Disclaimer: The thoughts, opinions and suggestions expressed in this article are my own and based solely on personal experience.

Nothing comes easy when you move to a new city.

In Addis Ababa, this is especially true.

Even the basics take time.

For those thinking of starting a business, the challenges can feel almost too impossible to overcome.

Unless you do your homework first.

When I first took a stab at running a business in Addis, I was naive.

Very naive.

It’s a miracle that I didn’t get swallowed up in the hole I saw others fall into.

That didn’t mean I didn’t suffer.

If I knew then what I know now, I could have saved myself a lot of headache.

Lease, Don’t Rent