On September 21st, 2011, Troy Davis, an innocent man, was murdered by the state of Georgia. Troy Davis was one of the 99 percent.
Ending capital punishment is our one demand.
On September 21st, 2011, four of our members were arrested on baseless charges.
Ending police intimidation is our one demand.
On September 21st, 2011, the richest 400 Americans owned more than half of the country’s population.
Ending wealth inequality is our one demand.
On September 21st, 2011, we determined that Yahoo lied about occupywallst.org being in spam filters.
Ending corporate censorship is our one demand.
On September 21st, 2011, roughly eighty percent of Americans thought the country was on the wrong track.
Ending the modern gilded age is our one demand.
On September 21st, 2011, roughly 15% of Americans approved of the job Congress was doing.
Ending political corruption is our one demand.
On September 21st, 2011, roughly one sixth of Americans did not have work.
Ending joblessness is our one demand.
On September 21st, 2011, roughly one sixth of America lived in poverty.
Ending poverty is our one demand.
On September 21st, 2011, roughly fifty million Americans were without health insurance.
Ending health-profiteering is our one demand.
On September 21st, 2011, America had military bases in around one hundred and thirty out of one hundred and sixty-five countries.
Ending American imperialism is our one demand.
On September 21st, 2011, America was at war with the world.
Ending war is our one demand.
On September 21st, 2011, we stood in solidarity with Madrid, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Madison, Toronto, London, Athens, Sydney, Stuttgart, Tokyo, Milan, Amsterdam, Algiers, Tel Aviv, Portland and Chicago. Soon we will stand with Phoenix, Montreal, Cleveland and Atlanta. We’re still here. We are growing. We intend to stay until we see movements toward real change in our country and the world.
You have fought all the wars. You have worked for all the bosses. You have wandered over all the countries. Have you harvested the fruits of your labors, the price of your victories? Does the past comfort you? Does the present smile on you? Does the future promise you anything? Have you found a piece of land where you can live like a human being and die like a human being? On these questions, on this argument, and on this theme, the struggle for existence, the people will speak. Join us.
We speak as one. All of our decisions, from our choice to march on Wall Street to our decision to continue occupying Liberty Square, were decided through a consensus based process by the group, for the group.
the reality is ugly women think they are hot, hot women think they are ugly, skinny girls think they are overweight....So stop labeling yourself and just Luv You and the Skin you are IN
Glendon CameronVery true, I have a friend that is hot as hell and she thinks she is an ugly duckling and I have another friend who walks like a gazelle but leaves the footprints of a pig.....
Maven Hugginsvery interesting...i think there is another category i have learned..."really beautiful women, who dont know they are beautiful, they never think or grew up thinking in those terms and smart as hell"...and only when they get old, like late old, do people finally say to them "she pretty and she dont even know she pretty" or pay the beautiful compliments freely...that they pause and turn around and say, "hey, I was cute?" i wonder what my life would have been like had I acted it?" it fascinates me
that is me...i have begun to wonder who else is like that
and this is the first time i am writing this, about this, and it gives me another insight..."the black men i have been around aand with all my life were bullshit mf - high school, college, after..--all of them treated me like shit, dismissed me, cause i did not know who i was...not bad, or abusive, but regular jackass shit,..and i remember this white man who saw me in the Sheraton in Harare, and almost stumbled over himself looking at me, and oddly enough, that was the most gorgeous white man i ever seen in real life, I was with my boyfriend at the time... and he took great and grave offense to the attention i was receiving and was getting mad at me that i noticed...that is what i mean that black men are bullshit. the ones i have been with, it is like their platform was based on my being on my knees , they standing on my back...not me standing in all my glory, and never it be uttered by their mouths
totally fascinating
Sorry...;i went into a rabbit hole there. clearly this is something i need to write about. not sure how. "Black Men are Bullshit" tag dont work. and my Daddy did tell me i was good looking all growing up, so it is complicated. I am wondering if there is a "Dont Tell A Black Woman She is Gorgeous Syndrome"? and then my college girlfriend will tell me i acted like i was a bag of chips all through college, and only twenty years later can she say i had the right idea--all that self esteem and knowing self shtick
deep topic
thank you brothers..Glendon, your phrasing of 'footprints of a pig' is captivating
10 questions about "Occupy Wall Street" that should be answered urgently:
1. Why are peaceful protesters being treated as if they are criminals?
2. Why are thousands of police, and SWAT teams and police dogs, being mobilized to protect Wall Street bankers?
3. Why are almost all the mainstream media outlets in America ignoring a major civil protest in the heart of New York?
4. Why do the police not pursue criminal bankers and business leaders with the same venom and force that they use when pursuing protesters who have so far done nothing wrong?
5. Why is nothing being done to address the genuine economic problems in America? Why, instead, is the old system – the one that failed disastrously in 2008 – being rebuilt brick by brick, fault by fault?
6. How much longer will the doctrine of ‘plausible denial’ be allowed to act as an excuse for widespread corruption and criminality?
7. Why (if true) was the Occupy Wall Street protest treated as a police code 1-34, which is used for riots? Are all protests now riots?
8. Why has not one banker or corporate leader emerged to talk to the protesters or debate with them?
9. Is it a coincidence that many people in the heart of the protest have had trouble getting mobile / cellphone / internet signals?
10. Does the government genuinely believe the pent-up anger and frustration will simply go away?
David Wendt ⋅ September 17, 2011
#OccupyWallStreet #takewallstreet
while half the world was gnashing, and another quarter protesting, this morning< i awoke to breeze at the front door. i never go there or do that. and just as i thought to get settled there, perhaps, with a book. I ended up picking fruits in the neighborhood. with the sun blinding my view through the leaves. Whilst in this endeavor, everyone who walked by said Good Morning. To the boys, I had to initiate. And then this wonderful old school old world mature man walked by. Said to me, look some quite there. And asked me to hold his bag and reached for the picker. I just watched him. The shoe heels worn out at the outer corners, the old clothes, but if you see gentle and sense mannerly. And he talked of how people leave fruits on trees; he did not class them as I now lean to, except to say, people are now "strange". He said, they leave the manna but if they see you picking, they will come and pick, to sell. Only wanting when they discover others have or hold value for what ever it may be. He talked how long ago people picked and shared. After just a little while, he said, okay my time is up. And I said you will take some with you. And he said, only two, I am going to visit a ladyfriend and will bring her those two. The man walked off with me thinking, wheys...too many thoughts to extract from their interminglingness of one short concept experience. Surely, they dont make them like him no more.
Then as I turned, another neighbor called out to me asking me, "M____, you did not eat enough of that as a child?" And I had to remind her, I left remember. Then she asked if I would come pick her grapefruits/but they were too high..then we reminsce of her yard, her house, and how her father used to call me by the gate to share bounty. The housekeeper saying, once i returned, he ceased to call anybody else. just me. Then i give her a heckle for cutting down all her trees, except a few/ And told her when she ready let me buy; and she tells me how it leaving for generation...all of them away. I tell her dont leave no house and land for it to wither, you know. But leh she do just that. Is me occupying flat. will claim it as blood and family land. Multigenerations of two families share that range.
Life is good. I am thankful. Much Greatitude. And now as I finally settle with tea, wonder, if that is all I am to be doing...being a carib wombmyn being of a time, outtatiming, gone by. While everyone rushing and rummaging to and fro, in heels and ties, and I chasing breezes.
then as me and Florence return home, I tell her, Florence, people are funny eh? The bucket full but folk only take two. whas that?
so..i returned home, washed fruit, grilled turkey steaks, chopped pumpkin, carrots and pakchoy, seasoned the first two with small thyme, garlic, seasoning pepper and olive oil. tossed and let sit; the pakchoy with just oil, next to it. I imagine these parts to mix and eat raw or just slightly heated with rice. Then I made five finger juice of what i pick this morning...with guava orchard as the base
Now i think, isnt this funny I am a good and proper housemaiden>
so many things are running and filling my mind
from earlier on today
a feeling and sense of not living, having no purpose, no function/ just existence
and not one worthy of anything
For if i was called to account for the time, what will I, could I show
nothing
but it has also been a day full of my writings, and work in art creation
conscious creating, being a conscious creative; creating consciously
collecting my work, both professional and vocational into one place
here this blog, and i did feel a sense of accomplishment
I did sense that minding one's own business is indeed heady work
and then i watched this wonderful film this evening, titled, Mother and Child
and decided in addition of my world cruise to the Mediterranean for my fiftieth birthday,
i want a child, my first, for i am to have four with the names
Mercian, Maulana, Ma'At and Sage
then I wonder if the man will come. he has to come. he must be on his way
the one I will be madly in love; the one made for me, to match just this time, hour, function and fulfillment
then i just read this post about the moon and water, and movement and
how one is stuck if one is not moving in the right direction
and of course that gives me pause for that is my life: stuck and utter confusion as to my direction
though recently in the last week, I felt or got the message it was to follow Pa Neezer, Orisa Initiate
and to give my head
all the time just tryng to make sense of my no sense life
living day to day in what capacity, what gain
but it is all i have so i have no choice but to take it with grace and hope I love
then i also have thoughts that i am being prepared for greatness
that my trails, languishing and tribulation has all been to build the character
to manage the bounty that is coming
but the numbness of being where i am.trinidad
and constantly asking myself how to exist and coexist in this place
that is so challenging and undermining
i struggle to find space amidst all the noise and haste|
too much ugly to find human filtering while
watching my body develop allergies and succumb to vagaries..
this photo I took in 2004 upon request for Ian Randle for an Economic text book. It is one of 21. It was agreed he would review all photos, choose the one he wanted and come back to me for price negotiation and payment. He took the photo. used it for Dennis Pantin's Economic Text on Caribbean Economies. Stolen. An appropriate photo selection on this post, isnt it? Selah. All time will arrive.
