Fancy meeting you here!

I took a trip down to SA a while back by road and bumped into an old friend on the coach. Well not really an old friend, but I taught his son when I was still a teacher at Eaglesvale (yes I was actually an assistant teacher at one point in time). So we had plenty of time to chat and we discussed nearly everything under the sun. Then we got a bit personal and started talking about the number of marriages that have broken down as a result of lack of finances and that led him to tell about how his own marriage had gone through the same process. He was a “change money” during the time when Zim was going through the crazy economic saga! He actually left formal employment to do that full time and made lots of money during that time, bought fancy cars, and the works. What he overlooked was the fact that this was temporary and did not plan ahead for a rainy day. So his family was now used to a certain quality of life and reducing standards was not an option. Some would argue that a change in financial status should not affect anything, but I am not sure if the quality of marriages these days can sustain such difficulties. He understood what effect a change in income would do on himself and his family. So when things hit the fan and the US dollar was introduced, he hit rock bottom, as expected. He tried going back to formal employment but there was no room for such. It was a crazy time. He was honest with his spouse and told her the status quo and his plans to alleviate the family from this predicament, and through her love for him she held on. It was this faith that his wife had in him that gave him the determination to make sure that he would put bread on the table that kept him going and eventually he did, he started car sales and has been doing pretty well with that. What I liked about this ordeal is how honest he was with his spouse, and even though he had no cent, he had a plan and that’s what every man should have, whether or not he has a family. As women, we have so many systems that groom us for the household and how to be “good wives” like the dreaded kitchen parties and all, but there is not much that is there for men. There is the assumption that the man will know what to do. My mum mentioned the other day that there is this sudden generation of men that don’t have proper knowledge on how to manage their lives, how to plan for the family, and how to manage finances and as a result cannot take up the role as the head of the family. Without a good leader, a team, no matter how good the team members may be redundant. I just pray for a new generation of Godly men that plan accordingly for their families, thus allowing the family members to flourish without hesitation.

Random

I attended a Woman Excel conference, which by the way, I was a bit reluctant to do, as I thought it would be just another gathering for rich women to make us budding entrepreneurs feel inadequate. This conference has actually changed the way I think and the way I do things. So I had to blog about it to share some of the random thoughts that I jotted down throughout the conference. Please note these are random things that I jotted down. The first speaker was Shereen Shereni (Zimbabwean) from Coca Cola, Kenya. She emphasised that when people come into your space, they have to adhere to your rules, so that you don’t bend over backwards too much and you remain on top of the situation. We all encounter problems but some problems will never be solved, but you have to just make a decision about them. Instead of focussing on problem solving, build on strengths and talents to initiate growth. Any gifting is an area of joy and joy is a weapon of warfare. Christianity is not an excuse for lack of performance. Perform well in whatever area of giftedness you have. She ended with profound words from Aristotle, “ We are what we repeatedly do, therefore excellence is not an act but a habit. The next speaker was Tsitsi Masiyiwa, Capernaunn Trust and wife to Strive Masiyiwa. What stuck in my head was the fact that the key to drive change is through the spirit because we are spirit beings in a body. We change things in the realm of the spirit. Business is a means to an end. God creates opportunity for us to get into business so that we use whatever platform that we can to share His goodness. Businesses are established so that the church of God is empowered. Success is planned, it doesn’t just happen. Our own Minister Dr. Olivia Muchena also had a few words to share. She urged women to seek, know and understand the Zimbabwean economy so that we can identify and exploit gaps. She emphasised how unique Zimbabweans are and urged us to seek what our comparative advantage is. She also emphasised the need to have masses of women in decision making positions. Her presentation left a question in my mind; what can we do about our resources locally and how can they empower us? The last and most anticipated speaker, but certainly not the least was Dr. Cindy Trimm from the USA, an anointed woman of God. Without wasting time, she hammered on the importance of discovering your purpose. Why live as a copy of someone else when you can be your original? The only one qualified to be me is me! She also echoed Tsitsi’s sentiments that once you understand the spirit realm, then you can revolutionise the nation. Walk away from the common to be uncommon. Aloneness is different from loneliness. Aloneness is the absence of a person and loneliness is the absence of a purpose. Your thoughts are the primary conduit. Your thoughts are the primary conduit to manifestation so change the condition of your thoughts because you are one thought away from living your destiny. What you speak, you give permission to exist. Your history does not have to be your destiny and destiny is connected to decision making. Do not lie about your capabilities. That is why some are stuck in the situations that they are in. Ask the right questions to get the right answers. Poverty is not lack of money but lack of access to information...did you hear that? Poverty is not lack of money but lack of access to information. Money does not rule the world, information does. Financial wealth is about access. The soul prospers by information from the word. My definition of success has changed as she defined success as fulfilment of your purpose! If God is going to prosper you he has to introduce you to a problem. A problem is a divine announcement that bigger things are coming. Your life will resemble those you assemble. Change your relationships to change your life. Faith is heaven’s currency and can be exchanged for anything you want. On mentorship she said people can never take you where they have never been themselves. Identify people who are where you want to go, and follow suit. Are we ready to be self sufficient? Are you self sufficient? Many women are not ready to leave an abusive relationship because they are not self sufficient. Whether you have a man or not, just be self sufficient. The bottom line is, whatever God has provided for you, it is enough. This is the first conference I have attended in a long time (if ever) that has targeted the issues I have been longing to be addressed. From the panel itself, this was very appropriate. They wove issues of God and applied them to practical business settings and it hit home because these were women’s experiences. So instead of me being jealous of these rich, successful women, i now understand why they are where they are and what it took to get there. What was more profound for me was that earlier that week, before my I got the invitation to go the conference, I had prayed to God asking how best to restructure my business for maximum profitability, and bamm! This conference was the answer. I hope you have learnt a thing or two as I obviously couldn’t write all that I learnt, and please note, this was only day one!!!

