Change your thoughts and you change your world

Can't agree more with the recent article in BNet. Certainly not everyone should build her/his own business. Instead, help existing sustainable business ideas and support them! This is not a race, but a collaborative effort towards recovery!

Check out my 9th speech at the British Toastmasters Club:

Change your thoughts and you change your world.

Since Obama emerged to the political scene of the world, everyone is talking about change. How a change is coming and we should all be prepared for a change. It has also been discussed in this forum how change originated from ourselves and that we are the agent of change. So this evening I'd like to propose a thought, that can change the way we consume and change our world.

In the time of crisis like this, people are again repeating the same hymne that small and medium enterprises are the ones who survived the best. Also, with the low demand for Indonesian exported goods, suggestions to use Indonesian products are uttered by the ministers.

Definitely we need to support small and medium enterprises. But not any small and medium enterprise, in particular local small and medium enterprises. Why should we do this? First of all, small and medium enterprises are more flexible in taking decisions. Large multinational corporates have head office, branches, middle to top management executives that actually absorb a lot of money. Hence, they turned into machines with ridiculous bureaucracy and slow decision making process. It makes perfect sense that the small and medium entreprises managed by a small number of individuals become more efficient and competitive during global economic crises where faster decision making process is required to seek untapped opportunities and implement contingency plans.

Furthermore, producing things locally can lead to more efficient production, creating self-reliant local economies. Self reliant local economies in the end can turn their own wheel and minimize the need for government support. Hence, government can allocate the funds to improve infrastructure, health services and education, for example, instead of distributing direct cash support.

Local products use less natural resources when they are transferred from the producer to the consumer. Long distance shipping add to the global warming issue. Imported produce might cost more to the environment than its pricey price tag. Instead, pick fruits of the season that is grow locally.

Moreover, local manufacturers obtain its human resources from the community, creating jobs for the people.

So let's support local small and medium enterprises. And by local enterprises, I don't mean to get into the black-haired capitalism controversy. Regardless of the ownership, we have to be able to identify and support socially sustainable local businesses.

Our support can start from a mere purchase of their products and services. Pick local ones when we have to choose between local or imported products. Limit imports to goods we cannot produce locally. Don't look merely at the price tag but also to the environment and social cost.

If you're satisfied, refer the products to your friends. Many small local businesses lack the resources to advertise. Word of mouth is then a powerful tool to support them.

Next, open your eyes and ears, find prospective business ideas seeking fund to expand its business . Who knows you and friends can spare some money, creating community-support for the particular business to gain more money out of your real investments.

You don't need to go far to create a difference. Don't think that this ideal cannot work. Change your thoughts and you can change your world. Starting now.....