The Standard

20 The Standard September 21 to 27 2014
Business
Think it, envision it, achieve it
sme’s
chat
with phillip chichoni
Think little goals and expect little
achievements. Think big goals and
win big success. —David Joseph
Schwartz
The past few weeks have
been extraordinary for
the country, economically
speaking. First there
was the announcement
by the finance ministry of some
multi-billion dollar memoranda
of agreement with China following
the President’s state visit there.
Then there was the signing of the
Darwendale platinum mining joint
venture with the Russians, valued
at US$3 billion; the largest ever
business deal in the history of Zimbabwe.
Now the question arises: What’s
in it for the small and midsized
businesses? This is an important
question because SMEs form the
majority of firms in Zimbabwe and
have the potential to create jobs and
drive economic growth. Because
of their size, they can more easily
adapt to new lines of business and
require less capital to move than
bigger firms.
However, that is not the question
entrepreneurs should be asking. Instead,
you should be asking: How
can I fit in and add value?
In this highly competitive business
environment, no one is going
to give anything to you on a silver
platter, you have to go and get it
yourself.
The starting point is your mind.
The largest airplane today is the
Antonov Mriya AN-225, a strategic
airlift cargo aircraft designed by the
Soviet Union in the 1980s. It is also
the longest and heaviest airplane
ever built, and can take off with a
maximum weight of 640 tonnes (20
haulage over laden trucks).
Before 1903 most people could not
believe that a mechanically powered
object heavier than air could
fly for any significant distance. This
belief was put to rest on December
17 1903, when the Wright brothers,
at Kill Devil Hills just outside
the town of Kitty Hawk in North
Carolina USA, made the first control
powered air plane flight. The
idea of an airplane flying had been
thought before by many people over
the centuries, including Galileo, Sir
George Cayley in 1799 and Otto Lilienthal
in 1867. All these people
thought big. In fact, all big achievements
start with big thoughts.
We think over 60 000 thoughts a
day. However, it is focused thoughts
that results in achievement. Entrepreneurs
should focus their minds
on how they can fit in these mega
deals with the Chinese and Russians.
Opportunities are many.
There was an outcry from some
SMEs a few years ago over the engagement
of South African haulage
contractors by some international
miners here. However, most
of the SMEs did not have the capacity
and resources needed for
the jobs. In this case now, how can
SMEs mobilise resources and build
enough capacity to be value adding
partners for the mega projects?
How can they collaborate with others
for mutual benefit?
Thoughts are fleeting and will
easily be forgotten if they are not
written down. That is the reason
business plans need to be written.
I have spoken with a lot of entrepreneurs
over the years and all
those who have built successful
businesses have one thing in common:
a relentless pursuit of their
goals. Even in the face of temporary
setbacks, they kept their focus
on what they wanted to achieve. For
example, one businesswoman had
to go back to work after facing crippling
financial challenges that had
her house nearly auctioned. However,
when she got the financial
problems under control, she quit
her job, again, and went back to
building her business. The vision
for her business was too powerful
to just let go.
Ideas are reinforced in the mind
through the process of visioning.
Successful people, whether in business,
sports or family, have a picture
in their mind of what success looks
like. When they close their eyes and
President Robert Mugabe recently launched a US$4,8 billion platinum deal... SMEs need
to build enough capacity to be value adding partners for such mega projects.
focus their minds, they see themselves
already having achieved
their vision. The sportsperson sees
himself holding the gleaming trophy;
the entrepreneur sees his business
running at its peak; the father
or mother sees their happy family
engaged in joyful activities. The
thought, when visioned, reinforces
your desire in the mind. The mind
then opens up and you start seeing
opportunities and resources everywhere
to help you achieve the vision.
A powerful vision not only helps
you stay focused, it also attracts
other people to you who will help
you achieve your goals. When seeking
business partners, employees,
finance or markets, a powerful vision
will make you glow and people
will just want to help you.
Finally, a vision without action is
just a dream. Achievers are always
people of action. They don’t waste
too much time contemplating or
weighing the pros and cons of taking
action along the course towards
their vision. They take calculated
risks and act immediately. Sometimes
they make mistakes or hit
blank holes. But they know that the
more holes they dig, the more likely
they are to strike oil.
So what are you going to do today
to fit in and add value as the
country goes into a new economic
phase?
• Phillip Chichoni is a business
development consultant who
works with SMEs and entrepreneurs.
You may contact him
by email, chichonip@smebusinesslink.com.
You can also visit
http://smebusinesslink.com
20 th
BRAND MASTERS