Starting small has advantages

Growing up, many of us have been pressured by our parents to be nothing but the best.

One of the areas where this has had an impact is in the area of starting your own business. Few want to be entrepreneurs; many would rather work for a big, stable company.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are now being given much support, and an increasing number of countries are beginning to realise that they play a vital role in East Asia's development (East Asia's SMEs gearing up to challenges of new economy; July 8).

SMEs are usually started by entrepreneurs who are innovative, motivated, versatile and willing to take risks.

Their drive and motivation are qualities to look up to.

Since SMEs play a vital role in our development, they should be strongly supported, and not killed off with our traditional or conservative mindsets.

Some SMEs have grown to become big industry players and multinational companies.

While many people do not want to start small and work their way up, starting small can bring you "the big", if we develop and practise the right attitudes and values, including being able to adapt to change, which is very important in our fast-paced society.

Starting small has many benefits. For instance, you can afford to make mistakes and learn from them in a way you will not be able to if you are a big company.

When you start small, you mature and grow as you progress, making you better in your area.

I believe that starting small, instead of jumping directly to big, is something that our society needs to think about, not only in terms of entrepreneurship, but in many other areas too.

Aretha Low,16

Secondary 4 student

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on September 06, 2017, with the headline Starting small has advantages. Subscribe