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Rising Star: Meet Sarah Sackey, founder of Sarah Sackey Clothing

She challenged the odds and has risen to become the owner of two thriving businesses. Reader, meet Sarah Sackey – the owner of both SARAH SACKEY CLOTHING and FREEZY FRUITS.

READ ALSO: The journey of an entrepreneur

BizzAfrica: Could you briefly introduce yourself for the benefit of our readers?

Sarah: I am Sarah Sackey. I am 32 years of age, married with two kids and an SSS graduate.

BizzAfrica: At what age did you discover your talent for fashion?

Sarah: I discovered my passion for clothes at the age of 14. I was in JSS at that time.

BizzAfrica: Did you ever want to go in fashion designing or it was because there was no money to further your course to the highest possible level?
Sarah: Not at all. I lost both parents at a very tender age. After their death, things were a bit rough until I got married and had my kids. That was when I decided to follow my dream, so attended a fashion school.

BizzAfrica: Currently what do you do?
Sarah: I am a fashion designer. I have a shop I named SARAH SACKEY CLOTHING. Also, i arrange edible fruits; I have named mine FREEZY FRUITS.

BizzAfrica: First let’s talk about Sarah Sackey Clothing. Why did you choose this particular name for your shop?
Sarah: It’s basically my name. During my studies at the Joyce Ababio College of Creative Design, my mates use to call me by that name. They said it was so simple so i kept the name.

BizzAfrica: How many years now has Sarah Sackey Clothing been in existence, and what motivated you?
Sarah: I started last year, after school. I asked a tailor to stitch a shirt for my husband for his birthday. On the agreed day, i went to collect it, and to my dismay, he couldn’t even find the fabric, not to talk of stitching. I told him there and then that he has motivated me to follow my dream of being a fashion designer.

BizzAfrica: How did family and friends react to your passion of being a fashion designer?
Sarah: In fact everyone around me encouraged me. Let me take this opportunity to thank my husband, Samuel Owusu Sackey. God bless him and my late mum.

BizzAfrica: Where and how did you get your initial capital to start the business?
Sarah: My husband provided the initial capital, and then I added my savings that I made out of my fruits business.

BizzAfrica: Can you share with us some of the challenges you have gone through trying to make the businesses stand, as well as funding for the two – the fashion house and fruits business?
Sarah: Fashion has always been a passion for me, therefore, putting a business essence to it was quite challenging because I needed to mix all available resources and come out with products that could sustain and grow Sarah Sackey Clothing.
Also, the right manpower is another area that needed much attention. I needed dedicated and professional staff to keep the business running and meet deadlines to satisfy customers which is hard to come by these days.
The major challenge was finance. I needed to overcome this hurdle since we needed to have a proper business setup with good machinery and materials to start the line with.

BizzAfrica: How do you cope with running both businesses?
Sarah: My love for both businesses is what drives me to excel. Arrangements and putting things together for a perfect fit is something I love and you will agree with me that these form the core in both businesses.
I love to see clients happy with work done for them and this essentially gives me the strength to keep both going.
Additionally, the staff I have provide me with the needed support for both businesses.

BizzAfrica: Are both financially rewarding?

Sarah: Yes, The returns on both businesses are good even though we are in the infant stages. I strongly believe that we will make progress as we remain focused and employ all the resources available.

BizzAfrica: Where do you see both businesses in four years to come?

Sarah: In the next four years, we will be reaching higher heights and hoping to reach the global market space because that is our target. Especially for Sarah Sackey Clothing, we have begun working for clients outside Ghana and hope to grow the numbers in the coming years.
BizzAfrica: What advice will you give you people who feel all hope is lost and also to young people outside there?

Sarah: The distance between dream and reality is effort.

READ ALSO: What you never knew about Algeria

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Editorial – Hardwork pays!

“In the business world, everyone is paid in two coins: cash and experience. Take the experience first; cash will come later”. – Harold S. Geneen

It is a common phenomenon amongst the youth of today to do anything they can to get wealthy as fast as possible.

