People ask Brian Mlambo this expecting a number. There isn't one — but he can tell you what actually determines it, because he's started businesses with almost nothing and helped founders in his network raise over $5 million.
Most businesses need less than you think
Every business Brian has started — going back to selling snacks at school in Grade 3 — began with whatever he had, not what he wished he had. The eight businesses he failed at between 2015 and 2018 weren't underfunded. They failed because he didn't yet know how to run a business.
Service businesses can start at near-zero
If you're selling a skill or a service, your first cost is usually your own time. Brian's marketing agency started while he was a UCT student with almost no capital and grew to 16 employees before he'd raised a rand of outside funding.
Product and compliance-heavy businesses need real capital
Businesses like Apex Paper Company, which require inventory, or BidPartner, which requires compliance infrastructure, need more structured capital from day one. Know which category your business falls into before you guess at a number.
Frequently Asked
Yes, particularly service-based businesses where your primary cost is your own time. Product and compliance-heavy businesses typically need more upfront capital.
Not usually. Validate the business first with minimal capital, then raise funding once you have evidence of demand, not before.
Brian Mlambo bootstrapped his businesses, including his marketing agency and the early stages of Akha Ventures Group, without external funding.
Brian coaches a small number of founders directly using the OPERATOR Framework — the same system he uses to run Akha Ventures Group.