MTN empowers small businesses with SME capability training

MTN Ghana recently held a business training session for SMEs. This event was part of their SME Accelerate Programme. It took place on Tuesday, May 6, at MTN House in Accra.

The training aimed to equip small and medium-sized enterprises with practical knowledge. Entrepreneurs from various sectors attended and showcased their products.

Saddick Mohammed Abubakari, Senior Manager for SME Sales at MTN Ghana, welcomed the participants. He emphasized the importance of positioning and packaging for business success. Many businesses miss opportunities due to poor branding.

“Opportunities are out there,” he said. “You must position and package yourself for them.” He encouraged adding value to local products instead of exporting raw materials.

Kofi Essuman, President of the Institute of Packaging, delivered a keynote address. He discussed trade, value chains, and packaging in detail. Essuman stated that value addition should lead to profit.

“The value created is the profit margin,” he explained. “If you’re not making profit, you’re not adding value.” He described packaging as an essential economic tool for market competition.

Essuman warned against using harmful materials like black polythene for food packaging. He demonstrated how to choose suitable packaging and introduced modern innovations like edible films and bio-based plastics.

He advised SMEs to consider their product type when selecting packaging materials. Understanding the target market is crucial too. Experimenting with different materials can help find the best fit.

Participants shared experiences about challenges such as competition and branding during the session. They also displayed locally made goods that showcased creativity and innovation.

A representative from GCB Bank spoke about financial literacy and record keeping. Participants were urged to adopt structured bookkeeping practices.

Samuel Opoku-Agyeman from MTN discussed financial inclusion's importance for entrepreneurs. He encouraged using financial tools to engage in the digital economy.

The MTN Business team introduced digital solutions for SMEs during the event. One key offering was the YellowBiz bundle priced at GH₵1,200.

This bundle includes a high-speed router, a one-year website domain, hosting services, three months of Microsoft 365 access, and a cloud-based phone system. The router number can also serve as a business contact number.

Participants learned about WebWiz for website design management tailored for SMEs. Another product called MTNBusinessMessenger allows businesses to send SMS campaigns under their brand name.

MTN also unveiled BusinessEye—a smart surveillance system with remote monitoring features. This system enables real-time monitoring via mobile devices.

Special packages were available for women entrepreneurs too—like Adwumapa—which offers free calls and data starting from GH₵50.

Additional solutions like SMEPlus and FibreBroadbandforBusiness provide affordable connectivity options for SMEs across Ghana.

This training session reflects MTN Ghana’s commitment to supporting digital transformation among SMEs nationwide.