LEST WE FORGET THE ROOTS

Do not be fascinated by the fragrant petals and forget to water the roots underground. If the roots die, the petals will not last a day longer. Huge corporates are revered and the titans behind their very existence described as enigmas, distinct from the average mortals.
This however cannot be dismissed as fanaticism for the wealthy class but just as they say, we must honour the fore runners of the trail we are bracing for. That said, let’s shift focus to the bottom of the pyramid where the real ant business is happening. The small business owners are in this battalion that is the base of the economic pyramid. Every day, start-ups are mushrooming around us.  If it’s not an M-Pesa agent, then it’s a green grocery or an eatery joint in the open air. Ever wondered what the world would be like without these random businesses happening around us? May be there would be no corporates since most of them morph from these small startups.
Another possibility is that, we would have the facades of corporates, in the major towns, and no one outside our residences to meet our urgent need of a service or a commodity. That is why a good environment for their growth is critical. We need to take note of the incapacitating bug among these micro and small enterprises that can chock them after sprouting or kill the entrepreneurial seeds before they are even planted.
Consequently, the financial inclusion mantra is a critical jab against the death of micro and small enterprises which have been patching up the tear of unemployment in Kenya. The few organisations that have opened arms to these small scale entrepreneurs are the lifeline of a stable economy. In this issue we cite one such facility, whose major calling is to provide a ladder for these enterprises by advancing them affordable credit and inculcating in them skills that enable them weather various storms and record stellar growth.

george.gichuki@biasharaleo.co.ke