DELVING INTO THE WORK OF THE PUBLISHING HOUSES IN GHANA!
When it comes to business, consumers consider a lot of factors: the product and how it’s packaged, quality and quantity, before looking at the goodwill of the Company. What brand has the Company crafted and preserved with consistency through hard and soft times, making it stand the test of time?
THE CHURCH’S GOODWILL AS A FACTOR IN A BOOMING MARKET:
There is a popular saying in Akan that a child who is born on a hill never struggles with growth because he already has a solid foundation.
The same applies to the Catholic Printing Houses.
The Catholic Church has a very good name because of its credibility, consistency in its moral and social principles and values, and its integrity, with well-structured leadership, so even Protestants feel very comfortable trading with the Church.
This means that, already, the Printing Houses have both the trust of the insiders (the Church members) and the outsiders (our Protestant and Charismatic friends).
As the saying goes, “Charity begins at home”. There is a need to strengthen the market at home (in the Church) before that of the outsiders, and how can the Dioceses do that? What Diocesan Policies and business strategic measures can be implemented to win the heart of the Church members to patronise and consume the products?
MARKETING STRATEGIES TO WIN THE HOME MARKET AND THAT OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC:
1. To keep funds circulating within the parameters of the institutions in the Diocese, it would be ideal for the Diocesan Bishops to have a Diocesan Policy on Publishing that regulates all their Parishes and Institutions.
One that compels all paper works such as receipts, hospital folders, hospital cards, school registers, exercise books and all teachers notebooks, Accounts books, envelopes, banners, flyers, wedding and retirement invitation cards, all “T” shirts and prints of Societal and Diocesan clothes are strictly to be given to the Diocesan Publishing Houses as the leaders discourage sending all these opportunities of income outside.
One can see a lot of our women importing Marian clothes from the neighbouring Francophone countries, only to kill our Diocesan Textile Industry.
This could be a viable Enterprise for the women’s groups in the Church. Shall we take a look at the number of women in our Women’s Groups in the Church? Imagine how much money the Church could earn if its clothes, “T” shirts, and other accessories were produced by the Church!
Coming to think about the number of weddings, Anniversaries, programmes, and celebrations the Parishes and individual Church members organize every year!
Imagine the huge market they would get if our Publishing Houses
marketed our Services very well, gave discounts, and had Offices in the bigger Parishes in the city Centres! In the market world, every little drop makes a difference, and no opportunity must slip from the hands of the businessman.
On a more serious note, imagine the Diocesan Printing House at the service of the Catholic University of Ghana? That money could be an investment for a whole range of projects to take care of the Diocese and its missionary projects.
2. Due to the current Social Media world where a lot of our people spend most of their time online and on entertainment shows on the television, the Marketing Department of our Printing Houses should be fully present online and in the media space where people could order products, request for Services and make payments online whiles our Printing Houses initiate delivery services whiles they sponsor some television and radio programmes that catch the attention of majority of the citizens.
3. Let the Printing Houses be professionally punctual to deliver products and Services on time as a serious business entity. Nothing is more disappointing than to be disappointed at the last minute. Sometimes it is not only disappointing but frustrating and embarrassing.
How would customers come back if products are never delivered, and when delivered, not on time? Imagine losing ten customers every month due to a delay. How many customers would the business lose, and how much money is the Printing House losing?
Most often, we lose a lot of money without knowing! Money that could have changed the narrative!
4. If you would permit me to say, as Africans, one of our worst enemies in Church Enterprise is nepotism.
Sometimes we do it unknowingly, probably because of our culture that calls even a friend a brother, and wanting to help everyone.
That is good, but there is always the need to distinguish between friends, family, and business! Once is business, is business.
Let’s eschew that in order to get rid of placing blood relations and friends in charge of Church affairs, even when they don’t qualify or are not the best in the interest of the motives for which it was established.
Unfortunately, a lot of our Institutions have collapsed because of nepotism, because it becomes extremely difficult to sanction or fire the person when things are not right, and if one should sack such a person, be assured of broken families.
So, the question is, does one need to sacrifice the Church Enterprise in a bid to keep loyalty to family and vice versa?
5. By way of encouraging productivity and positive results, let us pay our workers very well and give them accommodation and other incentives.
Normally, workers tend to lament, complain, pilfer, and work lackadaisically when they are not well paid.
I personally think that, sometimes, it is good to employ a few people who are paid so well, and they would do marvelously once regular supervision and motivation are constant.
Sometimes, let us continue to give local and foreign scholarships to good, deserving workers to further their education and come back to help once they can be trusted. This is very slippery ground. A lot leave and never come back. Once that happens, it spoils the chances of a lot of other people. In instances like this, let us not think about ourselves but the collective good of others.
6. I personally think that in the twenty-first century, making payment by hand or at the table is not ideal.
Rather, let us create a system in our businesses that accepts cheques or payments directly made to the Accounts of the enterprise, and before withdrawing money, there should be at least three Officials to sign and issue cheques.
6. Periodical Assessment of Performance and Auditing of Accounts and Transactions.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of losses in most of our Publishing Houses because we don’t have a strong and vibrant auditing system.
Sometimes, not only internal auditors but also let us invite external ones too in order to compare and contrast, as we make good use of the Chartered Accountants and Auditors in the Catholic Professional Guild.
7. In an Enterprise where the Entrepreneur looks for positive results, it would be ideal if He keeps a distance, remains neutral, and allows the Board and the Administrative System to work while he puts his ear to the ground.
Sometimes, in wanting the system to work, there is always the temptation to mingle in the helm of affairs and take a position, but that ends up spoiling the whole business game and the smooth running of the firm.
TO BE CONTINUED…..
By: Rev. Fr. Albert Kyei Danso
Chaplain, Italy
