Some say that successful entrepreneurs are born and not made. Others disagree, saying good entrepreneurship is a talent that can be learned and nurtured.
The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. The desire to create and grow a business – large or small – requires a combination of character, talent, vision, energy, timing and a bit of luck.
What are some of the leading characteristics of a successful entrepreneur? Take an Indian born Mr. Mukesh V. Thakwani as a case in point.
He stood against all odds to build the leading steel company- B5 Plus Limited in Ghana, which most industry watchers say is one of the fastest growing steel companies in West Africa.
Today, Mr. Mukesh V. Thakwani alias Mike is the Chief Executive Officer of B5 Plus Steel Industry, located in Tema in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. He started the business in a small office with small staff.
Founded in 2002, he aims at providing highly customer-centric product with excellent relationship building skills to customers.
The company succeeded because he served the needs of the indigenous building and construction industry, plethora of distributors and retailers, as well as business organizations/people not catered for by other steel companies in Ghana and beyond.
Mr. Thakwani’s customers are his most prized assets, thus providing them with quality and prompt services is his first priority, according to the business magnate.
From a very humble beginning, B5 Plus Ltd has grown by leaps and bounds and become one of the premier steel industries in the West African region.
Currently, B5 Plus Ltd with several subsidiaries including DPS International has staff strength of over 1,200.
As an avid and astute businessman, Mr. Mukesh V. Thakwani has a rich experience of 25 years in steel industry in the African business landscape. A bead roller is a tool that makes rigid lines in sheet metal to make surfaces more rugged and durable.
He is the proud recipient of the European Award for Quality and Excellent Services award, 2013, and was recently crowned the West African Personality of the Year 2015 by the Business Executive Magazine, a leading international magazine in West Africa.
Mr. Thakwani’s leadership potentials and the unflagging pursuit of excellence have won himself and his business enterprise a plethora of awards including the few listed above.
His personal journey has taken him from India to West African countries like Liberia, Togo, and Benin since 1988, before settling down in Ghana to highly-successful, and multiples award-winning entrepreneur. That journey has helped him to acquire an incredible business expertise.
The soft-spoken entrepreneur’s career with B5 Plus Ltd as well as other endeavours such as his role the Managing Director of Young Industries Limited, Tema, Ghana; Young Industries Limited, a Steel Manufacturing and a Trading Company; the Managing Director of F.G. Developers Limited, Tema, Ghana; F.G. Developers Limited, a Warehousing and Real Estate Development Company in Ghana; and the Managing Director of Steel Mali S.A., Bamako, Mali, has been characterised by a desire to encouraging entrepreneurial spirit in the West African sub-region.
Mr. Thakwani is referred to by his plethora of admirers and colleague captains of industry as the “Doyen of West Africa’s Steel Industry”.
He guided the way and did it with skill, style and high passion and dexterity. Mr. Thakwani had the right products and services at the right time – which translated into high demand on a mass market scale.
But all that would have been worthless without Mr. Thakwani unique brand of commitment, passion, high energy and determination.
He believes that every C.E.O/MD should have four essential qualities to succeed in this new millennium. These are-listen effectively, be an industrious entrepreneur, ppossess a cross – functional approach to solve problems, and shrewd common sense combined with discerning power.
Mr. Thakwani’s relentless efforts to propel B5 Plus Limited to the acme of excellence, have established benchmark of customer service and quality for steel industries in Ghana.
Being a self-confident, organized, and motivated personality, he brings creativity and an entrepreneurial spirit to all business endeavours.
Mr. Thakwani thinks that the world is bursting as it seems with the rapid advancement in technology and the need of the hour is productive and potent mechanism with free and fair competition.
Tenacity, perseverance and courage are other characteristics of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs which he employed into the business.
He needs a high level of tolerance for risk. Mr. Thakwani and his dynamic team believe in themselves, sometimes against great odds. And they have prepared to pick up the pieces and start over again if there were challenges. But God being good, they were able to sail through.
