Duapa Werkspace Launches Cohort Five of Green Business Incubation in Takoradi

Duapa Werkspace, a business incubator with support from SNV Ghana, has launched Cohort Five of its Green Business Incubation programme in Takoradi, Western Region. The four-year incubation programme has successfully equipped emerging businesses with the technical skills needed to run a successful business beyond the incubation period, as well as providing prudent managerial skills.

This year’s Cohort Five has three incubatees, namely Goldranch Trading Enterprise, The Water Chain, and Naforit Ventures. According to Mr Raphael Koomson, the Business Development Manager at Duapa Werkspace, there is a general lack of business management skills, including negotiation, leadership, relationship building, analytical thinking, and business modelling among various SMEs. These issues will be addressed by taking the Cohort through a series of training, compliance with regulatory authorities, and exposure to investors’ requirements.

The training will involve group and individual sessions, mentorship, and coaching, tailored to address the specific business aspirations and needs of the participants. A Monitoring and Evaluation team will undertake periodic visits to ensure that the participants are implementing what they are being taught, with the aim of transforming their businesses to be investment-ready.

The project’s focus is to shape businesses and the lives of returning migrants pursuing economic activities in the green space, as stated by Mr Emmanuel Martey, the Business Development and Market Linkages Officer for SNV Ghana, Takoradi Office. The project has positively impacted the lives of many SMEs in the Western and Ashanti regions.

For the most part, the participants are encouraged to take the training seriously, make use of the digital space to acquire more knowledge and skills, and develop projects and businesses that would improve lives. Mr Erasmus Mensah-Ackon, the Executive Director of Duapa Werkspace, urged the group to think outside the box and develop innovative businesses that would help improve their managerial practices.