Mr Yoofi Grant, Chief Executive Officer, Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, on Tuesday, advised young entrepreneurs to consider identifying their target markets in developing business models to accelerate growth.

He said business growth was hinged on available markets, and it was necessary for aspiring entrepreneurs to conduct thorough research about the market space to respond appropriately to the needs.

Mr Grant gave the advice at the 2019 Third Edition of Young Entrepreneurs Forum, which was on the theme: “Connect? Accelerate, Growth: Breaking Boundaries,” and organised by the GIPC in Accra.

The forum brought together young entrepreneurs to chart the path forward in sharing and learning from best practices for the growth of the sector.

Mr Grant said it was imperative for young entrepreneurs to develop strong partnerships with clients, saying, “The fortunes of your business lie in the network you create with people.”

He described the youth as the engine of growth and the currency of future growth, which needed to be harnessed and nurtured to realise that dream.

Mr Grant explained that the forum was to create a platform for the youth to network and engage with great and business icons for mentorship and inspire them to make a move towards developing their potential for positive outcomes.

He said the government had put in place social policy interventions, including tax reliefs for start-up businesses, to enable the youth to imbibe the spirit of entrepreneurship, as well as build their livelihoods.

Mr Grant urged young entrepreneurs to build onto their dreams to spur the needed outcomes, because every successful business begins with a step.

He said even though there are pitfalls in any business, it behooves on entrepreneurs to be persistent in the pursuit of their goals to succeed and be competitive in the emerging market.

“Be inspired that you will make it in life, do not be bothered by the negatives, that should rather strengthen you to forge ahead to succeed.

Government will continue to create the enabling environment for the youth to harness their talents,” he urged.

Dr Ellen Hagan, Founder of L’aine Services, a human resource consulting firm, advised potential entrepreneurs to define their mission and align them with values.

“You need to build structures and systems in place for your business, have budget cycle and consistently review your financial performance to know whether you are making progress or not,” she advised.

Mr Kofi Genfi, Co-Founder of CYST, a software innovation company, giving the background of the company, said it started as ‘Mazzuma,’ an online payment system that allows online shops to receive mobile payments in Ghana, and later moved into artificial intelligence.

He said, after a year, the company’s transaction increased from $200 to $800, and urged entrepreneurs to be focused and pursue their business goals in spite of any bottlenecks in their way.

Some of the participants that spoke to the Ghana News Agency expressed satisfaction about the forum, saying it offered them the opportunity to meet new people and network for future collaborations.