start businesses unless banks or the government gives us loans. There is this general idea among the young generation that they have to be given everything. They don’t have the ability to think of how they can get something from their own sweat and mental effort. Reason 4: They lack natural curiosityChildren have a natural thirst for knowledge and understanding of how things work. Most of the information is available in books. But as children grow older, that eagerness to read and discover new things starts to wane. You see youths spending a lot of time watching TV and movies, playing computer games or just hanging around smoking weed and drinking Zed (a highly toxic alcoholic spirit). Where then are they expected to get new and innovative business ideas? Most of the ideas that young people submit to youths funders are just too ordinary; chicken rearing, making peanut butter, making fruit juice: things that hundreds of people are already doing. You can never succeed in a market that is already crowded and easy to enter. Think of something unique that people need. Read about the new ideas happening in Europe, America, Asia and find ways of applying them here.Zimbabwe is way behind developed countries in terms of goods, services and technology; thus there is a huge opportunity gap that young entrepreneurs can fill and build successful and sustainable businesses.3457575523875Unless there is a major change in attitudes, behaviour and learning processes, Zimbabwean youths cannot be relied on to push the economic growth that is desperately needed. SME BusinessLink is working with other stakeholders on ways to empower the youths with the essential knowledge and skills needed in order to develop into high performance entrepreneurs. See the Young Entrepreneurs Club article in this section newsletter.What do you think? Let us know by commenting at our website or emailing me chichonip@.Import duty introduction is a big boost for serious entrepreneursThe introduction of surtax duty on imported products this month has raised mixed comments from economic commentators, couch economists and business owners.A business owner who runs a crop nursery and market gardening operation in Harare welcomed this duty introduction.“We have been experiencing low prices on our products due to the flooding of cheap fruits and vegetables from South Africa,” he commented. “This duty should reduce this influx and make locally grown produce competitive. I’m going to immediately start utilizing some piece of land that was lying idle the whole of last year. I had to abandon some crops, such as mange tout, celery, broccoli and peas because of the low prices in the market due to the influx of cheap imports.”The duty covers a wide range of products which Zimbabweans have the ability and capacity to produce. Tariff protection is one effective way that countries use to protect fledgling industries from unfair foreign competition. Entrepreneurs should take advantage of this protection to grow their businesses in 2012.How does the duty affect your particular business? Let us know.Email your feedback to chichonip@Live Fully, Die Empty!By Milton Kamwendo200025-2540I once heard that people have three principal fears. the first is the fear of death. The second is the fear of public speaking. The third is the fear of dying while giving a speech. The fear of death seems to be so universal and that is why many people dread the prospect of dying. For some the prospect or the discussion of death is a morbid subject that they would rather avoid. Well, I wish there was another way of getting out of this world which is not death. Regrettably, it’s the only way out as of now. All those that checked in at birth have to check out at death. That includes you and me. The real point is not whether you will die or not, but how you will die. Used UpIf you will die decide to die fully used up. Use all the talent and potential that you have. Tap fully every muscle and idea. Die so used up that you will leave everything you brought into the world. The worst form of selfishness is dying with your talent, books, songs, ideas and potential still bound up in you. The joy and feat of life is not self preservation. It is to be used up for some worthy purpose. To die so used up that in life you do not regret having passed through this way and in death you just fly on. Worked UpWe learn that for the righteous death is entering a world of rest. So, why preserve your energy. Work! What will you do with eternal rest if you have been lazying and lounging around? Work is not a curse but a blessing. Work every time that you are at work. Work is a great blessing. It is the channel of creation. It is our way of channel our energies into some worthy projects and occupations. Worthy work will always be rewarded. Thought UpThe saddest thing one can do is to carry around a head for his time here on earth and fail to use that head for some useful thinking. When you die - your brain must admit that it was used up to think up, strategize up, plan up and visualize up. To live and not to think is the worst of brain abuse. Any abuse is bad - brain abuse is worst. Live is full and is bountiful. Live to the full. This day is the tomorrow that you so raved about yesterday. The work of today cannot be redeemed by the efforts of tomorrow. If you will ever die - do so while living at your peak!I would like to hear what you think. Let's