3 Local Associations to belong to as a small business

by with No Comment Business

Most often we get so used to doing things alone as entrepreneurs and try so hard to tackle every aspect of the business ourselves whilst playing diverse roles all in attempt to ensure the business survives.

However as a small business owner, one way to help you ease the pressure on yourself is by identifying the right associations and groups to join. Being a part of these association keeps you abreast with information in your industry, get knowledge on valuable tools for your business. gain information and advise from experts and learn from other entrepreneurs

Today we share with you three associations that will help you grow your network and also get you started with a lot of experiences, information and valuable knowledge. The last time we checked your network is your networth!

1.The Ghana National Chamber of Commerce

The Ghana National Chamber of commerce is an association of business owners, firms, and industries in Ghana having interests in every aspect of the private sector. It represents the business community’s voice, and it is fully committed to playing a leading role in advancing Ghana’s economy. Whilst being a member of the chamber comes with a small price tag, it comes with a lot of benefits especially if you are into manufacturing and production. Some of the advantages of being part of the chamber includes getting access to international opportunities, workshops, exhibitons, discounts and gaining access to the global market. Also the possibility of gaining customers at the chamber is high as there may be members who will be in need of your products and services. The Chamber meets every second Wednesday of the month to educate members on a particular business topic and this is also another great way to network and market your product and services. During these meetings they give a member the opportunity to market to over 100 of attendees at a small fee. There is also a Whatsapp group where members can communicate and market their products and services. If you also need more information on the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA)  then the GNCC is the place to be. To learn more about the Ghana National Chamber of commerce join and how to click here.

2. The Ghana Enterprises Agency

The Ghana Enterprises Agency formerly NBSSI is a non-profit public sector organisation under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Presidential Special Initiatives and came into being in 1985. The aim of this association is to promote the growth and development of micro and small enterprises. Notable amongst some of the business support they offer to businesses especially female owned businesses is the Womens Summit which is held almost every year that gives women owned businesses the opportunity to exhibit , pitch and also attend various workshops and seminars. To get updates on programs that can support you in your entrepreneurship journey from the GEA, follow their page on Instagram to get updates by clicking here

3. The Association of Ghana Industries (AGI)

The Association of Ghana Industries or the AGI, is another small business association to belong to if you are interested in growing your business. All registered enterprises involved in manufacturing or providing services to the manufacturing sector are eligible to join. Associate membership is available to non-profit organizations. The AGI has about 1200 members who work in agro-processing (food and beverages), agri-business, pharmaceuticals, electronics and electrical, telecommunications, information technology, utilities, service industries, transportation, construction, textiles, and garments. It is another good association for your business if you want to stay current with what’s going on in your industry. To learn more about how to become a member click here.

As a small business you may not have to belong to all three of these associations , however it certainly helps in times when you need to leverage on network , experience and other online materials from others to grow your business. Such associations give you quick access to most of the information you need to get a head start on whatever you want to do for your business.

Do you know of any other associations that will be helpful to a small business owner,please share with us in the comment section.


Meet Opie, the creative mind behind OMT’s Digest

by with No Comment BusinessFeatured Moms

The loss of my triplets in February 2014 got me re-evaluating my perspective on life. Although we never met (Jesse, Jayden and Jordan), the experience with the boys is the reason I am where I am. I have become more compassionate and more considerate of the feelings of others. I have come to the realisation that there is more to life and that was the start of my risk taking journey. My friends would testify that I was a quiet and risk averse person.

We chanced on the Instagram account of  OMT’s Digest when Opie shared a bit about herself on her business page Samaw Kidz. From there we realized we had a lot in common when it came to the purpose and vision of our blogs. Especially in this era where collbaoration is the way to go we didnt find any better time to start working on something for mothers in business than this time. Remember the saying that, When women come together great things happen!

Enjoy our short interview with Opie as she shares with us her passion and what led to the beginning of OMT’s Digest! A blog she runs so professionally.

