SAUMU JUMANNE, Dar es Salaam:
Some of the key fundamental prerequisites to success in business are
creativity and flexibility.
Creative entrepreneurs always keep their eye open for any unmet need
because to them, this becomes a business opportunity they can exploit
to their advantage.
Indeed businesses exist because people have needs and wants that have
to be satisfied in one way or the other.
Success in business is therefore not realized simply by beating
competition but rather as a result of creative manipulation of the
market.
Creativity is indeed the solution to unnecessary competition. In
essence, one should be creative enough to influence the market in
their favour.
Innovativeness also ensures that the quality of the products is
constantly maintained and improved so as to attract more customers
despite the cut throat competition.
For those who are already in business, they need to keep evaluating
the market needs and seeking ways of addressing them.
Last year we heard about the huge human traffic that has been visiting Loliondo.
People from all over the nation and even from neighbouring countries
like Kenya were visiting the remote village to take the ‘Babu’
Ambilikile’s spiritual medicine.
This, needless to say, was one of the biggest business blessings to
entrepreneurs in Arusha region.
The arrival of sickly patients and their relatives created a booming
business environment especially for those dealing in food and shelter.
The business market in Loliondo and Arusha in general widened due to
the huge demand, with reports indicating that a plate of simple meal
was being sold at Tsh.5,000.
But the opportunistic transport industry was perhaps the greatest
beneficiary of those trips.
However, due to challenging state of the roads and the heavy traffic
snarl up road transport was becoming challenging by day.
This problem provoked some shrewd businessmen who have opted to use
the air transport a to ease the movement to and fro Loliondo.
By doing this, these entrepreneurs strategically placed themselves in
the position to meet the transport challenge.
Of course the cost, in the absence of substantial competition, was
quite exorbitant.
What is important here is the fact that these service providers
correctly established that the poor infrastructural network could open
a door for business.