Events Manager in Accra, Ghana Budget Breakdown
We caught up with Maa Abena, based in Ghana during the 2020 COVID-19 crisis to ask her a few questions about what she does, the industry she works in, how she manages her money and what keeps her motivated and we know you'll love reading her insights.
Share with our readers what industry you work in and how you landed your first job.
My industry is Events Management and I landed my first job through A friend who used to work with the company. They gave me a heads up about an opening which was for a creative executive, so I applied, went through the interview processes, and landed that role. After a year my HR decided to add me to the events team because of my organizational skills.
What advise would you give others looking to enter this industry in this season we are in?
For those looking to grow in this industry, my advice is to be humble, outgoing, and respectful.
This kind of job {role} involves working with team and vendors. We all learn from each other so it’s best to take advise from your colleagues on site and off site. Always present concepts on paper to your clients to show you know what you’re about. Lastly, research, read, go for other events and workshops, and interact with people to pick their minds on event ideas.
Key lessons:
Stay Humble
Be Respectul
Learn from Others
Customer Confidence is Important
Develop yourself
What salary should they expect within this role? ..And can we have a sneak peak of your budget?
Monthly Salary: GHC 5,000
I’m a Christian who understands that it’s by grace that I have a job, so 10% is transferred to my local church. I currently work from home so most of my money goes into saving and catering for home; I put around GHC 1000 in savings {that's about 20%} and GHC 1000 for emergency funds (Another 20%}. That leaves me with GHC 2500 (GHC 500 into family contributions; GHC 500 for day to day living expenses and internet bills; the rest is spent on shopping and monthly deductions from sign ups.)
So it's 10% give, 40% Savings, 50% Spend
Lastly, please share with us some of the things that motivate you?
I’m motivated by a number of things; but the main one is being the best stage designer in Africa. Whenever I am putting together a concept for my events, my main focus is on how my stage is and how it stands out and makes a mark in the events space. I am also intrigued about the materials used in making a stage come to life.
Key lesson: Ask yourself "How can what i'm doing stand out?"
Thank you Maa Abena for sharing your budgetting tips with us. Stay connected on @brunchandgoals and leave a comment below if this helped you.