As soon as they enter into a venture, they anticipate cash to start flowing immediately.

READ ALSO: Trailblazer: Meet Anne Amuzu, co-founder of Nandimobile

Unfortunately, these persons get disillusioned after a few years when they realize that money does not come that fast in the real world and then give up on whatever venture they began.

They do not commit themselves to research, increasing their customer base, marketing, branding and harnessing some level of experience to ensure that the business grows.

Thomas Edison is often credited with the creation of the first industrial research laboratory.

His secret weapon was never being reluctant to work long hours. None of his inventions was the result of an accident; each was achieved by being analytical. Thus, one of his most famous quotes is “Genius is one percent inspiration; ninety-percent perspiration.”

Oprah Winfrey has a magazine and a TV network. Her secret is that she loves what she does and so work doesn’t feel like work. She works long hours to make her business grow.

In this edition, we feature entrepreneurs such as … We also have Sarah Sackey, the owner of FREEZY FRUITS and SARAH SACKEY CLOTHING.

They have toiled well and hard and are excelling in the various ventures they have started. They share their experiences on their struggles and how they overcame those struggles to achieve their successes.

This is what we do at BizzaAfrica; we give the platform to young businesses to showcase what they do and how they do it in order to inspire others.

In this edition, you will learn how to earn income from making beads, how to adequately prepare for an interview and many more. You can also break some ice with a crossword puzzle, a short story, and a joke.

Have a fun time flipping through these colourful pages and learn to work extra hard to make your business grow.

Bon lisant!

Contact me: praba@bizzafrica.com

READ ALSO: What you never knew about Algeria

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Meet Novat Karol, the founder of Elimu Living Lab

BizzAfrica: Tell us about yourself?

I am Novat Karol, a firstborn in a family of four children of which three are boys and one is a girl. I hold a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology from the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

I did my high school at Bwiru Boys Technical school and secondary education at Sengerema Secondary School in Mwanza city in 2009 and 2005 respectively and the primary school at Kamagambo primary school in Karagwe district in Kagera region.

My education journey has been one of my impossible movements accompanied by a couple of dropping out and back to school searching for school fees.

BizzAfrica: Give us a brief history of your organization. I mean, Elimu Organization (when it started and the reason behind its establishment

Elimu living Lab is non-profit making organization established in 2012. To understand Elimu Living Lab you need to know what a living lab is – an environment or a methodical approach focused on end user-driven open innovation.

In the living lab, end-user communities collaborate with Innovation Stakeholders (public, private, education and research, societal and funding sectors) in real-life settings to co-create innovative products, services, processes, business models or policies, or adapt existing ones, to better match market or societal needs based on a co-design approach with end-user communities.

In essence the living lab is a multi-stakeholder partnership approach to Collaborative Open Innovation.

Elimu Living Lab emerged as a response to unemployment. The rate of unemployment (especially among youth) in impoverished communities and townships in our local community of Sengerema is alarmingly high.

Most of the youth in these townships have not undergone formal education and have no hope of breaking the vicious cycle of poverty and unemployment they are born in. The high rates of unemployment breed a lot of other social challenges turning the communities into hubs of crime, violence and substance abuse.

BizzAfrica: For young entrepreneurs a major startup headache has been the issue of capital. How did you do it?

The startup capital I used was mainly from my students’ loan and the part time jobs I did whiles at the university. I started with seven thousand Tanzanian shillings (7,000/=) but to a large extent I made use of my ability to teach and organize young people with varied abilities with the view of harnessing their potentials to solve the problems that confront our society.

BizzAfrica: How was it when you decided to venture into entrepreneurship instead of seeking employment (how did family and friends react to this decision)?

When I completed the University I got a job with some mining companies and even some Universities as a lecturer but I was not motivated enough to pursue those careers because I loved community service but later I tried to figure out how to make some money through what I loved doing.

My classmates were surprised by the option I chose because I was financially constrained in what I was doing. They thought I was confused or mad. My family couldn’t just understand why I have chosen that option.