link up on facebook and you can follow me on twitter. Better still, please come and be part of our community of motivated people at: innov8motivation.. Committed to your greatness. Milton pioneers mobile phone marketingInternet marketing is big business. Amazon is the largest global online seller of books because it took advantage of the internet to reach a very big audience. It offers highly competitive prices due to its low cost base as it does not need large physical premises to operate from. Now thousands of companies are involved in internet selling and marketing all over the world.200025-1905There are a number of web marketing firms in Zimbabwe, such as classifieds.co.zw, yo.co.zw, property.co.zw and so on. Even traditional media houses, such as the Herald, now have internet presence with online classifieds. But because of low internet access in Zimbabwe, online marketing and selling’s effectiveness has been limited. Very few people have internet access at their homes. People in the rural areas, who form the majority of the population, have little or no access to the internet. However, nearly everyone has a mobile phone.With the advent of mobile internet (3G) in the past year, an opportunity arose for reaching bigger audiences through their cell phones. is one of the first mobile focused internet marketing firms in Zimbabwe. It enables people from all corners of the country to advertise their products. A farmer in Magunje can advertise her Masawu (wild fruit) jam and get orders from a retailer in Harare. A madora / macimbi (edible worms) supplier in Kezi can advertise and get orders from customers in Bulawayo or any part of the country.This presents an affordable and wide-reaching medium to market and sell your products. The next step is to develop a way of actually selling products online, more like Amazon, which now sells everything from books, magazines, music, DVDs, videos, electronics, computers, software, apparel & accessories and shoes online. Other successful online retail organizations include , the world's largest online wedding store, while sells everything from football boots, shirts, kits equipment to goalkeeper gloves online.Business Ideas: Network SellingSelling is the most important skill that every entrepreneur must have. Selling skills are not taught at school or in books, but are learned on the ground. Network marketing is one of way of the easier ways you can muster selling skills. It involves selling products to people you know, people in your network. These include your relatives, neighbours, friends, church members and anyone else that you know. It is easier to sell to people who already know you than to strangers. As you make your first few sells, your confidence builds up and the process becomes easier and easier and more effective. 3505200370205A fast growing network marketing organization in Zimbabwe is Women Arise Network, which distributes the Oceane range of perfumes. Hundreds of women are making money from selling these perfumes to people they know.Starting up is simple; you just need to submit proof or residence, copy of your identity document, passport size photos and pay the $25 joining fee. The more people there are in your network, the bigger your market base and the more money you make. The harder you work, the better your selling skills become. You can also sell other products to your customers and thus grow your business. Eventually you can go on your own and start running your own independent business.19050194945Share your business success stories and tips. Email to: chichonip@Young Entrepreneurs Club: First 100 clubs launching in February“New ideas for the future will come from young people. Old people have already had their chance and look what they have achieved.” The Young Entrepreneurs Club launches officially at Maranatha High School on Thursday February 2nd 2012. This is the biggest entrepreneurial initiative aimed at changing the mindsets of young people and empowering them to start successful and sustainable businesses instead of just waiting to get a job. It will also set good foundations for professionally managing businesses and move away from the common informal and unprofitable approach to business.We will very soon hear of the first Young Zimbabwean millionaire. Why not? In 2007, Garrett Camp pulled off an entrepreneurial accomplishment of a lifetime: He sold his college startup--StumbleUpon, a discovery engine that finds the best content on the web for each unique user--to eBay for reportedly $75 million, a mere year after graduation.200025635Michael Dell, now 48, earned his first million at age 19. Dell dropped out of the University of Texas shortly after starting a computer company that sold directly to consumers, at prices lower than retail rivals could match. By the time he was 24, the company now known as Dell had revenues of $258 million. At last check, Dell's estimated net worth was $13.5 billion.His advice for young entrepreneurs: "You've got to be passionate about it," he said in an interview with the Academy of Achievement. "I think people that look for great ideas to make money aren't nearly as successful as those who say, 'OK, what do I really love to do?200025-3175Catherine Cook, now 23, has been a millionaire for five years now. She and her brothers David and Geoff started myYearbook, a social-networking site popular with teens, in 2005, when Catherine and David