(i) Increase women’s awareness of the need for training and its availability Women entrepreneurs, particularly in rural communities, need to be in the communications loop regarding training opportunities. A series of regional seminars on training and other business support and financing options should be developed and delivered in all regions. Delivery organizations need to develop linkages with partners which can host these sessions.
(ii) Continue to build on technical training opportunities It is important to build on existing technical training initiatives, recognizing that these need to be tied to infrastructure support (such as that provided by incubator centres), reflective of identified market needs, and complemented by entrepreneurship training and follow-up advisory services to help with implementation of all aspects of the business.
(iii) Implement seminars to help women identify business opportunities with higher growth potential When starting micro-enterprises, many women do not consider the longer-term sustainability of their enterprises. They have tended to select entrepreneurship as an option based on their need for basic survival. Business ideas are taken from neighbours and friends within their communities. In most cases, these ideas have brought women into a very competitive and local market that offers limited prospects for business growth. Clearly, women must learn to think “out of the box” when identifying business opportunities. Since this is a learnable skill, efforts should be made to design seminars that help women identify business opportunities with higher growth potential. One key informant expressed, “If we want to empower women, they must learn to identify market opportunities.”
(iv) Adapt flexible training approaches to meet women’s needs Training initiatives need to focus on “just in time” learning versus the more traditional two to five-day classroom training approach. To achieve the desired knowledge transfer objectives, follow-up should be incorporated in the training to assist trainees with the practical application of the new knowledge. Follow-up sessions should be one-on-one and take place at the training participant’s business location.
Women entrepreneurs stated that training programme delivery must take into account that they often cannot leave their businesses and communities to attend weeklong training programmes since they are dependent on the business income for their livelihood; family responsibilities also require their presence at home. It is important that programme delivery schedules accommodate this, and offer flexible timing and delivery in both rural and urban communities.
(v) Develop training initiatives on the “how to” of preparing for and participating in trade fairs Several organizations reported initiatives that expose women to trade fairs. In order to maximize the revenue-generating opportunities available at these events, women must learn to effectively package, price, and display their products. Training approaches should be developed to meet this need, and the ILO’s Improve Your Exhibition Skills (IYES) materials39 could make a valuable contribution.
(vi) Implement a series of regionally delivered “managing for growth” training programmes A “managing for growth” training programme should be developed and made available to women entrepreneurs across the country. This would be group-based, delivered over a period of months, and incorporate counselling and mentoring initiatives.
The training approach should include a review of each woman’s existing operation – SWOT analysis, new market opportunities identification, assessment of her ability to enter these markets (issues pertaining to product, price, distribution, etc.), a capacity evaluation (financial and resources), and the development of a growth plan. Access to BDS providers should also be included in the programme, presenting opportunities for women to identify “who can help” in their growth planning process.
(vii) Recruit and train successful women entrepreneurs as mentors The utilization of successful women entrepreneurs as mentors for novice women entrepreneurs represents an untapped resource. The role of the mentor is to share her experiences in developing her own enterprise, to share networks and to coach the learner in the application of new business management knowledge. An opportunity exists for them to play a key role in the facilitation of knowledge transfer and confidence building.
These women also serve as role models to other women in the communities. Training initiatives could be enhanced by using these women in training follow-up roles. A lesson learned from the Canadian experience is that the entire mentoring process is a growth experience for the mentors as well as for the women they are assisting.
(viii) Increase the capacity of business trainers with emphasis on women in growth firms (train-the-trainer)
Women entrepreneurs at the start-up stage repeatedly state that they prefer to learn from other women. This relates to both cultural and confidence issues. To respond to this preference, efforts should be made to train a roster of women trainers who possess good educational backgrounds, sensitivity towards the women’s market, and MSE knowledge.
Since informants reported low skill levels in some trainers, it is important to improve the capacity of existing trainers to deliver growth training programmes, as well as to respond to any unique needs of women clients.
(ix) Implement exchange and study programmes to build competence Initiatives should be put into place to expose micro-entrepreneurs to the practices of successful women entrepreneurs from other regions of the country and other countries.
These women could be selected on the basis of their experience in identifying good business opportunities, implementing good practices in small-scale production and cottage craft industries and in developing markets, and be engaged to lead workshops and seminars for other Tanzanian women-owned MSEs.
Opportunities should also be sought to support the capacity building of service providers through study tours to other African countries and international communities.
(x) Provide training on dealing with financial institutions and borrowing mechanisms There is a low awareness of financing options among women entrepreneurs.
Workshops should be designed with the objective of helping women learn how to prepare for (develop proposals) and approach financial institutions. Women also require a better understanding of the mechanisms of borrowing and the relationship between the injection of funds at certain stages of their development and business growth. Such knowledge will help those women entrepreneurs who have a risk-adverse tendency .
(xi) Build the entrepreneurial capacity of vocational and training centres and universities There should be a stronger focus on entrepreneurship training in vocational training centres and universities, with a particular focus on reaching women students. UDEC and other qualified and experienced centres should be engaged to deliver a series of entrepreneurship workshops to vocational training centre instructors and professors in order to build capacity, as well as to create more awareness of the gender issues in education.
To learn more about this author, visit International Labour Organization's Website.
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