Context and Introduction
I wrote the following document on contract as a professional consultant to the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, the Ministry of Labour, Small and Medium Enterprise.
It was completed on May 16, 2011. Though I wrote this program with the intent and verbal agreement to implement, I was not retained to do so. This country has a pattern, a historic practice of hiring consultants and never implementing the work they perform. Since then, I have learned that my document has been circulated, and to those who have an interest in the field, and who appears to receive grants to go abroad to write a Women's National Entrepreneurship Program. I see then the opportunity rife for theft, borrowing and plagiarism. For that reason, I have decided to post this work here in public domain, international access as a means of copyright record; if not international engagement.
I do think this is invaluable work. And for anyone pursuing the work of women's interest, women';s freedom, women;s self sufficiency, economic sustainability and self determination, empowering women to entrepreneurship and enterprise development is a critical tool.
Should you wish to engage me on this work, or wish for a .doc formatted copy, write me at hugginsmatmsudotedu
Key Words and Search Terms, I hope:
Women's Entrepreneurship
Women's National Entrepreneurship Program
Empowering Women's Entrepreneurship in Trinidad and Tobago
Empowering Women's Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies
A Plan and Program for SME Sector Development
NOTE: Formatting is a MESS -- write me for a .doc copy
EMPOWERING WOMEN’S
ENTERPRISE, ENTREPRENEURSHIP & INNOVATION
A National Partner Development Program
Written for
The Enterprise Development Division
of
The Ministry of Labour and Small and Micro Enterprise Development
To Integrate all Women’s Programs of the
Government of the Republic Trinidad and Tobago
a.Seeking their Partnership and Soliciting of Ideas
for Entrepreneurship under the Enterprise Division Proposal
b.Private Sector Women Entrepreneurs
c.Focus Group
5.Evaluate all Previous & Current Entrepreneurial & Women’s Programs
a.Assess
b.Identifying Gaps
c.How can be improved
d.How can integrate to EDD Archetype
6.Revise Program According to all Reviews and Feedback, Primary Data; Evaluations
7.Stakeholder Review –
a.Strategy Conceptualized if Government Partnership is Ratified
b.Amend Archetype Proposal Doc to each Ministry/Unit
c.Ministry Presentations
d.Finalized EDD Steering Committee
e.Structure Stakeholder Ministry and Units Joint Action Committees
f.Planning each Implementation
8.Receive Funding for Program ProposalJuly 2011
a.EDD Based
b.Ministry & Units Stakeholders JC
STAGE THREE IMPLEMENTATION OF INTERVENTION
9.Program Roll out
a.Write a Manual of Women’s Entrepreneurship Development
“manual as a compendium of practical approaches to training, entrepreneurship development and women's empowerment,”
b.Training in Women’s Entrepreneurship Development
To train facilitators and government agents, entities dealing with and for women
“to strengthen and improve the capability of its network organisations engaged in
assisting women entrepreneurs.”
10.Implement Empowering Women’s Enterprise, Entrepreneurship August 2011
and Innovation Program – PILOT – Original Program
a.Setup
b.Coordination
Part One
General Directions/Background
The network, ecology and environment of business in most places as most endeavors of state and society are in the hands of men, written and implemented for and by men and women are nary a consideration. This is so here in Trinidad and Tobago and around the globe. It is observed in laws, norms and structures where women must provide a legal status relating either to her husband or father to get a loan or buy land, two things central to business ownership.
And then to consider the need for entrepreneurship training, education and mentoring in Trinidad and Tobago is perplexing given the flux and domination of business schools throughout the country. It leads one to wonder of the curriculum and focus of these schools, as well as to emphasize how schooling is for employment preparation not self employment, entrepreneurship and innovation in terms of self determination.
Women entrepreneurship is increasingly being recognized as an important factor for economic growth and development. Entrepreneurship creates new jobs for men and women, essential in regions with a young population and high unemployment rates. Empirical findings indicate that increase in women’s income lead to higher spending on family welfare, often critical for reaching key national development goals in areas such as nutrition and education.
Entrepreneurship can offer new opportunities for women to generate their own income, and help others as they do it. However, despite increasing economic activity, there is a marked lack of quantitative information on the profile of women-owned enterprises with which to inform policy making as well as program development. There is a growing need for primary data that could capture the perceptions, concerns, challenges and requirements of women entrepreneurs which could help policymakers and other institutions like banks, non-government organizations, and trade associations to design programs or interventions that can provide assistance in the development of women entrepreneurship.
However, to implement any women-focused program, it is critical to know, understand and acknowledge the gender-based social structure inherent and perpetuated in society and the socio-cultural and organizational barriers that must be navigated for success.
Hence, a major component of this program intends to focus primarily in gathering information on women-owned enterprises in Trinidad and Tobago to be able to appreciate the gender implications of small and medium enterprise (SME) and its myriad inputs, factors and ecology in the country, to thus enhance and improve the number of women entrepreneurs. The critical need for this information is to take on board the particular needs, the cultural, social and educational backgrounds of the entrepreneurs, in developing training and support programs, for their benefit.
Economic development plays an important role in the development and growth of any society. The importance of promoting women to engage in economic activities is being increasingly realized in all developing countries. The need is twofold: i. To empower women by bringing them into the mainstream of development and by improving their economic status; and ii. To provide new employment opportunities by way of income generation, self-employment and entrepreneurship to women from different socioeconomic sectors.
The value of Enterprise, Entrepreneurship and Innovation to Women’s productivity and livelihood above all other forms is that it allows women freedom to enter the market at any stage, under any condition, at any time in their lives, to take advantage of opportunities and without all the other subjective barriers of persons, entities, organizations or institutions.
The Difference between Male and Female Entrepreneurs/Entrepreneurship
Male entrepreneurs haveset thefoundation in thebusinessenvironment forwomenentrepreneurs to follow
Latecomerstothe entrepreneurialgame.Somewomen arenotaware of thefact that theycanconductbusinessactivities on theirown
Typeof business started
Traditionally manufacturingor construction 21stcenturyservice related–such as hairdressing andguest houses
Traditionallyservicerelated examples include guesthouses, coffee shopsandcateringbusinesses 21stcenturymanufacturing andmale-dominated servicessuch as car servicebusinesses
Relationship building
More short-term orientated.Male entrepreneurs searchfor thebest waytogetthejob/dealdone
In general, the literature shows that “the major difference between women and men enterprise and entrepreneurship is that women are trying to save the world and make a difference; while men are trying to make money”. Profound gender differences exist: “women are less welcome in social networks; and are left out of those loops, meaning they do not have access to as much information. So social structures and the way that women socialize influence the human and social capital endowments with which they start their businesses”
From surmised factors as a starting guide and implied hypothesis of who women entrepreneurs are, their context and backgrounds, the Empowering Women’s Enterprise, Entrepreneurship, & Innovation Program seeks to accomplish the following:
1.Highlight the reality of Women’s Enterprise Ownership, Entrepreneurship and Practices of Innovation in Trinidad and Tobago;
2.Outline a Women’s Enterprise Entrepreneurship and Innovation Fostering Program throughout the nation and Government of Trinidad and Tobago;
3.Integrate all the Women’s Programs in the Government to Draft, Provide and Implement an Integrated Entrepreneurship Component in Each: and Coordinated Managed by the Enterprise Division of The Ministry of Labour and Enterprise Development;
4.Develop a Women’s Focus Group on Entrepreneurship;
5.Implement a Women’s Enterprise, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program that is Empowering and Supportive through all age groups and stages of a woman’s life;
6.Construct a Women’s Entrepreneurship Study
7.Empower Women’s Enterprise, Entrepreneurship and Innovation throughout the Stages of Business Creation through Development to Growth and Sustainability;
8.Increase the numbers of Women Enterprise, Entrepreneurship and Innovative Creators in the country; and
9.Create Greater Numbers of Women Enterprise Owners, Entrepreneur and Innovators as Models, Mentors and Trainers in Trinidad and Tobago.
10.Develop an Entrepreneurship Success Story Record and Database; Entrepreneurs’ Biography
11.Train the Facilitators Program
12.Develop a Monitor and Evaluation System to:
a.Tag Change and Development in the Sector of Women’s Entrepreneurship
b.Track Numbers of Trainees/Enrollees in the Program at various stages
c.Monitor Outcomes to each Stage of the Program
d.Monitor Business Development, Growth, Development and Change
e.Monitor Numbers of Women in Business
f.Monitor Mentor Aspirant Matches
g.Monitor Economic Measures regarding Women Entrepreneurs:
i.Income
ii.Employment
iii.Business Numbers
iv.Investment/Profit/Returns
Women’s Entrepreneurship Policy
No program is written without policy> Policy guides program differentiation, aim, intention and approach. Having to write this Enterprise Development Division (EDD) Program without an accompanying EDD Policy has led me to scribe some policy considerations, and surely requirements that would make the proposed program efficient and functional. Citations are from various sources. Readers will note how the final proposed program fits and matches these guiding policy points.
