Nana Amo Tobbin, Executive Chairman of the Tobinco Group of Companies
The Tobinco boss, Elder Nana Amo Tobbin I, has attributed his success to his humble and hard-working nature.
He said while in Tokyo, he learnt to be very humble and continued when he came to Ghana to do business.
According to the Executive Chairman of the Tobinco Group of Companies, when he first opened a chemical shop in Darkuman, he was always humble and patient with his customers and so they always came to his shop anytime they had to buy medicine.
That, he said made him get money to open another shop.
“I welcomed anyone who entered my shop and thanked them for coming. I said hello to everyone who entered my shop and even though I put Tobinco there, the name of the shop was ‘Hello’. People in the whole community started visiting my shop and I received them well when they came,” he said.
The Tobinco boss continued that, “People began to love me and my humble nature and they always came to me. Within a year, I opened the next shop at Kotobabi and then a third shop at Nima where I turned all into pharmacy shops and that was the growth of my business.”
Although his efforts contributed to the establishment of all his companies, he said it was by the Grace of God.
When asked how he is able to manage all his companies at a go, Nana Amo Tobbin I said every entrepreneur must be hot, cold, hard and soft at the same time to be able to do what he is doing.
“Every CEO will understand this. You have to be hard and put your feet down. Sometimes you have to be soft so that people can stay with you and also work with you. You should be kind so that people would be blessed out of what you are getting from them. You should be able to say no to some of the demands people will make, it is not that easy running a company in Ghana, it is very difficult,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Tobinco boss said the issue with FDA in 2013 was a hard blow to him.
It will be recalled that in 2013, the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) destroyed some two-40-footer containers of alleged expired products imported into the country by his pharmaceutical firm.
In an interview with Zionfelix, Nana Amo Tobbin I said, “I would have backed out, had it not been God”.
He explained that a politician threatened to bring his business down but he did not give up.
The businessman also noted that it was difficult to get justice in our part of the world, urging young men and women who wish to be like him or more than him to fight for their interest even if it will take their lives.
“If you do not do that, anyone can destroy your work, your reputation or disgrace you like what the young man did to me and you cannot understand when you think about it,” Nana Amo Tobbin I added.
Meanwhile, he urged politicians not to use their office to intimidate others due to their political affiliations, urging young men and women who want to do business to also stand firm.
“You can stand firm if you are genuine. There are connections in the business, if you do it then you cannot fight because you are not clean. But when you are clean, then you have to fight,” he said.