For the past 3 days, 50 young Sierra Leoneans eager to develop their businesses, skills and mindset filled the Aurora office with their nourishing and inspiring presence. The discussions were lively and the participants were happy, despite long days and receiving a lot of new information, participating in demanding exercises and challenging themselves we can proudly say that everyone walked out of the Aurora office with a smile on their face and a sparkle in their eye.
Some key takeaways;
- Go the extra mile to really understand the problem, you cannot solve what you don’t understand!
- Stop multitasking, be sure to schedule your time deliberately, delegate, evaluate and monitor!
- You should not design a business on your own, you need to create your solution with your prospective users, in collaboration with them and their needs. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and be vulnerable – look for advice from people you look up to. Seek out mentors, build your circle of trust and surround yourself with people who are smarter than you.
- Your goals HAVE to be SMART Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-based and you must always make sure to both track and measure the goals you set out to reach!’’
- Being assertive and confident takes practice and practice makes perfect – so practice, practice and then practice some more!’’
It is clear that Sierra Leone has a bright innovative future on the horizon. These entrepreneurs really left their mark on us and all the collaborators Afriqia HR Solutions, The Sierra Leone Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency , Sierra Leone Economic Diversification Project and The World Bank. Together we will be the change we want to see.
Happy weekend!