I would like to talk about these people, women and men, we often do not see because they usually hide in the shadows: entrepreneurs.
I do not know about you but I am tired of all the news about the Covid19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, the inaction of our politicians on climate change, and all the other things going wrong in the world.
It is mentally draining. It creates too much distraction at a time where, as an entrepreneur, I need to focus more than ever about what's coming up next.
As Olga Zinovyeva says in Inter:views #54:
"Entrepreneurs sell the future."
Today, entrepreneurs, big and small, are more important than ever.
Many of them have been facing the toughest times ever, regardless of their business size and industry. Simply think about the hospitality sector (restaurants, hotels, entertainment venues) for a minute, and how big of a slap in the face business owners in that industry have taken over the past couple of years.
For others, the pandemic turned out to be a fantastic opportunity to grow their businesses x-fold, providing jobs to thousands.
Entrepreneurship is a journey. It comes with ups and downs, some bigger than others.
I know one thing though.
Regardless of the situation they are in, I am sure that all business owners will always fight as hard as they can because they are passionate about what they do.
Being an entrepreneur is a calling. This is our lives.
All entrepreneurs I've been talking to on my podcast Inter:views are genuinely concerned about their people, before their own sake. I know some who stopped paying themselves a salary at one moment in their journey so they could keep their staff on the payroll.
Entrepreneurs understand the value in people. They realize their businesses cannot thrive if their employees do not thrive.
As Sofia Pohls, the co-Founder of Finders Seekers explain:
"My task is to bring other people up. It’s the very powerful thing to know about yourself. Once I realized that leadership is to make sure that I have super clever people around me, and I just need to make them bloom, you really become a coach in the organization.“
According to the World Bank's website, SMEs represent about 90% of businesses and more than 50% of employment worldwide. Formal SMEs contribute up to 40% of national income (GDP) in emerging economies.
The impact SMEs make on the world economy is huge but we do not often pay tribute to the SMEs' driving forces, the entrepreneurs.
Instead, we hear these stories about greedy corporations that abuse their people and their customers, and we tend to put everybody in the same basket. As a result, most business owners, the real ones, those who really care, are discredited.
Today, we need to support entrepreneurs more than ever because their actions can actually make a difference!
So, let's take the time to celebrate them. Thank you!
Listen to Sofia's full episode:
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