Ghanaian nurse Nana Akua reveals challenges of running Atlanta salon during COVID-19

Ghanaian nurse and entrepreneur Nana Akua has described the difficulties of running a hair salon in Atlanta, United States, while caring for her ailing mother and working full time in healthcare.

Speaking on GhanaWeb TV’s Diaspora Connect, she said the COVID-19 pandemic had been the biggest setback in her efforts to build the business.

The salon was forced to close for about three to four weeks during the pandemic, leading to the loss of some customers.

“My biggest setback was during COVID. You know, during COVID, we had to close down the business for about three to four weeks. So, during that time, I lost some clients,” she told host Mr David Antwi.

Despite the disruption, Nana Akua has continued to run the salon alongside her nursing career. She said her aunt now oversees the business when she is unavailable.

“I’m still doing nursing full time and, as a matter of fact, my aunty is the one managing my hair salon,” she said.

Customer retention has not been her only concern. Nana Akua also spoke about the challenges of managing employees, including allegations that some workers tried to take salon customers for their own businesses.

She said several braiders had to be dismissed after allegedly obtaining customers’ telephone numbers while claiming the details were needed to receive tips. The customers were then reportedly contacted and offered home-based braiding services.

“I had to get rid of a lot of braiders because some of them would steal your client,” she said.

However, she added that not all of her experiences with staff had been negative. Some workers, she said, had shown loyalty by encouraging customers to give tips to the salon owner instead of keeping the money themselves.

The experience has taught Nana Akua to be more patient and cautious when recruiting and managing employees.

She also said discipline and a reliable customer base were vital for anyone hoping to establish a business in the United States. In her view, encouragement from friends and acquaintances should not be mistaken for a guarantee that they will use the service.

“It requires discipline; you have to make sure you have a good clientele base. Sometimes those who will encourage you to go into that business may not even patronise your service,” she said.

Nana Akua advised Ghanaians with vocational skills who plan to start businesses in America to take punctuality and time management seriously.

“I will advise anyone who has a skill and would want to establish a business in America that they should be disciplined because, in America, they don’t joke with their time,” she said.

Her account reflects the difficulties Ghanaian entrepreneurs can face while building businesses abroad, from retaining customers and managing staff to balancing commercial responsibilities with other professional commitments.