They thought perhaps I didn’t graduate. They also thought I had been dismissed from the university because per their estimation every graduate is supposed to be employed. But now both my family and friends are seeing the fruits of the decision I took and they give me all the support.

BizzAfrica: What are you hoping to achieve?

I am hoping my organization will become a model in East Africa and will be able to help the government solve the perennial unemployment problem in our country through our practical modules and approach. We are also hoping to change the educational system in Tanzania.

BizzAfrica: Are you sure you will be able to achieve these objectives?

I am about 90 % sure that we will be able to achieve our objectives. The government is already beginning to realize the role we are playing in the educational sector through some of the initiatives we have taken since last year. Creativity and Innovation is the engine and fuel that drives Elimu Living Lab. We believe those are the tools which will lead us in fulfilling our goals.

BizzAfrica: We would like to delve deeper into what you do precisely. What exactly do you do at Elimu Organization?

At Elimu Organization we undertake three main activities; training and development, the academy program and the elimu open school. The training and development program is managed under the Elimu Academy.

The Academy is designed to offer an inspiring and innovative programme in Entrepreneurship, Digital Minds, Leadership and business incubation for young people between the ages 18 and 30.

The programme is offered to young people who are passionate about business, personal development and improving their digital skills but who are struggling to do so due to financial, academic and social challenges.

The Academy program seeks to make a difference in Tanzania by providing a stepping-stone for the youth to get back into the job market, run businesses and be leaders of our country.

The Academy offers a six month programme that runs twice a year: from January to June and from July to December. The Elimu Open SchoolFocus on secondary education, vocational education, adult and continuing education for primary and secondary school drop outs who missed education opportunities

BizzAfrica: What kind of people do you work with?

Elimu Living Lab is a mutually inclusive such that everyone from 12 to 35 years can enroll and get services according to their needs. But mostly youth and women are our target group.

BizzAfrica: How many people have passed through your organization so far?

So far, we have impacted 2869 lives with Living Lab activities managed under Elimu Open School and the Elimu Academy. We have been able to empower a lot of women. About 72% of living lab participants are women. Altogether, four startup businesses created and are being supported Elimu Organization, 267 direct jobs created from the academy graduates and 896 tracked indirect jobs have been created.

Do you get any kind of support from the government?

Sustainability is the work that Elimu Living Lab does especially when it is impacting lives of people in the community. Sustainability is insured through hybrid model of a business development and corporate shared value. 100% of the income is self-generated.

BizzAfrica: Do you have branches outside Tanzania?

For now we are just in Tanzania

BizzAfrica: What would you consider the major challenge to entrepreneurship in Tanzania or in general?

Resource competition, the resources components include finance, people, time, space and equipment. Inadequate resources have led to projects or initiatives competing for resources at the detriment of each other.
Lack of start-up funds to support ideas that grows from entrepreneurship and incubation, Tens and hundreds of social innovations and innovative solutions are created daily but the major thing inhibiting the translation of those innovations from ideas to reality is lack of funding
Team skills and competences, Most of the champions are non-professionals on their area of operations, they are chosen due to their availability and /or readiness.

BizzAfrica: What motivates you?

I am driven by my passion to create jobs for young people and transform their lives.

BizzAfrica: Where do you see your organization in the next five years?

We are hoping to be a financially sustainable organization that will be able to acquire resources to support the organizations capacity building and provide revolving funds for startup companies.

BizzAfrica: What is your advice to young people in Africa who are expecting to be employed?

Well, any young person who expects to be employed should be ready to achieve the dreams of his employer. If they want to fulfill their own dreams then the sure way to go is entrepreneurship but they should not expect overnight progress. They should make use of available resources and opportunities. They should also eschew fear and self –doubt.

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Registering a business in Ghana: The basic steps

Below are some basic steps in registering your company.

1. Acquire a Tax Identification Number (TIN).

This is done by completing a Ghana Revenue Authority Tax Payer Registration Form.

The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) officers after processing the TIN, send a text message for you to collect the TIN. This applies to both online and physical applications.

