The Latest Government COVID-19 Preventive Measures
The Latest Government COVID-19 Preventive Measures
On 13th 0ctober 2021, the government reviewed and issued new COVID-19 preventive measures. The new measures issued will take effect from 14th October and will last till 14th November 2021, where the cabinet will review them upon a health assessment.
Below are the updated government measures.
- Movements are prohibited between 12:00 am and 04:00 am nationwide and all businesses must close by 11 pm.
- Travellers who are fully vaccinated will no longer require quarantining at hotels upon arrival in the country. However, a COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours will be required for all arriving and departing passengers while complying with set health guidelines.
- Public offices will continue with essential staff but not exceeding 75% capacity while other employees continue to work from home.
- Private businesses will continue to operate at full capacity while complying with the set COVID-19 preventive measures.
- Physical conferences and meetings will continue but should not exceed 50% of venue capacity. All participants must present negative COVID-19 test results taken within 72 hours prior to the meeting.
- Public transport (buses) will continue to operate at 75% capacity with strict adherence to the health guidelines (social distancing, open bus windows for proper ventilation, and proper mask-wearing). Motos and bicycles will continue to comply strictly with the health guidelines (disinfecting passenger’s helmets).
- Bars and recreation/entertainment venues shall resume gradually at 50% capacity. All customers should be vaccinated and must possess negative COVID-19 test results taken within 72 hours. The Rwanda Development Board will provide detailed guidelines.
- Tourism will continue with strict adherence to COVID-19 health guidelines. This includes hotels, tour operators, and transport services assisting guests.
- Individual and non-contact sports activities will continue with strict adherence to health guidelines. Gyms and fitness centers will continue progressively while adhering to detailed guidelines from the Ministry of Sports.
- Swimming pools, pools, massage parlours, saunas shall re-open gradually with detailed guidelines from the Rwanda Development Board.
- Events and gatherings, including concerts, festivals, and exhibitions, held in designated or approved venues such as outdoor tents will continue at not more than 50 % capacity. All participants must possess negative COVID 19 test results taken within 72 hours before the event
- Gaming activities shall resume gradually while adhering to detailed guidelines from the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
These measures will be reviewed after a health assessment. For more detailed COVID-19 measures, visit: Office of the Prime Minister
SME RESPONSE CLINIC ANNOUNCES BUILDING BACK HEALTHIER SERIES WITH UPCOMING RADIO SHOW
The SME Response Clinic is pleased to announce that we are launching the Building Back Healthier Series, which focuses on supporting business owners and entrepreneurs with insights to positively impact wellbeing.
The series will launch with a radio show on 18 October at 7:30 pm. Please join us for the discussion, Supporting Entrepreneurs’ Wellbeing during COVID-19, on KT Radio’s Ubyumva Ute? show.
The radio show will feature expert psychologists from the Geruka Healing Center in conversation with entrepreneurs who will share their experiences. Experts will provide insights on best practices on self-care to support day-to-day business operations as well as information on existing support services for individuals experiencing difficulties.
Join us as we work to
- Raise awareness around common wellness issues for entrepreneurs and business owners
- Identify emerging challenges for entrepreneurs and business owners resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic
- Share knowledge and insights to promote personal self-care and wellbeing
- Encourage sharing of knowledge and experiences among entrepreneurs and experts in the wellness community
- Share information on existing support services for individuals experiencing difficulties
Speakers
Dr Vincent Sezibera – Clinical Psychologist & Director, University of Rwanda/Centre for Mental Health
Divine Uwase – CEO & Founder, Sharama Events & Tours
Jeannette Umutoniwase – Founder, Inzira Dreams Network
In need of investment? Here are tips on how to make your business attractive to access the finance you need to grow.
In need of investment? Here are tips on how to make your business attractive to access the finance you need to grow.
Building a successful business from scratch can be challenging. It takes a lot of effort, resilience, and time to move from the idea stage to operating a fully established business. One of the most demanding phases of running a business is when an entrepreneur wants to begin scaling up – and a primary challenge here is financial, having the needed funds. One of the ways to access funding is through investors, and to do this, businesses must demonstrate strong potential. Here are tips on how businesses can do this to be better positioned to attract investment.
- Have clear business goals.
Investors are always interested in what your business will bring to the world and how it generates cash flow. Before appearing in front of investors, ask yourself why your business exists and what purpose it serves. As a business owner, you should be able to summarize this in a couple of sentences and express it clearly to your potential investors. Additionally, present a clear plan on how your business will generate cashflow as money is at the heart of every investment.