IN the GEM 2007 Report
Justification for a Women’s Entrepreneurship Program and Policy
“Women find themselves in very different situations compared to men, and these different situations result in different perceptions about the world. Given similar situations, the data suggests that women nonetheless perceive the world differently from men. The implications for policymaking that emerge from this diversity of circumstances and perspectives point to the need for customized or targeted policies. Research and policymaking may perhaps best be focused on how to effectively change the business environment and social institutions to support women through employment, access to social and financial capital, and raising self-confidence. ” GEM Global Women’s Report, 2007 pg 12/50
Overarching Policy Recommendations
General policy recommendations for the improvement and enhancement of the creation and operations of women’s entrepreneurship in Trinidad and Tobago would include:
− Improve the regulatory and legislative framework relating to women regarding such issues
as: property rights, inheritance, mobility, the freedom to be entrepreneurial;
− Introduce or enforce legislation against gender discrimination in the public and private sectors.
− Assess the current state of women’s entrepreneurship by developing and maintaining the related
factual data and statistics, so that policy makers can make informed decisions based on empirical
evidence. In fact, this program proposal offers that such data and statistic work be undertaken
privately
− Integrate gender issues into the initial planning stages of programme design and government policies.
− Promote awareness of the importance of women’s entrepreneurship in building strong economies,
and acknowledge and promote the positive impact of their work in improving living conditions for their
families.
− Bring more women into positions of economic influence by giving them the mandates and tools that
they need in order to become entrepreneurial.
− Develop and ensure easy access to those resources required to support and encourage women’s
entrepreneurship, including access to education and training, business development services, credit,
information and communications technologies, appropriate business premises and mobility.
− Develop the infrastructure and services needed for women to coordinate their family and professional
lives, including nurseries and school bus systems.
− Create a collective strategy and outreach campaign via the media so that stakeholders deem it
important for women to take a more active part in society and the economy.
Policy Recommendations Regarding the Thematic Areas
To strengthen and enhance economic diversification, governments and relevant stakeholders are encouraged to focus their efforts in the following areas:
Equal Educational Opportunities
1.For Girls to Enhance Economic and Entrepreneurial Literacy, and for Women to Foster Economic Growth
Recommendations relating both to educating school children and to training adult women.
2.With regard to schools, government is invited to:
− Ensure that curriculum reform includes positive messages about women and work, that
sexist stereotypes in schoolbooks and classrooms are eliminated.
− Include economic and entrepreneurship education in school curricula, starting at an early
age. The curriculum should include confidence building, and sensitize both boys and girls
to the entrepreneurial spirit.
− Strengthen linkages between the business sector and the schools, and include women
entrepreneurial role models.
3.With regard to adult women, the creation of women’s business centers that can serve as “one-stop shops” is recommended for women who want to start or grow businesses. Resources for women’s business development need to have local content and control so that they are culturally sensitive and can provide effective follow-up. It was also emphasized that the model should be an integrated one that co-ordinates existing support and takes into account the holistic needs of women. (one-stop-shop centers for women’s businesses could be of considerable value in areas where women’s mobility and/or access to technology are limited).
Finance and Business Development Services for Microfinance and Business Growth
4.Recommendations concerned microfinance and financing for growth, and stressed the crucial role of business development services in helping to facilitate growth.
− Gender disaggregated data and analysis are also needed for effective policy making with
regard to women’s entrepreneurship.
− Because microfinancial institutions can set artificial limits on business growth, a more
integrated framework, including banks and other financial services institutions, is needed to
support the needs of “the missing middle” — the post-start-up, growth-oriented woman
− Financing assistance should include both financial services and BDS, such as financial training
and coaching, and include women as points of contact. Specific tools and financial products for
women should also be considered.
− Governments should encourage financial institutions to set targets for loan authorizations for
women entrepreneurs in growth-oriented firms.
− Governments should work with international organizations/donors and local financial
institutions to establish and implement a loan guarantee program for growth firms owned
by women entrepreneurs.
− Share international best practices about banking with women entrepreneurs
Capacity Building for Women’s Entrepreneurship and Women’s Business Associations
5.Women entrepreneurial capacity building was recognized as a vital ingredient for economic
development and included recommendations with regard to stakeholders in the public, private and NGO sectors. Capacity building should relate to setting up and expanding services that enhance women entrepreneurs’ capacities, through the following actions:
− Supporting the establishment of a regional virtual women’s entrepreneurship resource
centre.
− Implementing training programmes and business development services.
− Establishing and nurturing women’s business associations so that they can organize
workshops, provide support and mentoring programmes, facilitate access to credit and to
markets, undertake advocacy, and provide best practice exchanges.
− Creating gender-based business incubators to facilitate the start-up of women-owned
businesses (incubators were considered to be particularly useful in dealing with challenges
that women face with regard to mobility, networking and marketing
−Enhancing capacity building also requires simplification of regulatory and registration
Procedures (for enterprises, NGOs, etc.)
Convincing Stakeholders and Decision Makers
6.Because recognition plays such an important role in providing role models for women entrepreneurs, and in convincing stakeholders of women’s economic and social contributions, participants called for:
− Having national government launch and support a multi-pronged campaign to change public
attitudes towards women in work and in business.
− Additional recommendations for enhancing awareness include:
− Research that showcases women’s economic contributions. Stakeholders need
reasons to support women’s entrepreneurship. Therefore, fact-based information is
extremely important, especially relating to economic impact and programme
outcomes.
− Strong associations that can train, empower, facilitate business linkages and provide
advocacy for women entrepreneurs.
− Government co-sponsorship with women entrepreneurial associations of an annual
women entrepreneurship awards programme, designed to profile the contributions of
women business owners in their local economies. Examples include the Top Woman
Micro-enterprise of the Year/Top Woman SME of the Year Awards that Jordan soon
will be honouring, or the Top 1/5/10 Women Entrepreneurs
− Women entrepreneurial trade fairs and trade missions. Such events would increase
women’s ability to do business networking; make women’s entrepreneurship visible
to the government, corporate and banking sectors, and the general public; and
increase women’s sales.
− Media coverage in the print and electronic media, and strategic efforts to enhance
both the quantity and quality of media coverage about women-owned businesses.
Because many media outlets are either government-controlled or have some degree
of government support, governments should grant women entrepreneurial
associations access to these media outlets, or facilitate access.
Public Affairs and Advocacy – Enabling Women Entrepreneurial Voices to Be Heard
7.In order for women business owners to contribute effectively to job creation and economic
growth, their voices must be heard by policy makers, bankers, the media, prospective women
business owners, and other stakeholders. Therefore, the crucial role of advocacy calls for the
following actions:
− Creation of an advocacy network to stimulate research about women’s entrepreneurship;
Identify legislation and regulations that need to be changed or adopted; Enhance advocacy
skills, educate policy makers about the economic contributions that women-owned businesses
can make to the region; Host workshops, and; facilitate the exchange of best practices.
− Creation of a public-private partnership to provide advice to policy makers on women’s
business issues including recommendations on how women’s enterprise development can
create jobs and spur economic growth. It is recommended that it be driven by
women business owners, with the public sector invited to participate.
Fostering Economic Diversification
8.Associations of women entrepreneurs can be a driving force for economic development and
diversification. To be effective vehicles for constructive change, it is recommended the following:
− That women’s associations receive development assistance for core activities, including
etc., until they can become self-sustaining. That formal collaborations among donor
agencies be encouraged, to increase the efficiency and the effectiveness of support for
women’s business programmes.
− That ministries concerned with economics, microenterprises and SMEs, human resources,
trade, investment, etc. create a public sector office, initiative and/or focal point for
women’s enterprise development, in partnership with women’s business associations, in
order to more effectively leverage women’s potential contributions to the economy.
− That women’s business associations be encouraged to form an affiliate association to
exchange ideas, develop joint programmes (including events that promote women’s
entrepreneurship), and promote business relationships between their members.
Government of Trinidad and Tobago’s Entrepreneurial Ecology& Potential Partners
Apart from Ministries, is the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, currently or historically, market-augmenting or market-hindering? Are policies and private contracts enforced? Are property rights ensured and protected? Are information, technology, finance and training decentralized? These are some of the questions to consider in the context, landscape, ecology and environment in which we say we want to foster, grow and develop greater numbers of women entrepreneurs.
The current PP/UNC Kamla Persad Bissessar Government of Trinidad and Tobago has spoken of two policy pillars: one is the diversification of the economy; the second is the emphasis, development and advancement of women. This Program Proposal is informed by these policy goals and written in mind to the implementation of these dual government goals > Empowering Women’s Enterprise, Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
Is TT Government, Research of Policy and Structures, Business Hindering, Altering or Encouraging?
Ministries Reflections: GORTT
To List all the Women Programs throughout the Government Ministries
Toward this mission, it is best fit to list all the general programs aimed at women throughout the Ministries of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago and to identify the programs that can integrate a women’s entrepreneurship program. This can be done in collaboration with the Ministries and their Divisions, or done independently at the Enterprise Division of the Ministry of Labour and Small and Micro Enterprise
List all the General Programs that could have a Gender/Women’s Dimension:
In subsequent Data Collection Step, there will be a polling and canvassing of all Women’s Programs in the Country from all the Ministries, and considering how and what can be done for women in those areas in relationship to enterprise ownership and entrepreneurship. For examples:
Vasant Barath’s Recent Farmer State Lands…what can be done of and for women?
Science, Technology & Tertiary Education Mr. Karim’s recent comment about Technology and Knowledge based Economy Creation
Of what use is a Women and Technology program
* What is the History of Women Business in Trinidad and Tobago
Can this be a UTT Project Program?? Since UTT implements such projects of national scope.
