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Failing To Win: Hard-Earned Lessons from a Purpose-Driven Startup
In 2009, Canadian entrepreneur Mike Quinn packed his backpack and moved to Lusaka, Zambia on a mission to find African entrepreneurs building scalable, high-impact businesses. There he stumbled across two South African brothers who had founded a business to help unbanked smallholder farmers receive mobile payments in a market where cash was king. After convincing his retired parents to mortgage their house and lend him $100,000, Mike joined as a co-founder of Zoona and became CEO for nine of the next ten years.
With his partners, Mike built a network of more than 3,000 entrepreneur agents across Zambia and Malawi that enabled millions of unbanked consumers to send and receive $2.5-billion in money transfers and remittances. Headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa, Zoona raised over $35-million of venture investment and operated on the leading edge of Africa’s emerging fintech ecosystem.
Mike’s remarkable story gives a rare and honest glimpse into the workings of a pioneering African startup through the lens of a purpose-driven entrepreneur who went “all in”. Zoona faced tremendous adversity along the way: currency crises, investment round collapses, ruthless pushback from the major mobile network operators, and a continuous internal struggle to discover and execute a growth strategy that matched the company’s billion-dollar ambition. It was by failing to win that Mike learned what entrepreneurship is all about, and it was what motivated him to double down and try again.
“This raw, honest account is a must-read for anyone thinking about starting a company and for every entrepreneur who feels alone in the journey.” — Elizabeth Yin, Co-Founder & General Partner of Hustle Fund
“Startups are hard. Most people understand this. However, most people don’t understand why. Mike’s story is a rare glimpse into how challenges present themselves — and ultimately how to overcome.” — Matt Flannery, Co-Founder of Kiva & Branch
“In a rare look behind the scenes, Mike shares a vivid picture of the other side of leadership we don’t talk about enough. As he aptly describes ‘founding, failing and winning’, this book highlights the risk of taking that all-important first step, embracing failure and ensuring you learn the transformative lessons critical to success as an entrepreneurial leader.” — Fred Swaniker, Founder of African Leadership Group
“This story is a gift for entrepreneurs and indeed anyone wanting to learn about the first generation of African fintechs that paved the way for future companies to thrive.” — Katlego Maphai, Co-Founder & CEO of Yoco
“Mike’s humility, resilience and depth of knowledge of how to build a pan-African business are unique, and his testimony of experience is an important short history of the fintech boom on the continent.” — Elizabeth Rossiello, Founder & CEO of AZA
“Failing To Win is a captivating account of an incredibly talented and unusually forthright entrepreneur who built an ambitious purpose-led company that started in Zambia. At Oxford I have taught the Zoona case study to countless MBA students to show how fundamental principles of entrepreneurship can be meaningfully applied in a novel context. It just takes courageous and smart individuals who are not afraid of failing (in order) to win.” — Thomas Hellmann, DP World Professor of Entrepreneurship & Innovation at Oxford’s Saïd Business School
“Innovation has gone global, and is transforming people’s lives around the world. But startups are risky. Sometimes they scale and sometimes they fail. In Failing To Win, Mike shares insightful lessons from his journey at Zoona about what it takes to operate with integrity, impact and inspiration in the new Frontier of Innovation.” — Alex Lazarow, Author of Out-Innovate: How global entrepreneurs – from Delhi to Detroit – are rewriting the rules of Silicon Valley
Price range: ₵145.00 through ₵160.00Failing To Win: Hard-Earned Lessons from a Purpose-Driven Startup
Price range: ₵145.00 through ₵160.00 -
Golden Footprints: Memoirs of an African Development Worker
This book is a biography within a biography; it is about the author’s life lived in the northern part of Ghana in the peculiarities of the undocumented socio-cultural uniqueness of the region. It mirrors the hard road the author and many first-generation literates of his generation have travelled in building their lives in significant ways to impact society. A major part of the book is dedicated to a narrative of the experiences of the author while working for the NGO community across the African continent. It documents the challenges these organisations faced in various countries where they facilitated development and outlines how the interventions of NGOs have benefited rural populations. It is fodder for intellectual consumption, literature for academic discourse and more information for development students and practitioners. The book documents indigenous knowledge that has hitherto been left to oral tradition and ignored in the Ghanaian education system. Finally, the book demonstrates the divine hand of the Almighty God in the life of the author as one reads through breath-taking moments of divine interventions that otherwise could have ended his life and career. All these are narrated to provide the suspense normally found in fiction books.
₵150.00 -
If We Must THRIVE: A Survival & Growth Guide for the Young African Entrepreneur
THRIVE is for the young African entrepreneur hoping to persevere in the face of failures, setbacks and rejection. Anyone can start a business but not everyone can make a business survive and grow. Familiar success stories may blur the entrepreneurial path making young Africans wish for overnight success without equivalent effort.
This book will guide you to redefine your core personal and entrepreneurial goals in order to avoid duplicating unfeasible business models; to properly define your target market toward optimized sales; and to manage your cashflow without accumulating excessive short-term debts.
Practical reference to the Author’s experiences will shape your perspective towards a thriving state beyond just survival of your business or yourself. The young African entrepreneur must dream bigger and have faith, if, we must THRIVE!
