AS the two-day Women in Business Expo wrapped up on Sunday evening at the Pegasus Hotel, with the second part of the “Inspire You” seminar, attendees have deemed the entire event, ‘inspiring.’

When the Guyana Chronicle spoke with several persons who were enjoying the exhibits, and making full use of the sales, all of them expressed similar sentiments.

One woman said that she came out on both days and she wished there was a third. “I really enjoyed this exhibition and I am not only here for the sales, but I was here for inspiration and I definitely received it,” she said.

She added: “I always wanted to start my own small business, but I wasn’t sure what to do. But I have gotten so many ideas today, that I think it might be a challenge now to pick one.”

A 15-year-old student, Anastacia Liverpool, said that she was in awe at the level of creativity and she was inspired as a young woman.
“The creativity level was off the chart. As a business student it really inspired me and opened my mind towards a lot of things; and I hope they do this event every year, so that other young persons like myself can have this opportunity to feel the level of inspiration I am feeling right now,” Liverpool said.

Another young woman said that the expo made her aware of a lot of talented and creative people that Guyana has. In fact, she was edified on how persons use a lot of ‘queer’ things, and turn them into magnificent pieces from which they gain incomes.

One of the committee members of the Expo, Trevor Gobin, said that the turnout this year was even bigger than last year. He said that from the expo, the exhibitors were given more than “just an opportunity to showcase their products.”

“Leading up to the expo, the exhibitors were given training, coaching sessions on how to promote their business, how to dress for success, technology and business. So when they leave the expo, it’s not just ‘oh they came here and exhibit the items that they have’, but they left with how to market their business, how to build their customer base, and many other things.

Danielle John, another committee member, said that this year they added a second “Inspire You” seminar to cater for persons who could not have made it to the first.
She explained that the seminar is where they have women with successful businesses, sharing their story, with the hope of inspiring someone who hears it.

“Everybody has a story to tell, and you can find yourself connecting with someone else’s story. You can say to yourself, ‘if they can go through it and make it out, then I can do it too.’ So the seminar is to have that effect on people. To inspire them,” John said.

In addition to the seminar, John said that the exhibitors were all satisfied with success of the expo. This year she said, saw a total of 46 exhibitors showcasing their businesses, and each of them had got a sale during the expo, since a lot of patrons came out to show support.

John said that she believes the expo was a really great initiative from Sonia Noel and it has created many opportunities, especially for small businesses.

“There are a lot of opportunities exposed to, especially for small businesses. When these businesses are a part of the expo, because you don’t know what type of clients you might meet, probably one who can take your business regionally, or even internationally… We have a lot of talent here, and lot of excellent products. This year was really nice,” John expressed.