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Seth Adu Gyampoh graduated from University of Cape Coast in 2004
with a commerce
degree and certificate in Java programming and
business
computing. After working for
a local audit firm, he left to
start a media business with a
fellow graduate. The two
young men
created ads, multi-media events, and other promotions
for about ten
clients
by the end of 2005, including Ghana Today Internet
Services (www.ghanatoday.com).
But in typical entrepreneurial
fashion, then they identified a need—
business technology
services--and determined that they could fill it.
Seth and his
partner noted that most
local companies did not know
or take seriously the importance of
data gathering
and information
processing such as business documentation and
reporting. Few if
any clients had the means to pay for software and information
technology services.
So Seth and his colleague thought to start
developing their own
business process
management software
for Small to Medium Enterprises (SME) as a
subsidiary of
the advertising agency.
After hearing about
the 2006 Believe Begin Become Business Plan
Competition,
Seth decided to participate with two different business
models:
a Web 2.0
technology company to offer internet/mobile-
based business
applications and
digital content; and an applications
development company to
computerize SMEs’
business resources
(e.g., procedure manuals and policies) which
would effectively
improve
their organizations. The second business idea not only
survived but in
fact led to their being a national finalist. Seth was trained
in the
practicalities of
business through the BBB’s mini-MBA classes,
connected
with a large potential
colleague and customer network,
and gained the company $5,000
seed money—which he applied to
registering their business and purchasing
office laptops
and furniture.
He is very grateful to TechnoServe for
introducing him to his
mentor
who has guided the company through its early stages and
now is
Steward’s Chairman of the Board of Directors. In fact his
mentor
and follow-up
from TechnoServe after the BBB competition have
been critical
factors in
Steward’s success to date.
As of February 2009, Seth is
Managing Director of Steward which
employs the
two Founders plus six full time staff, including two at
client
sites. There are five
part-time professionals also supporting
the management team,
whom Seth
hopes will become full-time
once the company reaches critical
revenue mass.
Across Africa,
both secondary school and university graduates
have difficulty
finding jobs outside of government, banks and major
corporations.
With just current plans, Seth will employ 12 talented young Ghanaians
who
might have been struggling to succeed in the infant IT
profession.
As a leader
in the burgeoning IT industry, Steward can impact many
SME’s
growth to be
more cost-effective and efficient. Not only does
this mean
Steward’s hiring
more staff and increasing their revenues,
but also they enable
their clients
and their clients’ rural and urban
suppliers and customers to
buy higher quality
goods at lower costs.
Seth and his company can help Information
Technology
impact the
developing world as it has in the West. And as
witnessed in the
Western world, growth in all sectors of small business can
improve
lives and
alleviate poverty in Ghana and other African economies.
Steward Vista Solutions have
expanded to include standard business
development services, such as writing business plans, developing
websites and
graphics, and providing general business guidance.
The latest
additional
software are Steward HRMS and Steward
Accounting ERP. The
company is
also developing accounting/finance
software similar to Quickbooks for the
small and micro business
segment. Steward POS 2.O, the updated
point-of-sale
software,
should be tested mid-2009.
Steward Vista Solutions has also
shifted their target customers away
from small
enterprises (2 to 20 employees) who “are not ready” for
point-of-sale or other
software. Instead they focus on helping
mid-size (20 to 100
employees) and large
scale (over 100 employees)
organizations which need eBusiness
solutions
such as virtualization,
financial data analysis, product
tracking, and customer
relationship
and human resources management. The company will
formally
launch
their accounting package into the broader Ghanaian market
in 2009—
hopefully by the 2nd anniversary of their starting
operations—with a
website and
other marketing media.
Seth Gyampoh’s dreams are
turning into reality thanks to his own
and his
colleagues’ hard work and big vision. The company plans to
customize its
accounting engine for hotels, churches, and health
institutions.
They’ve already
established two distributors in India
and hope that some day
soon they will have
certification programs
for channel sales as well as partnerships with major accounting
firms located in Ghana. Of course, they will need to
expand their
staff, equipment,
products, technology services, and customer base.
But Seth
believes, “Africa is so
far behind in understanding the
need and use of technology. So
our business plan has
evolved to
encompass broader business services, including
outsourcing for
other
companies. And we’ve now focused on larger customers.
We
wouldn’t have
recognized that without TechnoServe’s BBB
training and
our continuous learning.”
