OWN MONEY: Ameyaw Debrah Reveals Why He Funded ‘Studio 2’ Himself Without Bank Support

For the veteran blogger, building a creative business means earning, saving and reinvesting but the price of independence is never cheap.

Money, not ideas, was the biggest hurdle Ameyaw Debrah faced in bringing his new creative space, Studio 2, to life.

The veteran celebrity blogger and digital media entrepreneur says he funded the project with his own earnings and savings, choosing to reinvest in his business rather than depend on bank financing.

“Everything I’ve done is within my means. I earn money, I save, and then I reinvest it in another way,” he told broadcaster and interviewer Kafui Dey in a conversation recorded at the newly opened studio.

“So everything is my money.”

It is a straightforward account of what it takes to build a business in the creative industry, where ambition can be limitless but the money needed to turn ideas into reality is often in short supply.

For Mr. Debrah, Studio 2 is more than another addition to his business. It represents an investment in the growing demand for spaces where creatives can develop, produce and share their work.

And he has had to put his own money behind that vision.

The price of building a creative space

Studio 2 was conceived as a flexible production facility where content creators can work on everything from podcasts and photography sessions to film projects.

Mr. Debrah says the idea evolved from the limitations of his first workspace, which could no longer accommodate the scale of production and experimentation he wanted to pursue.

The new facility was initially not even part of his plans. According to him, the idea emerged when his younger sister wanted to open a store. They reconsidered how the space could be used, and what began as a different project eventually became an opportunity to expand his creative operations.

“I was moving heaven and earth to make it work,” he recalled.

Mr. Debrah also took on much of the studio’s design himself, despite having no formal experience in studio design. He researched technical requirements, worked out what he wanted and brought in professionals when it was time to install the equipment.

But the construction was only part of the expense.

Lighting, sound equipment, air conditioning and other production essentials all added to the bill, making the financial demands considerably greater than simply securing a space and furnishing it.

“Finances were the challenge because it’s also equipment beyond the hard brick and mortar that you’re putting together,” he said.

“And all of that is money. So money was the biggest challenge.”

He said the project required him to keep finding ways to fund each stage of the work.

“I was just putting money into it,” he explained. “Any money that I got, I was putting it into the studio.”

That meant the project continued to demand resources even after the physical structure had begun to take shape.

Why he turned to his own pocket

Asked whether banks helped finance the project, Mr. Debrah’s response revealed the approach behind his business journey.

Rather than describing a conventional financing arrangement, he explained how he has used money generated from his own work to fund subsequent investments.

For a business in the creative sector, where equipment can be expensive and production needs continually evolve, that can be a demanding way to grow.

Mr. Debrah said he has generally preferred to build gradually rather than take on obligations that could limit his decisions.

“I don’t like owing people,” he said during the conversation. “If I can do it myself, I’ll do it myself.”

Yet that independence has not made the process easy. It has required him to balance the demands of his existing work with the cost of creating a new facility.

“I have to make sure that whatever I’m doing is able to fund the next thing,” he said.

The solar plan that had to wait

One of the project’s ambitions was to operate using solar energy.

Debrah said the facility was prepared for a solar installation, but the cost of powering the studio’s equipment proved higher than anticipated.

“The solar was part of the plan,” he said. “We made the place solar-ready, but the money for the full installation was a different conversation.”

He subsequently explored the possibility of raising funds through organisations that support environmental sustainability and renewable energy.

However, by the time he began approaching potential supporters, many had already selected the projects they would fund.

“I was late,” he explained. “By the time I started looking for the support, most of the organisations had already finished with their budgets.”

The solar plan was therefore put on hold as he concentrated on completing the studio.

The groundwork has not gone to waste, though. Mr. Debrah says the facility is solar-ready, leaving him with the option of completing the installation in the future, either with his own resources or external support.

“We’ve done the preparation,” he said. “So when the money comes, we can still put it in.”

From personal investment to a business opportunity

Studio 2 is intended to serve a market beyond Debrah’s own production team.

The space is open to people who need a facility to create content, with the studio designed to accommodate different kinds of projects and production requirements.

At the time of the interview, he said the website was ready to accept bookings, although the final pricing structure was still being worked out.

“We’re still putting the packages together,” he said. “We want people to be able to come in and know exactly what they’re paying for and what they’re getting.”

He also hopes to build a network of young creative professionals who can contribute their skills in areas such as lighting, sound and camera production.

Beyond providing a place to work, the ambition is to create opportunities for people who can help deliver productions and develop content for a variety of shows.

“I want to work with young people who are good at what they do,” he said. “If you’re good with cameras, lighting or sound, there should be a place for you to come and work.”

That could give Studio 2 a second role: not just a facility built through Debrah’s personal investment, but a platform through which other creatives can access production resources and find work.

The commercial test, of course, will be whether the space attracts enough clients and generates sufficient revenue to sustain its operations and justify the investment.

Debrah said the goal is to make the studio useful to both established producers and people who are still trying to find their footing.

“Not everybody has the money to build a studio,” he said. “So if you have the idea and you need the space, you should be able to come here and create.”

His experience raises a question familiar to many aspiring entrepreneurs: how much of what you earn are you willing to put back into the next thing you want to build?

For Debrah, the answer has been to keep reinvesting.

“I’m not just looking at what I can get today,” he said. “I’m looking at what I can build that will still be useful tomorrow.”