Small ambitions, big dreams

AS Malaysians gave their democratic verdict through the 13th General Election, I am reminded of Barack Obama's history-making presidential campaign. "Yes, we can", which signified a new kind of civic engagement, instilling hope in every American - the young and old, rich and poor, rural and urban.

Source from (Business Times): http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/mafsy12/Article/index_html
Published: May 13, 2013

The campaign was like a parable that inspired people to believe in their power to shape their own destiny, as well as the future of their nation. The people gave their voice and their unequivocal support to Obama and his ideologies, built upon a whole world of new possibilities.

Today, as we know it, history is in the making. We may have different notions as to the outcome of GE 13; what we must always remember is to see if the leadership believes in not just the potential of our country, but also in everything that we can achieve. When you hear a resounding "Yes, we can" do more, that is when you must be assured of your right vote.

When you say "Yes, we can", it is the beginning of a whole new belief system. It builds your courage to dream big and holds a promise to trust your capabilities and fulfil those dreams. At a very basic level, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in many instances lack such confidence to believe and take that first step towards their own progress.

Hence, one of our biggest challenges has been to pull the SMEs out of their shell and recast their belief system in a way that it rekindles the flame of entrepreneurship and growth. Ninety-nine out of 100 times, this is the first as well as the last hurdle in helping the SMEs to participate in global competitiveness.

At every presented opportunity, I appeal to the SMEs to break free from the shackles of their own limitations and welcome change in the form of new policies, roadmaps, proven global practices, trade solutions, smart partnerships, global alliances, etc. This is no age of diffidence, but an era of transformation through a journey of small ambitions and big dreams that contribute to national development.

At SME Corp Malaysia, we recognise the need to orientate SMEs on where and how to take that first step towards this new era of transformation. This was the genesis of ORC, the One Referral Centre, stationed at our headquarters, which sees more than 400 walk-in SMEs or entrepreneurs every month.

In addition to offering business advisory services, at ORC, we also educate SMEs on various resources available to accelerate their development.

For years, we have also been putting our best minds together to conceptualise SME outreach initiatives, platforms and programmes, which are being implemented through our headquarters in Kuala Lumpur and 11 state offices throughout Malaysia.

All these focus on equipping the SMEs with the right knowledge to improve their market access, human capital development, financial resources, industry know-how, etc.

Nearly half a million of SMEs benefit from these initiatives every year and it is important to propagate these benefits among the SME Community for visible impact and sustainable results.

Similarly, there are also other industry initiatives of impact, such as Telekom Malaysia's SME BizFest 2013, which has a great potential in helping the SME industry to move forward by giving entrepreneurs many opportunities to enhance their establishments through business and educational seminars; business, financial and ICT solutions and support; ICT showcase; online offerings; and networking opportunities.

The aim of SME BizFest 2013 is in keeping with the goals of the SME Masterplan 2012-2020 of promoting innovation and technology adoption among the SMEs.

In addition, participating SMEs will also learn about and benefit tremendously from the programmes that are offered by SME Corp Malaysia, such as the Business Accelerator Programme (BAP), Enrichment and Enhancement Programme (E2), SME Competitiveness Rating for Enhancement Programme (SCORE) and 1-InnoCERT Certification Scheme, among others.

The one and only condition for the SMEs is to say "Yes, we can" and be part of all these progressive initiatives.

As we continue our journey under the same government and leadership, our story, too, continues, but it will not be a saga to remember without active involvement of the critical mass of SMEs out there.

All the policies, programmes and game plans can be promising only if SMEs come forward and pledge their commitment to catalyse new growth strategies for a complete transformation of the SMEs in Malaysia, from national to global champions!

I always believe, and therefore, I ask everyone to believe in a limitless world, to take small baby steps and be part of our journey towards gaining confidence, as well as credibility as globally competitive SMEs.

Stay with SME Corp Malaysia and say "Yes, we can" - let's have small ambitions and fulfil big dreams.

Datuk Hafsah Hashim is the chief executive officer of Small and Medium Enterprises Corporation Malaysia (SME Corp Malaysia)