2. Pick out an appropriate name for your company and check the availability of the company name at the Registrar – General’s department. The name of your establishment should not be misleading, conflicting with any other name.

The Registrar may, on a written application and on payment of the prescribed fees, reserve a name pending registration of a company.

3. Present company registration documents (including the TIN form and your company regulations).

4. Fill up prescribed forms (Form A) from the offices of the Registrar – General’s department. The Registrar examines it and issues a business registration certificate.

5. After incorporation, you must complete Forms 3 and 4 (which you will pick up from the Registrar – General’s department) and the Registrar will issue you a Certificate to commence business.

6. You can then deposit paid-in capital at any bank of your choice and obtain business licenses at the Metropolitan Authority as well as a Social Security number at the Social Security office.

Once your company becomes a legal entity you can go ahead to conduct the affairs of the business and acquire assets in the company’s name.

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The journey of an entrepreneur

‘If there is anything you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it’ Johann Wolfgang Von (1749-1832)

Breaking the hard surface looks odd for business starters. There is no business-startup with magical bestowments or turnaround overnight.

There were basic tumbles that constrained and restricted some renowned entrepreneurs today, yet, their ability to overcome those black outs, guaranteed the bigger and high profit making urge and financial independence.

Positive mental attitude toward success, coupled with passion and perseverance drives the agenda of successful individual business owners.

This is an indication that entrepreneurs fortify their minds and are always ready for challenging times.

If you fail to unearth your hidden skills for self-benefit and for society, you become a living dead.

Develop the mind to be in business and desire to live with anything that comes with your choice.

Myles Munroe (1954-2014) talked about buried treasures and emphasized that cemeteries or graveyards hide many buried treasures.

He aptly explains that ‘Buried beneath those sacred grounds are dreams that never came to pass, songs that were never sung, books that were never written, paintings that never filled the canvas, ideas that were never shared, visions that never became reality, inventions that were never designed, plans that never went beyond the drawing board of the mind, and purposes that were never fulfilled’.

What a tragedy! But for lack of push and self-confidence, the world could have seen great movers, shakers and pushers who would not have joined the bandwagon of buried treasuries, but through creativity, would have made printable memories as defined entrepreneurs and change actors in the business enclave.

A lot of people are still imbued with cherished and selling ideas in the 21^st Century and yet for fear of failure are walking shadow entrepreneurs. They can lecture with vocal ability on business startup and maintenance and yet, cannot boast of a ‘table top shop’. The reason is that, they have never walked the talk.

Is it not surprising that mostly, the first-class students are employed by the average students?

Entrepreneurs are self-engineered to make lasting prints for themselves and their future. They look into the future with hope and have the desire to succeed.

They count failure as the point of restructuring and bouncing with alternative ideas to success.

The biggest motivation to every entrepreneur should and must be failure. For starters, the economic and business environments always look unfriendly and scary. They threaten possible prospect realization; hence, many are not enthused with this appreciative environment and fall out.

However, reckoning that it is possible to make those cherished blueprints with the mustard seed idea today is by far, the most encouraging tool needed to flush out the blurring confidence with an illuminated world of darkness and hopelessness.

Are entrepreneurs born? This question is akin to whether real leaders are born also. They are not born but rather made.

They are unique individuals with unclassified ideas, ready to explore; no matter the cost with committed minds. However, everyone is a potential entrepreneur. The world has seen great entrepreneurs who never had quality education, who were not first-class students, who were considered failures in the academic pursuit and virtually, lacked hope.

Moreover, successful entrepreneurs are those who against all the odds, focused on what I refer to as the three Ds and being led by self-challenge; made it.

They do the DIRTY JOBS, DIFFICULT JOBS and DANGEROUS JOBS. Mathematically, scrap dealers earn more than majority of white colour job employees on monthly basis.

They may not look luxurious and decent, but make really good returns at the blind spot of the world in their tattered clothes and unenviable profession.

How many entrepreneurship lecturers own and run successful businesses? Most of the Ghanaian entrepreneurs have little or no education and yet employ crude methods to sustain and appreciate what they do and how they do it.

