Q: Please send me a list of types of small businesses I could start here in Harare, Zimbabwe, especially those that have been popular in other parts of the world and have achieved fast growth. Certain types of small businesses have been successful in different parts of the world but possibly not in my country. My idea is to learn of such businesses and take advantage of some form of first-mover strategy. I am employed by a logistics company as a line manager. I am 28 years old. I hold a business degree, and I am in the final stages of an MBA.
--S.B., Zimbabwe

A: I commend your instinct to look abroad for models of success. The list of the world's fast-growing industries is endless, from import/export and Internet services, to telecommunications products like cellular phones and pagers -- which have largely succeeded by leapfrogging existing infrastructures.

Still, the same formula that worked for hypergrowth superstars in other countries, from Starbucks in the U.S. to SAP in Germany, probably holds for Zimbabwe too: Find a need and fill it. What many entrepreneurs forget about that maxim is to also make sure the potential market has the means to pay. That's especially apropos for a small, fragile (and currently slowing) economy like Zimbabwe's.

In addition to studying fast-growth industries in advanced economies, you may want to explore what's worked in countries closer to home. In South Africa, says Richard Shapiro, a partner in Ernst & Young's Entrepreneurial Services group in Johannesburg, franchising has boomed in recent years, particularly in non-fast-food industries. There may be some good franchises that have not yet hit Zimbabwe. Contact the Franchise Association of Southern Africa (2711-484-1285) and ask for a copy of the 1998 Franchise Handbook, which lists all members of the association and details the different types of opportunities.

Whatever you pursue, be sure the resources required to exploit it are available, advises Judith Obermayer, a small-business consultant in Cambridge, Mass. Those include financing. With commercial interest rates hovering around 40% currently in Zimbabwe, you'll certainly want to have other sources of capital! Is there a sufficient distribution network available to market your product or service? Does a skilled labor force exist to pull it off? Do you have the right skill set yourself for the business? Finally, don't underestimate connections to the right government and other local bureaucracies required to make the business work. A U.S. Commerce Dept. source tells us the story of a Zimbabwean entrepreneur who recently tried to import U.S. vending machines, only to be stopped by local authorities over the necessary health permits.

In the end, only you can determine what business best matches your financial and other resources, and local market needs. The Web is a great tool to research ideas, planning methods, and even capital sources. You might also check in with the commercial officer of the U.S. embassy in Harare for other resources and contacts with American businesses.

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