- Prioritize and focus on critical business operations.
As a start-up, your business’s success depends on so much more than your big idea. Create a strict priority list to help you determine how you spend key resources such as time and money. This will allow you to focus your attention on important operations so that you can later focus on lower priority operations. Investors are more often interested in entrepreneurs who demonstrate the ability to focus on the most critical aspects of their business.
- Put end users of your product or service first.
Every business’s success depends on its customers. Investors are interested in businesses that can show that they understand their target market and customers. Consider doing a market study to understand pain points, preferences, pricing from competitors, and buying patterns of target customers. This will enable you to create a tailored product or service that will meet customer needs.
- Celebrate the wins, but always keep your eye toward the future.
As a business grows, it is worth keeping in mind that it needs constant nurturing to scale up. Use customer feedback to refine your offers and look for alternative ways to grow. Investigate other markets, competitors, and new customer segments you can tap into. This will enable you to stay competitive, making your business attractive for investment.
- Build a good team for your business.
One of the traits of an investment-worthy business is a good team and the business’s ability to retain it. Investors will examine not just your offer and business model but also the effectiveness of those employed by your business. Investors are more drawn to businesses with good teams because it breeds confidence that you will make good returns for them.
- Choose investors carefully.
Assess your potential investors before approaching them for funding. It is as critical for the entrepreneur to choose the right investor as it is for the investor to select the right entrepreneur. Therefore, determine whether the investor is the right fit and can add value to your business. To assess your investor, consider looking at things like their network and other businesses they are investing in. Additionally, ask your potential investor about their expectations and how they plan to add value to your business.
Establishing your business as an investment-worthy venture can help you access needed funding to scale up your business. Consider implementing these tips, and feel free to share with us any additional tips you think can be helpful via this email: musa.kacheche@consumercentrix.ch.
The SME Response Clinic is pleased to announce Building Back Healthier, a series on wellbeing for entrepreneurs.
The SME Response Clinic is pleased to announce Building Back Healthier, a series on wellbeing for entrepreneurs.
Since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have all faced challenges in our day to day lives. For entrepreneurs, the impacts have been two-fold, affecting businesses as well as personal lives. At the SME Response Clinic, we understand that while Rwanda has allowed businesses to reopen at full capacity and the country has been rolling out vaccines, circumstances are still far from “business as usual.”
The SME Response Clinic acknowledges your resilience in managing your business in the face of the challenges posed by the pandemic, and we would like to support you as you build back better. With that in mind, we’re pleased to introduce the Building Back Healthier Series, a series of radio shows, webinars, interviews, and articles to help you as a business owner and as an individual.
The series will launch with a radio show featuring the topic Building Back Healthier: Supporting Entrepreneurs’ Wellbeing during COVID-19 on 18th October 2021 at 7 pm on KT Radio’s Ubyumva Ute program. It will feature expert psychologists in conversation with entrepreneurs who have faced many of the challenges you have faced. The radio show will be followed by two webinars and interviews with entrepreneurs and experts focused on wellbeing from across different segments, including youth, women, start-ups, and established businesses, so that there is something for everyone.
Evidence shows that positive wellbeing contributes to better decision-making, problem-solving, and innovation, all of which impact a business owner’s bottom line. So, join us as we launch this exciting initiative to support wellbeing for entrepreneurs!
Are you a youth entrepreneur with a solution aimed at adapting to climate change? Apply for the African Youth Adaptation Solutions (YouthADAPT) Challenge today!
Are you a youth entrepreneur with a solution aimed at adapting to climate change? Apply for the African Youth Adaptation Solutions (YouthADAPT) Challenge today!
The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) invite youth entrepreneurs to apply for the African Youth Adaptation Solutions (YouthADAPT) Challenge under the African Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP). The Challenge seeks to inspire and scale solutions focused on helping adapt to ongoing climate change driven by youth entrepreneurs in Africa. Selected applicants will have an opportunity to develop and fully commercialize their businesses via a 12-month accelerator program. Ten winners will be selected, and each will receive a business grant of up to $100,000 to grow their business.
