More than 1,000 online business operators have benefited from a special seminar organized by CRDB Bank seeking to build their entrepreneurship skills as well as mitigating cyber risks.

The training was organized both physically and online from the bank’s headquarters in Dar es Salaam yesterday.

“When my friend encouraged me to apply, I had worries at first. But when I saw CRDB Bank, I became confident. The training has become beneficial to me, and I wish they could extend it for more days or host more seminar of this kind,” said Zuhura Mohammed, one of the seminar attendee.

Some of the presentations included on where and how to ease sourcing of products, specifically outside the country and importance of formalizing online businesses in order to get recognitions from top organisations.

One of the discussants, Jackline Walper gave an experience about her online business by encouraging her fellow entrepreneurs to consider the market needs, rather than things they would love to do.

“It is important to differentiate yourself in market, but the most important factor is the market needs. If you have 1 million followers of whom you can sell products to the each month, you will be a different person in just short period. Most of us want to sell things we love most, which sometimes do not consider what the followers need,” she said.

She said as a lover of fashion, she started selling clothes, but it was loss making business until she turned into cosmetics and found as most promising.

Explaining on how to order goods outside the country, Silent Ocean marketing manager Mohammed Kamilagwa said their operations in China, Dubai, US, India and UK has smoothed business transactions for many Tanzanians by reducing the time of receiving ordered products.

“To import a product from India, it needs 18 days unless there is a challenge. If the product arrives in the country and an importer has no money, we collaborate with CRDB Bank to facilitate a financing scheme of up to 150m/-,” he said.

Speaking during the opening of the seminar, Boma Rabala, the chief commercial officer, CRDB Bank, said online businesses has a long history since 1970s when people started with email marketing, before 2000 when many companies started to reach out customers through short messages services (sms marketing).

“Today, each of you understands that online platforms are not only for selling, but also a complete business. Although online businesses started to shine in early 1980s, when Boston Computer Exchange allowed person to sell their used computers online, but things advanced further in recent years. Today, there are thousands of Tanzanians conducting online businesses, which need great care to ensure the protection of capital and increase customers to expand businesses,” he said.

Muhumulizwa Buberwa, the  Dar es Salaam zonal manager, CRDB Bank said the bank has a lot of financing opportunities for businesses operators.