were still in high school.Her advice for young entrepreneurs: "Stop just thinking about it and make it happen. When you're young is the best time to start your own business, as you do not have the responsibilities you will have when you're older. The worst that can happen if you fail now is that you have firsthand experience to make your next venture a success."2000250Sean Belnick, now 26, became a millionaire at 16. He started selling office chairs online, an endeavor that morphed into a company called . Along the way, Belnick earned a bachelor's degree from Emory University's Goizueta Business School.His advice for young entrepreneurs: "It is never too early to start. . . . There's a lot of great information on the Internet. Just do the research and find a way to do what you want to do." Cameron JohnsonCameron Johnson, now 28, launched more than a dozen websites between 1998 and 2004, before he was 20 years old. He was a millionaire before he left high school.At age 9, Johnson started a printing company making greeting cards from his home. At 12, he made $50,000 selling his sister's Beanie Baby collection (with her permission, of course). Regarded as an entrepreneurial icon in Japan, Johnson hosted a BBC television show last year called "Beat the Boss." He now focuses on writing and guest lectures.His advice for young entrepreneurs: "Put yourself out there. Get started, do something and start small. The lower your startup costs, the easier it is to find profitability. Create value for others, and you'll be rewarded."Jermaine Griggs, now 27, became a millionaire at 23 by pursuing his passion for teaching music. His website, , is designed to help people learn to play piano, guitar or drums by ear, without reading sheet music. More than 2 million students download online lessons each year. Griggs' plans include the launch of brick-and-mortar learning centers, a TV network and a magazine.His advice for young entrepreneurs: "Understand the power of selling, not just things but yourself and your ideas. Study business. Study those who have come before you and find people with the same dreams and aspirations as you."First business opportunity for BusinessLink Young Entrepreneurs ClubsInternet Cafes at every schoolThe first business project that students can undertake is to establish a commercially run internet café at their school or college, if one doesn’t exist already. This will be run profitably, with full-time staff and proper business management systems in place.What do you need to set up an internet café at a school and how much capital in needed? Let’s discuss.In the meantime, BusinessLink has issued Requests for Proposals for Internet Café and the best service providers among SMEs will be shortlisted for these projects.We are also working on a financing plan so that the projects can get off the ground as soon as possible.Kick start a Young Entrepreneurs Club at your high school, college or community. Visit the website for more information or send me an email for the information pack.Business Opportunities: Request for ProposalsPlease read the following Non-Disclosure Agreement below before sending in your proposal.Non Disclosure AgreementAdmiral Business Systems (Pvt) Ltd, trading as SME BusinessLink, will not disclose proprietary information to third parties without the written consent of the proprietor. All proposals submitted are used for the purpose of selecting suitable suppliers for products and services required by BusinessLink members. BusinessLink staff will treat all proprietary information as confidential. However, for the sake of transparency, information on prices and specifications of the winning bid will be disclosed to losing participants and will also be listed on our website with the bidding results. Request for Proposal B01/2012For the supply and installation of internet cafesSME BusinessLink seeks to obtain the services of suitable suppliers supply and install internet cafés at participating institutions throughout Zimbabwe. The service provider should possess proven experience, resources and capacity to undertake the work of this nature. Successful bidders will be evaluated on adequate relevant experience, a track record which can be referenced and proven success in similar undertakings. As usual, preference will be given to current SME BusinessLink Gold Club members. If there is no suitable supplier within Club members and a non-member wins, they will be expected to subscribe to full membership in order to carry out the work.Proposal should suggest suitable specifications, hardware, software, training , work plan and time frames etc. and anything else necessary to get an internet café up and running. Suppliers should also be able to supply and install software for controlling web sites that can be visited by students to ensure safe surfing and avoid unsuitable sites. Pricing and payment terms must also be clearly stated for all the options suggestions.Financial Literacy training seminar Finance for non-financial entrepreneurs, business owners and professionalsEvery successful business needs sound and prudent financial controls.To be successful, every entrepreneur must be financially savvy! Raise your company’s financial IQ!? More easily attract bankers, investors and other critical resources.This course provides a non-nonsense approach to understanding the keyfinancial drivers in an early-stage business, and is a