I took a loan to start my pharmacy business - Konnected Minds Founder

Derrick Abaitey, Ghanaian-UK entrepreneur and host of Konnected Minds Podcast, revealed he took out a personal loan to help finance the launch of his pharmacy business after struggling to raise enough capital. Speaking on Joy Learning TV and Joy News' entrepreneurship program, The Career Trail, Derrick said he had always envisioned building an online pharmacy, an idea he developed while completing his pharmacy training. He stated, "While I was doing my pre-registration, I came up with a plan that with all the IT skills that I had, I was going to set up a pharmacy, and that pharmacy was going to be an online pharmacy."

The journey to becoming a pharmacist and pursuing his entrepreneurial dream was challenging. During his third year at university, Abaitey was on the verge of being removed from the pharmacy programme after struggling with a mathematics-related course. He recalled, "There was a time in my third year where things got really tough. I'm terrible at maths, and I had a final chance to pass. If I didn't, I was gone." A friend recommended Gifted Hands by Dr. Ben Carson, which Abaitey read quickly, transforming his mindset and giving him confidence. He eventually passed the examination, completed his pharmacy training, and fulfilled a promise he had made to God.