Kumasi, May 16, GNA - Entrepreneurs have been told to take advantage of the Business Advisory Centres (BACs), the outreach unit of the National Board for Small-Scale Industries (NBSSI) to enhance the profitability and growth of their businesses.

Madam Beatrice Boakye, acting Ashanti Regional Manager of the NBSSI, stated that, "the centres are there essentially to assist you to identify opportunities, grab them and improve on your operations". She was addressing the closing ceremony of a four-day management training seminar held for members of the Ghana Food Crop Processors Association in Kumasi at the weekend.

Organised by the Board, it was attended by 28 participants made up of 23 men and five women. Among the wide range of topics they were taken through were business growth, survival strategies, packaging, food hygiene, record keeping and assessing entrepreneurial skills.

Madam Boakye pointed out that it was only when entrepreneurs constantly upgrade their managerial skills and introduce innovations that they would begin to see appreciable returns and growth of their businesses. "A number of people start businesses in a very small way, remain small and eventually fold up simply because such people do not update themselves and look for new and better ways of doing things."

The acting Regional Manager was, however, happy that the trend was changing in recent times as more business operators were now showing greater interest and enthusiasm in the upgrading of their skills and the efficient management of their enterprises. She advised the participants to apply the knowledge and skills acquired to transform their businesses.

Mr Joseph Oppong-Ofori, National chairman of the association, said they were grateful to the board for its efforts at helping them to better manage their businesses. He, however, appealed to it to assist them obtain soft loans to grow and expand their operations.