If you want to run Facebook or Instagram ads for your business, you should first set up a Meta Business Portfolio, formerly known as Facebook Business Manager. The setup is free and lets you organise your Facebook Page, Instagram account, ad accounts, people, permissions and other business assets in one place.
Meta has changed some of the names and interfaces around its business tools over time, so you may see Business Portfolio where older tutorials say Business Manager. The basic purpose remains the same: separating your business advertising assets from your personal Facebook profile.
For Ghanaian businesses advertising products or services, setting this up properly before spending money can also make account management much easier.
What Is a Facebook Business Portfolio?
A Meta Business Portfolio is a central place for managing the assets and people connected to a business on Meta.
Depending on your business setup, it can help you manage:
- Facebook Pages
- Instagram professional accounts
- Advertising accounts
- People and their permissions
- Meta Pixel and other business data assets
- Payment and advertising settings
- Business-related access and security
Your personal Facebook profile is still used to log in, but your business assets can be organised separately.
Important: Business Portfolio is not the same thing as your Facebook Page. A Page represents your business publicly; the Business Portfolio helps you manage the business assets behind the scenes.
How to Create a Business Portfolio/Business Manager Account on Facebook
The exact buttons can change as Meta updates its interface, but the process generally follows these steps.
Step 1: Go to Meta Business
Start by visiting Meta’s business platform and sign in with the Facebook account you want to use for managing the business.
You may encounter Meta Business Suite or other Meta business interfaces depending on your account.
If Meta presents an option to create a business, select the option to create a new business portfolio.
Step 2: Enter Your Business Information
You will normally be asked for basic information such as:
- Business name
- Your name
- Business email address
Use your real business information rather than creating a portfolio with random details.
For example, if you operate a clothing business in Accra called “Ama Styles,” use the business’s genuine name rather than a temporary name such as “Test Business 123.”
After entering the information, submit the form.
Meta may ask you to confirm your email address before you can use certain business features.
Step 3: Confirm Your Business Email
Check the email address you provided during registration.
If Meta sends a confirmation email, follow the instructions to verify it.
Do not ignore verification messages, particularly if you intend to use the account for advertising.
Step 4: Open Your Business Settings
Once your Business Portfolio has been created, open the business management area.
Depending on the current Meta interface, the names and locations of settings can differ.
Look for your business portfolio and its business settings. This is where you can manage assets, people, permissions and advertising accounts.
Step 5: Add Your Facebook Page
If you already have a Facebook Page for your business, add or connect it to the Business Portfolio.
For example, a Ghanaian restaurant could connect its existing Facebook Page for the restaurant so that authorised team members can manage advertising without sharing personal Facebook passwords.
If you manage several businesses, pay close attention to which Business Portfolio you are working in.
Step 6: Connect Your Instagram Account
If your business uses Instagram, connect the appropriate professional Instagram account.
This is particularly useful if you intend to run campaigns across Facebook and Instagram.
For example, a Ghanaian fashion brand selling through Instagram can organise its Facebook Page and Instagram presence under the same business setup.
How to Create an Ad Account in Business Manager
Creating the Business Portfolio is only part of the setup. You also need an advertising account if you want to create and manage paid campaigns.
A typical process is:
- Open your Business Portfolio.
- Go to the business settings or advertising accounts section.
- Select the option to add or create an advertising account.
- Choose Create a new ad account where appropriate.
- Enter an identifiable ad account name.
- Select the correct time zone and currency where Meta gives you those options.
- Assign the ad account to the appropriate business.
- Assign yourself or authorised team members the necessary permissions.
Choose Your Ad Account Settings Carefully
Pay particular attention to your time zone and currency when creating a new advertising account.
For a Ghanaian business, you should understand how the selected currency will affect your reporting and billing before confirming the account.
Do not create multiple ad accounts simply because you are unfamiliar with the interface. Unnecessary accounts can make business administration more complicated.
Add a Payment Method
Once your advertising account is ready, you can add an available payment method through Meta’s billing settings.
Depending on what Meta makes available to your account and market, payment options may vary.
For Ghanaian businesses, it is important to distinguish between:
- Your advertising account
- Your payment method
- Your Facebook or Instagram Page
- Your Business Portfolio
They are connected, but they are not the same thing.
Before launching a campaign, check that the payment method is accepted and that your billing information is correct.
