Four Must-Have Digital Skills for Every Female Business owner

by with No Comment BusinessFeatured Moms

As a female business owner who has worked in the digital space for the past eight years, I believe it is more important now than ever to have a solid understanding go how digital skills continue to play an integral role in most aspects of lives now. As we celebrate International Women’s Day this 8th March, 2023, we share with you four must- have digital skills that will help you succeed in our currently digital world.

Using Social Media

The ability to understand and utilize social media effectively is a vital skill that every small female business leaders should have.
Business owners who recognise the importance of social media’s influence should also understand each platform and the ways it can be used to enhance community engagement. Having this understanding will ultimately provide better results for the business.

Virtual Communication.

Thriving in this digital world means learning how to participate in virtual
communications, meetings and trainings. It’s important to learn how to use some of these tools in order to access some of these opportunities that have been made available to entrepreneurs.

Content Marketing

As a business your online presence is driven by the content you create as this helps them to take a decision when they come accross your page or website.
It’s essential as a business owner to understand what interests your audience to enable you create content that can attract your right target audience. Doing this will help you create a good online presence and will overtime attract more traffic to your website and boost brand awareness.

Data Analytics & Reporting

As business decisions and strategies are currently driven by data now, it is important as a business owner to understand and interpret data as it will help them take decisions for their business.

As we celebrate International Women’s Day today, remember that you have been given everything within your power to succeed. It’s time to claim that power back and be the great woman that you are.

Happy International Women’s Day to you.

Meet the Women Shaping the Ghanaian Production of PPEs

by with No Comment BusinessFashionFeatured Moms

The coronavirus has posed some problems for our nation, including closing of borders, limited supply of protective wear etc. But just as they say there’s a silver lining in every cloud, this pandemic has brought to the fore the creativity of some Ghanaian women; four of them being selected by government to produce Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) for frontline health workers amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

These women are:

  • Nora Bannerman, founder of Sleek Garments Export Ltd and MD of the Africa Sleek Institute of Creativity and Technology; whose businesses have employed over 120 people to produce quality clothes to be sold internationally.
  • Adjo Asare, CEO of Alfie Designs, who makes use of manufacturing and ethical fashion as a means of creating job opportunities and improving the lives of women and girls in her community.
  • Linda Ampah, a Ghanaian fashion designer who through her passion has shared Africa’s  prints with the world and has a desire to help empower women throughout Ghana.
  • Madam Salma Salifu, a Ghanaian businesswoman and the Managing Director of Dignity DTRT, a garment factory in Ghana which employs over 1500 workers and is located in capital city Accra,  Ghana.

The amazing thing about the stories of these women is how they turned their factories into a production house for Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), to meet the demand for frontline health workers who are overwhelmed with fighting the virus and need as much basic protective gear as possible.

Let’s get to know these women, shall we?

Nora Bannerman

With a background in fashion, Nora is passionate about local businesses and has played a key role in the Ghanaian clothing and textile industry. Her company, Sleek Garments Export Ltd, is popularly known for exporting about 75,000 men’s shirts to the US under the African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA) and has been described as one of the success stories of this Act established in the US in 2000. Her business has promoted the beauty of items Made-in-Ghana and she has had the opportunity to showcase her works on fashion platforms in different countries such as France and the US.

Every success story of course has a beginning, and Nora’s began with her mother’s sewing machine.  As her passion grew over the years, she worked with determination to develop her gift to make an impact and become a solid business, which she now runs with her daughter.

She loves to organize skill development courses for young and especially needy women, to equip them with skills to thrive in the fashion industry or go a step further to start their own businesses. She played a pivotal role in placing Ghana on the AGOA map to enable the nation export over 6,000 products to the US without duties.

Her business, Sleek Garments, now manufactures PPEs for Ghana including surgical gowns, 2 ply masks for medical personnel, scrubs, doctors’ coats, and reusable masks for public use, approved by the FDA. Locate Sleek Garments inside 47 Kwame Nkrumah Avenue, Ghana. Visit their website on www.sleekgarments.com

Adjo Asare

Adjo Asare is the face behind the brand Alfie Designs, based in Accra, Ghana. Through the manufacturing of clothes and  fashion, Alfie designs has created employment and has helped to improve the livelihoods of women and girls whilst  putting Ghana on the map in terms of African fashion.

According to Adjo,  her mother started Alfie Designs and through her hard work, put her children through school all the way to the tertiary level. Adjo started the fashion school in 2016 to enable her support other young women so they can also make a difference in the lives of of their families.

