Three Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) that form cohort five of the SNV GrEEn incubation Programme have graduated at Duapa Werkspace – a skills development and entrepreneurship hub in Takoradi.
The SMEs are GoldRanch Trading Enterprise, The Water Chain and Naforit Ventures. They were taken through three months of intensive business management skills training among others, in a bid to increase their chances of succeeding.
Madam Doris Ritsburg, Director of the National Youth Authority at the Effia-Kwesimintsim Municipal Assembly (EKMA), applauded the graduates for their commitment.
“It is possible to grow as start-ups and SMEs; Rome was not built in a day, just persevere, you can do it,” she said.
Esmeralda Anokye-Yeboah, an officer from the Self Employment Enrolment Drive, (SEED) at SSNIT, advised the graduates and other SMEs to register for their pension in order to lessen their dependency on relatives in the event of old age or any eventuality.
Mr. Francis Odum, a senior Regulatory Officer of the Food and Drugs Authority, urged them to engage the Authority for a product certificate to enable them participate in both local and international trade.
Isaac Sai, Assistant Scientific Officer of the Ghana Standard Authority, urged them to seek technical support from the Authority in order to operate within required standards.
Gifty Gyebi, Chief Executive Officer-GoldRanch Trading Enterprise, was grateful for the opportunity which she described as ‘insightful’.
She added that: “I have particularly learnt a lot about the Circular economy and how we can turn our waste to other uses for generating incomes as well as operate in an environmentally friendly manner”.
She continued that the introduction to regulatory bodies will also help them to know where exactly to go for any kind of services in future.
Miss Ophelia Adabra and Mr. Alexander Doe, two directors of The Water Chain, said the project has exposed them to a lot of opportunities in the water sector, and best practices to manage resources.
Rita Nana Agyeiwaa Dompreh, Director of Naforit Ventures said: “Thanks to the SNV and Duapa Werkspace for the training, I am now able to manage my social handles very well and have gained a lot in the business from there”.
