This archive report was first published on 9 January 2020.
As someone who has grown up as an entrepreneur, I've come to realize that it's not all glamour and success. In fact, it's a calling that requires sacrifice, hard work, and a willingness to take risks.
According to Maina Kageni, who inherited his father's multi-million property at the age of 21, business is not just an occupation, but a calling that requires a big and compelling idea that will take the brains and efforts of many people to accomplish.
However, the enterprise space is often messed up by greedy and lazy people who are looking for a quick fix. They steal and pump money into business projects that are doomed to fail from the start, or they plough their life earnings and retirement funds into businesses they have no clue how they work.
These maneuvers only serve to tilt the scales against real entrepreneurs who have laboured and toiled for years and invested loads of cash to make the concept/business work. And when the business tourists give up and move on, the entrepreneur will be there to pick up and start/continue building.
Business is about offering solutions and making a difference in people's lives. If the business you are doing is not premised on that, I can assure you two things: it won't last and you are wasting your time and money.
As we ride in luxury cars and enjoy the fruits of our labour, we hardly talk about the sleepless nights, crippling debt, loss of treasured relationships, and the ever-present risk of failure. We are merchants of faith or too proud to admit we have failed, yet we fail many more times than we succeed.
So, if you have a good job that gives you an opportunity to work and make a difference, and they pay you well and respect your contribution, keep that job. Don't leave it to try your hand at business.
