Business and financial advice from Futuremaker Forum experts - how to achieve your ambitions
“Every solution that we build must come from a problem that we want to solve.” Fernn Lim, Chief of Staff, nexus - SC Ventures
“Think big, don't think that there are any limits to anything. Try as much as you can.” Cida Morrison, Owner and Founder, The Pilates Studio Accra
“The single most powerful thing you can do is starting something super small. If your plan is to pick up a new course, or a new book, start with one page a day. It might sound very simple but trust me, simple goals are the best, and then gradually move from there.” Cida Morrison, Owner and Founder, The Pilates Studio Accra
Ask yourself… “Why are we doing what we're doing? I've repositioned our entire pitch deck to start with the why rather than what we do or how we do it.” April McKenna, CEO, Autumn
“The most important lesson that I've learnt (through) bringing my business to Accra is to do research. Is the market ready for your business? Know your market and know who your potential customers would be. Knowledge is always key in everything that you do.” Cida Morrison, Owner and Founder, The Pilates Studio Accra
“A lot of people like to hire fast but don't hire right …. build a team of people who believe in your mission so you’re climbing the right mountain together.” Fernn Lim, Chief of Staff, nexus - SC Ventures
“Tough times don't last, tough people do.” Henry Baye, Chief Executive Officer, Jersey, Standard Chartered Bank
“Resilience means giving myself that space to do the things that nourish me because you can't give from an empty cup.” Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon, CEO, Stemettes
“Failing is okay.” Neil Fleming, Director, Financial Inclusion, Global Impact, Standard Chartered Bank
“For those young female entrepreneurs moving from the piloting phase to scaling up, one thing that remains critical is that you're addressing a certain society need and offering a new solution. And be clear on what your solution is, and you articulate it and provide the best solution or a solution that is affordable. Then you know you have a scalable model.” Pheodor Mundia Njoroge, Senior Global Sustainability, Manager, Functions & Business Innovation, Unilever
Your path is going to be different from others. As you are moving, if you keep your eye on your North Star as to why you want to do this, and stay focused on serving the customer, it will come.” Kesia Hudson, Managing Director of Women Entrepreneurship and Technology Program, Zahn Innovation Center
“What holds us back sometimes from innovating are the things that are embedded in our culture and the way that we operate. We get comfortable, we get used to familiarity. We become afraid to challenge processes and systems that exist because they're too complex. [To innovate, we need to] unlearn the way that we are used to doing things.” Simran Grewal, SC Ventures, Standard Chartered Bank
On the role of accelerators: “Sometimes when you say, oh, what can organisations do for us? I will flip the question. You don't have to wait for organisations to do something for you. Flip it around and go look for the opportunities.” Fernn Lim, Chief of Staff, nexus - SC Ventures
“Take the opportunities the digital economy and innovative financial products bring, such as the digital working platforms, to access career opportunities far away from their localities. [Your] career and livelihood shall not be limited to the opportunities available in [your] immediate localities anymore.” Ambika Sangaran, Program Director, Me.reka
“Your brain believes everything you tell it. Sometimes the biggest limitations we will face in life are the ones we put on ourselves.” Michael Vaz, Leadership Expert, Global Brand & Business Coach
“I think my support system grounds me. Look to your friends and family, and don't ever forget about them. I think that's something that sometimes young people can get lost in in terms of their entrepreneurial projects.” Ciara O Flynn, Ireland, Futuremakers Participant
“If you want to achieve anything, just believe in yourself.” Hira Zahid Hussain, Client Care Executive, Contact Centre - Agent, Standard Chartered Bank
“As soon as you start dreaming, you should start saving and investing. And if you've already started dreaming, then you should have started saving and investing long back.” Hitesh Gupta, Director, Retail Payments, Standard Chartered Bank
“If we don't make them (our dreams) into tangible goals, they stay as dreams. Often, people don't put these goals with financial numbers, and that can be a hindrance. Have a compass, have a map for that compass. And then, lastly, have the tools and the equipment for the journey. If you don't have a plan, it's not going to happen.” Rashvin Pal Singh, Group CEO, Me.reka and Biji Biji
“Around the world, inflation is skyrocketing. And we need to find instruments that are going to give you returns higher than inflation. Otherwise, your savings are getting eroded and they lose value over time. So investing comes into play and that's why investing is the key to beat inflation.” Angela Ngure, Head Portfolio Strategy and Client Deepening Affluent Clients, Standard Chartered Bank
“You should not save what is left after spending. You should spend what is left after saving. This is a common popular belief, which is as soon as you get your income, pay yourself first, before you pay the landlord, before you pay the grocer, before you pay the school. Pay yourself first and that you're saving as a thumb rule, save at least 20% of your income every month.” Hitesh Gupta, Director, Retail Payments, Standard Chartered Bank
“For you to see value [in your savings], you have to be consistent; make it a habit. Start saving in a can, under the pillow (…) go to a financial institution, but you have to make it consistent, don't just put aside money once and then forget about it.” Angela Ngure, Head Portfolio Strategy and Client Deepening Affluent Clients, Standard Chartered Bank
“Never, never let your short-term goals eat into your long-term goal savings. It is very important to be disciplined while saving for your goals. As they say: If you buy things that you don't need, very soon, you may have to sell things that you need.” Hitesh Gupta, Director, Retail Payments, Standard Chartered Bank
“Youth savings represent an incredible opportunity to build more inclusive financial systems that provide agency and autonomy, especially for women and girls.” Andy Woolnough, Executive Vice President, Global Advocacy, Women's World Banking
“On the business model: I think what you need to do is you have to be very, very clear about what your financial model looks like. ... If you tell me that you're putting in too much cash, it's either your projection is not accurate or there may have been external factors where your cost has gone up. So you have to manage your costs. And you have to think of how you want to cut the costs.” Fernn Lim, Chief of Staff, nexus - SC Ventures
“What is a fair price? The key thing to pricing anything is transparency. If you're transparent about what you're charging, you keep it fair to everybody, even non-profits. ... What is a sustainable model? [I ask myself] What is the price that’s most sustainable to keep this business going for the next five years?” Musheer Ahmed, Founder/Director, FinStep Asia