Brief profile of yourself.
I am referred to as Mawuena by friends who have known me from birth till tertiary and after tertiary my name switched to my first name, Ophelia (not my preferred choice though). This was as a result of my first day of work orientation at the audit firm I used to work with. The white partner found it easier to recall Ophelia than Mawuena and it got stuck with clients and colleagues. Ophelia still sounds weird when I hear my pre-tertiary friends use it.lol
That was just by the way.  I am a blogger who is passionate about empowering and supporting women, helping and guiding working mothers to start side gigs, coaching and mentoring the youth and sharing the story of African entrepreneurs to inspire others and eventually change the African narrative a post at a time through my blog OMT’s Digest. 
I am quiet but can be a talkative when you get to know me and when I am engaged in topics I am passionate about. I have two kids, a 5 and a 3 year old mini bosses.

Now that you have an idea of who I am, whenever you spot me anywhere on and offline, just call me Mawuena or Opie!


What work do you do? Career, side gigs
I quit work because of the flexibility I needed. I currently provide freelance writing and editing services.
I also run a hobby gig called Samaw Kidz, customising kids tees for birthdays, milestones celebrations and for fun too! We also assist with gift packages for your kids based on your budget.
I am a business partner for Da Barberz, a grooming shop located at Kwabenya where we provide haircut, manipedis, massage and make-up services in addition to laundry and sale of barbering equipment.
I also do volunteer youth mentoring and coaching when I have the time and I run an accounting, audit and tax consultancy with my partner.  

Motivation behind OMT’s Digest
The loss of my triplets in February 2014 got me re-evaluating my perspective on life. Although we never met (Jesse, Jayden and Jordan), the experience with the boys is the reason I am where I am. I have become more compassionate and more considerate of the feelings of others. I have come to the realisation that there is more to life and that was the start of my risk taking journey. My friends would testify that I was a quiet and risk averse person.
OMT pronounced O.M.T. and not “omt” initially started with the purpose to share the story of my stillbirth and motivate other mothers or mothers to be that there was still hope. I have shared bits and pieces of the story but I am yet to write out the series of posts to tell the full story.
My experience forced me to assess my life and through engagements with other mothers I was inspired to push women into entrepreneurship no matter how small the gig may be, the important aspect is the push to start! In the process I also discovered I love to listen to and share inspirational stories and experiences of young entrepreneurs and the journey of parenthood.


How do you juggle work with family?
Its crazy! Not an easy one I must admit. There are days you feel all empowered and there are days you practically have to drag yourself to get things done. The support of my husband, mother and siblings have been helpful especially on days when I have to step out and make some rounds. 
At other times they tag along like the way women carry their hand bags everywhere so I always call them my “little handbags”..lol
I will say the only way is to keep going, take it a day at a time and stay focused on your goals too, that way you don’t easily give up when you are stressed. Asking for help or relying on nannies does not make you less of a mother.


Most stressful day in your life as a mompreneurhmmmmmm as for this one I will never forget. I took on a freelance writing gig on an area I had no idea on. Charley I read and researched but still! And the thing too was that I had already accepted the project. I wanted to give it back. I would spend hours drafting just a sentence. The time I had in between dropping my son off and picking both of them from school at the end of the day suddenly felt like a second. I couldn’t sleep and when I eventually made it through, that was the most exciting day of my life! 
Lesson: Next time I will assess the challenges well before I decide to take it on. lol


Your favourite quote
Let me focus on these two  🙂
You should try it out, you will never know what may come out of it!
Once there is life, there is hope!

Hobbies 

I love to watch movies, listen to music, go sightseeing and crafting.

Advice for a young entrepreneur

Entrepreneurship is not an easy journey. It has its ups and downs and without passion and focus you can easily lose hope during the low moments.As for money, its great to have it but when money is the sole focus of your business then I doubt the business will be sustainable.


If you came into this world as an animal, which animal would you be?

It will certainly be a cat! A cat, because they appear gentle and sweet but when you come attacking them they will certainly fight back!

To learn more about what Opie does, get in touch with through her IG page, her  website or through email at omtsdigest@gmail.com.

Now to our collaboration! We are having a Mompreneurship session for Moms in Business. We would love you to fill a form using  this link with topics of interest! We look forward to having conversaitons on Motherhood and entrepreneurship with you.

