As part of activities to mark September SME Month, Telecel Ghana has held its flagship initiative, the Telecel Business Runway. This aims to equip small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with the right tools and guidance to thrive in Ghana’s business environment.
The event brought together government officials, entrepreneurs, and Telecel’s management team to discuss strategies for business growth and sustainability. This year’s month-long celebration is under the theme “Connecting the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs.”
Director of Enterprise Business at Telecel Ghana, Tawa Bolarin, acknowledged that while SMEs continue to rise across the country, they face both opportunities and challenges. She explained that the Business Runway was designed to educate and guide entrepreneurs along the often difficult path of entrepreneurship.
“There are certain things that young people feel is too administratively cumbersome. All of the programs that we have run through the course of this month is around the tools that they need in order for them to actually be able to run their businesses more efficiently today,” she stated.
Bolarin further revealed that Telecel has developed tailored packages to support the unique needs of SMEs and help them scale their ventures.
According to her, “So the boss plan puts together a national communication on any network. The second one is your business online. So today, for 250 cedis a year, you can get a website designed for you, as many pages as you want. And then the final one is your One Business Mobile. One Business Mobile talks about you become a bigger business.”
Deputy Chief Director at the Ministry of Youth Development and Empowerment, Mohammed Saani Adams, reaffirmed government’s commitment to addressing the challenges confronting SMEs. He emphasized that empowering young people to venture into entrepreneurship is key to job creation and economic growth.
“There are always some barriers, and one of the strongest barriers is access to capital. What the ministry is trying to do is to break these barriers. We intend to have an interaction with young businesses and young men who want to go into entrepreneurship, and nurture these business ideas,” he stated.
The Telecel Business Runway forms part of Telecel Ghana’s broader commitment to fostering innovation and supporting business development across the country.