SME leaders urged to build trust and visibility to unlock growth

Business l

eaders and entrepreneurs have been challenged to prioritise trust, brand visibility, leadership clarity and internal structure as critical drivers of sustainable growth, as many Kenyan SMEs struggle to move beyond early-stage success.

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The call was made during the SME CEOs Forum 2025, held at Pan Pacific Serviced Suites, GTC Nairobi, under the theme Breaking the Business Plateau.

The forum brought together SME founders, chief executives and industry practitioners to examine why many businesses stall after initial growth and what is required to scale sustainably.

Speaking at the forum, Kimani Patrick, Chief Executive Officer of The Carlstic Group, said most SMEs fail to grow not because of lack of effort or ambition, but because of low visibility and weak trust.

“Most Kenyan SMEs are struggling because people don’t know them, and even worse, they don’t trust them. In Kenya, trust is currency,” Kimani said.

He noted that many strong businesses collapse quietly because they remain invisible, lack a clear story or fail to participate in industry conversations where credibility is built.

“You can have a good product and a capable team, but if people don’t understand who you are, what you do and what makes you different, growth becomes very difficult,” he said.

Kimani challenged founders to embrace their role as the public face of their businesses, urging entrepreneurs to move away from the belief that quality work alone is enough to attract opportunities.

“Your work will not speak for itself unless you do. If you don’t tell your story, someone else will, or worse, no one will,” he said, adding that founders must become intentional chief evangelists of their businesses.

The forum featured a keynote address by Dr. George Wachiuri, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Optiven, who shared lessons from building a homegrown real estate brand in a sector where trust is critical.

Dr. Wachiuri noted that many businesses plateau when growth outpaces leadership maturity and internal systems.

“At some point, hustle stops working. What carries growth forward is structure, leadership and disciplined systems that operate beyond the founder,” he said.

The SME CEOs Forum aimed to provide founders with practical insights on leadership transition, building teams, strengthening systems and preparing their businesses for growth in 2026 and beyond.