Guwahati: Entrepreneurship remains critical to bolster the economic potential of women. Lack of resources, higher risk factors, and lack of marketing, management and financial skills, challenges of compliance costs are often impediments to scaling up.
The U.S. Consulate General Kolkata and its partner Contact Base (a social enterprise headquartered at Kolkata and with office at Dibrugarh in Assam), as the part of a project to increase women’s workforce footprint in South Asia are developing a solution-based support networks for enabling leadership of women in business and workplaces in South Asia with a focus on India, Nepal, and Bangladesh.
On April 17 at Assam Startup- the nest, Guwahati, “mPowerBusinessWomen Meet” was organized in collaboration with Assam Startup- IIM CIP to build capacity of women-led ventures and women collectives in scaling up their business.
Speaking at the event, Juan Clar, Deputy Director of the American Center Kolkata said, “Entrepreneurship can play a key role in improving the economy is achieved by giving a voice and greater representation to women in leadership roles. Women are sometimes unaware of the potential they harbour within themselves. With the right mentoring and encouragement, they are sure to shine as confident, smart and successful businesswomen, who have the strength and capability of making a mark for themselves in the business world.”
The program shared on use of technology for streamlining business flow and available government schemes and funding opportunities by business mentors for rural women clusters doing business and for women led start-ups.
Women-led startups got the opportunity to present their business in the Elevator Pitch which will be reviewed and evaluated by experts and business mentors.
Experts provided suggestions on how to pitch a business in front of investors or others. Posters highlighting business offerings and vision were displayed.
Around 50 women led businesses and startups from Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya participated in the meet.
Altogether15 Business mentors and experts with several years of experience in mentoring start-ups hosted sessions and engaged in one-to-one interactions with the women entrepreneurs in five consultation camps.
Each of the camps focused on entrepreneurs’ challenges with branding; Go to Market strategies, fund raising, operations and logistics and sales & customer acquisition.
The Programme has a website www.women4economy.net. Women led businesses and start-ups and business mentors can register in this website in order to be part of the mentoring network.
Information about upcoming business events, women-oriented business summits and skill training programmes are available on the website that can be accessed by women entrepreneurs.