₵60.00 -
101 Ways to Find the Money to Save and Invest: Wealth Creation Ideas for the Very Poor and the Not So Poor
Investment opportunities are as many as human needs, wants and desires. Thus the aim of this compilation is not to attempt a comprehensive coverage of investment opportunities. In fact, we are not even competent to do so as assuredly our names do not feature among the investment gurus and practitioners.
However, we trust many will read this book and expand their knowledge base of investments as others have done to bail themselves out of abject poverty. We hope this book will be read by all classes in the society but particularly our target audience, namely those below middle class most of whom earn less than USD 2,000 per annum, for whom the teachings in this book would be a life-transforming experience.
₵85.00 -
Inside Out: Autobiographical Memoirs
The author recounts a journey that starts in a small town in Ghana, through an academic and professional career in finance in Canada and the United States, culminating at the Ministry of Finance in Ghana where he served as Technical Advisor to three different Ministers of Finance from different political parties.
The memoirs depict the complexities of decision-making that combine technical know-how with political reality using several instances of policymaking and financial transactions that he led at the Ministry. For the technical reader, the author recounts a 25-year history of his involvement in many key initiatives of financial market development in Ghana.
The sweetener in Inside Out is an interesting case study of how to navigate political transitions and maintain relevance as a senior advisor to Ministers in a “winner-takes-all” political environment.
₵150.00 -
In Pursuit: Journeys in African Entrepreneurship
In Pursuit – Journeys in African Entrepreneurship chronicles the journeys of two friends whose experiences in America shaped their approach to starting their own businesses in Nigeria. Drawing on their experiences of working, building and supporting business, and exposure to multimillion-dollar projects around the world, they uncover what it takes to own, run, and grow a profitable business.
Through their personal insights, they relay information relevant not only to entrepreneurs and investors seeking to do business in Nigeria, but anywhere on the globe―after all, the heart of business is human interaction. Their conversational banter-jab style, for which they’re known in person and on social media, invites readers into their circle where they can share the wisdom gained through continuous pursuits to fulfill their dreams.
Business and life intersect. No matter your goal, you’re not crazy, and no, you’re not alone! Through In Pursuit, two Bendel boys invite you to laugh, yell, and reflect, as they converse from head and heart.
₵100.00 -
Swimming Upstream: The Story of Southern Cross
Kwame Donkoh Fordwor’s dream was realized due to the precision planning which was utilized to develop Southern Cross Mining Limited (SCML), as the company established itself as the first active gold mining operation to be brought to Ghana Since 1937. This came to pass by way of chance associations and the joint efforts of collaborators who possessed different backgrounds and motivations.
Even with the assistance of numerous people along the way, the inception of Southern Cross was not easy. It required aggressive action and time to fend or larger corporations and fight government officials for the rights and freedoms they felt they deserved.
Fordwor titles this book Swimming Upstream: The Story of Southern Cross because of the comparisons he draws between himself and the struggles of salmon attempting to reach their spawning grounds. Much like a salmon battling currents, fishermen, and other predators to reach its final destination, Fordwor had to struggle to make his own path and place in history, using keen instincts and good fortune to maintain the competitiveness and success of SCML.
Swimming Upstream vividly details the rich history of Southern Cross and other gold mining venturers who strived to achieve historical recognition. It is an illuminating work-powerfully written and inspirational to all who are still seeking to make a lifetime dream come true.₵180.00 -
Perseverance Conquers All: The Autobiography of Kantinka Kwame Donkor Fordwor
As a very poor boy, Kantinka sustained himself in school by selling firewood. He walked four miles every day from village, Breman, to Kumasi to attend school. He recounts how by dint of hard work, he sailed through elementary and secondary school to the Graduate School of Wharton even though fate had prevented him from doing sixth form studies. He recollects how at St. Augustine’s College, Cape Coast, he was cured of a strange disease by a traditional priest. His beloved wife had to discontinue her studies to help him complete his. Kantinka thus passed through a darkness of life which continued in his working life.
His decision to provide a house for the Executive Chairman of the Capital Investments Board, in order to save the Board huge sums of money in rent payments, was so maliciously interpreted that he was editorially castigated and lambasted. His ingenious polices that eventually helped to raise the capital of the African Development Bank from US $200 million to US $100 billion was rewarded with his dismissal as the President of the Bank.
He incurred the ire of his enemies for the appreciation he received from three Kings of Asante Kingdom.
Perseverance Conquers All portrays these midnight sides of Kantinka’s life to let his sun shine brightly. His wife gave him six children any father could wish for, whom he educated as a very responsible father. Providence made him help Ghana in its financial difficulties when he became the virtual Minister of Finance during the reign of Colonel Acheampong. His input to the progress of the Catholic Church has even been more monumental as explained beautifully in the book. Kantinka is indeed the sun at midnight.
Reliance on God, patriotism, philanthropy, hard work, good family life, good parenthood, honesty, and magnanimity is what this life story portrays. This is a book that all must have and read: the student as well as the teacher; the Christian, husband and patriot.