Empowering Women Enterprise and Entrepreneurship
The aim of this Program is to build, construct, coordinate, find and implement solutions, approaches, practices, self-determination and self reliance by those wishing to be enterprise owners, entrepreneurs and innovative business women; and those who wish to support such women and their endeavors.
The Program aims to be National in scope to the Country of Trinidad and Tobago. Meaning, the Program will be implemented in loci of the country that would include Tobago, Port of Spain, Chaguanas, Sangre Grande, San Fernando and Cedros.
The Program aims to integrate all Women’s Programs throughout the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, through all Ministries, Government Agencies, State Institutions, NGOs and Private Centers that maps out resources, networks, pathways and connectors that bridge a Women’s aspiration to be in Enterprise, Entrepreneurship and Innovation to the establishment, operation, growth, maintenance and sustainability of such.
A significant aspect of empowering women to entrepreneurship is to shift their mindset from Job/Employment/Career to Entrepreneur and to Innovation.
Enterprise, Entrepreneurship and Innovation ~ Definition and Distinction
The forms and definitions considered:
Enterprise Owners & Traders: Business exchange (buy and sell) Entrepreneur:Risk Taken; Financial Outlay; Creation of New and Novel;
Never before
Products versus Services versus Consultancies (Information)
Innovation:Create what did not previously exist
Innovation may mean:
Product Creation
Innovative Marketing
Innovative Production
Innovative Markets
Cited Definition of Entrepreneur
The general definition used in this program and proposal as an entrepreneur is “a person who sees an opportunity in a market, collects resources, and takes the risk for operation, with any profit going to him or her...”
In determining the level of entrepreneurship in Trinidad and Tobago or any country, a useful structure is the Total Entrepreneurial Activity Rate which is the number of Adults (18-64 age group) who own and operate a business per the Population total.
It would be useful to calculate this rate for Trinidad and Tobago as well as for the rest of the Caribbean to get an initial indication of entrepreneurship activity in the region.
“a real entrepreneur makes money with no money” Gabriel Williams
GORTT Categories of Enterprise/Entrepreneurship
Ministry of Labour statistics will be researched to see what applies for insertion in this program.
Using international measures, US identifies a small enterprise is one of a
Minimum Annual Income/Revenue: TT$ 2 Million
High Growth Rate: 10% every year for ten years straight
Entrepreneurship Stage:Definitions
In general, there are three stages of entrepreneurial progress:
Potential – gathering information
StartUP- have not yet paid salaries or wages for three months
Established- forty-two months of operation (three years)
Significance of Entrepreneurship Stage Data
“Early stage entrepreneurs are those involved in owning and managing, alone or with others, a nascent business, or one that has been in operation for 42 months or less. By contrast, established entrepreneurs are those involved in owning and managing, alone or with others, a business that has successfully survived in the market beyond 42 months, as 31/2 years is the approximate critical period within which a business is most likely to fail. These two categories are very important as they convey different information about the entrepreneurial landscape of a country. Early stage entrepreneurship indicates the dynamic entrepreneurial propensity of a country. In other words, it
shows the percentage of population willing and able to undertake new venture creation. Established business
ownership, instead, indicates the percentage of population actively involved in running businesses that have proven to be sustainable.”GEM pg 15/50
Potential Participants and Stakeholders of Enterprise, Entrepreneurship and Innovation
For the Trinidad and Tobago 2011 context, the following categories and stakeholders have been identified: Informal -Street Vendors
Entrepreneurs: Women of all SocioEconomic Classes/Strata and Status
Government/Groups/ Agencies/Ministries
Recidivist Entrepreneurship: Prisons
Orphanages: Means of Activity, Self Development, Income Generation; Self- Support
Girls’ HomesIncubate Unemployed Youths
YTEPP
Institutions
Part Two
WOMEN AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Definition of Women Entrepreneurship
“a woman-owned business as one which is at least 51% owned by one of more women, or, in the case of any publicly-owned business, at least 51% of the stock of which is owned by one or more women; and the management and daily business operations of which are controlled by one or more women.”
Opportunity and Necessity Driven Entrepreneurship
“The GEM survey allows us to differentiate the motives underlying entrepreneurial behavior. The GEM framework labels those individuals who start a business to exploit a perceived business opportunity as opportunity entrepreneurs, and those who are, by contrast, pushed to start a business because all other options for work are either absent or unsatisfactory as necessity entrepreneurs.” GEM Pg 17/50
Opportunity (pull) (positive) to Necessity (push) (negative) Ratio
Necessity in low income countries
Push Pull factors
The above three designations relate to themainreasonsor forcesthatdriveindividualstobecome entrepreneurs. Factors either Push, which is negative such as unemployment or Pull, which is positive such as an opportunity – that drives action and entrepreneurship creation. It is important for our purposes to realize that in developing countries, the necessity, push and negative factors are what spur entrepreneurship in greater numbers. Knowledge of this factor and facet may direct training as well as policy structures to support business.
Individual versus Collective Entrepreneurship
Would women entrepreneurs fare better if they were to operate in collectives and consortiums or individually? Despite the answer, the options are predicated on the societal landscape and whether within the population there is a tight knit social fabric with high levels of shared social capital, meaning high levels of trust, faith and solidarity amongst citizens. If not, collective work and operations are less likely.
It is possible that collectives and consortiums might be structured by an independent party, and invite individual operators, owners, innovators and entrepreneurs to enter as in a club of sorts, where services are provided for membership. This is a very central tool available to a national effort to foster greater women entrepreneurs for a country like Trinidad and Tobago. The author as a business consultant in 2004 wrote such a proposal outlining such an entity, titled Cultural Entrepreneurship. It may be revived and included for this national program proposal.
Changing mindset: Helping Women - Competitive versus Partnership
Central to Fostering Women’s Entrepreneurship in an established landscape where men predominant, partnering efforts to start, operate and collectivize resources may be a great solution to women trying to overcome financial and other resource challenges. The success rate of such entities could only work provided independent parties and bodies are the organizing agents facilitating, navigating and mitigating entrepreneurial partners. The distance they provide, the measured lever and driver that administers balance may be the factor between failure and success.
JOB/career/entrepreneurship
A great part of changing mindset is preparing girls, young women and women to the idea that self determination as it relates to livelihood, income and employment is open and available to them. It is critical that they be minded that ‘getting a job’ is not their only option for productivity. To this end, this program suggests beginning programs as early as primary school; teaching the simple principles of exchange, purchase, barter, savings and money use and choice. This can be developed as the child ages to creating product and services with which to sell and trade in a market created with potential customers and clients. The practice of fostering such relationships with integrity, character, honesty and principles would be indispensable. This may even be developed for school to school exchanges where schools themselves become a marketplace where children and students trade and learn the skill and art of business.
INCUBATE Women
A central part of this program proposal is to offer and develop Incubator Centers, to foster, warm, incubate and hatch new business development by women who enroll in the various planned programs. There are several models of incubators.
The most common are centers where every step from idea concept to development and business launch is fostered in a nurturing supportive and facilitative environment. Such centers may also include venture capital.
An Indian Incubator Program currently in development in Trinidad and Tobago offers small business machinery as skills training with the aim of business launch in that operation. Examples include candle and soap making, or packaging. This may also be a valuable option for business creation and generation but it is not entrepreneurial in nature and more emphasizing basic manufacturing; something of a sector shift in balance.
Part Three
EMPOWERING WOMEN ENTERPRISE, ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INNOVATION
In Trinidad and Tobago, do we have entrepreneurs or just enterprise owners, i.e. Traders?
Do women create and innovate business or are they just in the business of buying, selling, trading and offering?
These are the first two questions that come to mind as this exercise to create a program for women entrepreneurship in Trinidad and Tobago begins. In the ideal, a baseline study to examine the landscape addressing these two questions would implement. A useful survey methodology as outlined in the Philippines case study found here [http://womenentrepreneurship.org/19] suggests one on one interviews. The responses and analysis would clarify any distinction about this segment of society. Without the benefit of a beginning baseline, I frame the program to create all three: enterprise, entrepreneurs, and entrepreneurship; with the mind to foster a culture of enterprising women.
Introduction
Women Enterprise and Entrepreneurship while a means to women’s financial and life stability is also a vehicle to support United Nations Millennium Development Goals as well as support the Government of Trinidad and Tobago in its thrust to Develop Women’s Agency, Power and Participation in all affairs of community and nation.
The Millennium Development Goals at the forefront of this Women’s Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Program are to:
·Eradicate poverty
·Promote gender equality
·Promote empowerment of women
·Develop a global partnership for development
The Government of Trinidad and Tobago, as of 2011, redefined the Ministry of Planning Housing and Environment as the Ministry of Planning, Economic and Social Restructuring and Gender Affairs. A Women’s Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Program that fosters the development of women as business people would directly advance and impact that national mission. This program is a means by which the economy can jumpstart from its recessionary mode as well as in the ideal, provide an aide to address unemployment and under –employment.
Some Salient Questions if not Considerations
What is the employment and unemployment rate in Trinidad and Tobago? And what is the unemployment rate amongst women at all age levels? How can these numbers be identified if we are not clear or sure on the correct population figures? In any case, entrepreneurship can reduce unemployment and do so for the most vulnerable of groups: youths, women and the differently-abled even.
