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Make Things on a Small Scale and Then Grow Global

While Solange Nisingizwe was on vacation, she designed clothes for herself. When she returned to Switzerland, she met so many people who admired her outfits and were asking where they could get similar designs that she began making them on a small scale until the number grew.

Based on wegg’s® experience working with hundreds of women business owners, that’s how many women grow global. They start small, gather ideas, explore options, and then sell to the world. Kati Kollhoff, CEO, NUMiX, presented a wegginar® related to this, “Small Startup, Big Global Impact” (listen free of charge).

In the case of Solange, she spent a whole year conducting business research and searching for customers. Then in November 2016, Sola and Wax Design Ltd. was born.

The company makes clothes and accessories for export in Europe, and is supplied on the Rwandan market on a small scale.

Knowing that running a business in different countries can be hectic, the plan is still to take Sola and Wax Design Ltd. global. To expand its reach, Sola and Wax Design Ltd. will look outside their borders.

Read the entire article about how two Rwanda women entrepreneurs found their niche in exporting Made in Rwanda clothing.

Join us for Jacqueline Smith’s weggchat™ via Twitter February 6 at 11:00 a.m. Central time with the hashtag #weggchat. Jacqueline will focus on Starting Up and Taking a Personal Care Product Global. Go here to learn how to join the discussion.

If you have any questions on how to participate, email Laurel Delaney, ldelaney(@)womenentrepreneursgrowglobal.org, who will be moderating the program. Meanwhile, follow us on Twitter @weggtoday and get ready to take it global on 2/6!

Why Women Don’t Start Businesses and How wegg® Can Help

Published January 7, 2019 Business Development , Capital (working) , Country specific , Culture , e-commerce , Economic growth , emerging markets , Enlighten Me! , Equality , Foreign office setup , Gender challenges , global branding , Global news , global women entrepreneurs , Innovation , Inspiration , International business , Leadership , Research , Sales & Distribution , Trends , Working abroad , World entrepreneurship Leave a Comment
Tags: global challenges, global economy, global growth, women around the world, women business owners, women entrepreneurs, women entrepreneurship, women in business, women's economic status, women's empowerment, women's issues, women's rights, women-owned businesses

In 2019, wegg® wants to help all women entrepreneurs, from the seasoned to the aspiring, achieve their business ambitions. We can help you go global, and assist with the obstacles that usually prevent women from reaching their full business potential.

What are some of the barriers women face when trying to start an entrepreneurial career, that wegg® aims to alleviate? Glad you asked.

In a recent report from The Economic Times, a group of women in India were polled on the reasons that they are not able to start their own independent businesses. The Times states,

“Of the homemakers who aspire to start their own business or pursue a hobby to make money, 69 per cent said the greatest barrier was lack of sufficient funds, 63 per cent said home responsibilities took up most of their time, 39 per cent said it was lack of guidance and 36 per cent reported that it was a lack in confidence.”

When the women were asked about what kinds of solutions would aid them in overcoming the aforementioned obstacles, the results were,

“62 per cent said it was financial/funding support, while 51 per cent said they needed self-confidence or counseling the most.”

Enter wegg®. We provide FREE monthly webinars that cover a varying array of topics. At these events, “wegginars®,” we have an entrepreneurial expert present on a business subject of their choice, combined with a participant Q&A. Anyone around the world can participate in these accessible events, and all at no charge. Get a head start on your resolutions this year, and let wegg® help you take your business to new heights.

Registration is open and free for Laurel Delaney’s 1/9 talk. She will present her annual global trade trends report 2019. Join us. Register here.

Roll Up Your Sleeves and Do the Hard Yards to Go Global

Published December 17, 2018 Country specific , Economic growth , Education , Enlighten Me! , Global trade , global women entrepreneurs , Inspiration Leave a Comment
Tags: built global businesses, do the hard yards, eight lessons, lights you up, roll up your sleeves, three trailblazing Australian entrepreneurs, women going global

Three trailblazing Australian entrepreneurs — Samantha Wills, Emma Isaacs and Lizzy Abegg — have built global businesses from the ground up. Do they have something you don’t? Highly unlikely. What they discovered in their global journey is this:

We just have to refuse to buy into the stories we tell ourselves about why we can’t, roll up our sleeves and do the hard yards [to go global]!

The moral of their story is that “every single one of us can take an idea that inspires us and turn it into something that inspires others.” We are doing the same here at wegg®.

