Salam to all.
It has been many many moons since I last typed down my ramblings on this blog. I have so much to say, I don't know where to start.
Well, I guess lets start with the person and his comments that inspired and poked me off my fat hind and start typing again. It was a comment to an old (but relevant) rantings of mine: Dilemma Usahawan Melayu. Encik Ramlan Ahmad made a very valid, accurate and critical comment, which went like this
"Assalamu alaikum M, Yazdi,
It is not that there is a acute shortage of Malay entrepreneurs or wannabes but the government machinery/mechanism put in place has been more stifling, exploiting rather than enabling.
As an 28 years experienced and global professional who has had 4 commercial viable ideas presented hijacked by unethical private & government officials who pass it on to their connections for their own vested interest, the current Malay entrepreneurs are faced with a need for "who you know rather than what you know" to become a successful entrepreneur.
Malays/Muslims in approving positions have forgotten to adhere to Allah SWT's "halal/haram" in carrying out their duties which have led to qualified and capable entrepreneurs not getting the funding opportunities and unqualified pretenders getting it. These funds are then lost as the unqualified entrepreneurs are not able to sustain the business they did not think of in the first place. The modus operandi currently is therefore how to siphon the funds rather than how to develop successful entrepreneurs.
This situation has contributed to the decadence of the Malay and Islamic society and community as "Duit Haram yang berleluasa sekarang diberi kepada anak dan bini untuk makan bersama dan menjadi darah daging mereka" as they are eating "hak orang lain".
Kalau orang Melayu sudah tak takut Allah SWT dengan memakan duit haram sebab nak kaya cepat then we as a race are destined to follow the footsteps of the once mighty Islamic Ottoman Empire which collapsed due to greed, lust and lack of conformance to the religion of Islamic. Nauzubillah, but it will happen if we don't wake up and repent! "
I agree, it is true. Orang Melayu ni ada idea tapi tak ada duit, mintak duit kena idea kena curi. Sudah jatuh ditimpa tangga lagi...haih..nasib badan...
But if I may, I think we can solve this. How? We go back to the teachings of our religion, Islam.
But in order for this solution to work, we must employ the teachings that apply to us, our own self, diri kita sendiri, as an entrepreneur. This is because preaching to others is an exercise in futility... most of the time if not all the time. Kalau kita nak harapkan semua orang lain yang memegang amanah untuk mengikut amanat masing masing ataupun orang Islam lain mengikut sunnah dan membantu anda, seorang usahawan Muslim, saya rasa itu kerja yang amat meletihkan. Lets focus more on what we have to do and much less on what we think others need to do.
1. Rezeki itu milik Allah.
Giving up effort is the last thing that you should draw from this statement. Yes, Allah determines who gets what, how much and when. But this is not to say that you should abandon all effort because Allah finally decides despite all your efforts.
Remember, Allah knows best what is good and what is bad for you. No getting the project you have been chasing is not necessarily bad for you. We know much much less than what Allah knows so if Allah decides that the million dollar project and the money will not be yours, Allah would have done it for your own good.
Allah gave the example in the Quran when the story of Khaidir and Prophet Musa was narrated. Allah bestowed Khaidir knowledge that was not given to Prophet Musa, hence when the former damaged a boat belonging to a poor fisherman (thus in a way taken away his rezeki) the latter thought that an injustice has been done. Prophet Musa DID NOT KNOW that a tyrant was going around confiscating seaworthy boats. And if you put yourself in the shoe of the fisherman, you probably thought that your rezeki is being taken away when someone damaged your boat, not knowing that someone more knowledgeable than you had done something for your own good. Imagine that someone is Allah, the Most Knowing the Most Benevolent, the Most Intelligent, the Most Wise.
So when you have worked hard for something and you did not get what you want, THANK Allah for he has most certainly decided a better decision for you. But it does not mean that you should give up hope. Just like the poor fisherman earlier, he would have fixed his boat just as you should fix or improve your situation to get your share of Allah's bounty.
If your situation / project needs improvement, improve it. If one source has caused your project to be stolen or hijacked use alternative source, even it is the government. Like the saying goes, "Cheat on me once, shame on you; cheat on me twice, shame on me". Learn from the past and improve your situation for your next project; if you can lose it, that means there are loopholes, either in terms of people, resources or system. Plug it and try again.
If improving would not solve it, move to another platform. Maybe Allah shuts down one path so that you would be forced to use another path which is better for you. Your skills and your experiences do not disappear when people take away your ideas or projects. Use your imagination, vision and diligence for another business.
2. Get creative to get your capital
We Malays always lament that we have not enough capital to start a business. Or that the government of foundation with the capital is not doing enough to help us Muslim entrepreneurs.
I have my opinion on capital where in one of my previous articles, I wrote that
"Lesson 7: It is not the resources, but resourcefulness. You money that
is with you is not going to help much in your business and if you just
focus on your money, you are limiting your potential. Yes they will help
to put food on the table while waiting for your venture to take off and
roll in the big dough, but that is about that. As an entrepreneur, you
must not be limited by resources. You must be resourceful, able to
leverage and use other people's money, resources and ideas. Open your
mind, be creative and the sky will definitely be your limit."
We must realise that while we still do apply for the government aid and fund, getting rejected should not be the end of the world. If cash fund is absolutely necessary for your start-up, there are alternatives to getting the grants
a. Scale down the projects
b. Get a job to get the cash - no shame in working for your start-up fund (or running business). But make sure your do your job well
c. Getting partners (Mudharabbah)
d. Family and friends - but be very very careful and honest with these group of people. They are very valuable.
Well, that's all for now. Till next time, feel free to post your comments :-)
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