Chinda heights, Zvishavane, Zimbabwe +263 392355673
Building Resilient Communities in Mberengwa & Zvishavane
Impact Stories
Record keeping training leads project participants to luanch 2 more social enterprises in Zvishavane
“How a record keeping training session gave rise to 2 new businesses”
Any small business owner dreams of a dynamic business growth and expansion someday. Munashe Guzha, a tailor in Zvishavane, faced this challenge during their startup.
Their venture began in 2016 with just 2 sewing machines and two team members. The business continued to operate; but, to operate profitably, it needed trainings on record keeping.
Metrina Mthombeni, the director attended an entrepreneurship training in 2017 supported through Ministry of Women`s Affairs, Small to Medium Enterprises Development and ZRBF ECRIMS Project Social Enterprises Development initiative. During the financial literacy part of the training, Munashe realized their budding enterprise was losing profits and potential for expansion and needed external coaching on bookkeeping. He obtained the training through the project`s social enterprises development program. In addition, he also received a new sewing machine through a leasing contract to improve their business growth.
“After participating in the ZRBF entrepreneurship training, I gained necessary knowledge and expertise and decided to go ahead in our business development. Key factors for our business` success were the record keeping training and new professional machinery leased through the ZRBF-ECRIMS supported micro leasing program,” said Munashe
The ZRBF-ECRIMS initiative aims to broaden economic opportunities for rural populations by raising financial literacy, strengthening entrepreneurial skills, and improving access to productive equipment.
At first, business owners may be reluctant to enter leasing agreements because of the associated payback. However, leases allow owners to quickly scale their businesses and achieve their goals without taking higher capital costs.
The training and new machine has helped them to realize more than 50% increase in profits. As the profits have increased as well as speed, the number of loyal customers has also grown, which has allowed them to diversify their business.
As the business continued to develop, the two decided to expand their sewing enterprise into retail where they hoard and resells other items such as hair pieces. They also decided to rent space for a grocery shop in the nearby business center. Also, they opened a tire mending shop, this time with profit savings through their record keeping. The venture is now able to offer additional and diversified clothing to the local community. More so, the grocery shop has enabled the community to have closer access to much needed basic food items such as mealie-meal and cooking oil. Further to that, the tire mending shop is now helping locals to get a professional fix to their scotch cart and motor vehicle tires without travelling long distances to the nearest town which is 20km away. The new offerings helped attract additional customers from the business center.
ZRBF-ECRIMS`s social enterprises development initiative in Zimbabwe runs from 2017-2022. Its participant that are into sewing social enterprises recorded total annual net income of $15 613 for 2020/21. To date, the project has provided financial literacy capacity building to rural social enterprises and helped 41 891 people improve their business and agriculture related skills.
Impact Stories
Record keeping training leads project participants to luanch 2 more social enterprises in Zvishavane
“How a record keeping training session gave rise to 2 new businesses”
Any small business owner dreams of a dynamic business growth and expansion someday. Munashe Guzha, a tailor in Zvishavane, faced this challenge during their startup.
Their venture began in 2016 with just 2 sewing machines and two team members. The business continued to operate; but, to operate profitably, it needed trainings on record keeping.
Metrina Mthombeni, the director attended an entrepreneurship training in 2017 supported through Ministry of Women`s Affairs, Small to Medium Enterprises Development and ZRBF ECRIMS Project Social Enterprises Development initiative. During the financial literacy part of the training, Munashe realized their budding enterprise was losing profits and potential for expansion and needed external coaching on bookkeeping. He obtained the training through the project`s social enterprises development program. In addition, he also received a new sewing machine through a leasing contract to improve their business growth.
“After participating in the ZRBF entrepreneurship training, I gained necessary knowledge and expertise and decided to go ahead in our business development. Key factors for our business` success were the record keeping training and new professional machinery leased through the ZRBF-ECRIMS supported micro leasing program,” said Munashe
The ZRBF-ECRIMS initiative aims to broaden economic opportunities for rural populations by raising financial literacy, strengthening entrepreneurial skills, and improving access to productive equipment.
At first, business owners may be reluctant to enter leasing agreements because of the associated payback. However, leases allow owners to quickly scale their businesses and achieve their goals without taking higher capital costs.
The training and new machine has helped them to realize more than 50% increase in profits. As the profits have increased as well as speed, the number of loyal customers has also grown, which has allowed them to diversify their business.
As the business continued to develop, the two decided to expand their sewing enterprise into retail where they hoard and resells other items such as hair pieces. They also decided to rent space for a grocery shop in the nearby business center. Also, they opened a tire mending shop, this time with profit savings through their record keeping. The venture is now able to offer additional and diversified clothing to the local community. More so, the grocery shop has enabled the community to have closer access to much needed basic food items such as mealie-meal and cooking oil. Further to that, the tire mending shop is now helping locals to get a professional fix to their scotch cart and motor vehicle tires without travelling long distances to the nearest town which is 20km away. The new offerings helped attract additional customers from the business center.
ZRBF-ECRIMS`s social enterprises development initiative in Zimbabwe runs from 2017-2022. Its participant that are into sewing social enterprises recorded total annual net income of $15 613 for 2020/21. To date, the project has provided financial literacy capacity building to rural social enterprises and helped 41 891 people improve their business and agriculture related skills.