Opening a business involves a hundred decisions, and technology is often left until the week before opening. That is when the wrong router gets bought, the website is registered in the developer's name, and the till network ends up on the customer Wi-Fi. Fixing these later costs more than getting...
Opening a business involves a hundred decisions, and technology is often left until the week before opening. That is when the wrong router gets bought, the website is registered in the developer's name, and the till network ends up on the customer Wi-Fi. Fixing these later costs more than getting them right at the start.
This checklist is for anyone opening a shop, restaurant, office, guesthouse, clinic or agency in Zanzibar. It covers what to set up, in what order, and what to watch for locally.
Register your domain (for example a .co.tz or .com) in the business's name, with an email address you control as the contact. Many businesses discover years later that the domain belongs to a former web developer.
Use business email on your own domain, not a free webmail address. Set up the DNS records that stop your mail being marked as spam or forged: MX (where mail is delivered), SPF (which servers may send for you), DKIM (a signature on outgoing mail) and DMARC (what receivers should do with mail that fails those checks). If mail goes missing later, see Business Email Not Sending or Receiving.
Start with a simple, fast site that shows what you do, where you are, opening hours, and how to contact you, including a WhatsApp link. Make sure you own the content and the hosting account. What a Website Costs in Tanzania explains the options, and the website launch checklist helps before you go live.
In Tanzania, businesses that supply goods or services are generally required to issue fiscal receipts using an approved Electronic Fiscal Device (EFD) or Virtual Fiscal Device (VFD), a cloud-based system that records sales electronically. These must come from a supplier approved by the Tanzania Revenue Authority. The TRA explains what EFD/VFD are and lists approved suppliers on its EFD/VFD Suppliers page.
Whether and how this applies to your business depends on your registration and turnover, and Zanzibar also has its own revenue authority for some taxes. Confirm your obligations with a tax adviser or the revenue authority before you open. If your POS can integrate with a VFD, it saves entering each sale twice.
Note Extrion is not a tax adviser and this is not tax advice. Requirements change; check the official sources.
Follow the 3-2-1 idea: three copies of important data, on two different types of storage, with one copy off site (for example in the cloud). Back up accounts, customer records, POS data and documents automatically, and test a restore at least once. See backup and disaster recovery.
Run through the cybersecurity checklist once you are set up.
Cover the entrance, the till, the stock room and the outside. Keep the recorder locked away and on a UPS, and set up remote viewing safely without opening router ports. Security for Shops and Offices goes into detail.
Warning Do not overload sockets or extension leads, and never work on the mains supply yourself. Use a qualified electrician.
Domain and email in your name, internet with backup, business router with separate networks, POS and mobile-money payments, EFD/VFD in place if required, UPS on key equipment, basic CCTV, strong passwords and MFA.
Website live, automatic backups tested, staff accounts and training, alarm or access control if needed.
Better Wi-Fi coverage, more cameras, systems that integrate (POS with accounts and stock), a maintenance arrangement.
Not sure where you are? Take the digital readiness quiz, or plan costs with the IT budget planner.
The RANS Company Limited office shows a full office setup Extrion delivered: LAN, fibre, CCTV, IT systems and business applications, systems integration and technology support.
The domain and email in your name, internet, and the router with separate networks. Everything else depends on them.
A website is something you own and control, and it gives your business email credibility. Social media accounts can be suspended or lost.
If you take payments or bookings online, yes. A 4G backup is usually inexpensive compared to a day without sales.
Use a supplier approved by the TRA; their list is on the TRA website. Extrion can help connect your network and POS around it.
It depends on size and type. The IT budget planner gives a starting estimate, and we can give a quote for your site.
If you are opening a business and want the technology done properly from the start, Extrion can plan and install it in one go. See our IT management services or contact us.
This guide is general information to help you plan. Prices, product features and regulations change, so confirm the details for your own site before you buy.
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