Record Keeping and its Effects on the Development of Small-Scale Enterprises in the Sissala West District in the Upper West Region of Ghana

Abstract

Record keeping is important in development because it provides recorded information critical in business entities’ strategic development. The study aimed to look into record keeping and its effects on the development of small-scale enterprises in the Sissala West District of Ghana’s Upper West Region. The study collected data through questionnaires and observations. The study also drew 95 people from a list of small businesses in the Sissala West district as a sample size. The findings show that record-keeping practices are not widely encouraged among small-scale enterprises, and that businesses cannot appreciate the benefits of record-keeping because it is not widely used. Findings also show that capacity factors are important to most small business owners. Findings also show that most small-business owners lack the knowledge and experience needed to use modern technology to keep records. It is suggested that the Ghanaian government (GoG), the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Business Resource Center (BRC), the Ghana Enterprise Agency (GEA), and the Micro Finance and Small Loans Scheme (MASLOC) collaborate to assist small businesses in improving their record keeping.