Paul Arithi 
Franklin Okata, Head of Sales for Small and Micro Businesses at Safaricom Plc, engages in a one-on-one conversation with June Tete during Grow with Safaricom Business forum. The forum is designed to equip entrepreneurs with the required skills to effectively run their business.
- Safaricom Announces Second Series of ‘Grow with Safaricom Business’ Engagement Platform;
The second series, themed “Building a Strong Brand in the Digital Era” targets 100 Micro and Small Enterprises.
The forum which took place under the theme “Building a strong brand in the digital era” sought to empower entrepreneurs in four ways: giving exceptional customer experience, being efficient in operations, staying ahead of the curve through innovation and strategies for business growth.
The Kenya Institute of Public Policy Research and Analysis estimates that there are over 7.4million SMEs, employing approximately 14.9 million Kenyans in various sectors of the economy.
“SMEs play a critical role in our economy. With the advent of the internet and digital technologies, the playing field has been levelled, allowing businesses of all sizes to compete in the global market.
By providing MSEs with the information necessary to embrace this opportunity, we hope to empower them through the Grow with Safaricom Business series to take their businesses to the next level,” said Cynthia Karuri- Kropac, Chief Enterprise Business Officer, Safaricom.
During the forum, the MSEs exchanged ideas, built relationships, and gained valuable insights on how to stay competitive in an advancing digital world.
The first series took place in March this year with 50 participating MSE’s. Safaricom plans to conduct 12 such forums throughout the financial year to address challenges that entrepreneurs face such as lack of access to markets, regulatory barriers, competition, a lack of online marketing skills, and challenges in creating a strong brand presence among others.