The article below highlights the following eight lessons for building whatever it is that lights you up.

Be passionate.
Define your difference.
Communicate your Why.
Risk mistakes
Work from your strengths.
Don’t over personalize.
Ditch your ego.
Hire (and fire on values).

Oh, and one more: Shine bright in 2019. Read the entire article on women going global and don’t forget to join us on 1/9 for our next FREE wegginar® in the New Year!

Registration is open and free for Laurel Delaney’s 1/9 talk. She will present her annual global trade trends report 2019. Join us. Register here.

Teach a Woman to Fish & Go Global, and You’ll Feed Her & Her Business for a Lifetime

Published December 10, 2018 Announcement , Barriers to trade , Business Development , Country specific , Culture , Economic growth , Education , emerging markets , Enlighten Me! , Environmental , Equality , Gender challenges , Global news , global women entrepreneurs , How-to , Innovation , Inspiration , International business , Social Entrepreneurship , Sustainability practices , Trends , Working abroad , World entrepreneurship , World Travel Leave a Comment
Tags: economic development, Economic growth, equality of sexes, gender equality, gender equality worldwide, global economy, global growth, global trends, go global, Rwanda, women entrepreneurs, women's issues, women's rights

Everyone knows the classic adage, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”

But wegg® knows, “Give a woman a fish, and you feed her for a day. Teach a woman to fish and go global, and you feed her and her business for a lifetime.” This idea is the essence of wegg®’s mission: “to educate, inspire and nurture women business owners and entrepreneurs worldwide on how to go global, so they can run healthier businesses and create a new future for themselves, their families and their community.”

Our goal as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization is to teach the women entrepreneurs of the world how to take their businesses global, and we are always thrilled to hear about the triumphs of women entrepreneurs around the world. Recently, we read a New York Times article covering the reform of Rwanda’s fishing industry, from an exclusively male world, to a community of women entrepreneurs. Author Shannon Sims describes the change,

“The intense physical work and danger that comes with fishing on Lake Kivu, along with reinforcement from traditional gender roles, kept women from fishing for generations, tending to backyard farms instead. But in post-genocide Rwanda, that seems to be changing. Today, women form an essential part of the national market for Lake Kivu fish. Besides fishing on the lake at night, women also gather along the shores in the early morning to buy the fish the fisherwomen deliver. They then haul those fish home to their small villages, or sell the fish to cooperatives.”

This newfound emphasis of women on the business side of Rwanda’s fish economy has inspired the development of Projet Pêche, a fishing cooperative made up of 87 women, in Kibuye, a town along the banks of Lake Kivu. This collective has had a supremely positive impact on the lives of Rwandan women. Just listen to one woman, Bonifrida Mukabideri’s, account,

“A lot of women have used the cooperatives to fight poverty. Here in Rwanda we now have the idea that women and men can do every job…Now a woman can say: ‘I can build a house by myself. I can look after my family properly. And even if my husband dies, we can live a better life.’”

wegg® would love to help global women entrepreneurs like Mukabideri feed themselves, their families, and their communities for a lifetime…by fostering an expanding global business that thrives for generations. For more information on the resources wegg® has to offer women entrepreneurs, check out our education page.

How Mastercard is Investing in Women Entrepreneurs in Developing Nations

Published August 27, 2018 Business Development , Capital (working) , Country specific , Culture , e-commerce , Economic growth , Education , Enlighten Me! , Equality , Gender challenges , Global news , global women entrepreneurs , Innovation , Inspiration , International business , Micro-enterprises , Strategy , World entrepreneurship Leave a Comment
Tags: Kenya, MasterCard, Nairobi, Small Biz Resource, small business ownership, small businesss credit, women, women around the world, women business owners, women entrepreneurs, women entrepreneurship, women in business, women in the workplace, women's economic status, women's empowerment, women's issues, women's rights, women-owned businesses

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In Michelle Martin’s recent Forbes article, “How Mastercard Could Close A $300 Billion Credit Gap For Women Entrepreneurs,” she reports,

“As of 2017, 70% of women-owned MSMEs [micro, small and medium-sized enterprises] in the developing world lack access to adequate financing, representing a $300 billion credit gap each year.”

This major finance inequality stems from MSMEs not having access to a digital record of transactions or the resources required by banks to obtain credit. Because of these issues, women entrepreneurs, in places such as Nairobi Kenya, are not able to gain the capital needed to purchase inventory in order to expand their enterprises. Expanding a business is critical to the success of a business, and makes it possible for the entrepreneur to potentially achieve success on a global level.

