Wali's Wits

Reflections on My SME Journey: Year Two As I near the end of my second year as an SME, I’ve learned that entrepreneurship is not for the faint-hearted. It demands resilience, patience, and twice the effort of a regular paycheck job. The road is tough, but every challenge has been a lesson in growth.  Lessons in Finance • Finance is the greatest hurdle. Moving from the security of a salary to creating your own income is stressful and requires discipline. • Be frugal. Spend only where it is necessary, not out of want. If it means living on tinned fish for a season, accept it—you are planting roots for bigger things to come. • Keep tight control of expenses in these early stages. Track profits monthly, review your biggest costs, and adjust wisely. If one month falls short, make it up in the next.  Clients & Opportunities • Keep searching for new clients. Some will stay, others will move on—release them with grace. • Always look for new opportunities. Don’t limit you...

Taking stock of your life is an act of self-reflection — a way to evaluate your current situation against your values and goals. It means pausing to look honestly at what’s working and what isn’t, then making a plan to adjust for greater fulfillment and alignment. For me, it has become a tradition to do a life stocktake every year and plan for the new one. What I love about this exercise is that it forces you to reflect on issues or incidents you might prefer to forget. More often than not, you face the very things you don’t want to confront. We all struggle to admit our mistakes and shortcomings; it’s easier to overlook, pretend, or deny reality. Yet the greatest treasures lie in those moments when we look matters in the eye — whether good or bad — and ask ourselves how we can respond better. That honesty frees us from fear and doubt. This year, take time to reflect on your goals. Did you achieve them? What challenges did you face, and how did they turn out? If the outcome was negat...