The Sunday Mail
Lovemore Ranga Mataire
THE Godfather of American motivational writing and speaking, Dale Carnegie, advised that: “The man who goes farthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare.”
Born in 1888, Carnegie did not let his impoverished background get the better of him.
By the time of his death in 1955, he had published enduring motivational texts like “How to Win Friends and Influence People” and had become a household name.
Arguably, the current global phenomena of motivational books and institutes owe their birth to Dale Carnegie.
In Zimbabwe, motivational books appear to have carved a niche in libraries and bookshops. Like the sudden sprouting of prophet-led Pentecostal churches, motivational books have filled bookshelves as readers scrounge for immediate riches prescriptions.
Sadly, most of the motivational books in circulation tend to be nothing but regurgitations of Googled tidbits.
A lot of mediocre material has been published by clear novices devoid of traceable life experiences and intellectual aptitude.
Spurred by the naïve imagination of overnight fame through self-publishing, it is these hacks who have devalued motivational writing.
But no so for Dr Abel Mubango’s “How to Start and Successfully Run Your Business.”
With more than 23 years of professional experience in various fields including the financial sector, Dr Mubango is a repository of knowledge on the dos and don’ts of starting a business.
With qualifications in Banking and Human Resources and Training, an MBA in Banking and Finance, and working on a PhD thesis on SMEs, Dr Mubango knows his onions as seen by the fact that he established Peace Security Company.
Given his rich professional resume’ in managing businesses at the highest levels, Dr Mubango possess both the legitimacy and experience in sharing knowledge on the pitfalls of starting one’s entity and possible red flags to watch out for.
Published by Mambo Press in 2016, “How to Start and Successfully Run your Own Business” has eight chapters that literally takes the reader from the incubation, birth, crawling, walking and independent stages in business development.
Readers will find the book enticing because of its simple diction, which makes it easy to comprehend and familiar illustrations or examples backing up every proposition. Although the business tenets cited in the book have a universal appeal, they are also tailor-made for local peculiarities.
Being an entrepreneur presents the greatest opportunity for not only creating employment but also deriving satisfaction in earning revenue from one’s sweat and skills.
Every chapter is systematically structured to include an introduction and a conclusion. Unlike other run-of-the-mil-texts, Dr Mubango’s book is crafted in a way that makes it easier for one to understand complex concepts with specific points clearly highlighted with the aid of some graphic illustrations.
Dr Mubango insists on the observance and implementation of certain tried and tested tenets. He advances the view that the failure or success of a business is to a large extent depended on one’s input, expertise and observance of certain cardinal rules.
Marketing is cited as one of the critical pillars of any business.
“As you produce your goods and services you need to inform the market so that there are aware and they can buy from you. There is no point in producing your goods and services quietly and secretly and hoping that somehow potential customers will get to know about them and buy from you.”
Dr Mubango essentially advances the view that without marketing, sales will not materialise and the company is bound to fail.
He uses an unconventional narrative style and Dr Mubango delivers his message using the personal pronoun “you” for maximum effect. Like a doctor, Dr Mubango clearly spells out causatives for business failure and offers prescriptions.
The only blemish is the somewhat academic approach that relies on numerous references and citations.
