02/06/2025
The Dream and the Dilemma: Lessons for the Next Ghanaian Entrepreneur
By Joseph Thompson
CRSGHANA Ltd.
At CRSGHANA Ltd., our core mission is to provide customized prosthetic and orthotic services to individuals with physical challenges. As part of our orthotic care, we craft custom orthopedic footwear for people with foot problems—each pair made with clinical precision and compassion, using high-quality orthopedic-grade leather.
That’s our heart.
But over time, a new idea began to grow.
We realized: if we could handcraft orthopedic shoes with such excellence, why not offer that same level of quality to people who simply want beautiful, well-fitting leather shoes? Not for medical reasons—just for style, comfort, and the love of quality.
So, we introduced a new stream: custom cosmetic footwear for anyone interested in premium, handmade leather shoes.
The response was strong. Interest grew. Orders came in. The dream was real.
The Outsourcing Trap
Since our main focus remained clinical care, we didn’t want to redirect our energy or technical team away from prosthetics and orthotics. So we decided to outsource the cosmetic footwear production to local shoemakers.
That’s when we hit a wall.
We encountered a problem many young Ghanaian entrepreneurs face:
• It was extremely difficult to find shoemakers who could meet our quality standards.
• Even when we paid in advance and supplied top-grade materials, the results were disappointing—poor finishing, cheap leather substitutions, and inconsistent craftsmanship.
• When we did find a skilled shoemaker, we encountered another challenge: unreliability. Delays. Missed timelines. Unresponsiveness.
At one point, we waited two months to receive just 10 pairs of sandals.
So we made the hard decision: pause the cosmetic footwear line.
Not because the idea was bad. Not because there wasn’t demand. But because the poor ex*****on risked damaging our brand integrity—something we couldn’t afford.
A Bigger Picture: A National Challenge
This experience exposed a broader issue many startups in Ghana quietly struggle with:
🔹 You have the vision, but not the team.
🔹 You have the market, but not the reliable hands.
🔹 You want to scale, but the system pulls you back.
Ghana is full of talented individuals. But skill without professionalism, and creativity without consistency, can ruin a good idea.
When your business relies on outsourcing, these gaps can become frustrating and costly.
What Should Young Entrepreneurs Learn?
To students and emerging entrepreneurs, here’s what I’ve learned:
1. Test your dream—but guard the ex*****on.
Even a brilliant idea will collapse under poor delivery.
2. Build slowly. Build wisely.
Scaling isn’t just about demand—it’s about building systems, people, and processes that can sustain your growth.
3. Protect your brand.
Never let short-term gains cost you long-term trust.
4. Develop strong business values—not just skills.
Be the kind of professional you wish you could hire: competent, dependable, deadline-conscious, and quality-driven.
Where Do We Go From Here?
At CRSGHANA, we still believe in the cosmetic footwear dream. But for now, we’ve paused it—until we can build the right structure with the right people.
We’re not discouraged—just wiser.
To every young entrepreneur out there: your vision is valid.
But make room for the learning curve. Be willing to pause. Reassess. Say “not now” until you can confidently say “yes.”
Because in the end, doing it right is what sustains you—long after the trends and hype have faded.
Joseph Thompson
Lead Clinician, CRSGHANA Ltd.
02.06.2025
St. John Of God prosthetics and orthotics rehab. Center
