Access to finance is particularly daunting. Women are significantly less likely to…access to financial services than men. The IFC estimates that the worldwide gap in financing for formal, women-owned small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) totals close to $300 billion. Arancha Gonzalez Women entrepreneurs often start businesses using less capital than men due to limitations in income and reserves as well as lack of knowledge about the availability of institutional funding. They are less likely to use bank loans to fund the commencement of operations and more likely to borrow from family, friends & ‘fools’ or use the more expensive option of non-traditional/non-institutional lenders. This inability to access funding manifests in the relatively smaller sizes of the businesses that women run. According to The World Bank’s Gender at Work report (2014); “On virtually every global measure, women are more economically excluded Continue Reading
The Queen of Hearts: The Confessions of An ‘Accidental’ Leader I didn’t purpose to be in the space that I find myself in – Founder & CEO, Passionate Entrepreneur, EQ Fanatic and OWIT Nairobi President. God plucked me from the path that I had set out for myself & set me on an alternative journey. At the start it all appeared somewhat ‘accidental’ but I know now that it was no accident, rather His design, His purpose for my life… So now that I am here, these are my confessions…the lessons I am learning about being a woman in business, building an empire, one brick at a time… “Negotiation is about knowing what you want, going after it, and respecting the other person in the process.” Adapted I have learned that it is not just salespeople who negotiate, everyone does – Continue Reading
“Growth and comfort do not coexist.” ~ Ginni Rometty, CEO, IBM The ability to move goods and services across borders efficiently and predictably, can mean the difference between success & failure for women trading across borders. Unfortunately, across the African continent, women face discriminatory biases that hinder their full participation in global trade. Since 2016, World Bank’s Doing Business country rankings included gender indicators, which highlighted the regulatory biases faced by women. When the written standards are exactly the same, more female-owned exporting firms report procedural obstacles to trade than do male-owned firms, including “information and transparency issues,” “informal or high payments” and “discriminatory behaviour.” In order to ensure that ‘no-one is left behind’ – trade policy initiatives must address the challenges that are unique to women in trade. Reforms should be based on a thorough understanding of their impact Continue Reading
Networking is not about hunting. It is about farming. It’s about cultivating relationships. ~ Ivan Misner The world has become a global village, opening up opportunities for women in business to trade across borders. Success however depends on the ability to develop a strong network of connections across borders. Successful networking can open the door to unexpected business opportunities overseas, and some reports claim that up to 80% of business opportunities are now landed through networking. In their book “Make Your Contacts Count”, Barber & Waymon describe networking as the deliberate process of exchanging information, resources, support and access in such a way as to create mutually beneficial relationships for professional and personal success. Simply put, networking is a support system of sharing information, resources and services. At its core, networking is about building RECIPROCAL RELATIONSHIPS that grow and develop Continue Reading
The Queen of Hearts: The Confessions of An ‘Accidental’ Leader The Beauty Of Failure I didn’t purpose to be in the space that I find myself in – Founder & CEO, Passionate Entrepreneur, EQ Fanatic and OWIT Nairobi President. God plucked me from the path that I had set out for myself & set me on an alternative journey. At the start it all appeared somewhat ‘accidental’ but I know now that it was no accident, rather His design, His purpose for my life… So now that I am here, these are my confessions…the lessons I am learning about being a woman in business, building an empire, one brick at a time… Blast through it “If you’re trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I’ve had them; everybody has had them. But obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run Continue Reading
The Queen of Hearts: The Confessions of An ‘Accidental’ Leader The Beauty Of Failure I didn’t purpose to be in the space that I find myself in – Founder & CEO, Passionate Entrepreneur, EQ Fanatic and OWIT Nairobi President. God plucked me from the path that I had set out for myself & set me on an alternative journey. At the start it all appeared somewhat ‘accidental’ but I know now that it was no accident, rather His design, His purpose for my life… So now that I am here, these are my confessions…the lessons I am learning about being a woman in business, building an empire, one brick at a time… Your daily words & behaviour reinforce or damage your brand ~ Mariela Dabbah A few months ago, I was conducting some training for a client in Mombasa. During one Continue Reading
The Queen of Hearts: The Confessions of An ‘Accidental’ Leader I didn’t purpose to be in the space that I find myself in – Founder & CEO, Passionate Entrepreneur, EQ Fanatic and OWIT Nairobi President. God plucked me from the path that I had set out for myself & set me on an alternative journey. At the start it all appeared somewhat ‘accidental’ but I know now that it was no accident, rather His design, His purpose for my life… So now that I am here, these are my confessions…the lessons I am learning about being a woman in business, building an empire, one brick at a time… Lesson No. 26: The Beauty Of Failure “Failures are finger posts on the road to achievement C S Lewis A story is told about a farmer whose donkey fell into a well. As Continue Reading
The Queen of Hearts: The Confessions of An ‘Accidental’ Leader The Hedgehog Concept I didn’t purpose to be in the space that I find myself in – Founder & CEO, Passionate Entrepreneur, EQ Fanatic and OWIT Nairobi President. God plucked me from the path that I had set out for myself & set me on an alternative journey. At the start it all appeared somewhat ‘accidental’ but I know now that it was no accident, rather His design, His purpose for my life… So now that I am here, these are my confessions…the lessons I am learning about being a woman in business, building an empire, one brick at a time… Lesson No. 25: The Hedgehog Concept “Nothing can add more power to your life than concentrating all of your energies on a limited set of targets.” -Nido Qubein I recently Continue Reading
“Freedom without rules doesn’t work. And communities do not work unless they are regulated by etiquette.” Judith Martin Etiquette [et-i-kit, -ket] Conventional requirements as to social behaviour; proprieties of conduct as established in any class or community or for any occasion. Simply put etiquette refers to how an individual presents themselves to and interacts with others, and this is an essential skill for women doing business across borders. So how does one ensure that they put their best foot forward? I sought the opinion of a number of Etiquette Expertsand compiled my Top 5 Business Etiquette Tips. Make A Positive First Impression It has been said that “a picture is worth a thousand words.” The clothes you wear convey a message. According to William Thourlby, author of You Are What You Wear, you really are what you wear! “When you Continue Reading
The Queen of Hearts: The Confessions of An ‘Accidental’ Leader It Pays To Reward Your Staff I didn’t purpose to be in the space that I find myself in – Founder & CEO, Passionate Entrepreneur, EQ Fanatic and OWIT Nairobi President. God plucked me from the path that I had set out for myself & set me on an alternative journey. At the start it all appeared somewhat ‘accidental’ but I know now that it was no accident, rather His design, His purpose for my life… So now that I am here, these are my confessions…the lessons I am learning about being a woman in business, building an empire, one brick at a time… Lesson 24: It Pays To Reward Staff A story is told of a farmer who decided to breed his 3 female pigs. He loaded the sows into Continue Reading