3 LinkedIn reasons why SMEs encounter opposition
As an SME owner, or even as a manager, you’ve likely faced many challenges in your journey, including countless setbacks, failure and steadfast opposition. Yet, you continued to persevere, and, here you are, working diligently toward achieving bigger and better. Why do SME owners face such staunch opposition-cum-resistance? Here are three common likely reasons:
1. Your approach to success is unconventional: As children, and even as adults, we’ve been conditioned to believe that our lives have to follow a particular pattern, namely: study hard at school, get ‘good’ grades, and ultimately land a prestigious job that can sustain for the rest of our working days. Yet, the reality is that life is never so clear-cut. Therefore, to take a professional risk by delving into the world of entrepreneurship remains unorthodox for many. Still, some pursue their entrepreneurial dreams as a “side-hustle”, while others dive headfirst and risk it all. The risks include months or years of infrequent income (if at all), long hours spent in researching the market, refining the product or services on offer, and serving as business “cook, captain and bottlewasher” all at once. Hence, not everyone is willing to pursue this highly-challenging, unconventional route.
2. You appear unafraid of failure, when compared to most: Who likes to fail? None of us. We feel a sense of acute struggle when we are unable to live up to the expectations of work, school and family life. Yet, failure is one of the critical hallmarks of many successful SMEs. Granted, there are those whose business will enjoy almost immediate, sometimes meteoric success. Nevertheless, soon, they will come back to the ground. In essence, failure is almost guaranteed in the world of business. Human nature is such that we tend to ridicule the person who dares to take that first critical move. If they fail, we say somewhat dismissively, ‘I could have told you that’; yet, if they succeed, we are quick to shower praises and admiration on them.
3. You are resourceful and determined: When you are resolute to succeed, regardless of what obstacles are before you, you earn admirers, but also ‘haters’, who are resentful of your successes where they probably failed. Every missive that life seemingly throws your way, buoys you to consult an inner strength (that you probably never knew you had). You find ways of making the impossible a possibility by merging your natural talent, emotional intelligence and innovation. Even if you fail, you try again repeatedly, until you own success. While your admirers celebrate your focused tenacity, the naysayers often wonder- publicly or silently as to how you did it, despite your obvious challenges. Therefore, resourcefulness and determination are consistent traits of the successful SME owner and operator.
Regardless of the negativity you might face during your SME journey, it will not last. Keep your focus on where you want to be, and work toward getting there…despite the opposition!
Keywords: LinkedIn Local Caribbean, SME, unconventional, failure, resourceful