Google to put more Ghanaian SMEs online by 2014

Google Ghana on Friday launched “Africa, Get Your Business Online”, an initiative to bring most Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) online in the next two years.

The initiative is expected to transform the Ghanaian SME landscape and contribute to the country’s fast-paced economic growth by making it quick, easy and free for businesses to register an online, at a time when more and more Ghanaians are accessing the internet.

The Deputy Minister of Communications, Mr Ernest Attuquaye Armah,  appealed in a speech read on his behalf that all businesses without an online presence to take advantage of the initiative.

Google Ghana Country Manager, Estelle Akofio-Sowah noted that “You often hear an entrepreneur or business owner lamenting over how hard it is to build an online presence due to the cost involved, unreliability of suppliers, or simply, their own lack of knowledge about the steps needed to build that online presence”.

She said Africa Get Your Business Online addressed these challenges by helping SMEs to take that first bold step towards being online, creating a website, listing themselves on Google maps and setting up a Google+ page.

Ms Akofio-Sowah said it was easy and free and the potential impact for a business was truly exciting and that together with their partners, they planned to help most Ghanaian SMEs get online.

The launch was followed by Google Website Clinics, where participants mainly Ghanaian SMEs were trained on how to build websites for their businesses.

Businesses across Ghana will have the opportunity to create their own websites and develop online presences for free.

Google’s Africa Get Your Business Online initiative presents a significant opportunity for businesses to reach more customers and grow.

Source: GNA