The second edition of the African Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) summit has been held in Accra bringing together major stakeholders and intellectuals with knowledge on how to start small businesses.
The three-day summit which was organized by Vodafone Business Solution (VBS) in collaboration with Creative Trends Limited, offered a platform for SMEs to learn new trends and understand business growth essentials.
The summit also provided networking and mentoring opportunities for SME owners, and avenues for them to showcase their products
Speaking to the Business Day in an interview, the Chief Executive of Creative Trends Mr. Yaw Asamoah counseled business owners to move from the profit and loss philosophy to modern trends that look at solutions globally.
“For us to be able to make use of what Africa has, we have to be intelligent we can’t still do profit and loss businesses, we need to be savvy and know global trends”, he said.
He stated that the world is assembling African leaders because most developed countries know that the continent will be the driven force to usher the world into a new civilization.
“India, China and other powerful countries are organizing summits and putting all African leaders under one canopy to address them, that should send a signal to us that we have a driving force”.
Mr. Asamoah maintained that the business minds must lead Africa in defining the new Africa at the negotiation table.
“Politics alone will not deliver the right solutions that we need as a people, let business lead the way for us to do good business”, he said.
He was of the view that even though it is generally difficult to do business in Ghana, the situation also provides an opportunity to young and innovative people to start and grow their businesses.
“Times are indeed hard but this is also an indication that you can break through if you are determined. I always tell young entrepreneurs that dream big and connect with the right people”, he said.
On his part, the Head of SME, Vodafone Business Solutions Jerry John Quarshie stated that SMEs are the main engines for economic growth and development globally, and they account for the highest number of registered companies in every economy.
“Vodafone is passionate about empowering SMEs in Ghana, and we are committed to helping young businesses to expand. That is why the enterprise arm of Vodafone Ghana, VBS, is headlining this developmental agenda,” he said.
He said that the challenges faced by most SMEs could be solved with technology, hence, Vodafone’s drive to introduce new ICT techniques to business owners.
“That is why this seminar has been designed to empower and offer SMEs with essential business knowledge and suitable telecommunications solutions that will increase their productivity, drive efficiency and increase growth,” he added.
Other speakers at the programme included Professor Mathew Tsamenyi and Dr. Nii Moi Thompson, the Director General of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC)