The backbone of successful entrepreneurship rests more on applicability than theories. The least required skill is managerial.

Entrepreneurs are risk-taking individuals who usurp every opportunity with smartness. They are individuals with quality eyes, sharp ears, fast hands, paced legs and ideal thinkers who are cunningly, practice-led and not raconteurs and cheap talkers.

Central entrepreneurship is goal definition and going after it. There can never be central articulation of target without aspiration. This creates the visualization ability and forms the financial plan, and the approach to securing it. Simply have the determinant voice and heart, for it shall take you there and prompt of where your money should go.

Instead of waiting to be self-dependent, amass your efforts and gather questions about what makes product sell.

In the ‘Entrepreneurship journey’, I shall stimulate readers to a mind of positive thinking, action-driven and passion instigated. However, be a reader and begin your dream business line. Think deep by looking around you. What would sell? That is the starting point. Clutch and clench onto ideals of positivism and shun cynicism.

Nature’s consideration

We all consider the horizon to be sky-earth meeting point. On the contrary, just like mirage, no trace of truth is known to exist but for perspective and estimation. Our measuring values differ, so are the courses of action.

Some may begin implementing their business ideas with huge sums, but; be content with the little. Start and maintain optimism for breakthrough. Intra-strength comparison is one negative evil that sucks up ability. Maintain focus, treat your mind to be absolute and shine out of the dark with a bang.

IF YOU BELIEVE THE EMPLOYEE CAN NEVER BE RICHER THAN THE EMPLOYER, BEGIN BEING THE EMPLOYER.

DICKSON KWADWO SARPONG

DEVELOPMENT PRACTITIONER

KUMASI METROPOLITAN ASSEMBLY

selectgh@yahoo.com

READ ALSO: What you never knew about Angola

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Intellectual Property Law: Getting your trademark

The world is full of trademarks!

On the streets, on signboards, at shopping malls, on customized cars, in television ads, etc you will find trademarks of several companies advertising their products. The trademark helps us to distinguish one company from another.

WHAT IS A TRADEMARK?

A trademark means any sign that serves, in trade, to differentiate the goods and services of one person or company from those of another.

It comes in the form of words or logos or a combination of words and logos. It can be any distinctive mark that sets your company apart from the rest such that as soon as people see that mark or design they automatically know what it stands for and the services that your company provides.

In Ghana, trademarks are governed by the Trademarks Act 2014(Act 664).

WHY DO I NEED A TRADEMARK?

The reason is that your trademark (or logo) identifies the product of your company so that it is not confused with others.

For instance, there are a lot of restaurants and so if you deal in the restaurant business you would need your unique symbol to avoid confusing your company with that of others.

A tagline attacked to the trademark will help customers know what your company is about.

HOW DO I GET A TRADEMARK?

Get a designer to make a unique logo or design that rightly represents what you provide.
Conduct a search at the Trademark Registry to ensure that your trademark is not available or similar to one that is already registered by another company.
Fill an application with the Trademark Registry accompanied with the proposed trade mark and a list of the goods or services for which the registration of the trade mark is requested and pay appropriate fees.
The Registrar, after determining that the trademark qualifies for registration, will publish the trademark in a Journal for any possible objections by a third party.
If there are no objections, the Registrar will issue you a Certificate of registration. The registration is good for ten (10) years after which you have to renew.

Get your own trademark now and brand your business

READ ALSO: What you never knew about Algeria

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What you never knew about Angola

Angola is the seventh-largest country in Africa and is bordered by Namibia to the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Zambia to the east, and the Atlantic Ocean to west.

READ ALSO: What you never knew about Algeria

GEOGRAPHY:

At 1,246,620 km² (481,321 sq miles), Angola is the world’s twenty-third largest country. It is comparable in size to Mali, or twice the size of France or Texas.

It lies mostly between latitudes 4° and 18°S, and longitudes 12° and 24°E.

Angola has three seasons, a dry season which lasts from May to October, a transitional season with some rain from November to January and a hot, rainy season from February to April.

