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Birute MiskinieneProject Team leader

Final project conference 1October, 2010 Tbilisi

Supporting women entreprenuership in Georgia in the framework of EU

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Project goals

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Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

900 - 1030 EU support for SME’s

Networking and women entrepreneurship Ms.Birute Miskiniene

Support for Small business in Georgia

Mr. Boris Lezgava

Taxes and exemptions in Georgia

Mr. Levan Gogoladze

Final project conference

Metechi Palace Hotel

* special conference programme

1030 - 1045 Coffee break Coffee break Coffee break

1045 - 1215 Introduction: Defining the vision and aligning personal and business goals Ms. Birute Miskiniene, Ms.Erika Vaiginiene

Self presentation: business ideas Ms.Erika Vaiginiene

Legal Small business environment in : Marketing and sales.

Mr. Boris Lezgava

Accounting essentials for small business in Georgia

Mr. Levan Gogoladze

1215 - 1300 Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch

1300 - 1430 Gender and leadership Ms.Birute Miskiniene

Business plan essentials

Ms.Laima Urbsiene

Legal Small business environment in Georgia

Mr. Akaki Kheladze

Business plan presentation Georgian experts

1430 - 1445 Coffee break Coffee break Coffee break Coffee break

1415 - 1615 Work and family balance

Ms.Erika Vaiginiene

Business plan development consultancy. Ms. Laima Urbsiene

Business plan development consultancy

Mr. Akahi Kheladze

Business plan presentation

Georgian and Lithuanian experts

Training programme and International conference, 27 September – 1 October, 2010 Tbilisi

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Why still so few women entrepreneurs?

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TOP 5 Barriers to women’s advancement

Stereotypes and preconceptions of women’s roles and abilities (3K)

Lack of senior, visibly successful female role models

Lack of significant general management experience

Commitment to family, personal responsibilities

Lack of mentoring

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Leadership courage

“Don’t fail. Let someone else take the risk. Be careful. Don’t make mistakes” such a philosophy is no longer beneficial……...

Courage- is ability to step forward through fear. Courage doesn’t mean the absence of doubt or fear, but the ability to act in spite of them.

A challenge

How are Women entrepreneurs different from Men

Women seem to have less « capital », which affects negatively their entrepreneurial propensity and performance

Financial capital

Human capital : education; work experience

Social capital: business contacts, networks, family social

capital

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Networking

Women need to develop their own ‘clubs” for networking and support

Personal Marketing Strategies to be become know for skills and achievements

Women supporting women in their endeavors and financially

Always behave as if you are in line for a new job or promotion-updated resume, visibility

Mentorship

Women who had mentors are almost twice as likely as other women to mentor someone

94% of women owning small businesses who have had mentors say that the experience was crucial to their success

There is significantly more mentoring of women in senior management than in small business

Women entrepreneurship in Europe

Women’s employment rates are getting close to those of men (58% vs 65% in 2007)

Yet only a third of the entrepreneurs are women, a proportion maintained over the last years that seems unlikely to change in the near future

Room for change?

Recent Statistics in Europe

59% of university graduates are women

80% of students in business administration are women

What consequences for women entrepreneurship?

THE WAY TO IMPROVEMENT

Systematic intervention should tackle:

- Contextual obstacles (i.e. running informative events and providing entrepreneurship training in schools and universities, challenging stereotypes by raising awareness on women’s contribution in entrepreneurship.)

- Economic obstacles (i.e. access to capital to develop and growth their business ideas)

- Soft obstacles: lack of access to business networks, lack of business training, role models and entrepreneurship skills.

France: The Guarantee Fund for Women

Fund’s aim

Give women entrepreneurs

access to bank financing without

engaging their personal funds

« Your project is very interesting,Mrs Dupont, if only Mr Dupont were here… »

EU women entrepreneurship issues I

In the economics of EU countries and especially in the regional policy small and medium business plays an essential role

The possibility to combine professional and family roles is very important both for women and men because it enhances flexibility in labour force, improves quality of life

Improvement of the system of social services is very important to combine professional and family life

EU women entrepreneurship issuesII

Every woman-etrepreneur contributes to the reduction of unemployment by creating new work places for women and men

However women’s business enterprises are behind from enterprises conducted by men

Gender equality –still need to be more considered

EU financial support need to be more accessible for women

Women Entrepreneurship: Conclusions

It appears that women who are employed and have built a social network of entrepreneurs are more likely to become entrepreneurs and to succeed in their business 

The social and economic benefits of working are driving women’s entrepreneurship more than increased education or household income

Women’s level of optimism and self-confidence in starting a business is highly influenced by the culture and social norms of their native countries

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We already have examples to follow

Good luck for your business ideas

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