Inside Road to Growth: 3 ways the programme supports Guyanese women entrepreneurs

Guyana’s economy is rapidly growing, fuelling women’s business opportunities and progressing economic justice. With the entrepreneurial ecosystem booming, it’s more important than ever for women to have access to skills and training that supports them in running their businesses.

We work with ActionINVEST Caribbean Inc. (ACI) to provide in-depth training programmes to women entrepreneurs and ensure they benefit from the country’s changing business landscape. Here, ACI’s expert business coaches, Keon Smith and Upasna Mudlier, share their experience of running our Road to Growth programme and the success stories they’ve witnessed as a result.

An inside look at Road to Growth 

Upasna: Our country has seen tremendous economic growth and the development of many new industries. Training programmes such as Road to Growth have shed light on how women can steer their businesses in the right direction and make the most of these new opportunities. I should know, as I previously participated in the programme myself and used the HerVenture app!  

Keon: The training programme is seven sessions that are done on a weekly basis. We often have large cohorts of participants, with our largest graduating cohort consisting of 150 graduates! To make the numbers more manageable, we break them into groups of about 25 to 30 people, with two facilitators delivering the sessions and supporting participants as needed.  

Keon: Throughout the seven weeks, the programme supports women to set their vision and their mission, create personas for their ideal customers, understand and implement digital marketing, interpret financial statements, manage cash flow and debt, and negotiate with financial institutions. 

The cherry on top is that, in addition to the training they receive, we also provide healthy snacks to participants to help them focus.  

Upasna: To add to that, we have a childcare service which makes it more comfortable for the women entrepreneurs, because many of them have childcare responsibilities that make it difficult for them to attend training sessions in the evening.  

The childcare service has made the programme’s impact much greater and has allowed many more women to get involved, because they can bring their child to the training centre with them and know that someone is looking after their kid. They don’t have to worry about what’s happening at home or if their child is safe. They can sit and concentrate on the information. 

What do participants gain from the programme?  

Confidence and skills 

Keon: Many of the women are very timid and shy when they first start the programmes. One of the key elements of the Road to Growth programme is that they get to do presentations and practice speaking in front of people. That helps to build their skills and confidence. One person in particular comes to mind. When she started, she didn’t even want to talk to the people at her table. That is how timid she was. The programme supported her to grow out of that and she is now very vocal. This is important, as confidence is crucial for women’s business success. 

Business growth 

Upasna: What I’ve found is that when the women gain confidence, they are much more comfortable in approaching financial institutions for support in growing their businesses.  

For example, when Carlotta John joined our programme, she was running a daycare centre and a preschool. Because of the program, she was able to think bigger. She now has a nursery school that she’s currently working to expand.  

Keon: We have had women who started with one employee at the time of joining the programme, and by the end of the program, they reported that they had hired two other employees. It’s a huge testament to the knowledge they gain from the programme and the impact this knowledge creates for their businesses and their community when it’s implemented.  

Networks and collaboration 

Upasna: When women entrepreneurs start our programmes, they don’t know each other, but by the end of the programme, you can see that collaborations have been formed. The women become friends. They even start buying from each other. They look for ways to work together and join forces so that each of their businesses can benefit.  

For example, four of the participants recently held an event where they came together to showcase their businesses. They were from many different sectors: art, catering, skincare, and more. They found a way to collaborate and promote their businesses together and it was a great success. That is always amazing to see. 

A lot of participants have also built supply chains together. They are buying from each other and helping each other to expand their current markets and networks. 

Equipped with skills, confidence, and networks, Road to Growth participants are able to overcome their business challenges and ride the wave of Guyana’s economic progress. What’s more, many go on to participate in our Road to Leadership and Road to Finance training programmes also, strengthening their businesses and creating a ripple effect on the world around them.