Doing Business in Ghana: Curves and Edges

Ghana is a member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a regional economic organization comprising a thriving market of 250 million people in West Africa. As part of the thriving countries in Africa, Ghana has been open to trade and investments to other nation. It is even considered the gateway to the growing West African Region. However, foreign investors have been cautious in investing in the country despite the increasing foreign owners around the nation.

Curves and Edges

One of the challenges in starting a business in the country is the high interest rates. Borrowing money from the banks in Ghana is considered expensive. It is therefore necessary for owners to bring ample amount of money to keep and maintain their business in the early stages.

One should also have to understand the local market in Ghana. With an estimated GDP growth of 12% in 2014, Ghana is one of the fastest growing economies in the world alongside Jakarta, Indonesia and Beijing, China. However, it does not mean that every business is successful in the country. It is important to choose the right local market to deal business with and choose the most trusted and knowledgeable local partner well to avoid scams and frauds in the area.

In terms of Ghana’s infrastructure, there are still reviews and reports about the business environment. Water and energy supply, for instance, are still lacking in some parts. These two factors have not managed to keep pace with the country’s fast growth.

For business owners who would want to invest in mining and oil, there are a lot of opportunities for you. The latter has been responsible in Ghana’s economic growth. There has also been a lot of shipping in automotive and machinery parts which can be linked in oil production and mining as well. Banking is also growing across the nation. The businesses and banks in Ghana is already moving to credit card businesses.

English language, on the other hand, is shown to not be an issue as English is the official language of the place.

Businesses continue to grow and unemployment rate decreases every quarter. Human resource agencies such as Axis Capital Group has proved that there are a lot of opportunities in the country but along with it are also challenges that are almost usual to all countries in the world.

The Art of Dealing with Your Colleagues

A lot of our time in a week is spent in the workplace. We cannot avoid the stress and pressure that are natural in any workplace: deadlines to meet, irate bosses and piles of things to review. One thing that affects how we deal with these pressures is the usual banter and chatter with our co-workers. Our working environment may become more fulfilling and more rewarding with improved relationship with our colleagues.

It is important that there is a healthy and comfortable atmosphere in a workplace. Everyone should be comfortable in voicing out there thoughts and feel safe in doing so. The dynamics of communication should be smooth flowing in the workplace.

Share More of Yourself

One most important foundation in building a relationship is to let others know who you are. Other people would want to get to know you through the way you speak your mind. It will be easier for them to open up to you when you open up to them, thus building a relationship.

Get Involved

Don’t just get to talk when you are asked. Learn to voice your own opinion as well. It is a good way of showing that you do care about the company, the issue or the person/s involved. Bonding with them even outside of the workplace can also help strengthen the relationship. However, you want to be careful in setting clear boundaries for the situation.

Respect Others

Respect is one of the most important fundamental in every relationship. In dealing with other people and getting involved, you should learn when to butt-in in a conversation or when to voice your mind, especially in the presence of your boss.

Instead of bursting out complaints, consider that each and every individual has different values and cultures. You may be facing people with a very different belief than yours. It does good to accept that you don’t have the same mind and the same line of thoughts.

Resolve Conflicts Fast

Issues and misunderstanding will always be present in every relationship because of different beliefs and opinions especially in a workplace. Both parties should learn to compromise to resolve an issue.

About Axis Human Capital Group

Axis Human Capital Group is a team with an aim to develop talents through various organizational trainings. We are located in Ghana, Africa but our specialized blogs and articles reach to employees, employers and entrepreneurs to as far as Jakarta, Indonesia, Maldives, Singapore and the US. You may visit our website to learn more.

Building Confidence 101

Each one of us has their own out-of-body experience when faced with an interview, a presentation or talking to the boss. Thoughts are slowly drifting away to some uncertain and foggy place where you can’t think straight no matter how many times you review what you are to say prior to the situation. It’s not only you who experience these kinds of things. It does not matter if you are from Guam, the mountains of Sierra Madre, Tokyo, Japan, Jakarta Indonesia, and Hawaii or even if you are from South Pole. Even people from different cultures know the feeling.

Some people have ways to ignore these nervous symptoms all of us may have experienced from time to time. In order to cope, we put ourselves inside a transparent shelter of confidence.

But how do we build this shelter? The strength of your confidence may also determine the level of competency you are to exude in the nerve-racking situation.

Positive Self Talk

We should admit it to ourselves. We talk to ourselves sometimes. Some of us talk to themselves more frequently than others: May it is aloud or only in their heads. According to several studies, talking to oneself is not a sign of madness or delusion but can in fact help some people get done with their work, be motivated or think things through. Researchers even found out that it can turn negative feelings into optimism with positive reminders. It may be a little weird to stand in front of the mirror and say, “I can do it” but your heavy feeling can be lifted once you do it.

Make this a habit as well. It doesn’t mean that you have to talk to yourself every now and then. That may seem too weird to other people. You can just cheer yourself in your mind.

Carry Yourself Well

A little acting won’t do any harm as long as every part of your body gets incorporated with each other. It will be a little awkward if you have indeed straightened your back but sway your hands in the same motion of your step. You have to feel confident to own confidence. Be conscious of your actions but don’t let go of comfort. If we strike a powerful pose, we feel powerful.

Change your Perspective towards Other People

Inferiority may kick in if you think too much that you are talking to your boss. People have the tendency to back out from a situation if they think that they are to face someone more superior than they are. Think about them as equal human being but always remain respectful. Rather than thinking that your boss is a terrifying lion ready to pounce, think of him as a gentle cub that needs to be informed about the important information you have.

