'It takes a million people to build a good reputation; but it takes one stupid fool to destroy everything they’ve done….’ How disappointing! Lost? Then try figure this one out:
_This is a sad and bitter narrative about me and you
Many of our locals leave the so-called ‘small and sleepy towns’ for city life in seek of better prospects. What I ask myself though, is that, where they originate from as home, don’t they have opportunities presenting themselves or presented to those left behind? Or is it a case of small towns failing to create opportunities for their residents and for those leaving?
So, not long ago or should I say a few years back, there was a presentation for businesspersons at Lebowakgomo Civic Centre hall about opportunities that are out there for business ideas to come to life, through loans and mentorship that is. What they offered was good but not a permanent and peaceful solution for start-ups out there unfortunately. This does not mean I promote laziness or something along those lines, just that there should be other added support products other than that. What aspiring entrepreneurs lack at most is emotional intelligence, financial literacy, sound compliance guidance and self prepping programmes atop of passion and business idea before finance and mentorship.
Mentoring someone with money already in hand is a recipe for failure as the person should have been capacitated beforehand. A business depends first on the persona of its runner before all else brought to the fore. Mentorship is only effective as a side-kick support not as a core tool.
_Odd presenter out
As the presentation went on, one of the presenters uttered some somewhat disturbing words. What he said was that: “they do not give loans to immoral businesses such as brothels and taverns”. For me, that was wrong of him to say, given the platform and the setting. Please people don’t get me wrong, but in business any income generating concern is viewed as a business in spite of its model. There's absolutely no need to judge other income generating concerns, especially as a speaker from an institution that is claiming to be in the business of growing other businesses. It sent a mixed message to be real. Given the environment, the negativity was just not a welcome and he did that sans anyone on the panel correcting that of him.
As a representative of an institution his message should be about the products they offer, their terms and conditions and criterion in a softer manner of approach, and not judge. If I am into the business of adult entertainment, should I be classified as immoral? If yes, then, what about my clientele? The same goes to the tavern owner. If you feel negative about something, as a leader you ought to have a sensitive way of sending your discomfort to those offenders sans hurting other people's feelings.
Being there in front of entrepreneurs they should be encouraging them, building their esteems and instilling the spirit of possibility, not crushing their hopes and dreams like the way that man botched them. Opportunity bringers do criticize but does so with informed pointers that leave opportunity seekers with an angle to work around.
It was not all bad as other presenters gave good presentations albeit with dodgy answers to some important posed questions. What some felt was that they did not prepare enough for the presentation but thankful yet for having taken the initiative to come and inform them of their presence in the province and what they had to offer.
In conclusion: ‘it takes a million lives to gather respect you deserve_when people see your kind, some of them would run a mile…’ the late Reggae icon Lucky Dube said in his song “Teach the world”. This is directed to the odd presenter out who got too comfortable after being lended some ears and ended up almost ruining his organization’s good name and intentions. I'm thinking of him because of the situation governments the world over are finding themselves in, joblessness stats keep rising whilst solutions aren't coming in fast enough to counter the scourge. Please treat those employment creators with the level of respect and courtesy they deserve. Funders, teach your representatives right, to make them spread the message of alive with posibilities further...dp
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