The Sunday Mail
Entrepreneurship Matters
Dr Kudzanai Vere
DURING a family trip to a certain wildlife resort, we stumbled on a herd of impalas that were grazing. They were all horned. Impalas are part of the antelope species.
According to the tour guide, impalas have three social groupings — territorial males, bachelor herds and female herds. The hornless impalas are the females. Male impalas are called bachelor groups. They actually fight for dominance in a female group.Those that lose form the bachelor group.
Only one impala that would have emerged victorious will move with a group of between 35 to 40 females. This male will mate with all females. At times, it seldom finds time to feed. Quite a number of these impalas die bachelors. However, because of failure to maintain its health through grazing, the dominant male might eventually lose the fight and end up joining the bachelor group.
When calves grow, males are immediately kicked out of the group, leaving females behind.
Lessons:
- We all start the same.
Most businesses start the same, with a sizeable or small capital. Just as impalas, they are all born the same, male or female. How we start our business has little or no significance to how we will progress in it. Some businesses start big, while others start small.
Companies such as Econet, Amazon and Alibaba started small but grew into major conglomerates.
- Fight for dominance
The business you might want to venture into might be oversubscribed. Develop the internal strength to fight your way to dominance. Only those that dominate the market enjoy the best in everything — be it customers, suppliers and even investors.
- You need company
Like impalas that have three distinct groupings, so should it be in business. Your network determines your net worth. Within their own group, one needs to establish closer links that push, power and challenge them to do better.
Once you are in business, there are some players that pose no harm in your road to success and those whose survival, purpose and activities even complement your efforts. They are just like the female impalas that are left in the group. In fact, they are the reason for the male to survive in the female group. These are businesses that have close ties with yours. They help you reinforce your dominance.
- Focus on task at hand
Impalas are always innumerable. The dominant males are vigilant and goal-oriented. Pay attention to what you are doing now. Everything that has your fingerprint should speak of your excellence. You only attract clients by how good you serve the other customers. It is not the amount of time spent on a task but the quality of the outcome that matters.
- Maintain your dominance
All territorial male impalas superintend over a herd of females. They have the only horns that can be seen among the hornless. Only those that dominate in business enjoy the lion’s share in everything, be it customer or supplier preference. This pole position is worked for.
You have to employ finer and sharper strategies to claim and reclaim your dominance in the market. The dominant males maintain dominance by continuously fighting those that would want to replace them. They fight for territorial dominance. It is only the winner that will have the privilege to perpetuate its species.
There is always competition in the marketplace.
Competition is healthy, but only to those who use it to improve their game.
- Leave a legacy
We know of great names, especially in the transport (buses) industry, such as Shoe Shine that made waves but have since gone under. They failed to leave a legacy. What should you be doing now for your name to continue to live even after you are gone? Why not do it now?
Male impalas perpetuate their species.
Dr Kudzanai Vere is the managing partner at Kudfort Zimbabwe, an accounting firm.