April is the wettest month.Angola’s average temperature on the coast is 16 °C (60 °F) in the winter and 21 °C (70 °F) in the summer, while the interior is generally hotter and dryer.

ECONOMY:

Angola has vast mineral and petroleum reserves, and its economy is among the fastest growing in the world, especially since the end of the civil war.

In spite of this, the standard of living remains low for the majority of the population, and life expectancy and infant mortality rates in Angola are among the worst in the world.

Angola’s economic growth is highly uneven, with the majority of the nation’s wealth concentrated in a disproportionately small sector of the population.

Angola has a rich subsoil heritage, from diamonds, oil, gold, copper, and a rich wildlife (dramatically impoverished during the civil war), forest, and fossils.

Since independence, oil and diamonds have been the most important economic resource. Smallholder and plantation agriculture have dramatically dropped because of the Angolan Civil War, but have begun to recover after 2002.

The transformation industry that had come into existence in the late colonial period collapsed at independence, because of the exodus of most of the ethnic Portuguese population, but has begun to reemerge (with updated technologies), partly because of the influx of new Portuguese entrepreneurs. Similar developments can be verified in the service sector.

According to The Heritage Foundation, a conservative American think tank, oil production from Angola has increased so significantly that Angola now is China’s biggest supplier of oil.

Growing oil revenues have also created opportunities for corruption: according to a recent Human Rights Watch report, 32 billion US dollars disappeared from government accounts from 2007 to 2010.

With a stock of assets corresponding to 70 billion USD (6.8 billion Kz), Angola is now the third largest financial market in sub-Saharan Africa, surpassed only by Nigeria and South Africa.

According to the Angolan Minister of Economy, Abraão Gourgel, the financial market of the country grew modestly from 2002 and now lies in third place at the level of sub-Saharan Africa.

The country depends on expensive food imports, mainly from South Africa and Portugal, while more than 90 percent of farming is done at family and subsistence level. Thousands of Angolan small-scale farmers are trapped in poverty.

EDUCATION:

Although by law education in Angola is compulsory and free for eight years, the government reports that a percentage of students are not attending due to a lack of school buildings and teachers.

Students are often responsible for paying additional school-related expenses, including fees for books and supplies.

In September 2014, the Angolan Ministry of Education announced an investment of 16 million Euros in the computerization of over 300 classrooms across the country. The project also includes training teachers at a national level, “as a way to introduce and use new information technologies in primary schools, thus reflecting an improvement in the quality of teaching.”

TRIVIA

The name Angola comes from the Portuguese colonial name Reino de Angola (Kingdom of Angola), appearing as early as Dias de Novais’s 1571 charter.

Angola’s motto is Virtus Unita Fortior, a Latin phrase meaning “Virtue is stronger when united”

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Not my business!

What do you usually say to a colleague at work when you are tasked to perform some duties that are beyond your usual functions? We usually exclaim, “After all, it’s not my business or my father’s business!” That is the attitude that a number of Ghanaians in the private and public service have towards work.

The growing trend of nonchalance with regard to work to be done sends home a strong signal; the situation is rapidly getting out of hand.

Several schools of thought, have, over the years attempted to find out exactly what it is that compels one to do exactly what is expected, or in a more pleasant case, go the extra mile.

A cursory glance at Corporate Ghana clearly identifies two cardinal stances. The first set of employees are basically in the office on a simple mission; get the work done, and get paid at the end of the month!

The second group of employees is of a different breed; they are in love with their work. They work hard because they enjoy what they do.

They would want to go the extra mile, and they don’t mind, even if their efforts are not recognized and applauded – they simply love their job.

Former President John Dramani Mahama is reported to have once expressed his concern about this attitude on various platforms.

His claim is that Ghana’s future economic fortunes depend on the industry and human development and so Ghanaian workers should refrain from their lackadaisical attitude towards work in order to uplift the country’s economy to greater heights.

To him, wrong attitude towards work in both government and private institutions was thwarting government’s efforts to ensure economic growth, and in order to achieve a middle income status by 2015 as envisaged, Ghana needs a dedicated workforce with the spirit of enquiry and challenge to develop innovative products.