Thanks to Mastercard, this $300 billion credit breach is about to change. The corporation is launching technology, through the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, to aide women owned MSMEs in these countries. Martin explains,

“In partnership with Unilever, Mastercard recently launched the Jaza Duka program in Kenya, where they created a first-of-its-kind digital lending platform. The unique platform tracks how much Unilever product a store owner has purchased over time and combines that data with an analysis by Mastercard. The results are used to provide a micro-credit eligibility recommendation to Kenya Commercial Bank, who can then provide an interest-free credit line.”

The venture is already being met with success. In one instance, a Kenyan entrepreneur named Lucy Njoki, has been able to increase her sales at her shop by twenty-percent, thanks to the Jaza Duka program.

To read Martin’s full piece, and an interview she conducted with one of the executives of this Mastercard program, Shamina Singh, click here.

This support of global women entrepreneurs is the kind of change that we here at wegg™ are proud to watch. If you or a woman entrepreneur you know is trying to “go global,” we would love to help you, too.

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JOIN us for our morning wegg™ workshop on September 12th and hosted by Bank of America (135 S. LaSalle Street, 44th Floor). Julie Smolyansky, President and CEO, Lifeway Foods, will present “Follow Your Gut,” covering:

How global factors influence company values and mission
Why we should empower women entrepreneurs around the world
How to channel inspiration from travel experiences into marketing initiatives

Tickets $40 ($20 for students); includes Continental Breakfast. To learn more and to register, visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/weggtm-workshop-follow-your-gut-presented-by-julie-smolyansky-tickets-48655708534
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Unlocking the Full Potential of Women- led SMEs in Indonesia

Published August 20, 2018 Business Development , Country specific , Culture , Education , Enlighten Me! , Equality , Finance , Gender challenges , Global news , Global trade , global women entrepreneurs , Innovation , Inspiration , International business , Leadership , Social Entrepreneurship , Sustainability practices , World entrepreneurship Leave a Comment
Tags: global small business, indonesia, small business ownership, SME Toolkit, SMEs, women around the world, women business owners, women entrepreneurs, women entrepreneurship, women in business, women's issues, women's rights, women-led SMEs, women-owned businesses, WSMEs

In a recent East Asia Forum article, “Unleashing the capabilities of women-led SMEs in Indonesia,” author Naimah Talib reports that 43 percent of the 26 million small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) in Indonesia are women led or women owned (WSMEs). Not only do these WSMEs make up for ten percent of the country’s GDP, they also lead to social development of the culture by empowering women economically. Besides these major benefits, support of WSMEs aids Indonesia in achieving the UN’s “Sustainable Development Goals”, specifically the tenets of ‘gender equality,’ ‘decent work and economic growth’, and ‘reduced inequality’.

The advantages of backing WSMEs are clear, but why are there limitations on the growth of these organizations? This is the question that Talib proposes. She illustrates just some of the difficulties women who head businesses face. Talib explains,

” …common difficulties for expansion [for WSMEs] include limited access to information about financial support, lack of business and entrepreneurial skills, lack of professional networks and limited government support and services at the local level. Financial support is available for WSMEs, but female entrepreneurs tend to lack information about these options. Female entrepreneurs find that information about government funding programs is often limited, difficult to access or unclear.”

One of Talib’s main arguments suggest that Indonesian policymakers fail to effectively provide WSMEs with the necessary resources to solve these issues. Talib writes of the necessary reform,

“Three areas require greater attention: increasing the accessibility of information, strengthening the institutional capacity of the Creative Economy Agency and improving government services at the local level.”

To read more about the specific solutions posed to the pressing issue of the neglect of Indonesian WSMEs, read the article here.

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How global factors influence company values and mission
Why we should empower women entrepreneurs around the world
How to channel inspiration from travel experiences into marketing initiatives

Oxfam Helps Woman Start Jalawla, Iraq’s First “Women’s Only” Plant Nursery

Published August 6, 2018 Business Development , Country specific , Culture , Enlighten Me! , Environmental , Equality , Gender challenges , Global news , global women entrepreneurs , Innovation , Inspiration , International business , Leadership , World entrepreneurship Leave a Comment
Tags: Iraq, Jalawla, Oxfam, Plant Nursery, women around the world, women business owners, women entrepreneurs, women entrepreneurship, women in business, women's empowerment, women's issues, women's rights, women-owned businesses, Zainab

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A recent article by Oxfam recounts the inspiring story of Zainab, the first woman in Jalawla, Iraq to sell plants at the town market.

