Challenges in Flea markets Business

Managing a business is not easy. Many people struggle on how to manage their day to day businesses. Business women in flea markets are among those who are facing challenges in business management.

pic: a sign of lack of customers  in Skytop flea market.

Business women in flea markets face challenge on how to mange their businesses and also on maintaining good image about themselves.

Most business women are seen as unprofessional people. This put them to a level of people who are not suitable for business making.

Women in flea markets are viewed as people who are less educated and who survive through selling clothes their clothes to educated people.

According to many women in flea markets, the public view them as dull people who spend most of the day bursting for sun. The public is creating a bad image about those people.

Business women expressed that they can survive better than professionals. They can earn monthly payment of a civil servant in Zimbabwe in one week time.

People should look at them as thinkers, as they can manage to survive under this collapsing economy.

Women in flea markets said that sometimes being a business women is driven by challenges you will be facing in life. They cited that some of them are widows, some have divorced and some have been left by their husbands for no apparent reason.

Some business women added that it is of their interest to be business women and not depend on any one else. They said flea markets empower them to be independent.

As women in business they need support from the public and also from the government. They need to be empowered.

Women in business complain of duties charged to them at Zimbabwe Beitbridge boarder as this always brings loss to their business.



Business during weekends.

Women in flea markets experience large number of buyers during weekends. The business goes at a fast rate during weekends as many people will be not at work.

People are attracted buy the cheaper price of clothes in flea markets. Their prices are much cheaper as compared to those of big shops such as those at Edgars and Jet.

Egodini

Flea markets are preferable as people can negotiate the price of clothes with the sellers. Thus why many people go there during weekends to buy cheap clothes. The price of those clothes is rated from US$1 and above.

During weekends, business women display their clothes at Large city hall to be sold to the public. The place has been given a name "Khothama". People go there to buy clothes which will be packed in piles so that everyone get a look on them.

Most of those clothes are old bought from Zambia and Mozambique known as "Amabhele". The public find these clothes as original and of qualitty material. 

flea market at Egodini

Business women in Flea markets expect their business to be at a faster speed during weekeds. They look forward gaining as they are to pay rent just for displaying clothes for a day. They expect no loss.

Customers buy clothes at "Khothama" because they are preferable cheap to them. They dont even mind that those clothes have been worn by other people who they do not know.

large city hall

Profit making bring all happiness to a life of a business women when they go home with pockets full of money. Loss brings all the sadness as it will be difficult for them to manage a living under this melting economy.

Flea Markets : Business of today

flea market display

Melting economy has forced many women to rely on flea markets businesses. Many shops at flea markets are owned by women. Women in Bulawayo are now surviving under flea markets as businesses of today.

Flea markets are seen as better businesses. Women work up early like every professional individual to go and open up their selling.

Mostly at 7 am women will be busy displaying their staff to be sold in their small shops. The clothes are displayed in a way to attract customers who will be up to work.

women in business at the flea markets

A busy women makes sure that she displays her staff early.

The set up of a flea market stall is similar to that of large shops. Individuals try to display the way big shops do their displaying.

Clothes are displayed according to sex. Female clothes are set on their side and male clothes also are set on their own side. This help attracting the passing by customers. School uniforms are also displayed on their side.

The displaying is seen as the way of attracting customers. The problem is that every person is given a small space to occupy then it becomes difficult for a business women to display the way she likes.

Sometimes the customers are being called when they are passing by. Failure to call customers may affect the business.Many people buy in the morning and evening.Most of flea markets close at 5pm

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Flea markets are better businesses

Flea markets have been expressed as better businesses in Bulawayo. Women said their lives depends on flea markets.They sell clothes to the public in order for them to survive.

flea market at Egodini

Flea markets are all over the city of Bulawayo. They have been seen as the source of income for women. Women in nowadays are earning a living through selling different types of goods.

Women have seen flea markets as a day to day business. They usually buy clothes from foreign countries such as south Africa, Zambia and Mozambique. They buy all the top fashion clothes to sell them to Bulawayo people.

In flea markets they usually sell women's fashion, clothes for kids and men. Business in flea markets go fast during weekends. They usually sell their clothes at large City hall, where it has been nicknamed as khothama in Ndebele language.

At the large city hall they usually sell both new and old clothes. Lot of people go during weekends to buy clothes.Women survive through this business as they manage to pay their children fees, pay rent, and buy food.

Through this difficult economy women manage to survive. There are challenges which they are facing as they have to pay stands and sometimes the people responsible for managing their business.

Flea markets are the easy businesses to manage. There is no much work after buying your staff. The only thing important to do is to be able to attract as many customers as you can.

Woman in flea markets

Economic situation in Zimbabwe has affected everyone. People have been left jobless. It has been difficult to earn a living, especially for women. Due to our collapsing economy a large number of women started their own businesses in order to earn a living.Much will be posted on business women in Bulawayo.

skyrop market.sign of lack of customers. pic by patie

There are different places which give stands to flea Market business women of today. Such places include those in town and high density suburbs.

A business women of today should know the suitable area for her to locate her market so as to keep her business going all the time. Area for a suitable market is the one where there are many people. For example a place were people board for buses.

Places for suitable Flea Markets may include  may include complexes because it is a place where many people go there for shopping.

The environment for a flea market should be suitable and comfortable for customers to travel in it. It should not be a dirty place because customers will not be attracted at all even though the clothes are of fashion style and cheap.

Business considers knowing your target audience so as to succeed. Before starting a business one should motivate herself and be able to meet whatever challenges that come in their ways as a stumbling block.

If the business is intelligently managed one can be able to make large amount and be able to live a luxurious life in the context of collapsing economy.

Flea market business can be started by anyone who is willing to make a successful life.