By Perfect Fafa Wegba
Limited capital and an unsuitable business location are among the major challenges confronting Esther Grant, a mobile money vendor in Pantang Village, Accra, as she seeks to expand a business she started with GH¢2,000.
Although Grant says the business has recorded significant improvement since its establishment, she believes her limited working capital continue to limit the growth of her business. She also considers her current location less favourable, saying a better location could have created greater opportunities for the busines.
It is therefore obvious that the challenge is no longer simply about starting a business. It is about finding the resources and conditions needed to expand and build on the progress already made.
Her situation reflects a challenge faced by many small-business owners with limited capital and must depend on gradual growth to sustain their operations.
A difficult beginning
Grant's journey, just like many entrepreneurs starting with limited resources, did not experience immediate success. She said the early stages of the business were particularly difficult because she had to allow the business time to develop before expecting significant progress.
The starting was very tough because every business, when you start, it will not move the way you wish. It takes a gradual process before it clicks,” she explained.
Her comments highlight the reality that starting a business does not automatically translate into immediate returns. For small operators, building a customer base and establishing a sustainable operation can take time.
Progress despite the challenges
Despite the difficult beginning, Grant said she has seen considerable improvement in the business.
I can say I have had a lot of improvement in it,” she said.
The progress is significant to Grant because she claims she has been able to grow her business to an appreciable level with the little resources available to her. However, she believes the business could have grown bigger if some of its current challenges were addressed.
The location
Grant says she is not entirely satisfied with the current location at Pantang Village because of limited oppotunities. She explained that her current location is sparesely populated and secondly her clients still perform basic MoMo transactions ie, cash withdrawals as compared to developed neighbourhoods where high volumes transactions take place.
The location wasn't that okay. If maybe I had gotten a better and busier place where people do high volume transactions, I would have done more than that,” she said.
For a mobile money business, location can influence accessibility and the number of potential customers who pass through or visit the area. A location with high customer traffic could provide greater opportunities, although the extent of its impact would depend on factors such as competition, customer demand and operating costs.
Grant's experience has therefore left her considering what could be possible if the business had access to a better environment and stronger financial backing.
The road to expansion
Additional capital injection could potentially provide room for the business to strengthen its operations, improve its current setup or explore a more suitable location.
Her experience demonstrates that for some small-business owners, expansion is not simply a question of having a good business idea. It can also depend on having sufficient financial resources and an environment that allows the business to reach more customers.
Looking ahead
Esther Grant's business remains a work in progress. She has moved beyond the difficult early stages.
Her immediate challenge is therefore how to build on the progress already achieved while overcoming the constraints that continue to hold the business back.
With GH¢2,000 as her starting capital, Grant has already experienced the difficult transition from starting a business to maintaining one. Her next chapter is about whether she can secure the resources and conditions necessary to scale up and stabilise the business.
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