Chronicle Editor
Sikhulekelani Moyo, [email protected]
BUSINESS showers, a new trend for entrepreneurs to boost their businesses, are gaining momentum as many people are now taking the initiative as a way to network and fund their businesses.
A business shower is an occasion where people come together to celebrate a new business or company, support, motivate and share business ideas.
Business showers enable the introduction of one’s business to other people who have great potential in becoming future partners or customers.
They create an easy way and allow for smooth networking between businesses.
Most of these business showers are conducted by start-up founders that want to get dominance and recognition.
Business showers vary. While some may include people coming together to congratulate and bring gifts for the one venturing and starting up their business, others involve people with their businesses coming together to showcase their products so that people buy.
It is with this background that a woman entrepreneur Mrs Nokuthula Ngwenya-Moyo is set to host her business shower today where she said it’s a way to celebrate and promote her business as well as share some ideas with like-minded people.
Mrs Ngwenya is a rural entrepreneur in retail who owns One Stop Savers in Tsholotsho and she said these business showers will assist to put rural businesses in the limelight so that they can be recognised even by business and industry representatives in the country.
“As a business person I looked into some of the challenges that we are facing in our day-to-day business activities, and I found out that there is a lack of capital, and if you want a loan from banks, they need collateral which most of the ladies in business do not have. I said to myself, I have a large network, so I started selling my idea then we formed a group.
“It is from that group that we are doing these business showers where we do crowdfund amongst ourselves and our main objective is to practice accountability with the money we give to each other,” she said.
Mrs Ngwenya said they offer each other ideas and financial literacy so that they can be able to account for the money and boost their businesses.
“Entrepreneurs come together with their businesses to network, grow, benefit, and empower each other just like what we do during a baby shower where mothers come together and support an expecting mother with baby preparation,” she said.
The business shower event is also characterised by exhibitions where those who will be showcasing their businesses pay for stalls at reasonable prices.
Business showers have inspired, motivated, and given support to those starting businesses.
New entrepreneurs have benefited a lot in getting to understand what experiences and challenges others went through before their businesses became big.
When various people come together to discuss business ideas, there’s no room for any negative thoughts as to if one’s business is good enough or not, the possibilities of attracting clients and its capacity as a whole.
Business showers are not only for new companies but also for old companies that would have survived storms. In an old business, a business shower can be conducted to share future ideas and plans for the business.
One can also conduct it when they are launching a new product or feature or when they are exclusively expanding the company and joining hands with other business partners.
Meanwhile, Mrs Ngwenya is having her business shower today where a line-up of speakers will share different issues including marketing, digital marketing, customer care, legal environment, and other issues affecting entrepreneurs.
The event will bring in Mr Jonah Nyoni who is an author and professional speaker, Mr Macdonald Siriza, a business consultancy, Ms Thandekile Chibanda a marketing professional, Mr Mthokozosi Dube a health advisor, Ms Nozipho Matumbi a legal practitioner and Ms Lifneth Moyo a chartered governance professional.
Mrs Ngwenya said she is the second from their group to hold a business shower and she said the idea is viable as it allows entrepreneurs to invest in their business and other projects like solar which will allow their business viability.
She said the initiative is viable as it avoids depending on bank loans that are supposed to be paid back with interest and sometimes are not easy to access.
Entrepreneur, boss of Twitter and chief executive officer of Tesla and SpaceX Elon Musk once on his Twitter handle advised small businesses to hold business showers instead of baby showers, a concept that seems to be viable in boosting small businesses that have financial challenges and a platform to network and share business ideas.
Online Reporter