My Business

Find the right business idea — and start this week

No job? Start your own small business — this week.

More than 100 step-by-step business plans written for Katutura and Windhoek. Answer a few quick questions and see the three that fit your life. Complete Business School and your first plan is free.

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Takes about 4 minutes · no account needed
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No job. No income. And the month does not wait.

You wake up every morning without knowing where today's money will come from. You have looked for work. You have asked around. You have waited. But the jobs are not there — or they are there and you did not get them.

Meanwhile, rent is due. Food costs money. Transport costs money. Airtime costs money. And the people around you are counting on you.

You are not lazy. You are not the problem. The problem is that waiting for someone to hire you puts your life in their hands. And that is a long wait.

· · ·

What if you did not wait?

A small business means you create your own income. You do not need anyone to hire you. You do not need qualifications or a CV. You need a skill, a small amount of money to start, and the willingness to show up every day.

N$500 a month is not a salary — but it pays for food. N$1,000 a month changes everything for a family. N$2,000 a month and you are doing better than many people with a job.

A small business is not a dream. It is a decision.

Already have a job? A small business still makes sense.

A job gives you income — but only one income. If that job ends, the income ends with it. A small business on the side gives you a second income, and over time it can grow into something that gives you a choice.

Many of the most successful small business owners in Katutura started while they still had a job. They used their evenings and weekends. They tested their idea without pressure. When the business was big enough — they chose.

You do not have to choose right now. Start small, alongside what you already do. See what happens.

People like you have already started

These are not unusual stories. They happen in Katutura every week.

Selma, who had no job and started selling food

Selma had been looking for work for eight months. One Monday she cooked a big pot of pap and chicken and put a handwritten sign outside her gate. By midday she had sold everything and made N$120 profit.

She did not have a business plan. She did not register anything. She used her kitchen, her skills, and her time. That Monday was the start of something that now feeds her family every month.

Joseph, who learned a skill from YouTube and started a business

Joseph had been unemployed for a year. He watched YouTube videos about phone screen repair for two weeks. He borrowed N$200 from his sister to buy basic tools. He told people in his street what he could do.

He did not wait until he was an expert. He started with what he knew, learned from every job, and now earns more than many people with office jobs.

Aune, who turned something she always did for free into an income

Aune had braided hair for friends and family her whole life — for free. When she had no job, a neighbour asked what she would charge. She named a price. The neighbour paid without hesitation.

That question changed how she saw herself. She was not unemployed. She was a hairdresser without customers yet. Within a month she had six regular customers and a waiting list.

Thomas, who started a business while keeping his job

Thomas worked security — long shifts, low pay. On his days off he started buying goods cheaply in town and selling them in his street at a small profit. He reinvested every week.

After six months, his side income matched his salary. He now has a choice his colleagues do not have.

· · ·

None of these people had business experience. None of them had money to risk. They started small, they tested fast, and they kept what worked.

That is the only secret.

What makes a small business work?

Most people who want a business never start because they are waiting for the right moment — enough money, enough time, enough certainty. That moment does not come. You make the moment.

The five things every working small business has:

1. It starts with what you already have. Your skills. Your time. Your connections. No loan needed.

2. It is small enough to start this week. A big plan that stays in your head earns nothing.

3. It makes money fast. If you are not earning in the first two weeks, something needs to change.

4. One person can run it. You. No staff, no partners, no complicated setup.

5. Someone actually wants to pay for it. Not maybe. Not someday. Now.

What about risk?

The real risk is doing nothing. Five years from now, still in the same place, still waiting — that is a risk too. A slow and invisible one.

Starting a small business with N$50 or N$200 is not gambling. It is testing. And testing is how every successful business owner found what works.

You do not need a business plan to start. You need one customer. Once you have one customer, the rest becomes much clearer.

How this works

Everything here is open to browse. Opening a full business plan costs 1 credit. You earn your first credit free, or you buy credits. You decide the order.

Find my idea — about 4 minutes

Four short questions about your situation, then nine about the business that fits you: how much time you have, what you are good at, how much money you can start with. No right or wrong answers. You get your top 3 plans, ranked.

Business School — about 20 minutes, earns 1 credit

Five short chapters on the principles every small business owner needs: honesty, money, customers, and growing at the right pace. Pass seven questions at the end and you get a certificate to keep — and 1 credit, which opens the plan of your choice.

Many people find Business School changes how they see themselves — from unemployed to "not yet running a business."

Open your plan

Spend your credit on any plan in the library. It is yours to keep and read as often as you like: what the business is, who buys, what you need, what to charge, and how to get your first customer this week.

Want more plans?

N$20 = 1 credit. N$50 = 5 credits. Deposit at Nedbank, send the reference on WhatsApp, and your credits are added, usually within a few hours. The details are under the 🎟 credits button once you are logged in.

What is inside a business plan?

Each plan has multiple sections. They are written in simple English — no business jargon, no complicated words. Every section has a clear purpose.

What the business is

A short, clear description of the business — what you do, who you do it for, and why people pay for it.

Your customers

Who is most likely to buy? Where do you find them? What do they care about?

What you need to start

A clear list of tools, supplies, or skills you need — and how much each costs. No surprises.

How to price your work

What to charge, how to think about profit, and how to avoid the common mistake of charging too little.

How to get your first customer

A practical, step-by-step approach to making your first sale — this week.

Growing and managing your business

How to grow slowly and safely, how to handle common problems, when to reinvest, and what to watch out for.