SMEs urged to use solar-powered generators

Small businesses have been urged to use portable, noiseless and rechargeable solar powered generators to keep working in the offices when they suffer power cuts.

Thomas Boa-Amponsem, Managing Director of Mobotho Systems Ltd. -- specialist in the deployment of IT solutions, said these solar powered generators are far more cost-effective and convenient when the power goes off.

“With these solar systems you have a constant supply of energy and you do not have to worry about power cuts. All you need to do is recharge it and it can last for 8 to 12 hours,” he said.

Mr. Boa-Amponsem explained that the solar-powered generators have batteries that can last for five years, do not make any noise and need no fuel or repairs from time to time.

“These are solar generators which are portable and you can plug your appliances into them and continue working. They can be carried anywhere one wants to. They range from 160 to 5000 watts, which are all portable,” he added.

Speaking at this month’s Union Savings and Loans SME Clinic in Accra, which was well patronised by small business owners, Mr. Boa-Amponsem added that with an initial investment to purchase the generator, small businesses can work non-stop and without interference from power cuts.

Business Division Head at Union Savings and Loans, Dominic Donkor, said the SME Clinic is a management capacity building programme aimed at offering business solutions toward advancing the growth of SME’s to help accelerate the country’s development.

Topics discussed are based on needs analyses and popular requests. Broad topics include: Business Development Marketing, Energy, Human Resource Management, Risk Management and Financial Management.

Mr. Donkor added that union started the SME Clinic in June last year, but before that the financial institution had been undertaking clinics for its customers at the various branches.

“Our client relationship officers are always engaging our customers and potential ones, discussing business management issues covering human resources and structures for organisations. This is something we do on a day-to-day basis.

“We have regional offices in Kumasi and several discussion rooms in our various branches to make sure that what we discuss in the classroom is disseminated to all our customers nationally. We want to make this an integral part of financial service delivery, whereby financial institutions will move toward the level of providing financial literacy to customers because this is a long-term solution.”