Starting a Virtual Tour Business in Africa Where Nobody Knows What It Is

Hello

I am planning to start a virtual tour business in my country, but I realised there is a big challenge. Most people here do not know what a virtual tour is. The term just is not used. I have seen that in places where Google Street View is common, people understand the concept instantly. But in my country, we do not even have GSV, so the whole idea feels completely foreign to most people.

The easiest way I found to explain it is by saying, “It is like Google Street View,” but because people here are not familiar with that either, I always have to show an example before they understand. Once they see it, they get it and usually think it is a cool idea, but getting them to that point takes effort.

The market here is basically untouched, which is why I think it could be a great opportunity to get in and “start the virtual tour revolution” (sounds dramatic, I know). But at the same time, I am nervous because I have no clue if it will catch on.

Right now, I have four clients lined up who want virtual tours for their businesses. They are mostly people I know personally, and they are a bit more tech-savvy, so they understood what it is without me having to explain too much. But I have not bought a 360° camera or chosen software yet because I am hesitant to spend $500–$1000 on this if it ends up not going anywhere.

The real challenge is not finding clients. It is figuring out how to explain to people why they should even care about virtual tours. I cannot just walk into offices or cold call people and expect them to immediately get it. It feels like I need to educate people first, but I do not really know how to do that.

So yeah any tips on how to approach this? How do I create interest in virtual tours when most people do not even know what they are? I want to give this a shot, but I am worried it might flop if I cannot get people to see the value.

Would love to hear your thoughts