Meet the entrepreneur building the first-ever Coco Villa in Ghana
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November 23, 2020In June 2020, I moved to the Volta Region to join the team at Node Hub. Finding a decent place to rent was very stressful than I had imagined. Out of frustration, I spoke to a colleague who recommended Awak Company Limited. After contemplating for days whether to involve a house agent, I eventually gave them a call and was invited to their office. I was very impressed when I entered their premises off Holy Spirit, Letsa Hospital Street Near, Ho. The orange and white well-maintained structure and the green lawns gave it a homely feel. Right away knew I would get value for my money.
In Ghana, acquiring landed properties can be very stressful. The stories of double land sales, fraud, and litigations abound. Come in, Awak Company Limited a real estate startup that is addressing the above challenges with the values of integrity, excellence in project execution, and customer satisfaction. Awak company provides services such as property acquisition, land demarcation, pillaring, construction, creating access roads to properties, legal documentation and many others.
I had an opportunity to meet the CEO, Mr Wisdom Kwasi Attakpah on one of my visits to the startup. AWAK as he is popularly known, is an outspoken gentleman with in-depth experience in marketing and the real estate sector. He is down to earth and friendly with a strong passion for youth development.
Humble beginnings
Mr Attakpah is an alumnus of the then Takoradi Polytechnic, where he obtained a diploma in Marketing. AWAK later obtained a professional certificate from the Chartered Institute of Marketing. Awak, like most young graduates, struggled to get a job after school. As we sat in his office and had a chat, he shared his inspiring story of how his act of kindness birthed AWAK Company Limited. Awak recalled a call he had from his friend after he returned from yet another unfruitful job hunt day. His friend needed help to find a decent room for a colleague who transferred to Ho.
“The lady and the landlord paid me for the service I rendered. I was elated. That was my first real income since I graduated from school", Awak recounted. "She was my first client. She referred her colleagues to me as well. That was my eureka moment to start a real estate business” he added.
Life presents us with many opportunities dressed up in work. With no capital, Awak started his business seven years ago. His mission is to help others find value for their money by getting them affordable rented apartments and landed properties.
He has worked hard over years on his startup and also invested in developing his professional skills. Awak enrolled on several online courses in land administration to improve his knowledge in the real estate business. Today, Awak Company Limited has grown into a significant player in the real estate sector in Ho. Awak has developed and managed several housing projects for clients in the Volta Region. He currently employs 3 full-time staff and several part-time workers based on the project at hand.
Big vision
Last year, AWAK acquired a 1000 acre land to build the first-ever Coco Villa in Ghana. "I want to build a community with a serene environment made of several coconut trees away from the hustle and bustle of Accra. Coco villa will be a paradise with waterfalls and recreational parks providing a relaxing natural environment for residents," he explained with a broad smile. Awak is working assiduously to woo investors for his coco villa project idea. Last year, he visited Dubai to engage potential investors on the coco villa project.
Experiences at Ho Node Hub
AWAK attended an entrepreneurship workshop at the Node Hub in 2018. The experience at the Node Hub was game-changer in his entrepreneurship journey he explained. “I initially planned to go solo as an entrepreneur. At the training, I learnt the value of building a great team and integrating technology into my startup." The Node experience was impactful. “I learnt how to lean modules, branding, financial management and others since I joined the Node Hub these past two years, The team at the Node Hub is ever ready to support us when we call on them. They helped us with our website and continuously advice us on strategies to grow my brand on social media” he shared. “The Ho entrepreneur community also provides value for our business. We advertise, grow our network, and reach a section of our clientele base (students, young professionals, and entrepreneurs).
"Start now. start small. be resilient" - Wisdom Kwasi Attakpah
In Ghana, acquiring landed properties can be very stressful. The stories of double land sales, fraud, and litigations abound. Come in, Awak Company Limited a real estate startup that is addressing the above challenges with the values of integrity, excellence in project execution, and customer satisfaction. Awak company provides services such as property acquisition, land demarcation, pillaring, construction, creating access roads to properties, legal documentation and many others.
I had an opportunity to meet the CEO, Mr Wisdom Kwasi Attakpah on one of my visits to the startup. AWAK as he is popularly known, is an outspoken gentleman with in-depth experience in marketing and the real estate sector. He is down to earth and friendly with a strong passion for youth development.
Humble beginnings
Mr Attakpah is an alumnus of the then Takoradi Polytechnic, where he obtained a diploma in Marketing. AWAK later obtained a professional certificate from the Chartered Institute of Marketing. Awak, like most young graduates, struggled to get a job after school. As we sat in his office and had a chat, he shared his inspiring story of how his act of kindness birthed AWAK Company Limited. Awak recalled a call he had from his friend after he returned from yet another unfruitful job hunt day. His friend needed help to find a decent room for a colleague who transferred to Ho.
“The lady and the landlord paid me for the service I rendered. I was elated. That was my first real income since I graduated from school", Awak recounted. "She was my first client. She referred her colleagues to me as well. That was my eureka moment to start a real estate business” he added.
Life presents us with many opportunities dressed up in work. With no capital, Awak started his business seven years ago. His mission is to help others find value for their money by getting them affordable rented apartments and landed properties.
He has worked hard over years on his startup and also invested in developing his professional skills. Awak enrolled on several online courses in land administration to improve his knowledge in the real estate business. Today, Awak Company Limited has grown into a significant player in the real estate sector in Ho. Awak has developed and managed several housing projects for clients in the Volta Region. He currently employs 3 full-time staff and several part-time workers based on the project at hand.
Big vision
Last year, AWAK acquired a 1000 acre land to build the first-ever Coco Villa in Ghana. "I want to build a community with a serene environment made of several coconut trees away from the hustle and bustle of Accra. Coco villa will be a paradise with waterfalls and recreational parks providing a relaxing natural environment for residents," he explained with a broad smile. Awak is working assiduously to woo investors for his coco villa project idea. Last year, he visited Dubai to engage potential investors on the coco villa project.
Experiences at Ho Node Hub
AWAK attended an entrepreneurship workshop at the Node Hub in 2018. The experience at the Node Hub was game-changer in his entrepreneurship journey he explained. “I initially planned to go solo as an entrepreneur. At the training, I learnt the value of building a great team and integrating technology into my startup." The Node experience was impactful. “I learnt how to lean modules, branding, financial management and others since I joined the Node Hub these past two years, The team at the Node Hub is ever ready to support us when we call on them. They helped us with our website and continuously advice us on strategies to grow my brand on social media” he shared. “The Ho entrepreneur community also provides value for our business. We advertise, grow our network, and reach a section of our clientele base (students, young professionals, and entrepreneurs).
"Start now. start small. be resilient" - Wisdom Kwasi Attakpah
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