KCB VENTURE 1 final

OPINION
Growing Business
Through Partnerships
Nairobi viewed favourable by investors looking for a
gateway to East Africa’s 400-million people market
By Moezz Mir
I
dentifying the right strategic
partner to help a business
grow and succeed is no easy
task. It is a labour of pain,
since partnerships are
anchored on mutual
trust, finding synergies between the two
parties, and essentially settling on the right
mix of attributes that will grow the business
without creating friction.
Companies therefore need financial partners
who understand their goals and can help
achieve its objectives. Building and fostering a
relationship with a business partner can make
all the difference in its future success.
What is then required of the ideal business
partnership is the application of expertise and
a unique set of skills to help build a strong
strategy and offer honest alternatives about
what they can and cannot do for a company.
Without having the relationship framework
from the beginning, there is all the likelihood
that the business will be adversely affected.
As with any new venture, it’s challenging
to find the right fit in a strategic partner. That
is why KCB Bank strives to build and grow
relationships with its clients right from the
start.
KCB Bank has stepped in to play an
important role in helping suppliers and
other service providers solve their business
challenges. By providing tailor made financial
solutions, the bank has earned the stripes over
decades of relevant experience in the industry
as a trusted and reliable financial partner.
Regardless of the industry in which your
business operates, having an ally on your side
in the form of a strategic partner will push
your business to the next level. A strategic
alliance will give you a competitive advantage
and an opportunity to access a broader range
of resources and expertise. This means that the
partnerships we create offer clients distinctive
skill sets and infrastructure access that are
above the competition.
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For us, successful partnerships and alliances
rely on the principle that the work involved in
maintaining a partnership, and the benefits
from the alliance are equally spread, in a
mutually beneficial way.
It has been proven that the best results from
a strategic partnership generally occur when
each partner delivers excellence in service
areas that are different but related to what the
other party brings to the table. That way, there
is a play of strengths and expertise on the table
for maximum utilization.
However, not every detail of an operation
can be planned for, and that the success of
an endeavor depends on the amount of trust
and communication between the parties.
At KCB Bank, we are keen on shared
prosperity that will require unprecedented
efforts by all developing economies in the
region to unleash individual sector-led
growth. This reaffirms the Bank’s commitment
to supporting entrepreneurship as a key driver
of growth and development.
Entrepreneurs have long been the backbone
of local economies, and, by providing
new solutions to old development
issues, financial institutions can
assist in positioning them as
key drivers of sustainable and
inclusive growth.
We as an institution have
a significant role to play
in unlocking economic
growth potential and
accelerating growth
and development. The
efforts required will not
be trouble free, but they
are essential if Africa is to
strengthen its competitiveness
in a challenging global economy.
The Writer is the Director,
Corporate Banking at KCB
Bank Kenya
“By providing
tailor made
financial
solutions,
the Bank
has earned
the stripes
over decades
of relevant
experience in
the industry
as a trusted
and reliable
financial
partner.”
Moezz Mir
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