Every giant company you know once started as one small, brave idea — and yours could be next!
Every giant company you know once started as one small, brave idea — and yours could be next!
Every day in Singapore, thousands of small business owners wake up early, work hard, and serve their communities with pride. From the uncle running a chicken rice stall at your favourite hawker centre, to a young designer selling handmade crafts online, these are all examples of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises — or MSMEs for short. On 27th June each year, the United Nations celebrates MSMEs Day to remind the world just how important these small businesses truly are.
MSMEs are businesses that are smaller in size compared to large corporations, but they punch well above their weight. Around the world, they create more than 70 percent of all jobs and help families earn a living. In Singapore, small and medium enterprises make up more than 99 percent of all businesses and employ about two-thirds of the workforce. That means when you visit a neighbourhood bakery, a tuition centre, or a small IT company, you are supporting people who work incredibly hard to make your community thrive.
The United Nations created this special day because small businesses play a huge role in sustainable development — which means helping the world grow in a way that is fair, healthy, and lasting. Many of the world's most famous companies, including Apple, Amazon, and even local brands like Bengawan Solo, started as tiny ideas. What made them grow was a combination of creativity, problem-solving, courage, and the willingness to keep going even when things were tough. These are skills that students like you can start building right now, in school and at home.
You do not need to be an adult to think like an entrepreneur. An entrepreneur is someone who spots a problem and finds a creative way to solve it. Maybe you notice that younger children in your block need help learning to read, or that people waste a lot of food at your school canteen. These are real problems that young, curious minds can begin thinking about. Start small, think big, and remember — every great business began with one simple, brave idea. The question is: what is yours?
