Franchisee and Chief Executive Officer of Crown Peak Holdings, Dr. Kobbina Tuyee Awuah, known for bringing global brands such as Pinkberry and Burger King into Ghana, has emphasized the importance of partnerships in building scalable and sustainable businesses, noting that operating alone often limits growth potential.
During his appearance on The Career Trail, aired on Joy Learning TV and Joy News, he explained that while entrepreneurship offers independence, that control also comes with limitations.
“The pros of having your own business are very obvious. You get to decide what to do. But that’s just about it. It has one main advantage, you’re in control,” he said.
Dr. Awuah pointed out that control alone does not necessarily translate into scale or long-term success.
“You can be in control over a $2,000 business and call yourself a boss with five employees, or you can be a shareholder in a company with 20,000 employees,” he noted.
Using global business figures to illustrate his point, he stressed that ownership structure matters more than absolute control.
“Bill Gates owns just a small percentage of Microsoft, but he is worth billions. That tells you the long game,” he stated.
According to him, achieving that level of scale requires collaboration and strategic partnerships, something he believes is often overlooked.
“You have to get into partnerships if you want to go far. That’s something we don’t do well on this continent. We tend to compete with each other, and it’s not always healthy,” he highlighted.
Dr. Awuah explained that partnerships allow individuals to combine strengths and resources in ways that would be difficult to achieve alone.
“Someone might have the money and you don’t, but you have the product or the idea. You partner and get it done. Someone else might have the skill set or access to a market you don’t know about, and they can help deliver value,” he explained.
He acknowledged that partnerships come with risks, including the possibility of failure, but stressed that they remain essential for growth.
“I’ve been in partnerships that didn’t work. It’s part of life. You learn and you move on. You don’t repeat the same mistakes,” he echoed.
“Partnerships can go wrong. It’s like marriage. When it goes bad, it’s a problem. That’s what scares people,” he added.
Despite these risks, Dr. Awuah encouraged entrepreneurs to remain open and intentional about collaboration.
“You have to be more calculated when getting into partnerships because the upside is very high. It can be very transformative and change the outcomes of your dreams,” he stressed.
For him, the lesson is clear: scaling a business requires more than control, it requires the right people.
“Partnerships are very key in our part of the world. They help you share risk and give you the support you need to grow,” he concluded.
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