AMBITION AND REWARD-THE STORY OF BABA YABDOW a new business — sachet water production . The business also well , but but Baba realised a situation that he describes as worrying .
“ I realised that people were just cutting the fruit trees down anyhow for infrastructural developments . Especially the baobab and mango trees . But I knew there were a lot of nutritional values in the baobab fruits . So , I wanted people to know the economic and nutritional value of the fruits so that they would stop chopping them down . The option of making drinks then came to mind .
Challenges
Baba says the major challenge he has had to go through as an entrepreneur is the power shortfall that intensified in 2015 and plunged the country into darkness . The country had to shed power of between 600-800MW daily due to growing demand , as well as challenges with the main hydroelectric power plant of the country , the Akosombo dam , not operating at full capacity . Many companies , including Yabco Focus , had to buy standby generators and fuel it every other day before they could operate . This , Baba reckons , put a very big strain on his company and led to dwindled profits . However , the situation has been better this year and has provided some relief to businesses .
Another challenge he has faced is the lack of adequate storage facilities in the country . Fruit processors have to find their own means of raising huge capital to buy their own cold facilities . But the capital-intensive nature of those facilities makes it difficult for such a budding business to undertake .
The present state of the business
Yabco Focus Company Ltd , a company which started with just GH ¢ 1,600 and with three employees , has been received well by the market . The business has been able to build the needed capacity to be able to access loan from Zenith Bank which would be used to purchase a cold van for distribution of his juice .
The company has been awarded by the Enhancing Growth In New Enterprises ( ENGINE ) programme with £ 6,000 for expansion projects . Baba feels he is living the dream of providing jobs to the people . Currently , he provides direct employment to 37 people and an additional 10 indirect employment , taking the total number to 47 employees . He said : “ I don ’ t think I would have been able to provide employment to about 50 people if I was still working in the civil service .”
Vision
Yabco Focus Company Ltd has the vision of extending its boundaries across the length and breadth of the country and plans to get his products in every shop . He further wants to cross boundaries to other parts of the continent and beyond in the shortest possible time .
Advice to the entrepreneurs and the youth
Baba believes his business is still growing because of his hard work and commitment to move out of his comfort zone to be a job creator . He wants fellow budding entrepreneurs and the youth to emulate such fine qualities in order for them to succeed in their business endeavours . “ The youth these days want success to happen overnight . But I want to advise them to move out of their comfort zones and make the necessary efforts to raise capital and start something . Nobody will come and give you capital . So , you have to make the effort and show commitment so that when someone see your seriousness , they can help you out . Entrepreneurs should also exercise patience when they invest their monies into any business . They should not expect to make profit at the go . As I speak now , I don ’ t always make profit from the juice business , but I remain confident that things will bounce back and that has helped me to still be in business .”
ENTREPRENEURS SHOULD ALSO EXERCISE PATIENCE WHEN THEY INVEST THEIR MONIES INTO ANY BUSINESS
2016 | Business Times Africa 25