Ain't nothing going on but the rent!

I am really getting fond of this talk show I have recently started following called Life with Thami on SABC 3. At first I thought it was quite the cheesy show, but after a few episodes, I think I am sold. So about 2 weeks back they were talking about financial planning as an individual as well as in marriage, and even had experts from Old Mutual South Africa to explain a few concepts. For me that was the most basic and enlightening formula on how to manage your finances as a young person starting out or as a young couple starting out and merging 2 different upbringings and money management systems to become one. I was relieved to note that even in South Africa, people generally do not like to confront their financial status honestly because they do not understand, or don’t have the skills and knowledge of how to maximise the little resources that they earn, just as is the case here in Zimbabwe. Once you mention financials, people get scared and think it’s something so complicated. What changed my whole perception of money management is when I came across the idea that the way you handle $1.00 is exactly the same way that you would handle a million dollars. I have realised that amongst many of my peers, investing in the future has become more of a luxury than a necessity. Things are so hard and one is so busy trying to live from day to day, that even saving something for a rainy day seems next to impossible. But the biggest question is how then do you plan and put money aside that you really don’t have? And why keep money aside, and not live in the moment to settle the needs of today, and just take every day as it comes? The expert from Old Mutual quickly interjected and highlighted that investing in the future is actually more important than the now. He gave a few tips that in a marriage setup, communication lines need to be very transparent with regards to income of both parties, and in the event that there is none, immediate action should be taken to ensure that there is some form of income and you build on it with time. For you to plan for money there has to be an income. Finances are the number 1 cause of breakdown in marriage. The next step is then to manage your finances by living within your means. He also agreed that things are generally more difficult than before and I would even add that in Zimbabwe, our cash economy and the crazy Zim dollar era has made most of us neglect simple financial practices because cash was always easily at hand and has even had an impact on our spending habits. Our random economy made it difficult to save because you would wake up and the banks are closed, laws have changed or something like that so many resorted to keeping money under the bed, and a few clever ones, in assets. He then went on to explain the components of a financial plan that should be everyone’s best friend. 1. Financial management – this is the day to day use of your money. How much do you earn versus how much do you spend? How are you managing your debts and what systems do you put in place to manage debt? To plan for this it is important therefore to budget your income and stick to that budget. Manage all current debt and avoid similar situations in the future. In a marriage, communicate about debts so that you can plan together on how to eliminate it. 2. Risk- this is one area that many people overlook. If you plan for risk, you save yourself more money than you would if you hadn’t made a provision for a rainy day. What plans do you have for your family’s health? In the event of a death, do you have a policy? Are your assets insured? Taking daily steps to ensure that these things are in place could put you right under the umbrella in the event of a rainy day! 3. Investment- no matter how much you earn, put a little aside to invest in something that will bring you some form of a return; money that can come in when you don’t even lift a finger. Make it a point not to spend this money, but continue re-investing. If need be, you could then use the profit of your profit to cover other components of your financial plan. 4. Estate – what plans are you making to ensure that you have an estate? Eventually one has to own an estate to be able to pass it down to their children. No matter what stage in life you are, there should be a clear plan for this and every day’s action contributes to the outcome. 5. Tax – no point in running away from taxes because when they catch up with you, it will not be pretty. Always make sure you pay your taxes and make sure you are on the right side of the law. 6. Retirement – we are not going to work forever. Plans have to be made so that when we decide to retire, we are comfortable and are not a burden on our children. I was really enlightened by these few tips and am making it a point to distribute the little that I earn to ensure that the different areas of my financial plan are taken care of. In the long run, this might actually turn out to be very profitable. Remember, $1.00 and $1 million, no difference!!