My advice to anyone who wants to starts a fashion business in Ghana
I received a message from a fashion student who was about to graduate. She asked me about the hurdles I have gone through since I started my fashion business, Zedi and I decided to write about it for every curious fashion enthusiast or entrepreneur out there. Starting a fashion business in Ghana is quite exciting, […]
Against many odds in Africa
The other day I spoke with a friend who was complaining bitterly about a pair of shoes he bought. He said he had been following that shoe brand for some time and finally decided to make a purchase. The brand makes corporate shoes for men right here in Ghana. When his package arrived after ordering […]
An annoying business lesson I learnt just by going to the shop
One afternoon, after spending most of the day at home, I decided to take my kids to a shop to buy a few things. They were delighted to leave the house and run around the store like happy chickens when we got there. Their favourite part was going to the toy section and like we usually do I asked them to select […]
I will never forget this event from my childhood
There’s a memory I have from when I was a little girl. I was about 4 or 5 years old but it is very clear in my head even today. A family friend dropped me off at kindergarten but when I walked into the compound I noticed that there was barely anyone around. One of […]
The Zedi story : How I started my fashion business
When I was younger, in my early teens I had a big idea. I noticed that in Ghana, we didn’t have boutiques or stores that sold affordable African wear that appealed to young people. The trendy African brands that existed at the time were high-end and thus pretty expensive. The average working class Ghanaian couldn’t […]
Sharing my business story is making an impact
One Tuesday afternoon I ran into a friend at a restaurant. We were both ordering lunch to-go so we sat down in the waiting area and did a little catching up. I hadn’t seen him in years, about 8 years as a matter of fact. He went on and on about how good I looked […]
A good person on a bad day
Many years ago when my business was quite young I attended a fair to make some sales! The day began with high hopes as I set up my stand, carefully arranging my colourful clothes and accessories with a big smile. My anticipation soared as the fair officially opened its doors, and visitors started pouring in. […]
The story of my dying business in Ghana
Running a business in Ghana has always been challenging but in recent years thanks to ridiculous levels of inflation in my country things have gotten much much harder. My fashion business, Zedi, that makes affordable high-quality afrocentric clothing has taken a severe hit. As the Ghana Cedi weakens against the tide of inflation every aspect […]
Leaving your business is good for business
If you haven’t heard from me in a while it’s only because I took a long deserved holiday and I’m now returning back to the grind. It’s interesting how perspectives change after a period of inactivity. One thing is for sure and that is you learn to appreciate the little things as well as new […]
The Rise and Fall of Jumia on the Stock Market
The story of Jumia, often referred to as “The Amazon of Africa,” is a captivating tale of ambition, hope, and the tumultuous world of e-commerce. When I first signed up to sell on Jumia I thought they were a Nigerian owned online marketplace. I found out many years later that Jumia was founded in 2012 […]
The journey is the reward
Hustle culture is everywhere these days. The media seems to constantly put out the image that success is all about the constant and continuous battle to make lots of money. As an entrepreneur, I too have experienced the allure of rapid growth and the pressure to push boundaries. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying […]
How to start Aliexpress Dropshipping safely
Dropshipping is a very interesting way to start a side business or small business with little to no money. Times are hard right now and a lot of people don’t have big sums of money lying around to launch a business. With dropshipping you list products on websites and when someone places an order you […]
The struggles of taking my clothing line global
When I founded my clothing line, Zedi I was thrilled to bring my vision of making African fashion easily accessible, to life. The ready-to-wear idea was well received in Ghana, where I’m from. However, as I began to expand my brand globally, I soon realized that it would not be an easy feat. Building a global business […]
4 easy ways to reduce your delivery cost
For a lot of small businesses in retail, doing deliveries has become fundamental. In the hustle and bustle of many African cities, a lot of customers prefer to have their products delivered to them. The new wave of e-commerce on the continent has made this option less of a luxury and more of a regular […]
Business Health Checks By Charles Kyerematen
A bad cough starts, you wait it out a day or two and when symptoms persist, you consult a doctor. The pharmacist hands over your medication and off you go, trusting that the healthcare professionals have given you the best possible solution to your ailment. All things being equal, you should be back to full […]
I just discovered The Golden Circle
One day I prepared a very delicious lunch for myself and sat down to eat. I usually like to watch something interesting while I eat so I went on youtube and found a video by Simon Sinek titled, The Golden Circle. It sounded like a Marvel movie so I thought to myself, why not and […]
A sweet business idea from a fruit stand
Yesterday I went to buy some fruit not far from my house and something interesting happened. I didn’t in any way expect to get a business idea from a banana and pineapple transaction but it happened. I wanted a bit of a variety of fruits but after I asked about the prices I realized that […]
The illusion of full control
When I decided to start my business I had a problem I wanted to solve. I wanted to create a fast and simpler shopping experience for African fashion. The business would be one that solved all the issues around getting Afrocentric clothing and accessories. With my small business, I would control a lot of things. […]
Why I don’t put myself out there
One weekday I sat behind my desk to do some work in my room. I lowered my chair as I always do because good posture is important to me. My email inbox was nice and busy but one email stood out to me. It was a mail from a photo book company I usually use. […]
The woes of a ‘soft’ leader in entrepreneurship
Being a leader comes with lots of responsibilities. Honestly, if you are a small business owner like me, the success of your business largely depends on how well you lead your team. It’s true that every employee’s actions are their own but good leaders have to know how to manage employees to get the best […]
Entrepreneur down days
“Good morning,” I said to my assistant when he came to work. I was just about to have my breakfast so I told him I’d be right back. Something about the day felt nice. Maybe it was the leftover club sandwich I was about to eat or the fact that it was a bright and […]
Young Entrepreneurs tax holiday in Ghana! (Updated!)
Some years ago I made a thread on Twitter about Government’s tax relief for young entrepreneurs. It got a whole lot of people interested. Some even said it was too good to be true but ladies and gentlemen I’m here to let you know that it’s very true and is easier than you think to […]
The 3 tasks a day rule
I was lying in bed one morning staring at the ceiling, deep in thought. Like most mornings, I was trying to plan my day. I listened to a podcast the day before about how to be more productive. The trick was to decide to handle 3 main tasks in a day: the 3 task rule. […]