The Challenge is open to solutions (products, services, tools, or ideas) targeted at climate change adaptation and increasing resilience. These solutions must also contribute to raising awareness on climate adaptation among communities. To be eligible for the Challenge, applicants must fulfil the following criteria:
- Youth-led applicants aged between the ages of 18 and 35 years
- Commitment to delivering climate adaptation or resilience solutions addressing real-life challenges
- Legally registered enterprises operating in Africa
- Be able to show company revenues for at least two years
Note: 50% of the enterprises to be supported will be women-owned or women-led.
How to apply
Interested youth enterprises can apply by filling in the form here.
Submission deadline: 06th October 2021.
For more information:
Email: solutionschallenge@gca.org
Visit: https://gca.org/african-youth-adaptation-solutions-challenge-2
Thinking of starting a business or growing your startup but unsure of where to start? Develop a Business Model Canvas
Thinking of starting a business or growing your startup but unsure of where to start? Develop a Business Model Canvas
Are you an entrepreneur thinking of starting a business or a business owner in the startup phase with plans to take your business to the next level? The Business Model Canvas is an entrepreneurial tool that enables you to visualize, design, and reinvent your business model. Developed by Swiss business theorist and author Alexander Osterwalder, the tool can help business owners develop a clear view of their value proposition, operations, customers, and finances. As a small business owner, you can use it to identify how the different components of your business relate to each other. That’s powerful when deciding where you need to focus your time and attention as you start and grow your business.
While business plans can be helpful when starting or growing a business or necessary to obtain financing or investment, the business model canvas can provide entrepreneurs with an easier starting point. Business model canvas is precise and structures business models more quickly than developing a business plan, which can take several months to write.
The canvas includes nine building blocks with main questions for each as follows:
- Key partners —Who are the buyers and suppliers to relate with? What other alliances will help you accomplish core business activities and fulfil your value proposition?
- Key activities—What are the most important actions you must engage in to fulfil your value propositions, strengthen customer relationships, optimize revenue streams, etc.?
- Key resources—What resources do you need to optimize value for your customers and sustain your business?
- Value propositions—What products and services will you offer to meet the needs of your customers? How will your business be different from your competition? What challenges will you solve for your customers?
- Customer relationships—What types of relationships will you forge with your customer segments? What are the relationship expectations of each customer segment?
- Customer segments—What sets of customers will you serve? Which are most important to your business?
- Channels—Through what means will you reach your targeted customers and deliver your products and services to them? Which are most cost-effective?
- Cost structure—What are the essential costs your business will face? Which resources and activities will cost the most?
- Revenue streams—How much will you charge for your products and services? What are customers willing to pay for? How will customers pay?
Embracing the tool can help entrepreneurs easily identify gaps during planning, visualize what is important, and provide context for next steps.
Updated Government COVID-19 Preventive Measures
The Latest Government COVID-19 Preventive Measures
On 22st September 2021, the government reviewed and issued new COVID-19 preventive measures. The new measures issued will take effect from 23rd September and will last till 13th October 2021, where the cabinet will review them upon a health assessment.
Below are the updated government measures.
- Movements are prohibited between 11:00 pm and 04:00 am in the city of Kigali. For the rest of the country, movements are prohibited between 9 pm, and 4 am with businesses closing by 8 pm. However, for districts including Burera, Gicumbi, Kirehe, Ngoma, Nyagatare, Nyamasheke, Nyaruguru and Rwamagana where movements are prohibited between 8 pm and 4 am, and businesses close by 7 pm.
- Public and private offices will continue with essential staff but not exceeding 75% capacity while other employees continue to work from home. Private business also resumed with essential staff not exceeding 75%
- Physical conferences are allowed but should not exceed 50% of venue capacity, and event organizers must comply with all COVID-19 preventive measures, including a negative COVID-19 test results required for all participants taken within 72 hours before the meeting.
- Arriving passengers at the airport must present a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours before departure.
- Public transport will continue to operate at 75% capacity with strict adherence to the health guidelines (social distancing, open bus windows for proper ventilation, and proper mask-wearing). Motos and bicycles will continue to comply strictly with the health guidelines (disinfecting passenger’s helmets).
- Malls and markets will continue to operate with only essential vendors not exceeding 50% capacity of registered traders.
- Tourism will continue with strict adherence to COVID-19 health guidelines. This includes hotels, tour operators, and transport services assisting guests.
- Individual and non-contact sports activities will continue with strict adherence to health guidelines. Gyms and fitness centers will continue progressively while adhering to detailed guidelines from the Ministry of Sports.
