Chronicle Editor
Judith Phiri, Business Reporter
THE Youth Network Connect has called on entrepreneurs to synchronise their business ideas with the expectations and needs of investors so that they can attract funding and partnerships for the exploitation of various business opportunities in the country.
A number of entrepreneurial ideas have not materialised and many more are held up at the brink of their breakthrough due to the disconnection between investors and teeming entrepreneurs. Youth Network Connect board chairman, Mr Bekezela Moyo who is also the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) Matabeleland Chapter chairman, said there was need for entrepreneurs to come up with business ideas that could see them attracting funding from various investors.
“There are a number of great entrepreneurship startups that are coming up, however, some fail to make it due to lack of funding. These entrepreneurs are failing to acquire funding for several reasons, one of them being that there seems to be a disconnection of their business ideas with the needs of potential investors. As a youth empowerment organisation, we believe we have a responsibility to come up with solutions that will ensure that we narrow the gap between what the investors are looking for and the ideas being presented by entrepreneurs.”
He said they were going to host an entrepreneurship and business conference dinner and awards at the beginning of November, where they intend to engage various stakeholders on possible solutions to the business and entrepreneurship environment in the country.
The conference will be running under theme: “Unlocking sustainable investment opportunities through entrepreneurship,” and will provide a platform for researchers, academics, entrepreneurs, business owners, industrial professionals and students to share their research findings, best practices, innovation, expert opinions and challenges.
“The event will also provide a platform for exchanging new ideas, research collaboration and publishing opportunities. It will also present an opportunity for the development of start-ups and innovative high-impact entrepreneurs who will contribute to job creation as well as socio-economic development,” added Mr Moyo.
He said there was need to foster collaboration in support of the Micro, Small to Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and their growth through a curated ecosystem platform that enables public and private stakeholders to exchange knowledge and best practices in investing in these MSMEs.
Youth Network Connect director, Mr Philimon Nyirenda said the key mandate of the event was to enhance support to small businesses, informal businesses and cooperatives with emphasis on programmes that would advance entrepreneurship among women, people with disabilities and the youths.
He said: “As for the entrepreneurship and business awards, we will recognise and honour business personalities who best represent achievement and longevity. This comes after the realisation that a number of businesses have sustained achievements within the business community and continue to have positive impact to society.”
Mr Nyirenda called for the up-scaling of local businesses and positioning them to be globally competitive through innovation exploration and information interchange. He said there was need to develop economic visionaries determined to be positively disruptive in their various fields through both entrepreneurship and ‘intrapreneurship’.
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