Five questions to answer before your first business trip to Ghana

A first visit is expensive in time and money. The trips that pay off are the ones where the important questions were answered before the flight was booked.

1. What exactly do you want to decide after the trip?

"Exploring the market" is not a decision. "Choose one of three distributors" or "decide whether a pilot site in the Eastern Region is viable" is. The decision defines who you need to meet.

2. Who are the three to five people you must meet?

Potential partners, a lawyer, a bank, a relevant authority or association. Each meeting should be confirmed in writing, with a named contact, before you travel.

3. What do your counterparts need to know in advance?

Send a short company profile and the purpose of the meeting. Partners who could prepare bring better information and the right colleagues to the table.

4. How will you check what you are told?

Plan time for site visits and for at least one independent reference per serious partner. Ask to see the warehouse, the farm or the hotel, not only the office.

5. What happens in the two weeks after you return?

Most momentum is lost after the trip. Agree before you leave who follows up with whom, by when, and what the next document will be.