What are the factors driving or hindering enterprise development and entrepreneurship in a small economy, society and country like Trinidad and Tobago? In other places around the globe, the control of women entrants as entrepreneurs is the under-representation of women in higher education in business, science and engineering. But the rates of women in higher education are in fact opposite in Trinidad and Tobago, showing high rates of enrollment; so what is the factor for the Trinidad and Tobago context?
Barriers to Women Entrepreneurs
“When women enter self employment they do so with fewer financial assets, less experience in management and are under-resourced in terms of their human and social capital.”
“Common barriers perceived by developing country women entrepreneurs include: outdated training programmes targeted to traditional managers and not the entrepreneur; exposure to media is very expensive (1990s); no database of women entrepreneurs by sector is available; there is replication and duplication of craft centers or groups in an area; there is no enquiry into failed businesses and the reasons for that/those failures; and women are not taken seriously in the business world.”
I think these would be common international factors and surely factors that play prominent in Trinidad and Tobago in 2011.
As in the case of South Africa, women are less likely to have entrepreneurs in their immediate circle and thus the lack of role models or examples to follow. I believe such would be the case in Trinidad and Tobago amongst one ethnic group. Incidentally, to investigate any issue in Trinidad and Tobago necessitates an inquiry into social and ethnic differences. One hypothesis for the Trinidad Tobago context would be the difference in the numbers of women entrepreneurs per ethnic group where the Indo Trinidadians will have higher number of women business operators, whether in absolute or relative numbers to population to other women of other ethnic groups, say Syrians, might prove surprising.
Do people have problem solving skills? Do people know how to identify opportunities? For both areas feed the development, creation and conceptualizing of new businesses. Often entrepreneurs enter the market because they are solving some societal or niche problem. Or, they are exploiting an open opportunity. Open being the operative word. In many developing cultures, many sectors and areas of human operation may be on lock down or have high new entrant costs, meaning, it may be predominated by one group or structure, making it nearly impossible for new businesses to enter and operate efficiently, easily or cost effectively. Trinidad and Tobago is one such place. Many oligopolies and monopolies operate in water, beer, alcohol and pharmaceuticals, for instance.
The Ethnic makeup and reality in Trinidad gives me pause and makes me wonder if in fact it is true to write for all women that “Women entrepreneurs would have been particularly disadvantaged as they owned no property to be used as collateral on loans and in fact needed husband/father or relative’s permission to enter into financial arrangements”> though it is true for some women of the least financial ethnic group: AfroTrindadians, [for this impacted me personally as I could not get a farmer’s license being refused a document saying that I have access to land to farm*], I am aware the opposite is the case for Indian and Syrian and perhaps even French Creole Women. So the population of women in Trinidad is not a monolith in regard to entrepreneurship development. As such the central question is ‘Of what substance is ethnic difference in the mandate of supporting the growth of women entrepreneurship?’ is very critical when it comes to policy formulation and program implementation. If the incorrect form and lack of awareness is given berth, the people who least need support will benefit from such programs that can further marginalize, forget and exclude just the women who need the support and training most.
To give a clear example of how such ethnic differences play out in real facets of operations, many of the informal sector women entrepreneurs do not even have bank accounts, let alone access to external finance but all the women of other ethnic groups, such as Indians, Syrians and French Creoles would have access and accounts in such financial institutions. So the point is to be aware of the different needs per different ethnic groups as one national program aims to increase women entrepreneurs. This outline relates to the research study question of what are the psychological, cultural and economic factors of entrepreneurship. Cultural and social norms are more likely to play a role in gender differences of entrepreneurship; also factor in the issue of women’ self esteem and confidence; and domestic responsibilities
Other Considerations and Questions:
“Moreover, policy interventions designed to alleviate the constraints in the SMME sector have often not been beneficial to women entrepreneurs (Mallane, 2001: 22)” Melodi Botha, 5/36 Chapt 4
Why and how is this so??? Research Question
Why do policy interventions designed to alleviate constraints for women in the small and medium enterprise sector not benefit women?
What are the gender gaps between schooling, enrollment rates, employment levels, career opportunities and advancements and entrepreneurship? What do the numbers tell us?
“Yet huge gender gaps in labour force participation rates persist, especially in Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East and North Africa, and South Asia. In Latin America and the Caribbean, despite great success in eliminating the gender gap in schooling, male labour force participation rates remain between 1.5 and 2 times the female labour force participation rates for 20-24 year olds (Global monitoring Report 2007). As a recent Department for International Development (DFID) report notes: “higher enrolment [in schools] is not translating into marketable human capital and labour market participation to as high a degree as expected” (DFID 2007: 7).”
Societal Factors as to why Women in Age 25-44 are not Entrepreneurs
Three general explanations follow as to why women are not in entrepreneurship during the years men are found to represent:
“Thesocio-culturalstatusofwomen,whichidentifiestheprimaryroleofwomenwithfamilyanddomesticresponsibilities,reducesthecredibilityofwomenintentonsettingupbusinesses in a varietyofways.
Thelackofaccesstonetworksofinformationandassistance thatareoftenthemainsourceofinformationandcontacts,butwhichequallyoftencomprisemoreor less overt mechanisms ofgenderexclusion.
The lack of access to capital; whether women entrepreneurs apply to aninstitutionalfinancier,afriend,arelativeoreventheirspouse,theyarelikelytocomeupagainsttheassumptionthat“womencan’thandlemoney”.Sometimestheremovalofbarriersmayfoster moreandbetterentrepreneurshipthananyincentives”
What are the “tradeoffs that many women have to make between economic and social costs”?
The social preponderance, more and signals are that women are to get married and have children, period.
The overemphasized thought, culture and value system says a woman is nothing and no one without being Mrs. Somebody, and directs her life drive, mission and focus.
“costs may outweigh benefits’
Cultural Mindset overall; from family/home to school; the lesson is to get training and get a job
Who are the people who fell out of that dominating mindset? And begs the question are entrepreneurs born or made? Whether born or made, entrepreneurs can benefit from developing and fostering useful traits, characteristics and practices of successful entrepreneurs, business owners or enterprise creators.
Women, foremost can benefit from such training and guidance as they are the least without networks and cliques that the men enjoy in their professional life and careers. A big part of this women’s entrepreneurial development thrust will be to provide such support and training to women…As such, entrepreneurship training and coaching becomes a burgeoning endeavor to such a national program as this.
Part Four
Literature Review
Women’s Enabling to Entrepreneurship
The following are inserts into the building of a national women’s enabling and empowerment of entrepreneurship program. Each citation provides some insight to necessary elements in the development of such a program, be it training, or service, or support.
Development Capacity
International Labour Organisation (ILO) (2006) Women’s Entrepreneurship Development Capacity Building Guide
This guide is designed to meet the needs for documentation to support women's entrepreneurship development. It is aimed at a range of support agencies, including government ministries and Small and Medium Enterprise development units; microfinance institutions; associations of employers; women's NGOs; donor agencies and donor-assisted projects, and other key national and international actors. The guide provides a systematic guide that can be adapted to a range of contexts. It goes beyond the narrow approach that sees training as the major contribution to women's entrepreneurship development, and introduces a wide range of support mechanisms, including research, networking and association building, market access, and a broad spectrum of business development services. Furthermore, it integrates gender issues into the technical approaches to business development. It also takes account of special situations or target groups where women's entrepreneurship development can be effective, such as women living with HIV/AIDS, women affected by trafficking, women entrepreneurs with disabilities, and refugee women.
Mayoux, L (2005) Women’s Empowerment through Sustainable Micro-finance: Rethinking “Best Practice”
“The experience of current innovations in many programmes indicates a range of ways in which contribution to gender equality and women's empowerment can be increased. Suggestions include providing services to reduce the burden of unpaid domestic work on women such as childcare, and ensuring that repayment schedules and interest rates reflect the reality of women's economic activities and life cycles.”
BRIDGE: pg 25; 29/53
Gender Sensitive Entrepreneurship
Elson, D. (1999) Gender-neutral, Gender-blind, or Gender-sensitive Budgets? Changing the Conceptual Framework to Include Women's Empowerment and the Economy of Care, Commonwealth Secretariat
Budgets are often assumed to be gender-neutral, whereas in reality they tend to be gender blind – failing to take into account the fact that men and women have different roles, responsibilities and resources in society. This failure leads to further discrimination against and disempowerment of women. One of the major failures of budgets is their neglect of the unpaid 'care economy'. This paper makes recommendations to ensure that the unpaid care work so often absorbed by women and girls is measured, valued and included in the budget. It notes that current economic models are based on the unit of the household, which is seen as a consumer of goods and public services rather than as a producer of valuable inputs and resources. Women's contribution to the economy is largely in this hidden area of production which includes care work, voluntary or civil society activity, subsistence production and work in the informal sector. The invisibility of this activity means not only that it is underestimated or inaccurately measured, but also that it is excluded from Gross National Product (GNP) and usually ignored when making policy decisions.
It is recommended that:
Parallel budget or 'satellite accounts' be set up to measure and quantify the value of unpaid output in the care economy. These would view caring labour in terms of market price and would make the division of labour which underpins this more explicit. It would also contribute to viewing sustainability in terms of sustaining society as well as the economy
Investment is made in the care economy – for example through greater provision of free public services such as health care and education
Gender-disaggregated data is collected of all economic activity and set out in a 'Social Accounting Matrix'. This would give a better picture of how and why women's economic activity often goes unmeasured and under-valued. Data should be collected on variations in income, expenditure, and government spending within and between households and businesses, and within government committees and departments.