Adjo believes every individual needs to do what their passionate about, so that during times when it seems like things are not working out, one knows what’s motivating them to push ahead in order to suceed and realize their dreams. Alfie Designs is located at Awudome Estate Kaneshie – Accra and can be contacted on +233 244 208778.

Linda Ampah

Cadling Fashions started with Linda Ampah, a Ghanaian based fashion designer who had a passion to share the African print with the world and the passion to empower women throughout Ghana. Overtime she has transformed her small tailoring shop into a global brand which is still known for producing quality and one of a kind garments.

Her clothing line offers a wide range of unique outfits to suit both the sophisticated and modest woman’s taste and provides custom-made clothing. The fashion house has also expanded their production capacity in order to mass produce for other designers and companies.

Their clothing line gained more popularity after one of its masterpieces was worn by former United States’ First Lady, Michelle Obama when she visited South Africa.

To learn more about Cadling Fashions call or WhatsApp:+233272460825 Call:+13013321931  or visit their website www.cadlingfashions.com

 

Salma Salifu

Salma Salifu is a Ghanaian businesswoman and the Managing Director of Dignity DTRT, a garment factory in Ghana which employs over 1500 workers and is located in the capital city Accra,  Ghana.

The fashion house bridges the gap between what global buyers need and what Africa has to offer. They also offer customers a one-stop solution, delivering high quality products at extremely competitive pricing.

For more details on Dignity DTRT visit their website http www.dtrtapparel.com

Its encouraging to see how these women have nurtured their companies and contributing to the growth of the country through employment of staff and also coming through for us as a country during these times.

We say Ayeeko!

 

References

http://www.dtrtapparel.com/contact

https://www.usadf.gov/blog/2019/10/8/meet-the-young-woman-making-ethical-manufacturing-fashionable-in-ghana

https://cadlingfashions.com/

https://www.graphic.com.gh/business/business-news/cadling-fashions-ceo-points-youth-to-fashion-based-jobs.html

https://live.worldbank.org/experts/nora-bannerman-abbot

5 handy financial tips for today’s mompreneur

by with No Comment Business

Balancing motherhood with running your own business can take a toll on your pocket if finances are not managed effectively. How do you clearly set the difference between domestic finances and finances for your business and stay on top of your financial game? Here are a few tips that could come in handy…

  • Set goals and have priorities

The first step in any financial journey is to sit down and reflect on your financial activities or spending habits and the progress you would like to make financially. Having this in mind will help you to set goals that are realistic, time-bound and measurable, such as saving x amount of money by within the next two years. This helps you to stay focused and organized in working towards your financial goals and keeps you from making the same financial mistakes.

 

  • Have a budget

Keeping track of your finances will seem less cluttered if you have a financial plan or budget. This will help you identify which areas take up most of your finances and to clearly determine what amount goes into which activity. Having a budget also sets a limit which guides you in knowing when to spend and when to let it go. As a result, your costs are minimized, and expenses are better managed.

 

  • Invest

Little drops of water really do make a mighty ocean. Putting aside some money to save after expenses can be quite difficult but proves to be worth it in the long run. Although saving some money in the bank is one of the best financial ways to go, it also helps to have your money “working for you” by having an investment account or investing in shares and treasury bills. It’s advisable to pay attention to the interest rates as well as the reputation of these shares or investment banks before investing in order to reduce risk as much as possible. Every little bit helps in investing as it yields some financial returns in the long run. Who knows, that could even be the capital you need to start your next business. Start as early as you can, as it’s never too early!

 

  • Have an emergency fund

Now this is different from investing and is more focused on having something to fall back on in case your business for example runs into some unforeseen circumstances. This is especially handy for small businesses as sometimes profit may be far less than expenses in the beginning. The emergency fund could be a percentage, no matter how small, of the money you make from each business transaction, to help ensure that your money does not run out before you know it; and to prevent you from being in a tight spot should any emergency arise.

 

  • Make use of financial tools

The good news is you never have to face all the figures alone. Thankfully there are several financial tools and apps like QuickBooks, that make financial activities such as bookkeeping easier and more effective. If you need to issue an invoice or receipt for a transaction, there are also simple templates in Microsoft Word that makes the task simpler. We are also in the age of online banking, where you can easily check your account balances and make transfers without making the trip to the bank.

 

Keeping track of all these financial numbers can be quite overwhelming, but remember, there is a whole community of mompreneurs out there making a difference, just like you! Here are a some more practical financial tips from some mompreneurs who share a bit of their financial journey…

https://heymama.co/planning-your-2019-budget-4-mompreneurs-share-their-financial-advice-for-the-year-ahead/