We had a real pause – close to a minute.

Try a pause of One minute in an active conversation that’s not abrasive.

One lady ‘’ I guess it’s not possible after all, to get real money from small business’’

One more at far end ‘’ Every one need real money. But our type of business not meant for such ‘’

‘’ And I don’t think even government want us to have ‘’

‘’Hah hah’’ found myself laughing out

‘’I am here – got this invitation from a friend about meeting you on how to grow our businesses. It’s been very straining. Our economy doesn’t seem to fit us at all. My business selling flowers keep fluctuating . For the last 9 years’’.

‘’Me too. We are only hoping that Christmas season will make things better through selling. Whole year I can’t be able to say whether I ever managed to do anything from this business. Only my Chamas – 3 of them. They have enabled me pay half of my plot- Kes 150,000’’.

Seems like pot we can’t run away from. And because of this, I don’t feel business money is for people like us.

And I think I am ok with that. Though I have children needs- better education, parents to take care and my desire to invest in a big land.

All that created real sink of silence to go on and on…

I intervened because we were about to enter social outpour that would steal the purpose they came.

When your relation with business is all about money

As I listened, I got to affirm how much of my self-worth is also tied to income. In 2018 I left high earning career in finance to start entrepreneurship.

Soon I finished high school, I was employed that same December as a sales distributor in one wholesale shop far from home.

It was easy to take up job because I was brought up in environment of doing everything.

One year into doing it, I was ready for college. I was therefore employed in corporate very young- age 22 years.

I had therefore worked long for my career only to leave it on a blunt cliff. That’s not story for today.

When I left employment, next season made me realize self-worth that comes with money is very plastic. At one point I couldn’t afford bus fare for Kshs 20 bob. That’s after leaving my corporate career.

Self-worth that comes from money is very terrible for building business.

Not making money opens concentration to create leverage on how to make money

Let’s see how…

The Trap – Money today for Chama

The goal shift completely

By just having comfort that you are making some money to pay chama

Chama that are tied to some school fees, plot buying, emergency for restocking and so on

Everyone is chasing it and no one is ready to tell you that you are in a rat race. Missing the big bet that lies just ahead of uncertainty that you would instead have allowed to be by concentrating on building the business.

One short stint- bank balance is up from Chama bonus. Rest of period rat race refilling

Money comfort mission is a big trap. Reduced many and many more to be slaves of their job (let’s not call business for now)

If you can’t declutter from that slavery and rat race, you will never have time to build leverage that can push business to become machine to give you much more money inform of passive dividend.

Even when you are in holiday half of the year.

Your thinking that you are safe with some drop of cash that you milk dry from business put you in vulnerability of seeking artificialism like bought up prayers, quick fix brokers, costly loans trying to save situations

You are very right. Business people just keep hoping with faith every day about when that touch of certainty will start flowing without distraction.

You can create that flow. Not by magic though…

First, there is predictability you need to start building for yourself without distracting it

This is perfect way of how this can work

4 Steps

 First, Awareness

I have heard many who have become their own enemy by becoming know it all.

Triggering your awareness so that you really understand what is that you wake up for, every day, and put all your effort to make it better.

Atleast as you imagine.

Entrepreneurship is more of spiritual realization.

It’s an art of sewing one thread with onother in a pattern

It’s not a random wheel.

Awareness helps you appreciate that entrepreneurship need to be a designed and targeted for long term

It’s building of a brand sewing together a combo;

Ideas

Skills

Relationships

An operation system

Money culture

Secondly, Design

Business is never about one transaction you make for money exchange

Business is about understanding the universe of the idea you have ( someone doing value add from pea nuts understood they are in universe of making protein easily accessible to all)

From idea then imagining the existing gap and coming up with value proposition that will fit your customer ( you keep watching the market until you refine it )

Then testing your proposition with real market

Apart from some rare cases, presume it will take 2-3 years before you start seeing silver signs of success. During the waiting, your patience will be tested with all hack of deals including brokers giving you all best ideas they think you ought to be in.

Pressure will build like dam. One day cracks will start. Leverage coming in drop after drop. Replacing your individual effort with leverage of growth from small effort.

Thirdly, Pillars of Growth

Harvesting dividend starts when leverage cracks become or create real flow

You view the world downstream very well when you are at most vantage up stream position

It’s test for your long-term thinking.

Because if you really need money that once tempted you in drops, you need create funnel for it to flow even when you are asleep.

Pillars of growth create the ultimate certainty in operations – whether you are sick, or out for chama meeting, vacation- operations flow continues

Because as you build, trading your time with money is an unsustainable venture. Your time is depletable because your energy will be depletable. Your time becomes worthless in future.

 Systems become your God father representing you.

Pillars can start from any point. But as far as your building them, the circle becomes closer to joining together every season you add another pillar;

Business money management

Planner tools – weekly planner

Network harvesting

Continuous learning platforms

Sales infrastructure and marketing

Staff management and performance monitoring

Business operations excellence

Personal care- mental, physical & spiritual health

Instead of waking up early to go and make money now, build an army of robots, that will outsmart you to grow your business. It will also give you more space for learning and even manage take up other bigger projects.

When you understand all about power of leverage, it’s irresistible.

Fourth, Continuous learning

This is the real secret of breaking free

Becomes your feed

If you really want money, understand it like any other tool.

Money is nothing more than a tool like any other.

It’s not the end.

Your skills and knowledge is your permanent asset and self. You grow as much as you are knowledgeable.

If you can resist money - now - trap, next is building on knowledge.

Running and building business is never a campus course. Campuses full of theories that can’t relate most of the time.

Look for opportunities to get real learning about building business. We have some well curated coaching courses for that matter https://poweringhouse.com/small-micro-business/

I am not suggesting that we build business for other things and not money

But setting for longterm in a very designed manner actually and will give you even more money from business.

It’s freedom !

Freedom will give your business more space beyond your personal capabilities to grow through leverage. And Leverage is the ultimate force that reward business owner

This opens business universe you never imagined.

May your business grow ! Every business is scalable.

 Gachoka

I am Gachoka Kang’ata (GK) very passionate about entrepreneurship growth . My mission- Sharing for Growth. Sharing on how to become better person to grow business. Over 5,000 reads this newsletter monthly.

MD at Cygnus Consulting – working with mid-sized businesses on– Operations Excellence through Continuous Improvement (CI) Designs. So far, Cygnus pride having worked with over 50 Owners and decision makers. See more: www.cygnus.co.ke

Founder & dedicated coach of micro & small enterprises for growth. Looking forward to impact over 1000 small business in 5 years. See more www.poweringhouse.com

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