100 SMEs receive free training from ICODE Ghana.
An innovation hub, ICODE Ghana, focused on business and tech
incubation and training that current resides in Takoradi in the Western Region
has in recent times trained a number of over a Hundred Micro Businesses to
enhance and improve their productions and increase profits.
The “Micro Business Games”, they call it, is
ongoing with support from GIZ, an agency of the German foreign ministry and the
Savings Bank Foundation from Germany, is estimated to be of a benefit to 500
businesses in the Western Region.
The training is parted in four phases.
Participants are divided into four groups with each group assuming leadership
of a business simulation process takes business decisions and gains insight
into the internal and external factors that influence the performance of their
businesses.
They receive feedback and reflect on their
progress within the simulation. This newly acquired knowledge is to help them
build their own businesses.
Speaking to Prince Bonney, founder and CEO of
ICODE, he said they train businesses in Fashion, Agric, Ecommerce and general
B-to-B operations in addition to a host of other IT training but they
specialize in training businesses that use IT as a tool to power their
businesses.
He said from September 2018 to April 2019, 250
of such businesses have benefitted from such training. Starting from the month
of May to June and July, about 150 Startups and Businesses will undergo another
training.
He said GIZ and the Savings Bank Foundation have
immensely supported them in this endeavor.
He said many businesses do their business
without record keeping and this makes it difficult for them to receive funding
from financial institutions to expand when the need arises. Some struggle with
their income statements and financial accounting which banks rely on to provide
support.
The training will help them be able to balance
their books, do forecasting and even manage their supplies.
Mr. Bonney says every batch of trainees goes
through a week of training after which they are mentored by other businesses
for a period to help them get hands on practical to help them survive in the
real business world.
On the main goal of the training, he said, “One
of the main goals of the training program is actually to empower the private
business person to create jobs for the community. Therefore, if the single
entrepreneur or private entrepreneur is making more money there is a guarantee
that he or she might employ someone else to expand the business. We want to
encourage young entrepreneurs in creating to create more businesses in
Takoradi”.



He is of the view that Takoradi can also experience the
module we see in Accra and Kumasi where those places has become the center of
attraction and business support. He said the support is for both the people who
have started their own businesses and those planning to start theirs from
scratch.
Mr. Bonney has promised that ICODE will be
offering this free training support all young entrepreneurs and other
organizations operating in Takoradi and other parts of the western region.