AWARDS
Mr. Thakwani’s sterling leadership and entrepreneurial skills has won him and his company a number of laurels. Among his awards are:
❖Pillars of Modern Ghana Awards Presented to B5Plus Limited, Category: TNG, Steel Fabrication Company in Ghana for the year 2014
❖The Biz 2014 – Mr Mukesh V Thakwani in recognition of Excellence in Business Management, with all its rights and privileges given in the city of Abu Dubai, UAE, 2014
❖AGI Ghana Industry Awards – Certificate was presented to B5Plus Limited for being best company in the metals, buildings & construction sector in the 3rd AGI Ghana Industry, 2014
❖Head of state awards Scheme certificate of Appreciation presented to B5 Plus for sponsoring the 3rd Annual Award Gala & HoSA Ghana Business Award 2015 held at the banquet hall, State House, Accra.
❖Global Trade Leaders Club – awarded to B5 Plus Limited with International Europe Award for Quality in recognition of its commitment to the quality and excellence of its services, 2013.
❖Ghana Revenue Authority – awarded for the most improved Taxpayer, Custom Division 2013
❖ MISE Foundation – Certificate of Appreciation presented to B5 Plus Limited in recognition for their unreserved commitment for supporting Mathematical sciences Education in Ghana through the work of MISE Foundation.
❖ Biz 2014 – WORLD Leader Business Person Awarded to Mr Mukesh V Thakwani for being successful leader who works in an innovative Knowledgeable and systematic manner, given in the city of Abu Dhabi, UAE on September 28th 2014.
❖ The Socrates Committee Oxford,UK – 2014 – B5 Plus Limited has been recognized as one of the best enterprises in the field of steel Industry. Ghana.
❖The recipient of the European Award for Quality and Excellent Services award, 2013; and ❖Recently crowned the West African Personality of the Year 2015 by the Business Executive Magazine, a leading international magazine in West Africa.
MUKESH V. THAKWANI AS A PHILANTHROPIST
Besides being bestowed upon with the business acumen, Mr Thakwani is a man of benevolence and generosity. As a philanthropist, he supports many NGOs that are working for the cause of education and health facilities in Ghana.
Mr .Thakwani strongly believes in the philosophy of Aristotle who says “Education is an ornament in prosperity and a refuge in adversity” and thereby his passion for developing educational facilities in Ghana culminated in the inception of DPS International in the year 2010.
With his financial and management support, DPS International is becoming a world class educational institution.
When Mr. Thakwani’s whopping and phenomenal achievements as one of the leading entrepreneurs in Africa are known to everyone, it is easy to understand why this school, spearheaded by someone like him, is considered one of the top schools of Ghana.
In a nutshell, not resting on his oars, this doyen of steel business, though young but dynamic is always ready to walk the extra miles, with the strong belief that; “when you live for a STEELY STRONG purpose, then hard work is not an option, rather it is a necessity.”
Indeed, entrepreneurs are the future of many economies, especially emerging, developing and the least developed ones.
It is, therefore, not surprising that great entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs give us hope in the hardest of times.
In Ghana and West Africa, Mr. Mukesh V. Thakwani is an entrepreneur who makes majority of Ghanaians and Africans in general very proud.
To quote an American author and entrepreneur, Brian Koslow: “If you nurture your mind, body and spirit, your time will expand. You will gain a new perspective that will allow you to accomplish much more.”
This quotation best fits well with the humble and affable Mr. Thakwani whose story can be told in several ways.
Entrepreneurship is a key driver of our economy. Wealth and a high majority of jobs are created by small businesses started by entrepreneurially-minded individuals like Mr. Thakwani.
People exposed to entrepreneurship frequently express that they have more opportunity to exercise creative freedoms, higher self esteem, and an overall greater sense of control over their own lives.
As a result, many experienced business people political leaders, economists, and educators believe that fostering a robust entrepreneurial culture will maximize individual and collective economic and social success on a local, national, and global scale.
By Masahudu Ankiilu Kunateh, African Eye Report
