Doing business in Ghana
Ghana is a hard place.
It is the end result of a colonial experiment, designed to feed the heart of the Empire (England) with the resources required to drive its thriving industry. Its people, looked upon as savages, would in return gain some semblance of civility: education, schools, written language, medicine, things that a savage would appreciate. That is, ignoring the fact that these savages had complex political structures, language and writings of their own, a means of long range communication....I digress.
In the end the educational system was fashioned to churn out good workers - indentured servants who were good at following commands. The abstract thinking and complex subjects were reserved for the choice few, raised to rule the rabble, and were available only in the elite universities at the heart of the Empire. When clever political maneuvering and obstinate resistance led to its release from the bonds of its master, these wrongs were never righted. The curriculum, though more inward looking and afrocentric, still served to create obedient servants, rather than enterprising young minds.
As such it is no surprise that Ghana continues to thrive on simple extractive ventures, and the mindless production of raw material. The most research carried out at high levels are poverty reducing studies, fed by a charitable industrial behemoth that sees 1% to 10% of the aid actually benefiting the intended targets.
Poverty, both in finances and in entrepreneurial knowledge, has placed Ghana in a trap. It has created many problems: rampant corruption, theft, horrible front line staff, incompetent backroom staff, and the greedy self serving managers that run the cancerous organizations...you can tell that I am most certainly not a fan of the average Ghanaian business. It has become the norm for people to receive poor quality service. After all, the profit margins are low, and the other players in industry understand that it is a race to the bottom line: the cheaper your service, the greater your income.
There are so many problems and challenges doing business in Ghana. However I do not despair: where there are problems, there are also opportunities. After all the concept behind every business is finding a problem, designing a solution that cost less to provide than what people are willing to pay for, and then offering it to the public.
For every terrible business out there, there are frustrated customers who are ready to turn their attention to first person that can offer them a solution. For the ECG customer that has suffered the effects of overpricing, manipulation of meters, and heartless, uncaring customer service support, there should be an alternative. For the business man looking to secure a loan at an affordable rate in order to expand his business there can be an alternative. By listening to the horrible experiences others have had at the hands of another business, one can find opportunities. If you play your cards right, you might just takeover an entire industry.
It is the end result of a colonial experiment, designed to feed the heart of the Empire (England) with the resources required to drive its thriving industry. Its people, looked upon as savages, would in return gain some semblance of civility: education, schools, written language, medicine, things that a savage would appreciate. That is, ignoring the fact that these savages had complex political structures, language and writings of their own, a means of long range communication....I digress.
In the end the educational system was fashioned to churn out good workers - indentured servants who were good at following commands. The abstract thinking and complex subjects were reserved for the choice few, raised to rule the rabble, and were available only in the elite universities at the heart of the Empire. When clever political maneuvering and obstinate resistance led to its release from the bonds of its master, these wrongs were never righted. The curriculum, though more inward looking and afrocentric, still served to create obedient servants, rather than enterprising young minds.
As such it is no surprise that Ghana continues to thrive on simple extractive ventures, and the mindless production of raw material. The most research carried out at high levels are poverty reducing studies, fed by a charitable industrial behemoth that sees 1% to 10% of the aid actually benefiting the intended targets.
Poverty, both in finances and in entrepreneurial knowledge, has placed Ghana in a trap. It has created many problems: rampant corruption, theft, horrible front line staff, incompetent backroom staff, and the greedy self serving managers that run the cancerous organizations...you can tell that I am most certainly not a fan of the average Ghanaian business. It has become the norm for people to receive poor quality service. After all, the profit margins are low, and the other players in industry understand that it is a race to the bottom line: the cheaper your service, the greater your income.
There are so many problems and challenges doing business in Ghana. However I do not despair: where there are problems, there are also opportunities. After all the concept behind every business is finding a problem, designing a solution that cost less to provide than what people are willing to pay for, and then offering it to the public.
For every terrible business out there, there are frustrated customers who are ready to turn their attention to first person that can offer them a solution. For the ECG customer that has suffered the effects of overpricing, manipulation of meters, and heartless, uncaring customer service support, there should be an alternative. For the business man looking to secure a loan at an affordable rate in order to expand his business there can be an alternative. By listening to the horrible experiences others have had at the hands of another business, one can find opportunities. If you play your cards right, you might just takeover an entire industry.
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