Online Reporter
Mbulelo Mpofu, [email protected]
In the unpredictable world of entrepreneurship, failure is often viewed as an ending. For Zimbabwean hip-hop and gospel rapper-turned-businessman Junior Garnet, however, it has become a stepping stone towards a more informed and intentional return.
After closing some of his once-thriving ventures, including mobile food outlet App A Combo and Garnet’s Place, a restaurant and bed-and-breakfast lodge, Junior Garnet says he has embraced the lessons from those experiences and is now rebuilding with a renewed business mindset.
The entrepreneur, whose drive beyond music earned him two business awards, has launched a furniture venture that he describes as a carefully planned comeback project, one built on experience, reflection and a deeper understanding of the demands of running a sustainable business.
“This furniture venture is my comeback project. After successfully running an online restaurant and a bed and breakfast lodge, winning two business awards, my passion for business grew bigger and bigger. However, passion alone cannot run a successful business in the long run,” he said.
“I figured I needed to equip myself with adequate information and know-how of surviving in this ‘cold, cut-throat’ world of business, so I took a few steps back to appreciate what I had started and learn how I can be better, then bounce back step by step to do business properly.”
Rather than immediately launching another enterprise after his previous businesses closed, Junior Garnet chose to reflect, acquire new skills and reassess his approach.
The furniture business, he said, is driven by the same customer-focused philosophy that shaped his earlier ventures.
“It’s all about seeing gaps and trying to fill them. If you look at all the businesses that I’ve run, their systems are customer-centred, making sure the customer is happy from the time they start engaging to the time they get what they came for,” he said.
“Profits are a bonus that come after that because automatically when a client raves about how good my service or product is, they are marketing us through word of mouth.”
For Junior Garnet, building trust with customers remains the foundation of business growth, particularly for emerging brands that depend heavily on reputation and personal recommendations.
He said the decision to return to entrepreneurship was also influenced by the encouragement he received from people who continued to believe in his abilities despite the closure of his previous ventures.
“Another factor that brought me back into business has always been the people that believe in what I can do. I have a great network of people who always say I did well in my previous businesses and I should come back, whether through the same businesses I ran or through a different project, so here I am,” he said.
The new furniture venture is not only about personal revival but also about creating opportunities within the wider community. Junior Garnet said the project has the potential to support employment opportunities across different stages of production, including manufacturing, sourcing materials, transportation and delivery services.
“This furniture business project is here to serve everyone in our community. It will provide employment from where we create our pieces, where our raw material is made, transporting, as well as we will be going as far as delivering the furniture pieces to wherever the client wants them delivered,” he said.
“The project is here as well for all those that believed in me and pushed me; your efforts have had fruit now and it’s time to hit the ground running.”
His transition from musician to entrepreneur reflects a growing trend among creatives who are diversifying their careers beyond entertainment. For Junior Garnet, business has always been about identifying opportunities, solving problems and creating value.
While the success of his latest venture will depend on execution, market conditions and customer support, the entrepreneur believes his greatest advantage is the experience gained from his previous attempts. – Follow on X @MbuleloMpofu