Business Portfolio vs Personal Facebook Account
| Feature | Personal Facebook Account | Business Portfolio |
|---|---|---|
| Main purpose | Personal Facebook activity | Business asset management |
| Facebook Page management | Yes | Yes, through assigned access |
| Ad account management | Limited/business-dependent | Yes |
| Team access | Not designed for business sharing | Designed for business permissions |
| Business asset organisation | Limited | Centralised |
| Suitable for agencies | No | Yes |
| Suitable for managing multiple business assets | Limited | Yes |
The key difference is control. Your personal Facebook profile is your login identity, while the Business Portfolio is designed to organise and manage business assets.
Common Problems When Setting Up Facebook Business Manager
1. You Cannot Create Another Business Portfolio
Meta may limit how many business portfolios an individual can create or manage.
If you already have an existing business setup, check whether you can use it instead of creating another one.
2. Your Facebook Page Is Missing
Make sure you are logged into the correct Facebook profile and have the appropriate access to the Page.
Also check whether the Page is already connected to another business portfolio.
3. Your Ad Account Is Not Available
An advertising account may already belong to another business or have restrictions affecting how it can be added.
Check the account’s ownership and assigned permissions before trying to create duplicate accounts.
4. Payment Keeps Failing
Payment problems can have several causes, including an unsupported payment method, incorrect billing information, bank restrictions or an issue with the advertising account.
If a payment fails, repeatedly attempting the same transaction is not necessarily the solution. Check the billing information and account status first.
5. Someone Wants Your Facebook Password
Do not give your personal Facebook password to a freelancer or agency simply because they need to manage your advertising.
Use Meta’s business permissions and assign the appropriate access instead.
This is one of the most important practices for protecting a business advertising account.
What Should You Set Up Before Running Your First Ad?
Before spending money, use this checklist:
- Create or confirm your Business Portfolio.
- Add the correct Facebook Page.
- Connect your Instagram professional account if required.
- Create or connect the appropriate ad account.
- Assign the correct people and permissions.
- Add an accepted payment method.
- Confirm your business information.
- Install and test relevant tracking tools where required.
- Decide what your campaign objective is.
- Prepare the landing page, WhatsApp flow or other destination.
- Start with a clearly defined audience and budget.
For example, a Ghanaian online shop selling skincare products might direct Facebook and Instagram traffic to WhatsApp, its website, or an ecommerce checkout using a service such as Paystack or Hubtel. The right setup depends on how the business actually receives and processes orders.
Should You Create Business Manager Yourself or Hire an Expert?
If you are comfortable with Meta’s interface, you can create the Business Portfolio yourself.
However, the technical setup is only the beginning. Creating an account does not automatically create a successful advertising campaign.
If you need help with campaign structure, targeting, creative testing, tracking, retargeting and optimisation, professional support can save you from making expensive setup mistakes.
At GIET, our focus is not simply getting an ad account created. We help businesses build advertising systems around their actual business goals.
You can learn more about our Facebook and Instagram advertising services and see how we approach paid social advertising for businesses.
Final Thoughts
Learning how to create a business portfolio/business manager account on Facebook is an important first step if you plan to advertise professionally on Facebook and Instagram.
The process is straightforward: create your Business Portfolio, verify your information, connect your business assets, create or connect an advertising account, assign appropriate permissions and add a valid payment method.
The most important thing is to build the account around your real business rather than creating duplicate accounts or sharing personal login credentials.
Once the technical foundation is ready, focus on the part that determines whether your advertising investment is useful: the strategy, offer, creative, audience, tracking and optimisation behind your campaigns.
If you want professional help setting up and managing Facebook and Instagram advertising for your Ghanaian business, GIET can help you move from account setup to a structured advertising campaign.
Ready to run Facebook and Instagram ads without getting stuck in Business Manager settings?
Get professional help from GIET with your Meta advertising setup, campaign strategy, targeting and optimisation.
Explore GIET’s Facebook & Instagram Ads services or book a call to discuss your business goals.
FAQs
Yes. Creating a Meta Business Portfolio does not itself require an advertising fee. You pay when you run paid advertising or use services that have their own charges.
They refer to closely related Meta business-management functionality. Meta has increasingly used the term Business Portfolio where older tutorials and users may say Business Manager.
You need a Facebook account/profile to log in to Meta’s business tools and manage business assets.
Meta’s availability and limits can vary by account. If you manage multiple businesses, use the appropriate business portfolios and assets rather than mixing unrelated businesses together.
Not every advertising setup requires you to manually create a Business Portfolio first, but a properly organised business setup is particularly useful for businesses, agencies and teams managing multiple assets and permissions.
Yes. You should use Meta’s business access and permissions rather than giving an agency your personal Facebook password.
Still stuck after trying this? Grab our free Meta Ad Account Recovery Checklist, or book a private 1-on-1 session with David Asaana and we’ll work through it together — see how it works (0).