Kenyans are an extremely entrepreneurial lot. That said however, according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), a total of 2.2 million MSMEs were closed in a span of five years, between 2012 and 2016.

The report noted that on average, businesses were closed at the age of 3.8 years. Establishments that were started or acquired within the last 2 years were more vulnerable to closures and they accounted for 61.3 per cent of the total businesses closed.

Against this gloomy backdrop, developing mechanisms of reducing this high motility rate for MSMEs, because an urgent issue that has to be addressed not only by the local and central government, but also by the public sector in Kenya.

We need to find ways on how we can sustainably increase the survival rate of millions of start-ups, which will in turn result to creating more jobs for our millions of jobless Kenyans.

The private sector has a role to play, in providing solutions, and as such, Optiven Group is plugging in on this issue, and has come up with an exclusive business clinic where Entrepreneurs will be literary uncloaking their businesses.

The forum will offer an information-sharing platform that will allow businesses to share amongst each other on their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The forum will specifically be intentional on establishing and outlining causes and indicators of MSMEs going under, as well as exchange wisdom with well-established and successful MSMEs.

This regular forum that will be hosted by Optiven will become an information sharing hub on how to make more Kenyan MSMEs survive and mature to better levels and to create jobs for our youths.

The forum is going to be very practical in a way that more MSMEs will get one-on-one mentorship with amongst other trailblazing CEOs; Mr. George Wachiuri, who was recently crowned as a prominent Africa Business Personality – by The Voice Netherlands. Mr. Wachiuri has steered Optiven Group astronomically, so much such that in the year 2018 alone, the company got over five outstanding awards.

“I am extremely willing to share this experience with over 7.3 MSMEs, both formal & informal. So far, I am glad that we have been impacting our knowledge on running businesses on various international platforms.

Even more importantly, we have been keen on mentoring our very own local MSMEs through such forums like, Coffee with Optiven forum which runs quarterly, public lectures, Facebook Live, which runs every Friday from 3:00pm to 3.30pm and through You Tube Channel (George Wachiuri)

And now, with this upcoming Optiven Business Clinic, other players in the private sector can only follow suit and take a prominent role in being an essential catalyst towards invigorating our local MSMEs.

_George Wachiuri is a Leading Entrepreneur, a Published Author, Philanthropist, Youth Empowerment Enthusiast, a Family man, an award winner of African Business Personality Award 2018 by Voice Achievers, Netherlands and CEO of Optiven Group

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