Setting the stage for small business is key to the future success of our economy
Thomas Edison said that ‘Genius is 1 percent inspiration, and 99 percent perspiration.’ This is a really summation of what is needed when running a small business, a good idea is one thing, but making it work and into a viable business is no easy task. Like most things in life, there is sunshine and then there is rain, weathering these economic storms forms a big part of surviving as an entrepreneur. The Small Business Institute claims that 98,5% of the country’s economy is made up of SMEs, but this sector only employs 28% of all jobs. With a 2030 goal of small business creating 90% of jobs, there is much work to be done. In Africa, they say it takes a village to raise a child, this proverb, which means that it takes an entire community of different people interacting for a child to experience and grow in a safe environment, really lends itself to what is needed to grow local small businesses. As a collective, we should look to help each other succeed and grow. Locally, SBI says that small businesses operate in a fragile economy with as many as 70% failing within the first two years of operation. Not only is there lots of work to be done by the Government, but as a sector, I think SMEs should look to better support each other and work to improve the overall success rate of entrepreneurs. 2019 is my 16th year as a self- employed GinjaNinjaPR and not a day goes by that I don’t consider the immense risks associated with working for myself. I have trained my mind to simply not fixate on the reality, rather focusing my energy on my passion for PR and making a big difference in smaller businesses. I still believe in what I do and I especially pride myself on setting a stellar example for my daughters. I want them to grow into entrepreneurs, one who is 15, is on her way already. If I succeed, if we make the environment more viable for small business, we are effectively setting the stage for the future. It’s not just about making it now, really it’s about creating sustainability for decades to come.