Turn your Frown Upside Down

Many people say smiling is the most powerful weapon. It blocks complaints and bad vibes. Not only does it exude a nice impression from you but it can also lift your own feeling. Be genuine as much as you can. Many people say that smiling is contagious. Who knows, you might get a smile in return from your boss.

Attend Self-Improvement Trainings

Attending self-improvement training is an option but it can do well to make you feel better especially for those who claim to be introverts. You can also read reviews or blogs online on how to improve and motivate yourself. Many self improvements companies such as Axis Human Capital group have an advocacy to help everyone build their own shelter of confidence around them.

Team Building Activities in the Workplace

All work, no play. Some of you individuals out there are too workaholic to take a break from all the stressful events, deadlines and scary bosses. Recreational activities are essential for our continued growth and to free ourselves from concentrating too much on our work. Thankfully, almost all companies nowadays take a day or week off from their hectic schedule to bond and make memories outside of the workplace. These workaholics no longer got any excuse.

When someone says team building activities, the first thing that comes to mind nowadays is the rigorous activities such as rappelling, bungee jumping or mountain trekking. If that is your style, you can go ahead and do so. There are so many available activities available nowadays. You can try mountain trekking in Mount Khuiten in Mongolia, rappelling in Bryce and Zion Canyon, bungee jumping in Queenstown in New Zealand or if you have a different trip, you can try drum dancing in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Team building is very important if you wish to extract the best out of your workforce. Employees are urged to work smarter and not just harder, in an effort to deliver the desired results. There are also available team building activities that can be done inside the office which you can do before meetings to loosen up a bit. Here are some of them:

Game Name: This is my Life

Participants: Everyone

Materials: cards (all images)

Instruction: Cards represent different stages of life. 

Queen= teenage years. 

King = Young Adult. 

Jack = Childhood years. 

Ace = now. 

Each participant must pick a card and tell something about themselves based on the image on the card picked.

Game Name: Whaddya Know

Participants: anyone

Materials: List of questions

Instructions: Bring a list of ten questions to a meeting. They can be questions about your business, the people you serve, your products — things your team should know but nothing too easy. Without warning, pop a question to the group or direct it to one individual. Every correct answer gets a candy bar or some other small reward.

Game Name: Wear your Attitude

Participants: Everyone

Materials: Attitude buttons

Instructions: Have buttons or laminated cards with a variety of attitudes on them; such as happy, angry, friendly, generous, sad, worried, excellent, etc. As each person enters work, allow them to pick the attitude they would like to display. People who pick unattractive ones can be avoided and the pleasant ones will get all the smiles, encouragement, and positive attention. Anyone can change their ‘button attitude’ at any time.

Human Resource agencies such as Axis Human Capital is a group of companies that organize team building activities, talents and development trainings and organizational seminars which help bring out the positivity and strengthen the working relationship within a company. Our priority is to enhance the capacity of an employee, employer or entrepreneur in dealing other people and their business.

How to Manage Work-Related Stress

One of people’s biggest problems is work-related stress. It may be because of a demanding boss, a mountain of workload or pressuring deadlines. Many people say stress is relative and natural but most people who undergo it would give anything just to get rid of it.

Stress may trigger depression that may sometimes lead to health issues and sometimes, suicidal attempts. Michelle M. Conette, a blogger at Charles E. Kubly Foundation, states that stress is a well known contributor to mood, mental disorder and suicidal risks. In Japan, there are more and more people who attempts suicide annually because of work-related stress and depression. Most populous countries in the world have similar records of suicidal rates. In Indonesia, particularly Jakarta which placed 4th in the world’s biggest population, suicidal rate is 9.7%. China, which is recorded to top the chart, has 12.1% of annual suicidal rate. Experts say that South Korea, which ranked 6th in the chart of suicidal rate with 20.1%, has economic downfall to blame as a major factor for the increase of death rate in the country for the last couple of years since the recession in 1998. The businesses that have closed down, the lifestyle that cannot be met and the assurance of the job have disturbed the social standing of the individual. Those who cannot readjust and adapt are the ones who are likely to be victims of stress, pressure and depression.

Stress has been a common factor for far more serious issues that may sometimes lead to the risk of a person’s life. Researchers had analyzed the causes of this issue and how to manage it.

Avoid Unnecessary Stress

Sometimes, individuals are the ones who cause themselves stress because of too much expectation to oneself. The statements, “I should finish this!”, “I have to do this or else”… These kinds of statements should be avoided. Calm down. Instead of saying these things and bursting out complaints in the end, why not be positive about it. Claim it like you mean it. Say instead, “I can do this”, “I can finish this”. Having this kind of mindset may lessen the pressure you have built in your system.

Accept the Things You Can’t Change

They always say that acceptance is the first step to every situation. There are a lot of people who fuss over things that they can’t control. Instead of focusing on these things, try to change your reaction about it. Instead of stressing over a deadline, focus on the time that you can maximize and do the task in front of you. It may be your procrastination, the though that the deadline is still far away, rather than the demand of the job that keeps you from reaching the deadline.

Invest in Work Management Trainings

Nobody stops learning. If you are nobody, then you can just allow yourself be swallowed by stress. As we earlier pointed out, stress is inevitable and normal in the work place. How to manage it well may be learnt from experience but there are also trainings and seminars you can attend to which can help you in dealing with everyday pressure of your work.

Axis Human Capital, with a group of intelligent individuals, help individuals to be better equipped in the demands of the “real world”. With their human resource trainings, you can review your opportunities and work better in a stress-managed environment.

Source:

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