By Kwame Sowu, Entrepreneur
Tuesday marked the end of September, and with it, another cycle of quiet sacrifices made by entrepreneurs and business owners across our country. Many of them close the month not with profits, but with empty accounts and swelling debts, yet still, they somehow find the strength to pay salaries. They choose the happiness of families over their own comfort. They choose responsibility over excuses. Month after month, they carry this burden, all while fending off the ceaseless harassment of regulatory agencies that often seem to see them only as prey rather than as partners in development.
And yet, they do not give up. They wake up each morning believing that one day their sweat will pay off, their debts will be cleared, and their ventures will stand tall. For they know that entrepreneurship is the bedrock of every strong society, the foundation on which nations build jobs, wealth, and dignity.
But let us also be truthful. Too many businesses are being crippled not just by external pressure but by the rot within. There are employees who see work not as a duty but as an opportunity to milk their organizations. They draw salaries but refuse to give value. Some even go further, stealing time, resources, and anything, while employers struggle to keep the lights on. It is betrayal at its worst, biting the very hand that bleeds to feed you.
Yet, even against such odds, the entrepreneur does not quit. And therein lies their greatness. They embody resilience, vision, and sacrifice. They are the reason many families can smile at the end of the month. They are the reason children remain in school and households have food on the table.
So, as September closes, let us not only pity their struggles but also praise their endurance. Let us call out the indiscipline and dishonesty that deepen their wounds. And above all, let us nurture hope, for if these men and women continue to fight through the storms, there is every reason to believe that one day the sun will shine brighter on their toil.
For when the entrepreneur wins, society wins.
