–for women to move forward as entrepreneurs

WOMEN are becoming leaders in every aspect of society, compared to decades ago, but it is paramount that they help each other grow, especially as entrepreneurs and business leaders.

This is the view of businesswoman Valrie Grant, who said there are very few women who have climbed the ladder of success as businesswomen and not enough is being done to promote women.
Grant who is the chief executive officer of GeoTech Vision, a local company that sells a wide variety of electronic equipment, was recently Guyana’s ambassador on Women’s Entrepreneurship Day.

Speaking against the backdrop of Women’s Entrepreneurship Day, a day set aside to celebrate women who have made successful strides in the field of business, Grant said women are behind as entrepreneurs.
She noted that there is no secret that most women who are entrepreneurs are usually found in the craft, cosmetics or food industries, which indicate their spectrum is parochial despite advancements in tech, agriculture and other sectors.

Women need to change their mindset, she said, contending that this is necessary for them to elevate and help others progress as entrepreneurs.
“We need to change our attitudes to serve us better,” said Grant, who added that two of the major barriers to growth of women entrepreneurs are lack of ambition and their inability to support each other enough.

“As far as human nature goes, once you succeed, you often forget where you came from,” Grant said, pointing out that this is common with many established entrepreneurs.
“Women have a problem whereby when they reach to a certain level, they do not look behind them and help another woman to get to that level,” she lamented, stressing that women need to give back so that everyone can be successful.
Over the years, the Small Business Bureau (SBB) and even First Lady Sandra Granger have made attempts to get more women into business.

There have been many training seminars and projects geared towards providing “start-ups” for women, especially those in the rural areas who need alternative sources of livelihoods to make a living and survive.
Women in rural areas engage mainly in subsistence economic activities such as farming, fishing and making of craft to sustain themselves and support their families.

During the business “start-up” training exercises, women were schooled to support each other, especially when it comes to improving the commodities that the other produces.
“We need more role models; more persons going out there and more of them playing it forward,” Grant told Guyana Chronicle, pointing out that it only takes one person to make a difference and start a trend.

Once persons get involved and start assisting each other, she believes that no one would be left behind. The businesswoman was of the view that once there is unity, women will be able to make a bigger contribution to the economic development of Guyana and the Caribbean as a whole.

Women who have already started to work together were sensitised on the impact of their work at a recent luncheon hosted by GeoTech Vision and the Women Entrepreneurship Network for the Caribbean.
The luncheon, however, had a more significant purpose, since the proceeds from it went towards assisting women in the Caribbean islands who were affected by natural disasters. Scotiabank, Republic Bank, Social Rank Media and the SBB also contributed to the cause.