Our DiasporaConnect program gives Cameroonians in the diaspora the opportunity to start a new business in Cameroon, or run their existing business more efficiently. Any Cameroonian who starts a new business in Cameroon can make a good profit for themselves, while also creating jobs for young people.

The Myth: Most Cameroonians in the Diaspora have a horror story about how they have tried to start a business in Cameroon, only for their trusted family member to ruin it. Many of these same people have seen companies like McDonalds restaurants, basically being run by teenagers. Do you really think that teenagers in the USA are more trustworthy than Cameroonians? Some Cameroonians in the Diaspora own Sandwich shops, Dollar stores and many other small businesses, which run efficiently in their absence.

Secondly there are many banks and gas stations running efficiently in Cameroon with absentee owners.

The question is: how come these companies are run by “untrustworthy” people? The answer is simple. The banks and gas station owners in Cameroon; the McDonald restaurant owners in the USA have one thing in common: THEY HAVE A SYSTEM.

Our DiasporaConnect program gives Cameroonians in the Diaspora a chance to start a business with A SYSTEM IN PLACE to make it run efficiently and be profitable. We will provide you with office space AND internet connection for 3-6 months, so that you can flesh out your business.

How it Works:

Step 1: You submit a written application to participate in the DiasporaConnect with a specific business project. Your business must have a plan, goals AND verifiable milestones.

Step 2: 237SPACES will evaluate your application and approve or deny it

Step 3: You will be given dedicated space  (1-2 desks max) at 237SPACES for your team to work. You must bring your own Laptop to the office. Your team will be able to work in the space for 3 months.

Step 4: Your team starts work in Bamenda, collaborating with you in the Diaspora using Skype, email, instant messaging etc.

Step 5: Your team submits monthly reports about your project’s progress.

Step 6: Your team is expected to move into your own office space after 3 months. You may apply for a one-time 3 month extension. 237SPACES will review applications for extension on a case by case basis. Our goal is to get many teams in and out of 237SPACES successfully.

How much does the DiasporaConnect program cost? It’s free for the first 3 months.

What are the requirements? You must have a good business project and your own laptop(s). We will provide you with office space and internet connection. We also have a projector for your presentations.

Will 237SPACES help me recruit my team members? Yes the DiasporaConnect program will help you find a techie or business school graduate.

What types of projects can my team members work on? 

1. Information technology professionals: We encourage IT professionals to build a team with young web programmers in Cameroon to do coding tasks for their projects. This will give the young programmer in Cameroon the opportunity to understand how to develop a large project. You, based in Europe or the USA, can really grow your consulting business this way.
2. Lawyers: We encourage lawyers based in the USA and Europe to use the talent (law faculty graduates form Buea and Yaounde) to do case law research for them, patent and copyright research, and many other time-consuming tasks that you don’t have to do personally. Smart lawyers in the USA are already using these services to cut down their weekly work hours from 80 to less than 40.
3. Architects and industrial designers: You can design your project in Cameroon using AutoCARD. We have a German-trained AUTOCARD expert ready to guide you.
4. Doctors and Dentists: Many of your backoffice services can be done in Cameroon now.
5. Journalists: Well-trained graduates in Cameroon to develop content for you.
6. Anyone in Academics: So you have been thinking about writing a book, but don’t have the time to do it? Let graduates in Cameroon do the research for you. You do the editing, publish the book as first author and then include the guys in Cameroon as contributors. This is a win-win situation. Everyone will come out proud. You will be a proud book author, and the guy in Cameroon will be a proud book chapter contributor.
7. All Small Business Owners: Many of your backoffice functions can be done in Cameroon at very low cost, even less than what the Indians charge. Your team in Cameroon can do billing and invoicing, market competition research, marketing, customer email follow up etc. This will save you time to do what you do best, serve more customers, grow your business and work less hours! Your family will appreciate it.
8. You can develop your own “Facebook, twitter ” etc for Cameroon and make a huge profit. The sky is the limit.