Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of B. C. Bencyn Pharmacy, Anyanah Achelisewine Benjamin says profit-making should not be the motive for setting up a business venture.
Speaking in an interview on Dreamz FM’s State of Our Nation, the business magnate said business enterprises risk folding up if the main motive for their setup is to make profit.
He argued that money making should be the byproduct of serving the needs of society as an entrepreneur and not the motivation for starting an enterprise. He stressed that entrepreneurs who set out to make profit will not be able to withstand the challenges that they will encounter as start-ups and thus, will be out of business.
“That is the biggest mistake in private enterprise. I am an advocate for private enterprise as a tool for peace and development but if you are entering into private enterprise with the mindset to make money, it is like you enter into the water and chasing fish to catch with your bare hands. The fish lives in the water and you are going to look for it with bare hands, you can see how difficult it will be to get one.
So first of all, you need to figure out what the fish want then you can get it. So what should be your enthusiasm is how you are accepted in serving your community and then something will come out as a byproduct called money. But if you are looking for money, you can’t be in business,” he said.
For him, entrepreneurship is driven by passion, talent and great initiatives to address societal needs hence, people who are not passionate about a vocation cannot succeed plying a trade in such a vocation as they will not be able to persevere in the face of challenges.
“It is always tough but it takes people with the vision. That is why we always tell people that where your passion and talent and actions intersect the need based of society is where your vocation lies. So something you love doing, you have the ability to do it and when you do it where they intersect the need based of society is your vocation,” he stated.
He added, “It is not that it is easy but it is something worth doing because business is about solving societal problems at fee. So it is always tough but it takes those who are able to cope up to stay afloat. It is not an easy job to be in the private sector but it is very interesting. When you are able to solve the need based of society, you are happy”.
