How Can Government Help Small Businesses Thrive? 🏛️
#WealthWednesday #FinanceInsight
TL;DR: Small businesses are the backbone of many economies, but they often face uphill battles. What if governments didn’t just regulate business but focused on empowering it to thrive? Here’s a non-expert take from a citizen who’s watching, wondering, and praying for better.
“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established... For the one in authority is God's servant for your good.”
— Romans 13:1,4 (NIV)
Governments are meant to serve. And while no system is perfect, the best ones create environments where people can work diligently, earn honestly, and bless others through their enterprise.
Small businesses are asking for fair soil to grow in. This includes MSMEs (Micro, Small, Medium Enterprises) defined as businesses with up to 9 (Micro), 49 (Small), and 99 (Medium) employees and annual sales of up to Ksh 50 million.
Not an Expert... But Here’s What I Think Could Help.
Make it easier to start, not harder
Encourage businesses to get on their feet in the first 5 years with favourable tax rates and requirements that incentivize business owners
Simplify registration and tax filing to minimize frustration and complexity
Cut the cost of doing business
Reduce interest rates or create competitive loan programs so legit businesses aren’t forced to borrow at prohibitive rates
Build strong public-private infrastructure: better roads, stable power, working internet, and secure marketplaces
Fight corruption like it’s a business competitor
Reduce the number of officials or “touchpoints” needed to approve anything
Make government services so efficient and traceable that corruption becomes less practical
Build a fair system
Ensure policies are clear, progressive, and enforced consistently
Large businesses should be taxed responsibly; small businesses should be protected with a goal of contribution and growth
Consult the builders before you build the law
Use tech to create transparent, inclusive platforms where citizens and MSMEs can weigh in on bills before they’re passed
Don’t just do public participation for PR; listen to the people affected
Create feedback loops where backlash leads to reflection
Lawmakers should be held accountable to represent, not override, their constituents
Because if our economy rests on small businesses but our laws crush them, we’re building upside down.
✅ Reflection Checklist for Leaders (and Citizens Like Me)
☐ Do your current policies encourage risk-taking or only reward survival?
☐ Is your system encouraging wealth creation with integrity?
☐ Can the average mama mboga or digital entrepreneur operate with confidence and clarity?
☐ Are government processes automated and fair or mysterious and expensive?
☐ Do citizens feel heard before decisions are made or only after protests begin?
Action Step
This week, reflect on one area where you’re affected by policy directly or indirectly. Then ask:
“How would this look if the goal was to equip, not just enforce?”
And if you’re a policymaker, business owner, or citizen - you matter in this. Keep showing up. Keep thinking. Keep building.
P.S. Ever wonder how the Four Asian Tigers went from low- to middle- to high-income economies? It was vision, business-friendly policies, strong government intervention, and strategic investments that supported real builders. With God’s help, we can too.