MicroLending/MicroFinancing
Murray, U. (2005) Promoting Gender-Sensitive Entrepreneurship via Microfinance Institutions, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
Microfinance is often praised because it is believed to facilitate women's 'empowerment'. However, in order for microfinance initiatives to work for women they need to acknowledge and account for gender-based constraints that affect women in their entrepreneurship activities, such as restrictions on women’s mobility, and unpaid domestic responsibilities which leave them less time to expand their businesses. There are also generalised differences that exist regarding men’s and women’s businesses which should also be taken into account: women’s income generating activities are often based in the home; women frequently use family members rather than hired labour; their businesses are often concentrated on services and light manufacturing; and their businesses tend to start smaller and grow slower. This paper focuses on how staff from a microfinance institution can interact with potential clients in a more gender-sensitive manner. A major element in this process is to move beyond the belief that just because the majority of the clients are female, there are no gender issues. Gender is a central organising factor in societies, and can significantly affect the processes of production, distribution and consumption. Becoming gender sensitive is not only a matter of counting the number of loans to women clients. The real problem is not the exclusion or inclusion of women, but the empowerment of women through their active participation in decision-making that affects their lives.
Trivelli, C. (2004) Microcredit, Gender and Poverty Network: an Overview (in Spanish), Centro de Investigación de EconomÃa y Sociedad (CIES), EconomÃa y Sociedad, 52
The Microcredit, Gender and Poverty Network was set up in Peru in 2000. It focuses on research and knowledge creation to maximise the impact of microcredit in the country's development and to benefit particularly the most vulnerable sectors, namely women and the poorest. This article provides an overview of the situation in Peru, offers policy recommendations, and proposes new areas of research. Besides the need to introduce innovative microfinance products that are more efficient and sustainable, it argues that microcredit in itself does not empower women. Monitoring of who actually uses and administers the loans is crucial. Redistribution of property to women is also recommended as a useful way to increase women’s access to credit and decision-making power in the household. New areas of engagement are proposed, including enhancing information provision to the electorate and ensuring that academics and practitioners are part of the process of policy discussion.
Underwood, T. (2006) Women and microlending in Western Europe, European Microfinance Network (EMN)
In June 2005, the European Microfinance Network (EMN) launched a survey of Western European microlenders which aimed to generate an accurate picture of microlending in Western Europe in years 2002-04, and examine possible barriers affecting women's participation in microloan programmes. The data indicated that over the period 2002-04 the number of microloans made to women increased by 30 percent and the total value of microloans rose by 34 percent; in 2004, the average value of loans disbursed to women (7,670 Euros) was slightly higher than the value of loans disbursed to men (7,130). Yet the survey results suggest that despite microlending's great potential to meet women's financing needs, a number of factors are resulting in women’s lower participation levels. For example, women's status and position in society and in the family may affect their interest in entrepreneurship and make women more risk averse than men and therefore less likely to set up a business. In addition 75 percent of microlenders did not have a policy to guide their work with women, 65 percent did not have tailored loan products, and 55 percent did not provide access to specialised training and technical assistance or access to specialised staff.
Handicaps of Women Entrepreneurship Programmes
There seems to be a failure of many programmes and initiatives to take on board the particular needs, the cultural, social and educational backgrounds of the entrepreneurs, in developing training and support systems
“Disagreement over the benefits of microcredit programmes – in terms of women’s own empowerment and their contribution to broader development goals – is partly due to different ways of measuring impact. For example, the assumption that microfinance is a successful and empowering strategy for women has often been based on an assessment of financial indicators. The logic is that if women are able to repay their credit with interest every month, it follows that they must be running effective small businesses and managing their domestic finances – both empowering processes. However, others have argued that financial indicators do not capture the social context in which these activities are taking place, nor do they tell us who is making decisions about expenditure within households or controlling use of credit. In response, there is a movement towards culturally relevant social indicators that can capture how and if women’s access to credit has a positive impact on their lives”
Source: Bridge Development Gender. Bibliography No. 19
“ Putting Gender Back in the Picture: Rethinking Women’s Economic Empowerment” Report prepared at the request of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). By Emily Esplen with Alyson Brody. December 2007. Institute of Development Studies. University of SussexUK. old.bridge.ids.ac.uk/reports/BB19_Economic_Empowerment.doc
Part Five
What and How the Research Says and Directs
Critical Factors and Facets to the Number of Women Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurial Training and Education
Entrepreneurial Coaching
Entrepreneurial Mentoring
Bridges from Training to Entrepreneurial Launchings
------------
Support Structures and Measures needed by Women depending on Entrepreneurship Stage
The support structures measures and mechanisms women in entrepreneurship needs depends on their state and stage of entry, there self development and confidence.
All women enterprise owners and entrepreneurs need Incubator Services, Entrepreneurial Culture Training, and Support for Business Plans
The difference in what is offered is what stage the women enter, with what skills and talents, expertise and experience.
Women with no entrepreneurial experience need:
·Loans expressly for women
·Business Advisers
·Business Counseling/Mentoring
Women with entrepreneurial experience need:
·Seed capital
·Introduction to Networks
·Information
Women who have already started their enterprise/entrepreneurship need:
·Business Plans
·Government Support
·Technology Transfer
And by this assessment we know that all women entrepreneurs, no matter what their stage of development and operation can benefit from all services; if not in preparation for the next step, as reinforcement for what needs to be daily operations or developing a skills set to help young and upcoming aspirants.
Relating to Technology and Technology Transfer, I wonder how a major focus can be given to Women, Women’s Entrepreneurship and Women in Technology as a development line for the planned knowledge based economy Trinidad and Tobago wants to build.
Part Six
Mapping the Women’s Entrepreneurship Program
Goals of the Women’s Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Program
1.To assist potential women entrepreneurs in gathering the information they need:
a.Identifying their idea
b.Development of idea into enterprise or entrepreneurship
c.Receive Entrepreneurship Training
d.Identify Mentors
e.Identify Financing
f.Identify Bridges to Business
g.Getting to Start Up
2.To assist Start Up and Established Entrepreneurs to Grow their Business
a.Based on their outline of challenges and lack of support
i.Financing
ii.Networking
iii.Inputs
iv.Government Barriers
3.To provide training, mentoring and coaching services to Potential, StartUp and Established Entrepreneurs
a.Training: Technical, Business Management, Creative and Entrepreneurial
b.Mentoring
c.Coaching
d.Best Practices
e.Services
i.Customer Service
ii.Integrity
4.To create an Entrepreneurship and Women’s Entrepreneurship Database
a.Identify needs, opportunities, services
5.To integrate all services, programs and providers in Entrepreneurship
6.To Monitor, Assess, Analyze and Evaluate the Women’s Entrepreneurship Program
a.Does the EWEEI Program satisfy the needs of the direct user stakeholder: Women’s Enterprise owners and Entrepreneurs
7.
Suggested Entrepreneurship Training Model(s)
Performance:Entrepreneurial SkillsBusiness Skills
Establishment of businessRisk PropensityGeneral Management Skills
Growth in net value of businessCreativity and InnovationMarketing Skills
Recruitment of EmployeesOpportunity IdentificationLegal Skills
Increasing productivityRole model analysisOperational Skills
To measure the effectiveness and impact of a training programme suggests measurements on four different levels:
Reaction Measures (do they like it)
Learning Measures (do they understand it)
Behavior Measures (can they do it)
Result/Success Measures (does it make a difference)
“We know surprisingly little about women entrepreneurs’ business practices, survival and growth strategies, and their perceptions of their entrepreneurial careers.”
Studies on Women’s entrepreneurs are broadly divided among five thematic areas:
·The breeding grounds of female entrepreneurship;
·Patterns of female entrepreneurship
·The motivations of women entrepreneurs; and
·Their organizational and managerial methods – the enterprise culture of women entrepreneurs
Training for Different Entrepreneurship Purposes: Creation, Growth versus Maintenance
Financial Literacy, Record Keeping, Marketing
Public Speaking
Mentoring
Skills and Attitudinal Aspects
Women’s Entrepreneurship Program : Values
~ of Education (Knowledge), Training (Practice) and Learning (Integration/Experience)
The general skills sets to impart for Entrepreneurship include:
Exposure/Possibility
Women’s Entrepreneurship Program: Elements to Include
Program Inclusions:
~ Women’s Entrepreneurial Journal:
showcase mentors; identify best practices, testimony and journey
~ Training Component
~ Mentoring Component
~ Monthly Discussion Forum and Seminar
To address problems and challenges
~ Support Base for Aspiring Women Entrepreneurs
~ Coordination and Integration of Services
~ Policy Programme Enforcement
Bank
~ Financial Literacy
~ Financing
~ Female Youth
~ Lessons from Experiences
~ Women’s Database/ by sector, region, service, product
~ Study of Women Entrepreneurs
Literature Review
Quantitative Study: Interviews and Focus
Qualitative Study: Survey
~ After Care Training and Advisory Services for ongoing business
~ Business Incubator
~ From Idea to Enterprise FacilityNational Small Industries Cooperation
~ Call for Proposals
~ Research/ Data Collection
Measuring Women’s Entrepreneurship
~ VERIFY other data sets. IE: GEM:
“Across the 41 GEM countries participating in this study, low/middle- income countries such as
Peru, Thailand, Colombia, and Venezuela” 15/50
Do other studies verify these countries as “low/middle income countries; and why is there not a low income country subset at GEM> severely undermines their legitimacy in my opinion ~ how many countries are left out? How much population in number are excluded; and how many women are excluded from a report that says it is trying to support women’s entrepreneurship …how can that be accurate when so many women are not accounted for??
