Let’s face it; salaries have not been or will never be enough for most of us.

Business drives this whole world’s economy, as such, it is witless to think we as individuals can do well in our lives without engaging ourselves in some sort of business at some point. Business is an activity of making one's living or making money by producing, buying, and selling products. Simply put, it is any enterprise entered into for profit.

The truth is the world revolves around business; nations move by economy and households survive from business too. You don’t believe me? Listen...have you ever wondered why you go to work? To earn money, right? When you have money, what do you do with it? Buy food, clothes, pay bills, and pay rent. You are basically on the other side of business. Like I said, business is the buying and selling of goods and services. The individuals and companies like ESCOM that you pay your bills or give your money to are simply selling their services to you as a consumer. With that in mind, it would be in your best interest to own or start your own business. Why, you ask?

Firstly, at the household level, it will make you financially independent. Let’s face it; salaries have not been or will never be enough for most of us. We almost always need an extra supply of money to afford not only our daily needs but also our wants.

Secondly, perhaps because we do not want to be what people call normal; we want to be unique and to create opportunities for others. 

One of the biggest questions aspiring business owners and entrepreneurs struggle with is “What type of business do I start?” I’ll share some tips in this piece to help you get started.

PLANNING

You need to find out what type of business you would like to engage in, particularly one where you have the skills and passion. Find out what types of products and services are scarce in your town or trading center. What is the viability of that particular business in that particular area, and what ability do you have to meet the demand and supply?

RESEARCH

Identify the activities you will need to carry out before you start the actual buying and selling of goods and services. This includes budgeting how much money (i.e. capital) you need for your start-up, where you will be selling from (i.e. location, which may equal rentals), and other costs that will have to be paid for in order for your business to become operational.

BALANCING

This is one element that most people do not talk about. However, it is very crucial to understand the balance between personal life and business. I am a banker and business owner. That means I balance my time so I am available to work, handle my personal social life, and supervise my businesses. What needs to be considered and put in place (i.e., balanced) is a schedule that ensures that your activities never collide. Tell you what? When activities collide, it’s always the business that suffers most and you certainly do not want that.

STRATEGIZE

The fact is almost every business already exists, and probably does so in a saturated industry. If you want to succeed, you need to bring something to the market that will make your product or service different from your competitors' and rivals'. This is also called a calculated risk. You must strategize what is going to make you the most selling and thus profitable business. Will it be your marketing (advertising and promotions), product quality or customer service? Choose what works for you and your business and stick with it.

DO IT (START)

Doing is what gets us going.

I back "doing" because, without starting, there is no progress at all. You can have a great plan on paper, a brilliant idea, and a good product to sell, but if you do not apply it or bring it to action, it’s going to remain a dream forever and nothing will change in your life.

Let's create a better living by putting our business armour ON because we are about to embark on a journey and become the change of our lives and our nation. We want to be millionaires – the entrepreneurs and not the beggars. We want to create jobs, not be job seekers. Together, we shall drive this nation to be developed and get out of developing mode.