By Perfect Fafa Wegba
MobileMoney FinTech Limited (MMFL), in partnership with Universal Merchant Bank (UMB) and Colormark, has trained members of the Ghana Hairdressers and Beauticians Association as part of efforts to strengthen the capacity of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).
The capacity-building programme, held in Accra, focused on customer service, financial literacy and digital tools to help participants improve the way they manage and grow their businesses.
The programme is part of a series of MSME-focused activities organised by MMFL this year, with previous sessions held in Kumasi and Takoradi.
Charles Osei Owusu, Senior Manager, Fintech Business Development, said the initiative was designed to give small business owners practical knowledge while also helping them access financial services through digital channels.
We are empowering them with a capacity training programme which focuses on customer service experience, financial literacy, digital tools, and of course, to help them be able to also access some facilities through the mobile money channel,” he said.
He said the organisers wanted participants to leave the programme with skills that could improve their business operations and financial management.
The expectation is that, of course, we want to leave them better off in terms of their business and in terms of how, at the end of the day, their business runs,” Owusu said.
He added that MMFL would continue to engage participants after the training to monitor their progress.
We will continue to engage them. As we've taken their details, we want to monitor and interact with them. Hopefully, it shouldn't end here,” he said.
Building sustainable businesses
Edem Knight-Tay, Head of Corporate Communications at UMB, said the partnership was intended to help entrepreneurs move beyond day-to-day business operations and develop the capacity to build wealth.
She said participants were being equipped with financial literacy skills, including how to establish banking relationships and manage their finances.
Most of these people are running businesses, they are excited about making money, but then we wanted to take it a step further,” Knight-Tay said.
She explained that the programme was also aimed at helping participants transform their professional skills into sustainable businesses.
These are hairdressers and beauticians, so the basic skills of hairdressing and grooming people, how are they able to turn that into wealth and also into building a lasting legacy,” she noted.
According to Knight-Tay, UMB's involvement also provides an opportunity for the bank to establish relationships with participating businesses and support them beyond the training.
We are not only doing business with you, opening accounts for you or taking your money from you. We also want to be able to guide you through the whole process,” he said.
Solar loans for businesses
The UMB representative also highlighted the bank's solar loan product, which he said could help businesses acquire solar systems for their operations.
He said eligible customers could access financing within 48 hours to procure and install solar systems through a partnership between UMB and CTECHI Ghana Technology Limited.
UMB will do the financing and then CTECHI will provide you with the solar system and also the installation,” Knight-Tay said.
He said the facility could be particularly useful to hairdressers and beauticians whose businesses depend heavily on electricity.
Their jobs involve electricity a lot,” she said, adding that power interruptions could affect their ability to operate.
He said the solar financing was therefore presented to the participants as an option for supporting business continuity and reducing electricity costs.
More MSMEs to be targeted
Owusu said MMFL would continue to seek opportunities to work with more MSMEs and provide them with business development support.
He said the company viewed women-led MSMEs as an important part of the economy and believed that strengthening their businesses could have wider benefits.
We realised that MSMEs, especially the women groups, are a key and a backbone to the economy. And so by targeting them and empowering them, we feel that there is growth actually within their space,” he said.
He said the company would continue to explore partnerships with other organisations to extend the initiative to more small businesses.
Knight-Tay said the Accra programme was the third and final capacity-building activity under the initiative for 2026.
The first programme was held in Kumasi for dressmakers and designers, followed by a second programme in Takoradi for small business operators.
She said the partners would develop a new strategy for their MSME support activities next year.
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