- Events and gatherings, including concerts, festivals, and exhibitions, will be held in designated or approved venues such as outdoor tents will continue. All participants must be vaccinated and test possess negative COVID 19 test results taken within 72 hours before the event
- Gaming activities shall resume gradually while adhering to detailed guidelines from the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
These measures will be reviewed after two weeks upon a health assessment. For more detailed COVID-19 measures, visit: Office of the Prime Minister
Are you interested in selling online? Register for the virtual e-commerce forum from ECOM Africa!
Are you interested in selling online? Register for the virtual e-commerce forum from ECOM Africa!
Join ECOM Africa on September 21, 2021 to learn how to start or improve your online sales. Through the forum, businesses who are not yet conducting operations online will benefit from insights on ways to break into e-Commerce with lowerupfront costs.
Businesses whose operations are already digital will learn more about online merchandising , selling tools, market outlets, and operational strategies that can improve their existing sales..
The event includes speakers from development partners and diverse companies from East Africa, and will run from 9:30 to 17:30.
To register, visit: ECOMEASTAFRICA
THE SME Response Clinic Partners with KCB Bank
The SME Response Clinic Partners with KCB Bank
The SME Response Clinic has partnered with KCB Bank Rwanda as part of our ongoing efforts to bring entrepreneurs even closer to financial institutions that offer access to finance and non-financial services to meet business needs through COVID-19 and beyond.
Through this partnership, entrepreneurs will have access to timely information on KCB Bank’s financial products as well as non-financial services such as KCB Bank’s Biashara Club, which features preferential offerings, trainings, business workshops, and networking opportunities. Through the partnership, SME Response Clinic visitors will also have a direct line to the institution at +250788140000.
We are excited about the opportunities this partnership can create for your businesses, and we look forward to providing you with regular updates on KCB Bank’s products and services!
SME Response Clinic iri gufatanya na Banki ya KCB
SME Response Clinic yafatanyije na Banki ya KCB Rwanda mu bikorwa byayo bikomeza byo kwegereza ba rwiyemezamirimo ibigo by’imari bitanga serivisi z’imari n’izitari iz’imari kugira ngo babashe gukemura ibibazo bafite muri ibi bihe bya COVID-19 na nyuma yayo.
Binyuze muri ubu bufatanye, ba rwiyemezamirimo bazajya babonera amakuru ku gihe ajyanye n’ibikorwa by’imari bya KCB na serivisi zitari iz’mari z’iyo banki nka Biashara Club itanga serivisi z’indobanure, amahugurwa, inama nyunguranabitekerezo ku bijyanye n’ubucuruzi, n’amahirwe yo guhuza abantu n’abandi. Binyuze muri ubwo bufatanye, abasura SME Response Clinic bazahabwa umurongo wa telefoni bashobora gukoresha mu buryo butaziguye bavugana n’ikigo. Uwo murongo ni: +250788140000.
Tunejejwe n’amahirwe ubu bufatanye bushobora kugeza ku kigo cy’ubucuruzi cyawe kandi tubijeje ko buri gihe tuzajya tubagezaho amakuru mashya ku bijyanye n’ibicuruzwa na serivisi za KCB!
Has it been tough to separate work and home life since the start of the pandemic? Here are tips for small business owners to create healthy boundaries.
Has it been tough to separate work and home life since the start of the pandemic? Here are tips for small business owners to create healthy boundaries.
Since the pandemic started, small businesses have dealt with ongoing disruptions in business activities caused by lockdowns and other preventative measures. For many, operations have gone virtual, which can lead to being online 24/7. These changes have made it hard for many business owners to set boundaries between work and personal life, which is key to a successful business and a sense of well-being.
Here are a few tips to help you set healthy boundaries, which can help keep you energized, motivated, and productive.
- If you are working from a shop or other location, take time to reflect on your way to and from your business. Many business owners have begun walking to and from home to avoid transportation issues and crowding. Use this time well by asking yourself what went well for the day, thinking about any challenges you faced and how you responded to them and planning something to look forward to. This quick reflection can help you stay on top of your business activities, maintain a positive mindset, and avoid worrying about work when you are home.
- If you are working from home, set office hours—schedule breaks for meals and a quick break from your computer or phone. Stretch or take a short walk once every hour or two. These steps can make you less vulnerable to distractions, eliminating wasted time. Exercise and regular meals are also important to a productive mindset.