SIDEBAR:
Steward Vista Solution Limited is founded on the following
potential for their clients:
-
Steward
= guide and encourage
-
Vista
= take a broad, long-term view
-
Solutions =
find creative, pragmatic & lasting solutions to business
puzzles & challenges
-
Open
Innovation
= essential for their company and their slogan
I
nnovation Unbound
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Since graduating from university in 1984, Isaac Bohulu had been
a pharmacist in
Accra, Ghana including six years spent at Hoffmann-
La Roche, the
Swiss-based
international pharmaceutical company.
But he always was an
entrepreneur at heart,
especially after gaining
his Masters in Business Administration
(MBA) with a
marketing focus.
In 2006 he learned about
TechnoServe’s Believe Begin Become
(BBB) Business
Plan Competition in Ghana. He had already
planned to start his
own natural medicine
business so his goals
then became to win some money to jump
start the new idea as
well as receive some practical training. Isaac was a top 20
finalist,
receiving $15,000
cash and $10,000 in services to start testing
Neemfresh, an
herbal mouthwash using
extracts of leaves (and
other parts) from a large Neem tree in
his backyard!
“Though most of the [Believe
Begin Become] training theories were
not new to me,”
Isaac states, “now I am implementing better
business practices, such as separately
tracking business vs.
personal expenses. Besides the prizes,
there were many other
useful aspects: learning the importance of networking;
maintaining
key relationships;
exchanging new ideas; exposure to different
expertise; and
problem solving. I
especially enjoyed mentoring
“young ones” with less experience. TechnoServe and my BBB
colleagues are resources when I need help; they have
opened
doors and linkages
to new funding and other resources.” As
sounding boards,
linkages to new clients, and
area-expertise
among other things, Isaac’s peer network—thanks toTechnoServe
--have
been his best counselors.
In 2007 Isaac
obtained a business license to build a lab/manufacturing
space
in a
separated bedroom of his house. Most
of the BBB cash
prize went toward
processing
equipment (e.g., water pumps,
filtration system, and
refrigeration); bottles for the products; and
his
lab/manufacturing
addition. His
services money paid for a media
company to
create product ads. He has been busy honing the formula
with feedback from his
pilot customers to successfully apply to Ghana’s
food and drug board for certification of Neemfresh mouthwash.
As of February
2009, Isaac still ensures
his family income and cash
flow for Natural
Scientific Pharmaceuticals by working weekdays for
a private insurance company, then weekends and evenings on his
herbal
products. With the help of three
sales reps, a
factory worker,
and his own marketing knowledge, he has focused
on recruiting
Neemfresh customers from dental-related groups. For example he
has done a presentation
to the Accra Dental Association so now
some private dental
clinics are using his product
and the local dental
school and a nearby hospital are interested
in trials. Also, he is
advertising on targeted-demographic radio (e.g., with
professional
and trendy young
listeners who care about their appearance), while
also promoting
Neemfresh’s competitive
advantage of ensuring both
healthy gums and teeth.
Natural Scientific Pharmaceuticals offer discerning customers high
quality, herb-and-plant-derived choices rather than
industrial-
chemical-based products. As Isaac’s company
expands sales and
facilities to reach his 5-year goal, he could
require as many as 20
employees for running the factory floor, administration and sales.
Certainly as a growing
small business, his new staff, suppliers,
revenues and taxes
will impact local, regional and national
economies. All these factors are positive for Ghana’s health and
community welfare.
Naturally realistic yet optimistic, Isaac has been laying the
foundation
for his company’s
long-term success. He’s begun to pilot test more
herbal products such as a
nasal spray decongestant for ongoing
sinusitis and a body cream using shea butter and herbs. All his
products are sold
directly, through word of mouth and targeting key
customer
environments
like dental clinics. With support from his
BBB alumni network,
he has set pragmatic
business goals for
Natural Scientific Pharmaceuticals for the
next year and a few years
out by which time he plans to more than double revenues. In
order
to make a profit with
strong inventory turnover, Isaac’s top priorities
are to enforce
Accounts Receivable for
goods already sold;
establish bigger manufacturing and warehouse
space; create and
implement the right strategy to develop and
commercially launch
multiple health-care
products; and leverage venture capital money
to sustain
operations and buy additional equipment. Thanks to
Isaac’s
BBB colleagues, he knows
“I now pick up the phone to
ask
for help. I’ve learned never to ‘go it alone’.”
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