As I took a solitary stroll, I pondered on why we are building our businesses the way we are; why we do what we do the way we do and what could be the cause.
Then it dawned on me that we are all victims of a system. A system designed to keep us small & disenfranchised.
Our parents were victims of this system,they couldn’t do anything about it, so they set us on the same trail of “well that’s how it has always been, so just do same & you’ll be alright”.
The victory of this system is not keeping us small but it’s ability to make us think small & feed us a false perception of ourselves & our abilities. We are constantly being told not to aim high. “Just do it small, you’ll be just fine”. Or “you are too young to do this, to think this way or attempt this.”
So we all think along one line, you become too scared to try out other options or possibilities because people will look at you weirdly or think of you as a misfit.
This mindset is what we’ve all carried into our businesses. They tell you it’s outrageous that you start aiming for a global market, just focus on your local market, just focus on those within your reach.
So we design our businesses to meet the local standards, the system through it machineries (government, parents, friends, peers, mentors, competition, critics, etc) tell you it’s okay to think & do small.
They tell you how much are you making, that you want to try this or do that. “It’s not for people like you or wait till you get to a certain age before you think or do something like this.”
The system has successfully made us to think in a linear perspective that’s why innovation is lacking. “Me too” is rampant. They tell you it’s okay to just get a good lifestyle. Don’t bother about any other thing as long as you can drive a nice car, buy or build a fancy house, fly to luxurious destinations, be famous, etc.
So we are always on the move searching for where the money is.
Is it hotel business? We are in. Is it make-up? We are in. Is it boutique? We are in. Is it baking? We flock there. Is it Bitcoin? We are in. Is it Forex? We are in. So we just stay small as long as we have the good comfortable life.
All of this and more has contributed to why we build our businesses the way we do.
Africa is a blessed continent loaded with opportunities resources & human capital. What we need are hyper-growth Entrepreneurs.
According to Vusi Thembekwayo, this class of Entrepreneurs are rare. Entrepreneurs who are hungry & ravenous about high growth; who are deliberate about every move, every structure, every motion, every investment.
Even though they start small, they build global style. They are more conscious of building right than how much they are making to maintain a lifestyle. Their eyes are red & focused on infusing growth hacks because they seek transformation & results.
Secondly, we need businesses that are built with a philosophy. The moment there’s a philosophy behind why you are building your business, it will influence the way you go about it.
At EconNect Africa, our philosophy is that “we are driving a revolution as regards how the average African does business. The revolution of African entrepreneurship.”
This philosophy has influenced everything we do, from our model to our events, programs, products & even services. It even determined our organisational structure & corporate culture.
Global brands like Apple, Nike, CocaCola, Google, etc are all built around philosophies.
The average white kid is raised with the mindset to build a product for the world but the African child is raised to get a job or if he wants sell, he should sell to his village people & neighboring community.
To sum up, we have to break the influence of this system. Else, we will be doing the next generation a great disservice.
It’s time to build business right.
Let’s arise to true Entrepreneurship!
Let’s keep building. Together, we grow Africa!
About the Contributor:
Conqueror Conqueror is a Business Strategist, Coach & Trainer with several years of entrepreneurial experience. He is the Founder/Team Lead of EconNect Africa, an entrepreneurship education & training, business advisory & research firm. He is also the host of the annual event, The Entrepreneur Conference. As a Business Speaker, he brings a different flair to the Entrepreneurial/Business conversation. His keynotes are loaded with modern tools, concepts and strategies. He is also the Cofounder of The Palace, a jewelry & accessories brand.