Edwin jr

Had an amazing time live on ZAMCOM Radio 100.1 FM today around 16hrs. It was such an insightful conversation about Financial management and planing...

TRUELY humble by the invitation to share thoughts with such bright minds.

Thank you for having Latola Financial Services Limited.

But kwena

The Consultant Who Charged Champagne Prices for Tap Water

When Charles and Melissa decided to launch their dream business — a small bakery with a coffee corner — they knew they needed a professional to handle the registration, licensing, and business development paperwork. They wanted to focus on recipes, not red tape.

That’s when they met Mr. Kazhumbulu, “Business Development Consultant Extraordinaire” — at least that’s what he called himself. He arrived at the meeting wearing a shiny suit two sizes too big, carrying a fake leather briefcase, and speaking in big words that sounded like he swallowed a dictionary but only halfway digested it.

“I can set up your business from scratch, obtain all necessary licenses, develop your business model, and create investor-ready documentation in a mere three weeks,” he declared, sipping the cappuccino they had bought him.

“How much?” Charles asked.

“Ah, my friend, you cannot put a price on expertise… but in this case, the fee is K105,000 my good boss. A small price to pay for my gold-standard service.”

Melissa glanced at Charles. They didn’t know much about the process, but his confidence was intoxicating — like the smell of fresh bread at 6 a.m. They paid.

The Waiting Game

Week three came and went. Then week five. Then week nine. Each time they called him, he had a story ready:

“The ministry has suspended all operations temporarily because they are fumigating the building for snakes.”

“The Director General is attending a wedding in Botswana.”

“I am still waiting for the golden stamp of approval — without it, your documents are incomplete.”

Charles started to suspect that “golden stamp” was just him using a gold ink pad in his living room.

The Receipt Mystery

Melissa, being the curious type, asked if they could have the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) receipts for the licenses and registrations.

Mr. Kazhumbulu leaned in, lowered his voice, and whispered,

“Ah… GRZ receipts are dangerous to keep. If someone finds them, they can steal your business.”

In reality, he simply didn’t want them to know that a license costing K350 was being billed to them for K2,500.

The ‘Extra’ Services

He convinced them that part of “business development” was hiring him to “train staff in corporate discipline.”

The training? He arrived late, lectured about how Napoleon built his empire, and then made everyone watch him eat a plate of nshima and kapenta. He called it team bonding.

The Breaking Point

Four months in, they still didn’t have a trading license. The business name was registered incorrectly — “Sweet Buns & Coffe” (yes, without the last ‘e’), and the “investor-ready” business plan was a 4-page Word document in Comic Sans font with clipart coffee cups.

They had enough.

The Latola Rescue

Melissa’s cousin told them about Latola Financial Services Limited. Within two weeks, Latola had:

Corrected the business name.

Provided all GRZ receipts transparently.

Drafted a proper business model.

Created a clean, legal partnership agreement.

Guided them step-by-step on proper compliance.

Charles swore he saw a halo over the consultant’s head at Latola’s office.

Now their bakery is thriving, and they tell everyone:

“If you want your business done right, don’t hire a consultant who talks like a TED Talk but works like a snail. Call Latola Financial Services instead.”

Get a free consultation today: https://latolafinance.com/inquiries/

Wezi Mhone Let's push for

Let the girl child find peace
We are just a law away..