Starting All Over Again: How Digital Coaching Revived a Struggling Hair Business
In the vibrant Sagnerigu Municipality of the Northern Region, Sandra Adabogo had spent years mastering her craft as a hairdresser. Her salon was more than just a place to get braids; it was a safe community space where loyal clients came to connect, laugh, and leave feeling beautiful. For years, business was good. Her success was built on relationships, word-of-mouth referrals, and loyal clients. But everything changed the day she was unexpectedly asked to vacate her shop.
“I was asked to leave the space where I had built my business. It was devastating,” she recalled. “Moving to a completely new area meant I was starting all over again. I didn’t know anyone here, and no one knew me.”
In her new location, things were different. There was no foot traffic, no loyal clientele or familiar faces, and no visibility. The busy atmosphere of the salon was replaced by silence. Days went by without a single customer walking in. The once-busy salon fell silent, and she began to lose hope.
Finding a New Path Through Digital Transformation
Sandra’s turning point came when a friend introduced her to the Coaches and Mentors Programme, an initiative of Digital Transformation for Inclusive Entrepreneurship in Ghana (DTEG). The programme, which is part of a broader initiative, connects small business owners with trained coaches and mentors who provide hands-on support in using digital tools to market, manage, and grow their businesses.
Sandra was paired with a coach who opened her eyes to new possibilities by supporting her to explore simple and practical digital platforms that could help her reconnect with old clients and attract new ones. She also learned how to promote her work on Facebook and WhatsApp, creating an online presence that showcased her talent beyond her immediate community.
“My coach showed me how to take clear pictures of my braids and upload them into a catalogue,” Sandra shared with a smile. “Now, customers scroll through my styles, pick what they like, and book an appointment before coming. Having a coach really helped me get my customers back and restore my business.”
As Sandra applied these new skills, her business began to transform. Curious locals started walking in after seeing her work online and in-person. Old customers who had lost touch found her again through social media. Gradually, her salon came back to life.
This shift brought significant improvements to her business. Customer engagement increased as more people interacted with her through messages and online inquiries. Bookings became more organized and predictable, helping her manage her time and workload more effectively. Her online presence made her visible to a much wider audience. Most importantly, her confidence was restored. She no longer waited for customers to find her by chance.
“Gone are the days when we used to paste printed hairstyle posters on our salon walls,” she said, smiling. “With digital tools, customers now bring screenshots of what they want, and I deliver exactly that. It’s faster, clearer, and more professional.”
Today, Sandra can boast of a 50% increase in income from her business.
Having a mentor gave me the opportunity to interact with a guide, one who knows how to go about getting back.
Sandra is not only rebuilding her business, but doing so with more structure, vision, and strategy. What began as a story of loss has become one of innovation and growth. Her experience stands as a powerful reminder that even the most difficult transitions can lead to new opportunities when paired with the right support and skills.
Sandra’s journey is a testament to the impact of coaching, digital literacy, and the resilience of small business owners across Ghana. Her story encourages others to embrace digital tools, no matter where they start from.
The Coaching and Mentoring Programme is an initiative of the Digital Transformation for Inclusive Entrepreneurship in Ghana (DTEG) project. It equips entrepreneurs, especially women, with practical digital and business skills that help them expand their reach, improve operations and drive sustainable income growth.
Covering six regions in Ghana: Eastern, Ashanti, Northern, Upper West, Upper East, and North East, the program supported over 300 entrepreneurs in peri-urban and rural areas who often have limited access to digital skills and opportunities. Sandra is one of the beneficiaries who transformed her business through this eight-month support.
The Digital Transformation for Inclusive Entrepreneurship in Ghana (DTEG) is implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in partnership with the Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation (MOCDTI). The DTEG projects creates an enabling environment for micro-enterprises to use digital transformation to strengthen their economic situation and enable intermediaries to do trainings and coaching for female entrepreneurs.
DTEG is under the Digital Transformation Centre in Ghana which is part of a pan-African network of flagship projects that the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) is building to support the transformation process on the African continent. The goal of the Digital Transformation Center in Ghana is to improve the preconditions for using digital transformation for job creation and entrepreneurship, specifically in rural areas.