 Wemompreneurs is an online community for Moms in Business that is set out to inspire, motivate and celebrate mother sin buisness. We are also set out to provide relevant informaiton in relation to business to these women all around the world. We would love to share your Mompreneur story with us, reach us throough wemompreneurs@gmail.com

‘Mompreneurship’…more than a sisterhood

by with No Comment BusinessOpinions

One thing that binds mompreneurs together is how we easily understand one another and share similar experiences. Who is a mompreneur? She’s simply a superwoman who balances running her own business with motherhood. More mompreneurs are coming up every day and supporting one another is one major way of making the mompreneur journey easier and more fulfilling. Every mompreneur needs a support system of kindred women, and today, especially in a time of social distancing, isolation etc. we share a few ways by which we as mompreneurs can support one another.

  • Be open and ready to learn from others

 

There are many mompreneurs who are ready to share their experiences and give advice, and thankfully social media has made it easier to do so. Sometimes, experience isn’t the best teacher…we can also learn from others so we can handle things better or not make the same mistakes. Just as we learn from others, we should also be willing to share our experiences with fellow mompreneurs, so they are reminded that they are not alone.

 

  • Support groups

Ever heard the song “bind us together with cords that cannot be broken”? Yep, as mompreneurs, we can also stand together by forming support groups that will build the foundation for lifelong friendships and networks that will be there throughout the mompreneur journey. There are a couple of mompreneur support groups (including ours), but hey, if you know a few mompreneurs as well, you could also try forming a small group via WhatsApp etc., where you could have weekly virtual meetings. This could be a place to vent, share ideas and encourage one another.

 

  • Referrals

Word-of-mouth often goes a long way! Do you know a mompreneur who has started a business and has so much to offer? You could also support by telling others about it, so they could patronize their products and services. Not only will this bring them some revenue, but also encourage them to keep going.

 

  • Comment, like, share, participate

Sometimes, the support is in the little things. Have you seen a mompreneur’s post that inspired you or that you learnt from? You could share it with others so they could also be inspired. Or perhaps you saw an encouraging quote you felt other mompreneurs may need to see. You can also tag them to let them know you’re thinking of them. Even if it’s just liking a post or commenting to show that you see them and believe in what they do, that alone could put a smile on a mompreneur’s face and give her the push she needs.

 

We need one another and can only be stronger together! Do you know any mompreneur? Don’t hesitate to encourage her today. Here’s to many more successes together!

Written by : Nana Boatemaa

Winning Against all odds in the Real Estate Industry – Amorina Raad

by with No Comment BusinessFeatured Moms

Today our Spotlight lands on an amazing Mama in the real estate industry. She started her own Real Estate company amidst all the discouragement when she decided to invest in there. She has been running her own business for the past nine years now.
Enjoy the read as she shares her story with us on how she transitioned from an employee to run her own real estate company.

I am Amorina Raad , mother of an amazing young boy and the Principal CEO of Home Style Realty Ghana. I started my first job with a Real Estate company, with no clue in that industry, I took on the job and decided to learn on the job. As I worked in the industry, I found myself falling in love with it, and started to get curious on the other aspects of real estate. Having worked there for a year, I decided to start my own real estate company and to explore the options.

I started my company with practically nothing. All I had was complimentary cards, a taxi driver and the zeal to succeed.
It wasn’t easy initially, as I was discouraged that real estate agency was not that lucrative.
Being a young lady like myself they didn’t see how I would survive in such an industry mainly dominated by men who were also trying to gain their feet in there . It was devastating to hear my dreams being crushed, I mean, they made valid points but that was not going to deter me. I set out to make a difference against all odds.

I moved from one development to the other trying to gain their trust in order to sell their property.
I had to work twice as hard to gain a potential clients .Overtime I built my portfolio and earned the trust of my clients.

Being a mom has been one of the most challenging things I have ever had to do, especially juggling the time I spend with my son and the business as it feels like I have two babies that need attention.
With the help of God and family, I have been able to schedule my time close early from work or have family take care of him when meetings have to run late or cannot be rescheduled in order to give my son the best.Reach her on +233 24 566 1464.
IG: @home_style_realty
Website: www.home-style-realty.business.site.
#realestate
#womenweadmire
#momcommunity