MTN Ghana has organised the 2026 MTN SME Accelerate Youth Entrepreneur Webinar, reinforcing its commitment to equipping young people with the skills, knowledge and practical tools needed to build and scale successful businesses while pursuing higher education or working full-time.
Held under the theme, “The Side-Hustle Growth Playbook: Running a Business While in School or on a 9-to-5,” the webinar brought together successful entrepreneurs who shared their experiences and strategies for balancing entrepreneurship with academic and professional responsibilities.
Moderated by media personality Afi Tsegah, the virtual event explored the growing role of side businesses in today’s economy. It featured presentations from Chichi Yakubu, Founder and CEO of NyoNyo Essentials; Lawrencia Bazal Darko, Founder of Bazal Art Studios and legal practitioner; and Princess Burland, influencer and Founder of Diya Organics.
Speaking during the session, Chichi Yakubu encouraged participants to diversify their income sources, noting that relying on a single stream of income is increasingly challenging in the current economic environment.
Drawing from her own entrepreneurial journey, she explained how a personal weight-loss initiative evolved into a successful healthy food business after she identified a market need and transformed her passion into a commercial opportunity.
She urged aspiring entrepreneurs not to wait for ideal conditions before launching their ventures.
There is never really a right time. If you're waiting to have enough money, the right network or the perfect platform, you will never start,” she said.
Yakubu advised individuals seeking financial stability to build their businesses alongside full-time employment until their ventures can independently sustain their lifestyles.
If you want to be safe and financially secure, find a job that caters to your needs and pursue your passion in your spare time. Those foundational years build character, resilience and the stamina needed to succeed as an entrepreneur,” she added.
She further encouraged young entrepreneurs to focus on solving real-life problems, stressing that identifying gaps in the market and providing practical solutions can turn personal interests into profitable businesses.
Lawrencia Bazal Darko highlighted the importance of building businesses around genuine skills and understanding the operational aspects of a venture before seeking growth.
Sharing her transition from law into photography, she said entrepreneurs must have sufficient knowledge of their products and services to effectively supervise quality and ensure long-term sustainability.
Before you think of starting a side hustle, it should be something you can supervise and something you can critique because you're mostly not there,” she noted.
On business registration, Bazal Darko advised entrepreneurs to validate their business ideas before formalising them.
From a lawyer's perspective, I would say formalize the business the moment you conceive it, but from an entrepreneur's perspective, I would say run the business for a while and make sure people outside your family and friends are willing to pay for your product or service,” she explained.
She cautioned that business registration comes with legal and tax obligations and urged startups to prepare adequately for those responsibilities.
The legal practitioner also underscored the need for entrepreneurs to protect their businesses through clear contracts, policies and terms of engagement. She further encouraged startups to separate personal and business finances by maintaining dedicated business accounts, a practice she said enhances organisation and credibility.
Princess Burland, Founder of Diya Organics, advised young entrepreneurs to remain patient, manage expectations and adopt strategic thinking as they navigate the challenges of business growth.
She cautioned participants against comparing themselves to social media success stories, explaining that online perceptions of high demand and rapid growth can often be misleading.
Sometimes what you see on social media is strategy. I’ve done it before starting with 10 products and telling people it was hundreds,” she said.
Burland urged entrepreneurs to stay committed to their ventures despite slow initial growth, emphasising that sustainable success often requires consistency, resilience and adaptability.
She also highlighted the importance of professionalism in customer relations, advising business owners to maintain respect and composure when dealing with clients while enforcing clear policies.
You have to humble yourself for your clients, even when it is difficult, but at the same time maintain your policies so people don’t take advantage of you,” she stated.
Summing up her message, Burland encouraged entrepreneurs to embrace calculated risks, patience, emotional intelligence and strong business boundaries as essential ingredients for long-term success.
The webinar forms part of MTN Ghana’s broader SME Accelerate initiative, which seeks to support entrepreneurship and empower young people with practical knowledge to build sustainable businesses and contribute to economic growth.
Source: Isaac Kofi Dzokpo
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