₵90.00 -
International Marketing and Export Management (5th Edition)
“Albaum, Duerr and Strandskov offer a unique focus on export management. The comprehensive coverage provides a wealth of examples and cases with a good spread of academic and non-academic sources. The balance between theory and practice is just right. I highly recommend this text.” – Geraldine Cohen, Lecturer, School of Business and Marketing, Brunel University
Looking to learn about marketing decisions and management processes needed to develop export operations either in a small to medium size business or in a global corporation? With changing opportunities and challenges in the global environment, International Marketing and Export Management 5th edition provides the most comprehensive and up-to-date coverage on the topic.
“In my opinion Albaum, Duerr and Strandskov have written an excellent text book on the subject of International Marketing and students will find it both readable and extremely informative.” – David Demick, Senior Lecturer, School of Marketing, Enrepreneurship and Strategy, University of Ulster
Geared to both undergraduate and postgraduate courses on International Marketing or Export Marketing/International Trade, this book can also be used as a supplementary text on International Business courses and as a useful source of reference to even the most experienced of practitioners.
New to this edition!
In response to recent global developments, the authors have increased emphasis on the following:
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- the impact of the Internet, World Wide Web, and e-commerce
- the increasing use of specialized software to assist in managing marketing functions, increasing efficiency in logistics, and coordinating and controlling enterprises
- the impact of technological advances on international marketing
- the changes resulting from China’s rapid, export-led growth and from its entry into the World Trade Organization
- the growing concerns with respect to social responsibility, and the costs of failure to meet societal expectations.
Visit www.booksites.net/albaum to access valuable teaching tools, including an Instructor¿s Manual and Power Point Slides.
Gerald Albaum is Research Professor at the Robert O. Anderson Schools of Management, University of New Mexico and Professor Emeritus of Marketing at the University of Oregon, USA. He is also Senior Research Fellow at the IC2 Institute, University of Texas, Austin, USA. He has been a visiting professor and scholar at universities in Canada, Denmark, New Zealand, Australia, Turkey, France, Finland and Hong Kong.
Edwin Duerr is a Professor Emeritus of International Business at San Francisco State University, USA. He has been a visiting professor at universities in Japan, Brazil, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands and has extensive consulting business around the globe. Duerr is also Senior Editor of The Journal of International Business and Economy.
Jesper Strandskov is a Professor of International Business at Aarhus School of Business, Denmark. He has been visiting professor at universities in the USA and Australia. He also acts as an international business consultant to several business companies and public institutions.
₵75.00 -
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Management and Cost Accounting (Fourth Edition)
This book contains:
- Extensive new material on corporate strategy, performance evaluation, corporate governance and the network economy.
- Many new unique examples of management accounting in real-world action.
- Revamped references at the end of each chapter to reflect new literature and the latest thinking.
- Richly illustrated with a striking full colour text design and photographs to further engage the reader, reinforcing the practical relevance of issues discussed.
- In-depth unique European and Harvard Business School case studies. A mix of new and classic real-world cases that pull together themes and offer a broader perspective of how management accounting can be applied in a range of different contexts.
- Extensive assessment material, including questions taken from past professional papers, allows students to consolidate learning and practise their exam technique. Questions are available for every chapter and are classified according to level of difficulty.
- Concepts in Action and Surveys of Company Practice boxes allow students to appreciate how accounting techniques are put into practice by managers in the business environment.
₵72.00 -
Investments
The chapters are very well written, and present even relatively difficult material in a concise and very clear way.
Thore Johnson, Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration
To some people, security markets are like casinos in which investing is based on predicting security prices and speculating that those predictions will come true. Investments is here to tell you otherwise.
You could try to predict security prices by flipping a coin or reading a horoscope, but if you really want to become a better investor then you need a thorough understanding of securities, securities markets and investment strategies. That is exactly what this book provides.
This topical introduction to investment in security markets discusses in detail the various ways in which you can minimise risk and maximise yields. One of the basic insights that you will obtain from reading this book is that good investments generally do not require forecasting skills. Rather, in many cases, good investments require the matching of the investments with the objectives and constraints of the investor.
Key Features:
- Up-to-date coverage of investment practice and academic research
- Extensive coverage of e-commerce in investments
- Many real-life case studies taken from recent newspaper articles, in particular the Financial Times
- Extensive Review Questions and Answers, with additional questions and answers available online
Investments is suitable for use by intermediate to advanced undergraduate students taking courses in investments as part of accounting, finance, economics and business studies degrees. It is also suitable for postgraduate students on MBA and other programmes covering investments.
₵75.00Investments
₵75.00 -
Mine for the Value – Introduction to Product Management for Retail/Consumer Banking
The ultimate aim of the book is to reinforce the business management orientation required in product management and also strongly underscore the fact that business is won at the frontlines. The win is convincing when every player in the front-line team has a deepened understanding of the products and services that represent the main arsenal of the business.
As demonstrated in the book, it is only when team approach is adopted for most key product and service initiatives that impactful results get achieved.
This book is highly recommended for customer service officers, branch managers, product managers, branch operation managers, call center staff, the analytics team, operational risk team members and IT support crew.
₵85.00
