Dear Future Entrepreneur,
In every neighbourhood in Zimbabwe, there are two kinds of people. Those who are building something and those who are always “planning to start.” The strange thing is that the visionary and the excuse-maker often live under the same roof, went to the same schools, and face the same economic storms. Yet their lives take opposite turns. Why? Because one takes action, while the other lives inside a prison built from excuses.
Zimbabwe is full of brilliant people who are waiting for a perfect moment that will never come. The truth we often avoid is this: excuses are more expensive than effort. You can lose money and recover it. You can lose business and start again. But once you lose time, you lose opportunity forever. The biggest reason many remain stuck is not the economy, not corruption, not lack of capital…it is the endless list of excuses that protect comfort and kill progress.
Below are some of the most common excuses trapping many Zimbabweans in the same spot year after year.
“I will start when I am older.”
Some believe entrepreneurship is for a later stage in life. They think they must first graduate, find a job, settle down, or reach a magical age of certainty. Yet the years pass and the “perfect moment” never arrives. The young complain they lack experience. The old complain they lack energy. Meanwhile, time is quietly passing, and opportunities are moving on to those who start now.
There is no ideal season to begin. If you wait to feel ready, you will remain a spectator in a life meant for living. It is better to start small today than to dream big forever.
“Business is Risky, I’m Not Ready to Lose Money.”
Many Zimbabweans fear starting a business because they do not want to lose money. They imagine failure, losses, embarrassment, and wasted effort. Yet the irony is that they are already losing money every single day. We lose money on takeaways, alcohol, weekend outings, hair, clothes we do not need, expensive phones we cannot monetize, entertainment subscriptions, birthdays we cannot afford, and impulse spending disguised as “treating ourselves.” We fear losing money through growth, but we waste it comfortably through consumption. The real risk is not starting a business—the real risk is having nothing to show for the money that passed through our hands. You choose where your money dies: in expenses or in assets.
“There is nothing new to do. People have already tried everything.”
Many people assume that if a business idea exists already, there is no point in trying. They see someone else’s failure as proof that the idea does not work. But businesses succeed or fail not because of the idea itself, but because of the person behind it. The same shop can fail under one person and thrive under another. One restaurateur gives service with anger, another serves with excellence and queues form outside the door.
You do not need a new idea. You need a better way of doing the old one. Success is not about being first—it is about being improved, consistent, and customer-focused.
“No one will give me capital.”
Some Zimbabweans believe they cannot start a business because no one will sponsor them. They wait for donors, family members, investors, or government programs that never arrive. But capital does not come to ideas that remain in notebooks. Money follows initiative. If you cannot multiply a $10 hustle into $20, what will you do with $5 000?
Those who start with a little, learn discipline. Those who start big and careless lose everything. Start where you are. Let your results attract capital. You do not need sympathy—you need strategy.
“Someone is already providing for me. I do not need a business.”
Many people depend entirely on parents, partners, or relatives who are currently working. As long as someone else pays the bills, there is no urgency to build something of their own. But nothing is more dangerous than trusting a source you do not control. Job loss, death, relocation, illness—life can change overnight. When you depend on another person’s income, you are standing on borrowed legs. The question is not whether they will stop providing one day, but when.
“My salary is enough for now.”
A monthly salary gives a false sense of security. It pays bills, but it rarely builds wealth. A job gives comfort today, but an asset gives freedom tomorrow. Salaries disappear the moment you stop working. Businesses and investments continue paying even when you are asleep, retired, or gone.
Employment is not a prison, but it becomes one when you refuse to build something beyond it.
“What if I fail?”
Fear has killed more dreams in Zimbabwe than poverty ever has. People would rather complain than attempt. They would rather fantasize than risk losing. Yet failure is not the enemy—refusing to learn is. The most successful entrepreneurs once lost money, made mistakes, and looked foolish. The difference is that they got up again.
You cannot climb a mountain by staring at it. Every successful person you admire has scars, but scars are proof that someone fought for their future.
“I will start when the economy improves.”
Waiting for a perfect economy is like planting maize only when the rain is guaranteed. You will never begin. Hard economies create opportunities. They force people to look for cheaper options, local suppliers, new innovations, and problem-solvers. In every crisis, someone becomes the solution and profits from it.
Do not wait for the weather—learn how to build a shelter.
“People will laugh at me.”
Thoughts like “What will they say?” keep many people in financial chains. The painful truth is that people will talk whether you succeed or fail. The same neighbour who mocks your small starter business will eventually ask for credit when you grow. Opinions do not pay rent. People’s words do not feed families. You cannot build your life around voices that contribute nothing.
Live boldly. Let results answer critics.
The time to start is now.
Zimbabwe is full of land to farm, skills to monetize, products to manufacture, services to provide, and customers who are waiting. The real question is not whether there are opportunities, but whether you will still be making excuses a year from now.
You are not too young. You are not too old. You are not too late. Your idea is not too small. And the economy is not your biggest enemy—fear is.
Start with passion, grow with consistency, and learn from every mistake. Your future self is waiting to thank you.
With belief in your future,
ZimLedger Admin
ZimLedger
ZimLedger is the all in one business and finance platform for Zimbabwe. It generates quotes, invoices, payslips and financial statements, manages business ledgers, tracks income and expenses, and builds shopping lists. ZimLedger offers a simple yet powerful solution tailored to local needs. Whether you are budgeting in ZiG or USD, managing business accounts, converting Ecocash statements, or tracking household expenses, ZimLedger empowers you to stay organised, make informed financial decisions, and grow your wealth—right from your phone or computer.