Part Seven
Programme Structure and Overview
The following Women’s Entrepreneurship Program is written in sections for different categories of persons. Beginning with Students and planting the seed in their mind to be entrepreneurs from young. It goes onto to school leavers and non-university persons. There is a component for University and Post Graduate registrants and those of any mature age and independence to whom the drafted pilot program would benefit.
Students
General skills to impart to students are basic and introductory in nature> to expose the student to what a market economy is, to conceptualize the exchange of goods, products and services; to do so ethically, fairly and with larger missions than making money. It is to develop in them a sense of chance and risk. It is to help them identify gaps and opportunities; to build bridges and partnerships; and to school in the steps of creating the right path to creating and maximizing all requirements to get to success in any endeavor. It is rudimentary and practical in nature, and amended to their level of development and understanding.
Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Training at the School level may also provide a break to the competitive nature of school children; break the education model and mindset of some to succeed at the peril of others, and offer an activity where collaboration is the one key to advancement: sharing, building and cohesion in the practice of exchange and business.
Entrepreneurial Training and Exposure
In School System:
1.Introduction of learners to positive entrepreneurs and role models
2.A system where entrepreneurs may schedule time to go in and have “show and tell” with the students; at assembly or at classes
3.Entrepreneurs may also adopt student groups to be the adviser of students developing enterprising projects at their level to introduce the principles of buying and selling; trading at a profit; the creation of products; the creation of a market
Student-level Market Creation
4.Student-Level Market Creation: Can it be school to school; Region exchanges etc.
5.Support of Ministry of Education to introduce Entrepreneurial Development Instruction, for both Boys and Girls, as an aim to revalidate students who do not excel by grade but do have marketable skills. The aim of encouraging and developing all students regardless of test performance.
6.This program may be implemented and managed by the Enterprise Division of The Ministry of Labour and Small and Micro Enterprise Development, to and with schools and groups as they request.
Schools may organize Girls in Entrepreneurship Groups per specific tasks, products, skill, or talent; as a means to develop:
a.Cooperatives
b.Collectives
c.Market Creation
d.Collaboration
e.Entrepreneurial Activity
School Leavers/Non University
Persons who have finished formal schooling but not advancing to university may enroll in a national Internship/Apprentice Program specifically structured for entrepreneurs. Where public calls may list for different businesses and selection is made to work for a specific time period, for modicum pay and at best, ensured employment after the period of time. I can see the OJT program perhaps morphing from this.
IN fact, the On the Job Training Government Program may benefit from revisions based on this Entrepreneurship Program. It is known that enrollees to that program often do not have paid employment to shift to; I wonder how those OJTs might amass and collaborate themselves into Enterprise or Entrepreneurial Projects and Activities
* Develop Entrepreneurship Seminar for OJTs *
University
At the University Level, it is acknowledged that The University of Trinidad and Tobago’s main thrust was the development of entrepreneurial activity in the national landscape. That said, this program proposes that The University of the West Indies and The University of Trinidad and Tobago, both construct and implement an Entrepreneurship Program of Education that seeks to provide students with the knowledge, skills and motivation to encourage entrepreneurial success in a variety of settings, sectors, and fields that includes small business design, creative and ideas labs, incubator centers, and market, enterprise and business management.
Entrepreneurship Programs at The UWI for instance might be instituted and integrated to research projects and agendas, such as the development of the new steel pans. Part of the patent for such development may include and further into mass manufacturing, sale, marketing and distribution. Also in the area of food production; Cocoa for instance: new varieties may advance into farming and production, as well as the development and innovation of new products that yield directly into manufacturing businesses. So in this way, entrepreneurship finds support and opportunity connected with every academic inquiry, where applicable.
Internships: Entrepreneurs may offer work-study-projects to university students in collaboration with professors or in a larger university wide agreement to perform needed services at their business place. It is a means to mentor, train and give exposure to the student, as well as an affordable means to accomplish specialized tasks, provided adequate supervision as to quality and student performance is monitored.
Post Graduate
University Graduates who excelled in a research project or agenda may find opportunities to develop that work into entrepreneurships or as enterprise owners. How might their recent work and network support the development of such a seamless transition: of student to entrepreneurship? What support systems might be necessary for this? How do we identify the areas in which such a transition is most feasible?
The following section outlines different training and interventions for each category of business: enterprise owners as traders, entrepreneurs and innovators.
Enterprise Owner
This category would include persons whose business operations have very little risk; are comprised of the purchase of items for resale. This category of operators is considered comprising the informal sector in the main: businesses unregistered, unnamed and fluid as to creation and dissolution as time, opportunity, and motives flow.
It is proposed that a study be undertaken to measure such operators per city, Port of Spain, Arima, Chaguanas, etc; per festival-perusing the licensing registered for selling products for carnival and such, and per various areas: products, food, drinks, etc.
With the determination of what areas of exchanges exist in the formal sector; further consideration may be given as to the need, and how to identify useful services of development to this sub sector of entrepreneurship. For instance, is it really productive and feasible to seek to structure and industrialize this segment of society? And how does one regulate such fluidity in a developing country context that is marked and hallmarked by such informal economic activity?
It is of value, however, to do a public poll of this segment, by media, to collect the views of those operating the informal sector to identify those who wish to elevate their operations to the formal and structured micro enterprises.
Entrepreneurship
Intervention per stage of business is a critical factor when fashioning entrepreneurship education, training and learning. The following table outlines such a framework and requirement
Enterprise, Entrepreneurship, Innovation
A.Preparation/Aspirant/Launch;
B.Growth and Development;
C.Maintenance and Sustainability;
D.Legacy
The following is a draft program and intervention of education and training, outlining preferred policy and instruments of intervention
Entrepreneurship Education and Training Elements and Requirements
Stage of BusinessPolicy Field or NeedIntervention/Instrument
Pre-StartIdeasIdea Identification
Technology Transfer
Idea Generation Workshops
Labs
Small Business FormationSmall Business Skills Training
Stage of BusinessPolicy Field or NeedIntervention/Instrument
EstablishedNew IdeasIdea Identification
Technology Transfer
Idea Generation Workshops
Labs
Specialists Guidance &Consultants/Advisors
InvestmentsBanks
Venture Capitalists
Accountants
GrowthMarket OpportunitiesJoint
Expansions
Product Development
Strategic ApproachRegional/Industry Networks
Management
Finance
Employee Enhancement
TradeAgents/Consultants
Legacy/ConversionsLegal
Even though an enterprise, entrepreneurship and innovation training manual is hereby drafting, It is critical to state the belief that all Entrepreneurship Training should be structured based on the stated needs of the entrepreneurs who plan to enroll. This program proposal advocates for each training module amended and specified for each individual and group. From this training can be conceptualized as happening on two levels: the group, general’; and the individual, specific to avoid the implementation of programs that do not take entrepreneurs further or meet their needs as business owners and operators.
Additionally, holding this ideal and concern for met needs, and required content on the part of entrepreneurs, this proposal advocates for successful and real established entrepreneurs as content providers, trainers and mentors; no theoretical lecturers who are neither business owners, startups, operators, entrepreneurs or innovators.
The best way to structure such fluidity is to classify skills sets according to what model of training.
Classification of Entrepreneurial Skills
ClassificationDescription
Technical SkillsWritten and Oral Communication
Monitoring of Environment
Taking advantage of Technology
Relationships and Networking
Administrative
Management
Business Management SkillsDecision Making
Planning and Strategizing
Human Relations
Marketing
Finance
Accounting
General Management
Negotiation Skills
Business Planning
Communication
Growth Management
Personal Entrepreneurial SkillsInner Control
Risk Propensity
Financial, Personal, Social, Time
Innovativeness
Creativity
Opportunity Identification
Change Orientation
Persistence
Visionary Leadership
Financial Literacy, Record Keeping, Marketing
Public Speaking
Mentoring
Skills and Attitudinal Aspects
PILOT PROGRAM The Pilot Program of this National Initiative will comprise the following:
The gathering of a minimum of 25 women entrepreneurs
a.From the five areas on Trinidad and Tobago
(PoS, Sangre Grande, Tobago, Chaguanas, SanFernando, Mayaro) to
i.Give us their personal herstories of Entrepreneurship
ii.Develop an extrapolated poll of women entrepreneurship demographic
iii.Poll on what services, education, training and support is necessary
2.To develop the education training and support modules from which to implement programs according to needs specified
3.{See Pg 29/36 of Chpt 4 for delineated structure}
{See Pg 31/36 of Chpt 4 for specified areas of training options}
4.The need to offer focus group meetings and training/education with Child care!!
5.This initial group will also register for the first entrepreneurship training, to give feedback, critique and imput to its development
NOTE: Funding and Finance Provision and Opportunities must be included before Training can
The EWEEI Targets will be determined once the Subsequent steps of the Overall Program gets underway; mainly to poll the stakeholders, screen pilot group participants and receive input from other sources in the finalization of the program.
Such targets will include:
-initial numbers of persons and companies screened
-numbers of persons trained and companies integrated
-numbers of persons and businesses financed
-and numbers maintained through post-program mentoring and maintenance support
EWEEI Phases and Steps for each Participant will also be determined once initial screening and program finalization/tweaking is done for this particular grouping.
