A new year is almost here upon us. I sincerely hope you and yours are having a great time and enjoying your much deserved holidays. I’m also confident that you’re drawing up some BHAGs (big, hairy, audacious goals) for the coming new year. For me, though, it’s all been work, work, work — as I get ready to open up my new baby to the world.

Amenfis Communications Limited is a strategic technology consulting company registered in Accra, Ghana. Yeah, I know that’s a mouthful. In English, my goal is to help my clients to leverage low-cost, primarily open source, technologies to make meaning — whatever that may mean to them.

Currently Amenfis is just me, with the occasional support from this-and-that friend on a project-by-project basis. While I’m likely to take on one, two or even a few people along the way to help things out, I (presently) have no desire to grow Amenfis into a large organization.

Now that may come off as surprising, (or even stupid) to many people — as many a small business owner’s primary goal is rapid growth. For me though, I have no desire for running a large organization — and certainly not a large technology consulting company. In fact, I could easily have continued working independently and unincorporated the way I have all these years, but my primary reasons for founding this company are:

• To have an organizational framework to put into practice the many business and career principles I’ve been preaching to everyone and their dog each and every day. Amenfis is thus a path to help me walk my talk, if you will.
• To better serve the businesses I’m already working with. Right now everything is centered around me, and obviously, nothing gets done when I’m not around or not able to. I don’t think this is a fair deal to these clients, especially in technology where Murphy tends to visit so often.
• To facilitate execution of bigger projects. In the past I’ve had to handle some projects through friends’ companies because the awarding organization (mainly government agencies, but also few private ones) wouldn’t work with an individual — only an incorporated entity registered with Ghana’s VAT administration. Absurd, but this is Ghana.
• I’m hoping Amenfis will become a breeding and training ground for more entrepreneurial ventures by people much smarter than myself. In addition to the formal training programmes I’ll be holding, I intend to take on student interns, and also open Amenfis’ office, Internet, and other resources to young hackers who are just starting out and who need a little push to get off the ground. Heck, I might even invest in some of these startups myself.
• To finally be to tell people, especially my Mom, what I do. I’m really getting tired of friends, family, and even total strangers I meet in the street telling me of how often they’ve been praying for me to find a job

At this time I’m done with all the government and legal paperwork, and I’m getting ready to move into a new home / office. Thank you all for your support and encouragement over the years. And to my past and existing clients, thank you for your business. I’m looking forward to serving you even better this new year and beyond.