- Home offices have become inevitable for many, and unfortunately, can lead to feeling like work is taking over your home. To avoid this, create a designated space in your home to work. A small table or desk in a specific spot used just for work can create this sense of physical distance, making it easier to return to your personal life when the work day is done. It will also send a signal to your family that you are working and minimize the likelihood that you are disrupted.
While none of these tips will solve the challenges of achieving a good work-life balance on their own, they are a strong place to start. Let us know how they work for you via this email musakacheche@consumercentrix.ch.
Ese byarakugoye gutandukanya ubuzima bwo ku kazi n’ubuzima bwo mu rugo kuva icyorezo cyatangira? Dore inama zafasha abacuruzi bato gushyiraho imbibi z’ubuzima.
Kuva icyorezo cyatangira, ibigo by’ubucuruzi bito byahanganye n’ibibazo bitarangira byo guhagarika ibikorwa byabyo bitewe n’ingamba za guma mu rugo kimwe n’izindi ngamba zigamije gukumira ikwirakwira ry’icyorezo. Kuri byinshi mu bigo by’ubucuruzi, ibikorwa byabyo byagiye mu ikoranabuhanga, ibyo bigatuma bigomba kuba biri buri gihe ku murongo w’itumanaho amasaha 24 kuri 24 mu cyumweru cyose. Izi mpinduka zatumye bikomerera benshi mu bafite ibikorwa by’ubucuruzi gushyiraho imbibi hagati y’ubuzima bwo ku kazi n’ubuzima bwabo bwite; ibyo bikaba byagombye kuba urufunguzo rutuma ikigo cy’ubucuruzi gikora neza bikanazana umwuka wo kumva umuntu amerewe neza.
Dore zimwe mu nama zagufasha gushyiraho imbibi z’ubuzima bwiza, ibyo bikagufasha guhorana ingoga, gukorana umurava, no gutanga umusaruro.
- Niba ukora mu iduka cyangwa ahandi hantu, fata umwanya wo gutekereza uri mu nzira werekeza cyangwa uva mu bucuruzi bwawe. Benshi mu bacuruzi batangiye kugenda n’amaguru berekeza cyangwa bava mu rugo kugira ngo birinde ibibazo bijyanye no gutwara abantu n’urucucike rw’abantu. Koresha iki gihe neza wibaza ku byagenze neza uwo munsi, utekereza ku ngorane wahuye nazo n’uburyo wazikuyemo kandi unategura ibintu ugomba gutegereza imbere. Ibi bitekerezo by’akanya gato bishobora kugufasha kugumya kugenzura ibikorwa by’ubucuruzi bwawe, ukagumya kugira ibyiringiro bizima, ari nako bikubuza gutekereza cyane ku bibazo bijyanye n’akazi igihe uri mu rugo.
- Niba ukorera mu rugo, shyiraho amasaha y’akazi ko mu biro- teganya ibiruhuko byo gufatiramo amafunguro n’akaruhuko gato uri kure ya mudasobwa yawe cyangwa telefoni yawe. Inanure cyangwa utembere akanya gato nyuma ya buri saha cyangwa y’amasaha 2. Izi ntera zishobora gutuma utarangara bya hato na hato, ukanagabanya n’igihe gipfa ubusa. Imyitozo no gufata amafunguro ahoraho na byo ni ingenzi kugira ngo ubashe kugira ibitekerezo bitanga umusaruro.
- Gukorera mu rugo byahindutse ibintu abantu benshi badashobora kwirinda, kandi noneho ibyo bigatuma abantu bumva ko akazi gasimbura ubuzima bwo mu rugo. Mu rwego rwo kwirinda ibingibi, shyiraho ahantu hihariye ho gukorera. Gushyira akameza gato cyangwa ameza manini ahantu hihariye hagenewe gukorerwa gusa bishobora gutuma umuntu yumva yitaruye, ibyo kandi bikanamufasha kugaruka mu buzima bwe bwite igihe amaze gukora akazi k’umunsi. Ibyo binaha umuryango ikimenyetso cy’uko umuntu ari mu kazi bikanagabanya ibintu byose bishobora kumubuza gukora.
Nubwo ari nta n’imwe muri izi nama zakemura imbogamizi zo kugera ku gipimo gikwiye hagati y’akazi n’ubuzima ubwayo, kuzitabira ni umwanya mwiza wo gutangira. Tumenyeshe uko zikora ku bikwerekeyeho wifashishije iyi imeyili: musakacheche@consumercentrix.ch