Private businesses in the Ashanti Region have been learning skills to offer better and enhanced services to their customers.

Dubbed the "Ashanti Business Clinic and Exhibition", businesses were offered a platform for networking, marketing and growth.

The disruptions in the business environment following the Russia-Ukraine war and Covid-19 necessitated the business clinic to ensure the recovery and to build future resilience of the businesses.

The private sector is seen as the engine of growth to drive the country towards consolidating its middle-income status.

However, the shock caused by Covid-19 and the Russian-Ukraine conflict have had considerable impact on Ghanaian businesses.

Executive Secretary of the Ashanti Business Owners Association, Charles Kusi Appiah-Kubi, says the disrupted economic environment necessitated the maiden edition of the Business Clinic and Exhibition.

“We wanted to create the platform to give business free consultancy. There will be free information on best practices. We know the dynamics in the business environment now. There is the need to equip businesses with the right tools to make them more resilient. We need our businesses to survive,” he said.

During and after the lockdown, a number of companies adjusted their business models.

This included layoffs and cuts in wages.

Other businesses have had challenges accessing finance.

Some financial institutions have, however, assured of their constant support to affected small and medium scale enterprises.

Jerry Baidoo is Sales Manager for SME Commercial Banking at FBN Bank Ghana.

“Every institution needs a financial backbone to enable growth. If you operate with us for about 6 months, we can look at your turnover and advise an overdraft for you. This is to support the growth of your business,” he assured.

To increase the efficiency of local farmers, agricultural company, Crop Doctor, plans to modernize farmers' agricultural activities.

They are positive that the lives of people in rural communities will improve.

“We are here to modernize Ghana’s agricultural industry. We believe it will create rural prosperity. We are here with various farm implements to make farming easier. It is the middle-income earning farmers we are targeting. A number of them do not have the funds to afford bigger machines,” he said.