The event which will be held at the Holiday Inn Hotel in Accra from 7:00am to 10:00am, is geared towards showing patrons the keys to unlocking the best versions of themselves as well as charging them to take actionable steps towards attaining their goals.

Themed “Walk the Talk,” the Breakfast Meeting will feature a number of resource persons including Michael Ohene-Effah, Paul Kofi Mante, Andrew Ayiku, Taaka Awori, Caleb Ayiku and others who will take turns to help patrons translate their intentions into action and also harness their potential to attain desired successes.

The Call to Action Breakfast Meeting is a Citi FM initiative and forms part of the station’s on-air Effective Living Series which was broadcast on the Citi Breakfast Show throughout the month of January 2018.

Several resources persons took turns on the Show from Monday to Thursday to impart to cherished listeners of Citi FM, practical steps on how to turn their individual lives and businesses around for the better.

The Call to Action Breakfast Meeting is strategically planned to have patrons learn the lessons shared on the Effective Living Series as well as have the opportunity to interact with the resource persons, take practical steps towards achieving their goals in life and network with others.

Registration fee

Interested persons will have to register at a rate of GHc120 or call 0550900006 for reservations and enquiries.

About speakers for Call to Action Breakfast Meeting

Michael Ohene Effah is development practitioner youth activist, impact entrepreneur, author, trainer, international development consultant and Co-founder of LeadAfrique.

Michael is intensely growth-oriented and hungry for success. Using the moniker “Tintin,” he has travelled to almost every major tertiary campus in Ghana preaching the gospel of the good news of personal development, personal effectiveness, personal grooming, networking, marketing and effectively preparing for the corporate world.

Paul Kofi Mante is a money-making crusader and author of ‘Operation 1 Million Ghana Cedis’. He is currently the Deputy Head of EDC [Ecobank Development Corporation] Investments Limited [EIL] and also doubles as the Head of Business Development of EIL. Paul has delivered several public lectures and provided advice to numerous individuals and groups on wealth creation, financial independence and investment opportunities.

Owing to his technical expertise and depth of knowledge, several people choose to refer to him as the personal finance shooter.

Taaka Awori is the Managing Director of Busara Africa. She is a Leadership Consultant, Trainer and Professional Coach who strengthens the leadership competencies of managers and supervisors in the private sector, civil society and public sector. Taaka also has extensive experience in Organisational Development and Social Development.

Caleb Ayiku is an experienced business executive with a passion for turning around failing businesses. He has strong business development skills, gained from working as a Managing Director in five companies in three African countries.

He is a strong leader with exceptional strategic, communication and networking skills capable of building teams for flawless execution of business strategies.

Andrew Ayiku is a Business and Career Coach. Ayiku is a Marketing Lecturer at the Global MBA in Impact Entrepreneurship organized by the Catholic University of Milan Accra Ghana.

His main expertise is providing tailor-made training for marketing and sales staff.

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post Citi FM’s ‘Call to Action Breakfast Meeting’ slated for February 3 appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Wednesday’s discussion focused on the common business errors which are made in both the formal and informal sector.

Mr. Ayiku said the greatest mistake most people commit is not having a business plan and gave five pointers for creating a business plan

• Business description: What do you plan to do? Why are you starting the venture? What are the opportunities or need that you exist to address? What are you doing to address these needs?
• Market analysis: who will be your customer? What do they want from you? Are your customers young, old, male, female, high income, low income, etc.? Are there behavioural characteristics that differentiate your customers (for instance price shopper versus convenience shoppers)?
• Competitor assessment: Who will you compete against? What do these competitors offer – Market share, product and service features, relationship with customers, length of time in business?
• Marketing plan: How do you plan to implement your idea – Resources, Logistics, Human, Legal issues?
• Financial plan: How much money will it cost and where will you get the necessary funds – forecast income and cash?

The second mistake, Mr. Ayiku said, was businesses being unclear about what differentiates their business from that of a competitor’s.

He said every business that succeeds or is successful has been able to stand out from a business which provides the same services or product.

[contextly_sidebar id=”bJ0XRktNvM8HwWmNLiQsgRiwLfnKZqk5″]”Create a unique selling propositions. You not differentiating your market from the rest means you cannot sell to everyone, which is probably the biggest mistake most small businesses owners make. You narrow your client base and centre your business needs on a few loyal clients or a single industry,” he said.

A third mistake made by businesses according to Andrew Ayiku is managing their finances badly.

“Don’t mix your personal and business finances, have organised finances and make every money count. Determine your capital needs, manage your daily cash spending and control your cost better.”

According to him ignoring the already existing competition is one mistake most businesses make.

“The funniest thing is that there is an incredible amount of things you can learn as a starting business from your competitor,” he stated.

“Google search your competitor, follow them on social media, walk around their space if you can, find out as much as you can and figure out how you can use that to build your business.”

Another point Andrew Ayiku noted is the inability of businesses to network and create a social capital.

He believes that meeting other business leaders is essential to getting “inside knowledge” on the movers and shakers in your community and industry.

“Networking can help you partner with enlightened competitors to deliver a wider range of services to time-crunched clients. In your moment of networking take the opportunity to find a mentor, someone who is well experienced, invite them to lunch to learn what business tactics worked for them and which did not,” he said.

Refusing to outsource or partner with other is also a major error businesses should avoid, according to Mr Ayiku.

“To grow and develop your business, do what you do best and let others do the rest for you by outsourcing your work. Partner with others who can perform jobs components you have not mastered and focus on your strongest strengths whiles delivering a better product.”

Another thing Mr Ayiku believes could lead to the downfall of businesses is picking the wrong team members. He however advised against deciding to “become a loner and build an empire.”

“Be wise and choose dedicated people who understand your company and would love to see it grow as if it were their own.”

One crucial thing businesses need to avoid is not being able to change and adapt to the market needs.

“Try new marketing activities. You need a marketing plan, every business does,” Mr Ayiku said.

Mr Ayiku also advised businesses to never underestimate the “power of word of mouth” in marketing their business.

“The beauty of word of mouth costs nothing. This can only happen if you provide good products and customers are thrilled by it. If you encourage your clients to spread the word, you will get more new customers.”

A number of growing businesses fall short because of their pricing models, Mr Ayiku noted, often because of pressure from competitors.

“Many businesses instantly slash prices when competitors provide the same product for less. However small business must learn to match prices of an operation with more purchasing power or lower overhead to avoid selling themselves short,” he said.

The final thing for businesses to understand according to Andrew Ayiku is “putting on smoke and mirrors.”

“This is the ability to be able to understand that there is a thin line between projecting a highly professional image and putting on an act to attract new business.

“You should always try and be honest and have integrity in other not to risk your reputation and that of your business. Always be honest about your business operations and your clients will reward you with multiple businesses.”

By: Farida Yusif/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Effective Living Series: Andrew Ayiku’s 11 avoidable business errors appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

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