must attend fornon-financial entrepreneurs.Financial statements, ratios, strategic and operating plans, budgets – all play a key role in building successful companies. Here’s how to use them to your advantage. This is finance for the non-financial business professional or entrepreneur.What do financial statements really tell me?How do I set profit objectives, and then what?How does strategic planning affect my income?How do I prevent fraud and theft in my business? What are the best success indicators for my business?Learn how to:Read and understand your financial statements;Set and meet profit goals for your company;Use financial reports to improve your cash flow;Evaluate your company’s financial health;Set up internal controls to prevent fraud and theft;Use strategic planning to make things happen!Presenters: Gabriel A T Chipara: Chartered Accountant, entrepreneur and financial advisor Philip Chichoni: Business Planning and Financial Management consultantCaleb Mutsumba: Forensic auditor and financial systems consultantDates: Thursday 23 and Friday 24 February 2012Venue: Holiday Inn HarareFee: $150 for two days, $80 for one day.Please book your place by calling Christine on 0772 854 301 or emailing marketing@. Please note, early payment will guarantee your seat as seminar size is limited.Got what it takes to be an entrepreneur?By Jeff Hadden (CBS Moneywatch)Say you've read the books, taken heed of the cautionary tales, filled out some standard checklists, and had many long conversations with friends and family. You've done your homework and feel owning your own business is right for you.That's great, but let's be sure. If you recognize yourself in any of the following, reconsider before taking the entrepreneurial plunge:You spend a lot of time personalizing your office. Sure, you dreamed of a bigger office; you're proud of your bigger office; you deserved that bigger office; and naturally you want it to reflect your personality. But say you plan to open a restaurant; since diners will never see your office. The only thing it should reflect is "cheap." Money should never be spent on anything that won't touch the customer. You will be too busy chasing customers to worry about whether your office befits your stature or aligns with your personality.You manage your fantasy teams at work. When revenues and profits are a distant dream, trash-talking the other owners in your fantasy league the last thing you'll have time for. Starting a business is overwhelming. Exit your fantasy leagues now. Spend that time thinking about how you'll make profits.You never empty your own trash. "Someone" takes care of that, you say? Your job is to focus on more important tasks? Not anymore. Entrepreneurs wear every hat. Besides, efficiency is everything: No movement should be wasted, no time savings are too small, and no expenses too minor to eliminate. If doing whatever needs to be done isn't something that comes naturally, stay where you are.You are sure you could be a lot more productive if you only had a new (insert hot new tech tool). Think about the last computer, smart phone, software, etc. you purchased. Did it really make you more efficient? Can you quantify the gains? Or was it just fun to have? In your own business you'll be lucky to get the "must have" stuff. Even if you have the funds, "nice to have" is money wasted.You can't get over the fact your department got shorted during the last budget cycle. Unless a VC comes calling or your dad funds your start-up, you won't really have a budget. Money spent doesn't come from an invisible corporate pot. It comes from your pocket. If you hate struggling with limited resources, hate seeing your great initiatives unjustly compromised by budgetary concerns and can't wait until you're in charge ... when you find out how limited resources are in a start-up, you'll hate running your own business.You passionately discuss work-life balance issues. I feel the concept of work-life balance is an artificial construct, but let's pretend one does exist. If you think a lot about the conflict between work and life and you feel work is winning the battle, just wait until you start a business. Work will eat life for breakfast.You sometimes say, "Wait, I've paid my dues." When you run your own business, you pay your dues every day. (The same should be true if you work for someone else: The only real measure of your value is the tangible contribution you make, each and every day.) Today, tomorrow, the next day: You earn the right to stay in business. No one cares about your experience or years of hard work. Dues are paid in revenue.5 ways to make landing customers easierBy Jeff Hadden (CBS Moneywatch)When customers call for quotes, proposals, or simply to get more information, how well do you respond? Improving how you handle requests makes it much easier to turn potential customers into long-term customers of your small business. Here are five practical ways to improve the speed and accuracy of your response:Create templates for proposals and contracts. The longer it takes to create and develop a proposal, the less efficient and established your business appears. Develop a template that includes standard language, terms, specifications, and benefits. While each proposal will then be tailored to the individual needs of a potential customer, in most cases you'll already have the bulk of what you need to include in a proposal