The Possible Economic Contributions to EWEEI Programs
1.Increase numbers of new firms
2.Increase number of employed
3.Increase economic productivity, turnover and activity
4.Economic Innovation and Spillover Effects
INCUBATOR— StartUP
To structure an Incubator as a Study Lab comprising various elements:
1.Circles where women Entrepreneurs weekly, biweekly or monthly discussed their business challenges and problem solved
2.Where the StartUp and Training Entrepreneurs could interface with Models, Mentors and Established Entrepreneurs
3.Lab where Problems are Sent out to Technical, Solutions Oriented Networks
4.Step by Step Counseling and Support from Idea to Enterprise Launch
5.Part of the Incubator would be a Proposal Competition:
a.Project:Proposal Submission
b.Project Judges
c.Project Inclusion for Support and Fostering
1.Winners do Entrepreneurial Training
·This is another way to administer the program for Advanced Entrepreneurs, those with Business Plans
Specific Incubators
Trinidad: Industry/Field Specific
Tobago: Industry/Field Specific: Tourism for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment
Women make up an important percentage of the tourism workforce, but more work must be done to close the wealth and skills gap between men and women employed in tourism, according to a new World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)/UN Women report launched at the ITB tourism fair in Berlin on 11 March 2011.
INCUBATOR— AfterCare, Business Coaching and Maintenance
Early research and market observations show that this time period after startup is where most operations need and can benefit from intervention, guidance, support and mentorship. It appears that in Trinidad and Tobago, it is easy to start a business but challenging to maintain, grow, and innovate within the enterprise. As a result, one sees an owner/operator running several enterprises at once; the idea to integrate and crate multi-armed operations less common.This may reinforce the point and need of ongoing business coaching.
Lending programmes for women have attracted a growing following in international development circles because they appear to hold out the promise of combining poverty reduction objectives with the goal of empowering women. In Bangladesh, however – the country in which many of these programmes were pioneered – there have been several contradictory evaluations of the impact of credit on women’s lives. This paper considers reasons for these inconsistent conclusions, highlighting differences in the methodologies used, the questions asked, and in the models of power underpinning the various evaluations. What appears to be common to all the evaluations, positive and negative, is that they draw on an externally derived notion of empowerment rather than one which draws on the analysis of the women loanees themselves.
BRIDGE
EWEEI Program Evaluation
Having implemented the Empowering Women’s Enterprise, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program in Trinidad and Tobago, it would be critically useful to evaluate its implementation, effects and impacts on all levels, specifically that from the trainees, enrollees and entrepreneurs’ perspectives, but also on a program, Enterprise Division, Ministry and Government impact.
The following are questions framed to assess the perspective of the client, the trainees, the enrollees and entrepreneurs
The Objectives of Evaluation are to:
1.To measure the effectiveness of the EWEEI, as a training intervention, on potential, startupand established women entrepreneurs
2.To determine whether the content of the EWEEI has an effect on women starting their own business
3.To determine whether the content of the EWEEI has an effect on women growing their own business
4.To determine whether the content of the EWEEI has an effect on women sustaining their business
5.To determine the entrepreneurial, management and business skills, knowledge and behaviors the EWEEI imparts to enrollees
6.To determine and outline the reaction (do they like) measures of the EWEEI enrollees
a.Were enrollee expectations met?
7.To determine and outline the learning (do they understand) measures of the EWEEI enrollees
8.To determine and outline the behavior (can and have they done) measures of the EWEEI enrollees
9.To determine, outline and identify the result/success (does it make a difference) and how measures of the EWEEI enrollee business
a.The difference in business performance: before and after
b.The itemization of change after practice change
Evaluation Methodology for EWEEI
Resources and Time Allotment will determine the structure of the evaluation methodology. IF time is given, proper evaluation methodology will see the creation of an experimental group, those women entrepreneurs who enroll and embark on various EWEEI programs and training versus the creation of a control group those entrepreneurs who are not EWEEI program or training enrollees or members. Such a separation allows for comparison of entrepreneurial, marketing and business practices that is thus a demonstration of impact, value and change of the EWEEI Program.
Apart from a specific and stated evaluation project of the EWEEI, however, during all stages of the Program, its component sections and trainings, as well as for every individual enrollee and by groups to aspirants, startups, growth and sustaining groups, monitoring and surveying will take place to document feedback and assessment. To determine whether and how the program is implemented and managed.
All enrollees will also be given an initial evaluation to benchmark their own personal views of entrepreneurship, of women entrepreneurs, women as business people, and their perspective on women as managers, effectual learners and enterprise owners. Such a survey will also outline their expectations and used as a guideline for their pathway through the program and training and as a guideline to EWEEI to see how components are to be altered to serve their needs.
Part Nine
Trade After Enterprise/Entrepreneurship Development, Training and Program Implementation, Then TRADE
BRIDGE (2006) Gender and Trade
Trade liberalisation has generated new employment opportunities for women – in non-traditional agriculture such as cut flowers, in clothing and textiles, in the electronics-oriented Export Processing Zones (EPZs), and in the service sectors. Paid employment can improve women’s autonomy as well as their economic and social status. It can also shift power relations between women and men, including at the household level, and can improve women’s well-being, negotiating power and overall status. Despite the advantages, however, women tend to have less skilled jobs than men, their wages are generally lower than men’s, and they often work in unhealthy and/or exploitative conditions. This pack analyses the different impacts of trade liberalisation on women and men and considers how development practitioners can better promote gender equality and support women's access to the benefits of trade. The pack is a concise and practical resource, consisting of an Overview Report, a Supporting Resources Collection providing summaries of key texts, case studies, tools and manuals, and networking and contact details, and an issue of the Gender and Development In Brief bulletin.
Part Ten
Future Steps to the Women’s Entrepreneurship (EWEEI) Program
1.Write Draft Women’s Entrepreneurship Program
a.Integrate Youth Entrepreneurial Group TT in Chaguanas.
i.They are already Mentoring
b.Integrate NINA Young Women’s Entrepreneurship Training, of IGNITE Women’s
i.They are already in Schools
Above Completed
2.Research, Data Collection, Program Identification in and throughout the GORTT
4 MOS
Objective of the Study Component
1. Data collection:
To “collect and compile a report of key quantitative and qualitative data on women entrepreneurs in Trinidad and Tobago to gather insights on the gender implications enterprise, entrepreneurship and innovation.
The report will help inform the incorporation of gender considerations into the design and implementation of women’s entrepreneurship development, training and service provision.
The study is essentially a market study of women entrepreneurs and how they compare with a control group of men business owners to better understand the gender dimensions of SME.
In order to complete the market analysis, the study also hopes to cover the suppliers of credit particularly private and government banks, other microfinance institutions (MFIs) as well as cooperatives and informal lenders.
I. Info Collection
a.Map out how all the programs in all the Ministries might be Integrated
b.Collect Documentation, Program Papers, Policy Statements and Cabinet Notes of Women’s Entrepreneurship >> COMPILE
c.WRITE REPORT/ WRITE/DRAFT Integration
II. Stakeholder Polling of Programs, SWAT, Draft Program
a.Stakeholder Polling
i.Government:
1.All Ministries
a.Planning and Gender Division
ii.Private Sector:
1.IGNITE
2.WOMEN’s
iii.Individual Entrepreneurs
b.Stakeholder Strategy and Process
a.Created Database from II.a. Above
b.Identify Focus Groups/ Polling Groups
i.Service Providers
1.Government
2.Private
3.NGO
ii.Service Receivers
1.Public
a.Entrepreneurs
b.Vendors
c.Create EDD System for Reaching Out
i.Letter to Ministries, Permanent Secretaries?
ii.GORTT Wide PS and Head/Chief Officers Conference?
III.Numbers and Statistical Assessments of Programs’ Effectiveness/Impact
a.What numbers of women seek service and product?
b.Assessment of Programs Effectiveness to Entrepreneurship Development
c.Assessment of Programs Effectiveness to Realistically Improve Women’s Lives
IV. Integration of all ABOVE I. – III.
Proposed Policy Statement
3.Revise and Confirm Pilot EWEEI Program
4.Write ?
a.EWEEI Proposal? For Circulation of Fund Contribution Purposes?
b.Manual of Women’s Entrepreneurship Development
“manual as a compendium of practical approaches to training, entrepreneurship development and women's empowerment,”
c.Training Modules & Programme in Women’s Entrepreneurship Development
To train facilitators and government agents, entities dealing with and for women
“to strengthen and improve the capability of its network organisations engaged in assisting women entrepreneurs.”
5.Implement PILOT
APPENDIX
The following interview and information is anecdotal to the question of “does Trinidad and Tobago have enterprise owners or entrepreneurs?” These points in a conversation also alert us to the direction any entrepreneurship program should take for established enterprise: growth and innovation. It also implies and indicates only a segment of the sector would have been polled. It is believed that many on the lower rungs of society would like to get into business but have no knowledge of how to do so. The fact that the study shows that people do not know how to grow the business may raise questions as to the legitimacy of if they are really running a business or just trading or mom and pop. The demographic of the study will tell a lot. In any case, Entrepreneurs require innovation and creation. Enterprise ownership does not. See the thread. It is from an unviewed interview on a morning TV Show.
Our small size prevents us from growing our economy on our own. We need to grow our economy by looking outside: setting up businesses and joint ventures in other locations. The new entrepreneurship must be innovation driven. We must have quality new ventures to see big success.
One reason why we're not seeing the economic activity, despite our faith in ourselves, is that the opportunities being pursued by the entrepreneurs are not innovative enough...