Indeed, we need to stop using the catchphrase, “It’s not my father’s business!”, and rather see ourselves as part – owners of the organization we find ourselves in; because that is the only way we can foster growth and development in our dear nation. Don’t you think?

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Rising Star: Meet Ayuba Tanko, founder of Ayuba Tanko Photography

Young people around the continent are doing extraordinary things with their skills. With brilliant ideas they come up with solutions that could solve many problems on our continent.

To BizzAfrica any such problem solver is a rising star that must be given the chance to shine. Dear readers our rising star for this edition is Ayuba Tanko, a photographer.

BizzAfrica: Tells us about yourself (name, family, and educational background)

Ayuba Tanko (AT): My name is Ayuba Tanko and I am the second of three children. I have just entered my thirties and I’m very single. I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in Geography and Psychology from the University of Ghana and I am also a product of Adisadel College.

BizzAfrica: So why the name Ayuba Tanko Photography?

AT: As far as I can remember my uncles and cousins called me that name, Ayuba Tanko, when I was little.

When I grew up I begun to like the sound of it and since it was not a common name it also made me popular in school. When I started photographing people that was the name I gave them and it stuck. I felt it made sense to keep it as my business name too.

BizzAfrica: What were you doing before photography?

AT: I have been teaching since I graduated from the University but stopped along the line because I realized I could make some good money from my hobby (photography). I actually got my first camera when I was in SHS. It was a Minolta point and shoot film camera.

I wanted something to play with during leisure. It was a hobby. The pictures I took with that camera often came out very nice. Some of my friends who saw them really commended me and it felt good. But I never considered it beyond that. Never thought it would be a paying hobby in the future.

BizzAfrica: When and why did you decide to go into photography?

AT: It was about 2012 or 2013 that I decided to take my photography seriously. I always photographed for fun and for free. Prior to deciding to delve into photography and make money, I saved and bought a Nikon D5100, which is a beginner DSLR (digital single-lens reflex).

One time at a programme, I saw the photographer use a simple tiny digital point and shoot to photograph the event.

I found out later that he was paid. I was surprised to know that, because I had a DSLR and was shooting for free. I met a young guy of about 16 years old who had also shot a couple of family parties and was paid quite well.

That really shook me and got me thinking. I realized that I could make good money from my hobby. So, I started learning and researching on the internet everything I could learn about photography, cameras, photographing events etc.

BizzAfrica: Do you have any professional training in photography?

AT: No! Like most professional photographers today, it was through trial and error and constant practice.

BizzAfrica: How did family and friends react to your new career decision?

AT: It was passive from the onset. They wondered how I could make a living from that. I managed to convince them that it was going to be a part-time profession. One time on facebook, one of the top commercial photographers in Ghana wrote that he had paid the fees of his kids for the next year from a job he did for a major company.

That excited me. It also gave me hope. In addition I knew young guys who were making very good money from photographing weddings and other social events. When my folks heard this, the pressure reduced a bit.

BizzAfrica: Where did you get the money to start up?

“One time on facebook, one of the top commercial photographers in Ghana wrote that he had paid the fees of his kids for the next year from a job he did for a major company. That excited me. It also gave me hope.” –Ayuba Tanko

AT: Hahahaaaa! As for the start-up money, it was through hustling. I got a job as teacher in a JHS some months after finishing my national service. So I saved some money and after about six or seven months bought my first DSLR, the Nikon D5100.

BizzAfrica: How long have you been doing photography?

AT: Professionally, about three and half years. I went full time about seven months ago.

BizzAfrica: What kind of photography do you do (target market)?

AT: I photograph children events and portraits. I enjoy working with kids and being around them. They are fun and funny. However, weddings and adult portrait sessions pay most of the bills. I have not ventured into commercial photography yet, which also fetches a lot of money.

BizzAfrica: Is photography the only thing you do?

AT: Currently, I am a full time photographer.

BizzAfrica: Is it financially rewarding?

