There are uncontested markets and territories. Examine the free range-chicken. This bird does not compete for your time. Unlike dogs and cats, you practically do not invest so much time on free-range chickens. In the morning, they leave the house and in the evening, they return. They feed for themselves.
In business, we can be like chickens. That means we can find new markets and opportunities that may not have to compete with the present ones. In other words, we can find virgin areas where we can operate as monopolies because we have pioneered them. When such happens, you are not disrupting anyone even though you are growing revenue.
I want us to consider the need of creating new markets in Africa even when we are not disrupting any firm or sector. It is not always that one has to disrupt, but it is mandatory that one has to create, in order to find growth. My free-range chicken blossomed by finding its own paths and at the same time did not participate in any competition for my time. It used its creativity to survive and grow without disrupting (yes, disturbing) any person. Your company can be like it.
Look at the birds and find new markets. Yes, pioneer that future.
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LinkedIn Comment on Feed
I have SUCH a directly related story to this, it blows me away. EASV (East African Social Ventures) looked into raising Kienyeji – the Swahili name for organic, free range chicken. We realized we’d be competing with small shareholder farmers and that we had a much better opportunity by working these small shareholder farmers. We’re now moving in the direction of mass-produced poultry, which doesn’t compete with the free range producers and by operating our own slaughterhouse and making it available to local small shareholder farmers, we’re able to provide much needed infrastructure and support for their operations.
They get access to safe, clean slaughterhouse and packaging facilities and access to large markets, we make a small amount of each bird, and the entire community is better off for working together. When you look at business opportunities through the dual mindsets of revenue production as well as community development, the possibilities are as endless as they are exciting.
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