HerVenture, facilitating the growth of women-led businesses in Guyana
Recognizing the need for an app that would eliminate the gap between male and female-owned businesses, the Cherie Blair Foundation in 2018 would begin work on bringing the HerVenture mobile learning app to Guyana. Brought to Guyana in partnership with the ExxonMobil Foundation (Guyana) and ActionINVEST Caribbean, the app seeks to empower and provide current and aspiring women entrepreneurs with the business knowledge and skills needed to launch sustainment of their small business venture.
To date, over two thousand women entrepreneurs in Guyana have downloaded the app and started their learning journey, while worldwide, the number stands at fifty-two thousand. Speaking with Loop Caribbean, Selena Bacchus, Marketing Officer at ActionINVEST, gave a rundown on the app, stating that their responses so far from women have been phenomenal. "They all love it! Many expressed how grateful they were for the opportunity to learn how to improve their businesses, with others very excited that it's free and straightforward to use. We tend to stress the ease of using the app and the little time it takes to complete an activity," said Selena. The modules in the app focus on the foundations of how to launch a business, managing business records, marketing, product customization, financial access, and business expansion and resilience. Combined, the app has over eighty activities covering the fundamentals for operating and growing a small business.
"Throughout all the modules, the app showcases a fictional character who has a café which allows users to relate to the content they would have learned. A user will learn how to create a business plan, marketing plan, conduct market analysis, view various checklists to be used before starting a business, ideas to keep your business innovative, and even learn best practices for navigating through a crisis. In addition, through the accessing finance module, a user can learn about the various financing options, prepare for a loan application, and even tips for negotiating financing terms with lenders. At the end of the module and activities, the user will be presented with an action plan which allows them to choose the things they have implemented in their business and what has to be done," said Selena.
Described as being a personalized learning roadmap for each entrepreneur, the app allows women to learn on the go, at their own pace and convenience. Women cannot only take advantage of the learning resources but are provided with information about other women entrepreneurs and allow them to find out about local business events. Its ability to function offline also ensures that it is constantly accessible to its users.
Tandrawatie Babooram, owner of a small sewing business in reviewing her experience with the app, stated that she was very happy to learn how to do her business records. "The most important part was when I learned how to manage my business through a crisis."
With the important role the app plays in the local entrepreneurial scene, HerVenture has been recognized by the British High Commission, the Who's Who in Guyana Business Directory and television show, the Centre for Local Business Development, the Small Business Bureau, and the Guyana Women's Leadership Institute through the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security. Highly scalable, the app can be adapted to any geography or language across the world. It is also available in Vietnam, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Kenya.
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