ready to go. That allows you to focus on making a proposal specific to each customer, not on creating a new proposal entirely. And of course the same holds true for contracts -- always be ready to strike when the sales iron is hot. Create comprehensive pricing schedules. Pricing for some service businesses is at times a blend of science and art. That's especially true when a potential customer asks for services you don't normally provide. Develop as many scenarios as possible and develop solid pricing schemes for each. Responding to requests will be a lot easier, and more importantly you will be less likely to make off-the-cuff pricing decisions you might regret later. Maintain a stock of samples, mock-ups, etc. Samples help establish credibility and provide the proof your pudding may need. Almost every type of business can create some type of sample or example. If you're a consultant, share a previous deliverable (with proprietary information stripped out, of course.) If you're an architect, have photos, blueprints, etc. on hand for easy distribution. The quicker you can respond to sample requests, the better you establish credibility and keep a potential sale moving forward. Try hard to never put yourself in the position of needing to say, "That's a reasonable request... give me some time to dig something up."Create a list of references. References are like samples. Talk to a number of past clients ahead of time to get their permission to be contacted. (And always send them a note when you actually pass on their info.) Again, never put yourself in the position of having to say, "That's a reasonable request... let me see if I can line up a few people for you to talk to." Have a list available at all times. Saying, "References? Absolutely: Here is the contact info for several past clients" sends a powerful message.Create responses to typical questions. You know all the answers, but it's likely your employees do not. While it's always appropriate for an employee to say, "I can't answer that question, so let me get you an answer," your business makes a much stronger impression when employees are able to answer common questions with confidence and authority. Create a FAQ list for internal use and update it regularly. Entrepreneur Profile: Farai Rwodzi200025-1270Farai is a leading Zimbabwean entrepreneur with interests in various sectors of the economy including financial services, hospitality, industrial, property development and mining. He has been instrumental in the founding and/or transformation of several businesses and enterprises throughout the volatile economic environment that has characterized Zimbabwe from the late 1990s. Farai is a chartered accountant by profession having served his articles of clerkship with Ernst & Young. He is the founder member of Interfin Holdings Limited incorporating Banking, Insurance and Stock broking businesses.? He is currently a shareholder and a director of several listed and unlisted companies including the following:Listed CompaniesFarai is shareholder, chairman and director of several listed companies including:Apex Corporation of Zimbabwe Limited – a diversified manufacturer of engineering products, including cast iron products, mining equipment and grinding mills.Phoenix Consolidated Industries Limited – manufacturer of brushware, bathroom fittings, protective materials, clothing and wire products.Gullivers Consolidated Limited – manufacturer of heavy engineering products such as railway wagons and steel fabrication products.Interfin Financial Services – Farai no longer holds an executive role in the Interfin group of companies, but is non executive Chairman of Interfin Financial Services which is listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange of which Interfin Banking Corporation is a subsidiary.Aico – has diversified over the past 5 years from major player in the cotton sector to the FMCG business (with 49% purchase of Olivine from HJ Heinz in 2007). Aico owns 50.9% of SeedCo, and purchased Exhort Enterprises, vegetable packers, in 2006.SeedCo – the largest seed producer in Southern Africa with branches in Zambia, Botswana, Kenya and South Africa.Savannah – is the leading cigarette manufacturing company in Zimbabwe. Having started operating in 2002 as a threshing company, they are the proud manufacturers of Pacific, Pegasus and Branson families of brands. Headquartered in Zimbabwe, they are also found directly and indirectly in South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia, Lesotho, Swaziland, Malawi and DRC.- Source: Business Owners!SME Accounting PackageAn all inclusive package for a fixed fee which covers the following:Monthly tax returns (PAYE & VAT)Quarterly tax returns (QPDs)Payroll, including NSSATax clearanceYear end accountsProactive, ongoing tax advice throughout the yearUnlimited telephone and email access to your accountant for adviceFees are very affordable for SME Business owners. Please call us on the following numbers:Phillip Chichoni 0777 774 007, Simba 0733 145 146 or Email chichonip@ for a no obligation free consultation.BusinessLink Community Referrals Network Special OffersDo you have products or services on special offer or on promotion? Have you launched new products or services?Let BusinessLink readers know about them by listing them here. Email your message to marketing@ ................
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