Struggling to start a business? make 2025 a year of doing.
10 ideas that require less capital, not heavily regulated, and have potential for scale.
1. Professional services
- Use what you have learned in school
- You can upgrade with additional certifications
- Accounting? legal? engineering? psychology? IT? Agri? etc, all these and others can form a proper business.
- Tanzania has more than 4m SMEs, they all need some sort of professional services
2. Moving
- People move everyday, 75% of urban dwellers in TZ live in rented homes. They will always be moving houses or cities.
- Get wrapping boxes, wrapping films, partner with a transporter, get 5 movers working with on contractual basis (when u get a deal).
3. Real estate agent/broker?
- Professionalize “udalali”
- Get 3 freelancers, put them
on uniforms, and some training
- Get a killer website
- Be different
4. Food marketing and delivery
- Can you link farmers with markets? at least starting with domestic market
- More than 75% of food in TZ is grown in southern highlands, they need to be marketed all across the country
- 35% to 40% of TZs now live in cities, they need food delivery
5. Content creation & moderation
- All advertisers are heavily moving to digital
- Can you create content? if not, can you moderate?
- Can you build a team of freelance content creators who will do the work?
- More than 6% of TZs use social media, how can you help brands access this market?
6. Mobile car fixer
- Can people call you when they cars have a breakdown on the road?
- You dont need to be a mechanic, but can have mechanics working with you.
- car runs out of fuel? tyre puncture? dead battery? engine malfunction? Let people call you.
7. Dropshipping
- Get an online store, let customers order through you
- Get orders to manufacturers
- Let manufactures send directly to your customers
8. Data collection firm
- Companies and NGOs conduct research all the time
- Easier to get a researcher, but tough to get data collectors (foot soldiers)
- Can you build freelance data collectors pool? and send your guys whenever there is a gig?
- Let researchers call you whenever they need data to be collected
- Invest a bit in digital tools
9. Pre move-in inspector
- Inspect homes before new tenant moves in
- give the report to the landlord and tenant
- Charge per inspection
10. Authorized agent
- Choose a good brand
- ask them to be their sales and distribution agent without holding stocks
- Look for markets, connect the sale, get your cut.
Finally,
The million youths entering the labour market every year cant all get jobs, in fact less than 20% will get jobs.
- Dont be a “CV merchant”, sending CV for two years and keeping on sending.
- Organize yourself with friends, and come out of the box.
- Find a way to use your knowledge to give you an occupation.
“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results”- Qoute