CONTENT FOR AFRICAN STARTERS (Serie 1)
ABOUT
This is a different kind of space for different kind of Africa – from those who have never dream of starting a business to those who already have a successful venture up and running.
Are you a native entrepreneur? Were you born to start, lead and conquer?
Are you a small business owner with your company at the heart of your life?
Are you looking for something that will help you to do more, faster, better and smatter?
Are you stuck in day job and wish you could do more and move ahead? Or just do something on the side that you love and enjoy and get paid for it?
Even if you are someone who have never consider to be on your own or standing a new venture,
African Starters is for you!
Why African Starters?
Whenever we talk about venture, we think entrepreneur; it becomes like a cult or something privilege to have. Should it be the case? I don’t think so! All of us should be encouraged to start his own business and not only some special people known as entrepreneurs.
I know many people out there running business, tapping into opportunities and along the way generating cash flow.
Some of them don’t even know what entrepreneur means. They just work their passion and along the line getting paid for it.
Instead of entrepreneurs, let’s just call them Starters to borrow the terms of the well-respected starters J. Fried & D. Heinemeier (37 Signals Owners).
In reality you are a starter if you create a new business. You don’t need an MBA, a degree, a fancy suit, a love of risk, a sect, a blessing from a marabout. All you need is an idea, a bit of courage, a touch of confidence and a push to get started.
So let’s start!
WHY YOU SHOULD NOT LEAVE YOUR DAY JOB AND START A NEW BUSINESS. Series 1/9
When I started AfricanStarters.com, I had to explain to my loving wife why I was taking so long on the family time. Then I briefly explain that it was about a plateform to support, nurture, motivate and inspire starters (entrepreneurs, womanpreneur, Sidepreneur, wantpreneur, solopreneur, africanpreneur.. and all others preneurs). Her initial understanding was that I was anticorporate and antijob.
If you are having the same understanding, please enable me to clarify. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Over the coming months and years, you will learn how you can stay commited to your job while learning new things that will help you work faster, better and smarter, therefore becoming more effective at the office.
After all, there are lots of reasons to appreciate your day job. It gives a place to learn, network, take risks, be part and contribute to a team effort. You enjoy opportunities to advance, get an education and interact with others.
All thiose trhings are invaluable in themselves, coupled on the fact that you have a steady paycheck. Never take these for granted and fall into complacency.
What I do encourage in here is to devote 10% of your time building something on the side while staying committed to you day job. You may have realized it; one job is not enough. Moreover, complacency is not something that happens overnight. I have seen among many Africans complacency taking place because it’s easy to blame the system, the leaders, politics, the West, the White, the spirits, the uncle, the rich, God… but it doesn’t change the fact that if we are not happy with something, we should change something.
“if you are not happy with something, change something” (Severin Wandji “Product Manager Apple discussing at CPS)
I know sometimes, life, circumstances and events move us to embark on starting a business or we have been always launching businesses since our primary school. Regardless of how you got there, when you go on the entrepreneurship path, you should be cognizant that success and the money are terrific if they come, but they cannot be the only drivers of your decision. Ensure that you do what you do for the right reason.
As you will discover later, engaging in entrepreneurship on the side will grant you a level of freedom that you could never access as a full time entrepreneur.
You will be able to enjoy the excitement that comes from building something new while avoiding the stresses that come with taking urge risks.
Now, do you really want to take the risk…
Let’s meet in Series 2....
EKOMARKET HUB TEAM
