Despite a busy and stressful few months, Mabel has shared a warm and candid update on the progress made since February’s Global Business Challenge. Overall, she says, things are moving in the right direction.

One of the most impactful changes came from tackling a challenge Mabel had long grappled with, namely getting customers to share photos of themselves using MSimps products. On the Imperial team’s recommendation, she introduced a reward system offering customers 10% off in exchange for sending in photos of themselves wearing their purchases. The results have been encouraging, with MSimps now regularly receiving and posting real customer images on social media. This has not only enriched the brand’s online presence, but has also helped signal to potential buyers that people are genuinely purchasing and loving the products. Mabel has also extended the reward concept more broadly, gifting branded mugs to customers to mark two years of trading in their current space, timed alongside Mother’s Day celebrations.

Another recommendation that has made a meaningful difference was separating MSimps’ retail fashion offering from its corporate gifting and souvenir business. A dedicated Instagram page for the souvenir side has brought much-needed clarity, replacing what had previously been a confusing blend of products under one account. A similar distinction on the website is currently in the works.

Navigating Ghana’s recent VAT increase, which jumped from 4% to 20%, required careful thought on pricing. Mabel found a practical middle ground, absorbing part of the increase for retail customers while passing the full tax on to corporate clients, protecting both her margins and her relationships with everyday shoppers.

Visibility has also grown through smarter use of hashtags and SEO, and Mabel has embraced behind-the-scenes videos and in-store customer testimonials to build credibility for a business that, despite its 16-year history, continues to evolve in a competitive market.

Mabel extends her heartfelt thanks to the student team: The experience, she says, was as a “quick masterclass” whose results are already being felt across the business.