In December 2015, Zainab opened her own plant nursery on the side of her house in Jalawla, Iraq. It was destroyed by ISIS one week later. When she returned to Iraq in 2017, her desire to have her own plant business was still within her. She then ” enrolled in an income-generation project run by Oxfam and funded by the United Nations Development Programme, which distributed $575 grants to 235 people—more than half were women—to relaunch their businesses.” Oxfam’s help has ensured the reestablishment of Zainab’s plant nursery, and it now exists as an agriculture sanctuary for “women only.” On the impact Zainab’s innovative business has had on her community and her personal well-being she says:

“I’m the first and the only woman to open a nursery in [my town]. After the women in Jalawla saw me opening my business, they were encouraged to open their own businesses…When Oxfam told me they would help me reopen my nursery, I became very happy. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Oxfam brought my dream back to me.”

Helping women entrepreneurs, like Zainab, are what organizations like Oxfam and wegg™ exist for. Read more about Zainab’s revolutionary success, and how Oxfam helped make her dreams real, here.

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Why go global? How do you start? Where can you find customers? How do you get paid? Find out these answers and learn other best-kept secrets to expanding a business globally.

JOIN us for our first weggchat™ (#weggchat) Wednesday, August 8 from 11:00 a.m. — 12:00 p.m. (noon) Central time on “Take Your Business Global!“ and facilitated by Laurel Delaney, President of WEGG and founder of GlobeTrade.com. Laurel will field questions and add insights on how to take a business global. Small business owners can join the conversation by using the hashtag #weggchat to chime in with questions and answers.

Event is free of charge but you must use tchat.io or twubs.com to follow the conversation using the hashtag #weggchat. See you there!
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Why Are There So Few Women Entrepreneurs in Rwanda?

Published July 30, 2018 Business Development , Capital (working) , Country specific , Culture , Equality , Gender challenges , Global news , global women entrepreneurs , Innovation , Inspiration , International business , Research , World entrepreneurship Leave a Comment
Tags: empowering women, gender equality, global entrepreneurship, international women, Rwanda, WEGG women, women entrepreneurs, women entrepreneurship, women in business

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A 2014 census report conducted by the National Institute of Statistics in Rwanda, revealed that only 26.8 percent of sole proprietorship establishments are owned by women, compared to 73.2 percent owned by men.

What are the reasons for this imbalance?

In Donah Mbabazi’s article for “The New Times,” she shares a telling quote from the first Vice Chairperson of the Private Sector Federation Chamber for Women, Sarah Kirenga. Kirenga speaks to the challenges that Rwandan women, and all women, can face when it comes to business:

“The number one challenge women in business face is the fear of failure. Failure is a very real possibility in any business venture, but when it comes to women in business; fear to fail becomes a great concern to growing the business, hence, women are afraid to take up big risks. I believe you need to have massive failure to have massive success, you may need 100 ‘nos’ to get one ‘yes,’ but that one ‘yes’ will make you more successful tomorrow than you were today.”

Further in the article, the CEO of the Rwandan stock exchange, Pierre-Celestin Rwabukumba, cites Rwanda’s social climate as a cause for the lack of female participation in business: “It’s because of the general patriarchal kind of environment we have been living in for decades. Business doesn’t change because it is done in the same society.”

This poses an interesting question: Do social norms surrounding gender equality have to change in order for patterns in business to evolve? Or would change in entrepreneurship affect society? What do you think roadblocks women from achieving their full potential as entrepreneurs? What can women do for themselves to get in the game?

Read Mbabazi’s article, and her account of some solutions to the inequity in Rwandan business, here.

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Why go global? How do you start? Where can you find customers? How do you get paid? Find out these answers and learn other best-kept secrets to expanding a business globally.

Event is free of charge but you must use tchat.io or twubs.com to follow the conversation using the hashtag #weggchat. See you there!
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Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global

Archive for the 'Country specific' Category

Make Things on a Small Scale and Then Grow Global

Why Women Don’t Start Businesses and How wegg® Can Help

Roll Up Your Sleeves and Do the Hard Yards to Go Global

How Mastercard is Investing in Women Entrepreneurs in Developing Nations

Oxfam Helps Woman Start Jalawla, Iraq’s First “Women’s Only” Plant Nursery

Why Are There So Few Women Entrepreneurs in Rwanda?

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