AT: YES and NO. It is financially rewarding if you get clients who can pay your price. When you value your work and you get clients who also have respect for you and what you do, they often pay your asking price. However, photography is an expensive hobby and even more expensive as a professional career. When you invest in it and you do not get the returns (financially if that’s what you are after), it’s frustrating.

BizzAfrica: What drives you in your line of business? (Passion or money)

AT: I started photography as hobby and it still is. I do some pro bono (free) jobs for NGOs and family and friends. However, photography is my profession now. It pays the bills.

BizzAfrica: Do you ever regret your decision to enter into photography?

AT: NO! I am loving it and I hope I can continue to carry a camera even in my old age.

BizzAfrica: What are some of the challenges you have faced so far?

AT: The photography industry in Ghana is densely saturated. More and more young people are entering it by the day and they are doing wonderful stuff. You must keep up or you are left behind.

Sometimes you get a client and you give a package price and they don’t call you back. When you find out later, they have gone with the guy with the cheaper price. Money is hard to come by these days so people tend to go for the cheaper options. However, clients who know and want quality do not hesitate to work with you.

BizzAfrica: So where do you see yourself in the next five years?

AT: Hmmmmm! I love kids and enjoy working with them. If all my plans work out, I see myself having a studio specifically for children photography in the next five years.

BizzAfrica: Do you think you will get there?

AT: I pray God leads me there.

BizzAfrica: Which is the biggest contract you have had so far?

AT: Hmmm! I think it was a wedding. It was a three-day programme. The family was fun, friendly and lively. The couple is still my friends.

BizzAfrica: What is your message to young people who think the only way to make it is through seeking non-existent white collar jobs?

AT: Photography is growing in Ghana. Some photographers are really making money. However, venturing into photography full time as a beginner will be hard. You would need some client base to start and that doesn’t come easily. I was advised by some pros I talked to not to start photography full time until I have acquired a client base that could refer me time to time. My advice to the youth is to take it slowly and learn the craft and the industry. There is no rush. In the meantime, keep your weekday job and do some photography during the weekends until you feel you are ready to go full time.

Reach him via:

Website: http://www.ayubatankophotography.com

Facebook: Ayuba Tanko Photography

Instagram: Ayuba Tanko Photography

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Phone: +233243083120 / +233209856865
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Editorial – Do what you love to do!

What’s money? A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and goes to bed at night and in between, he does what he wants to do. – Bob Dylan

What did you want to be when you grow up? A pilot? A doctor? A teacher? An astronaut?

As kids, we all had professions and careers we admired and most of us grew with that interest. We saw ourselves doing what we love when we grow up. So what happened? Are you doing what you love?

Presently, most people are inclined to do what society perceives to be the ‘best professions’. So you will find a great teacher playing doctor in an operating room or a talented photographer in a bank (Square pegs in round holes!).

We need to get to that point where we are bold enough to venture into careers not necessarily because they fetch more money but because that is what we love to do. That is how entrepreneurship is born.

If people do more of what they love to do, there would be a lower rate of unemployment in Africa.

In this edition, we tell the story of a teacher who quits his job in an international school to work as a photographer due to his love for the lens.

We also interview an MBA (Marketing) graduate who ends up creating one of the most competitive online human resource and recruitment businesses, due to his love for ICT and human relations.

That is what BizzAfrica is aimed at – encouraging young people to be creative with what they love to do, and creating jobs from them.

The love could be for cooking, drawing, photography, dancing, acting, etc. It is possible to make money from what you love; that is how Facebook, Koko King et al began.

We at BizzAfrica tell the stories of entrepreneurs so that others can also be inspired by them. In this edition we also showcase a list of top Ghanaian entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and many more.

You can also break some ice with the crossword puzzle, short story, and some jokes.

Have a fun time flipping through these colourful pages. Bon lisant!

Contact me: praba@bizzafrica.com

READ ALSO: 7 serious mistakes startups make

GET IN TOUCH

Email: info@bizzafrica.com
Phone: +233243083120 / +233209856865
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