By: Ekow Mensah: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ekow-Mensah-Entrepreneurial-Minded/152289474845005
It is disheartening indeed that the moment you decide to defy the status quo and be unique, being an entrepreneur instead of looking for a well-paying job; the odds seem to turn on you and the joy of being innovative and seeing your vision being transformed into reality through your products and services, seems to diminish. The life of fulfillment that comes with being an entrepreneur or an innovator seems to turn into a life of struggle, immense difficulties and survival. Indeed, nobody said it will be easy but does it have to be so ‘damn hard’ especially in Ghana, a country that seems to be blessed with everything but strained with massive lack in resources to promote innovation and entrepreneurship!
Of course the government is doing what it believes will help and most importantly gain them political points, so most of their interventions, as they call it, are tailored to meet the ‘needs’ of the indigenous masses who by the way, work just to put food on the table and really are not too much concerned with innovation, international standards and going global with their crafts. As needful as these interventions may be, they still lack the elements worthy of putting Ghana on the global economic map. Initiatives such as the Ghana Venture Capital Fund, whose operation is not too different from the banks now, with back-breaking requirements and unbearably long waiting times for funds, make it impossible for young, talented, passionate, innovative and educated individuals and groups to access the funds. So, obviously, we can not depend on the government alone to ease the burden of entrepreneurship and innovation.
The way forward I believe, is the formation of formidable and productive networks. I don’t know why but i guess it’s a human thing or particularly a ‘black’ thing. We never work together, never! We all prefer to work in our own small corners, doing our own small things and as most people put it ‘minding our own business’. That wouldn’t even be a problem if we were minding our own businesses but we get caught up in being copy-cats and imitators and eventually mess up great initiatives. Predecessors; our mentors and role models feel threatened by our innovation, passion and speed and secretly and even openly shamelessly sabotage us…it’s sad.
Henry Ford once said “Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” Evidently success in entrepreneurship lies in building productive synergies and instead of talking and complaining, we should come together, each with their skills sets and resources to create that enabling environment we so much desire in Ghana. In Genesis 11:6 (on the tower of Babel), God said “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.” (NIV) God realizes that when people are unified in purpose they can accomplish impossible feats…it’s time to come together to build our destinies…join us make the GHANA START-UP CAPITAL FUND a reality and a tremendous success… http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_185907504791286
Ekow-Mensah 