– women entrepreneurs advise

WHEN 35-year-old single parent mother Giselle Denny started her small business, she never fully appreciated the task of preparing financial statements. She had to rely solely on an accountant to complete what she thought was a daunting component of the business.

Thanks to her recent participation in the ‘Road to Growth’ programme, though, Denny is in a better position now to prepare her own statements for her ‘GoLive Projects’ business. As a young business woman, she signed up because she recognised that she did not have all of the know-how to effectively manage the business.

ActionINVEST Caribbean Inc., in partnership with the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women and ExxonMobil Foundation, celebrated the graduation of Denny and dozens of other women from the programme a few days ago.

Since its inception in 2021, the ‘Road to Growth’ programme has empowered women entrepreneurs in Guyana, providing them with essential business development and financial literacy skills.

“The biggest take away for me was the accounting component of it. I have an accountant do that for me and I trust their judgement implicitly but by means of this course, I can now review the financial statements and even prepare them myself,” Denny shared with Guyana Chronicle, adding, “I can look at a statement and translate it into actions that can fix issues.”

As a single parent who also works fulltime and is an MBA student, Denny also learnt the art of time management and the benefits of digital marketing.

To fellow business owners, she offered this bit of advice: “The only thing that’s stopping you from achieving your business goals is you. We just need to make that start, put in the effort. As the saying goes, ‘short term pain, long term gain’ and once we make that start, we stick to it and take the challenges as they come. Eventually, we overcome these and we are able to land ourselves where we want to be.”
Channey Wong, owner of Mommy and Me Gy, is another participant who graduated from the programme.

In the seven weeks of training, she said they were given the tools to not just develop entrepreneurial skills. “We were given case studies and projects to help us analyse problems, devise solutions, plan efficiently and to work effectively along with our team.”

As a mom and business owner with a 9 to 5 job, she explained that it was challenging to juggle it all. However, she was able to create a work life balance. “Proper planning helped a lot with this and keeping a daily log of my task and making weekly goals.”

According to her, the facilitators also supported the mothers in the programmes by providing child care services to ensure no one had to miss class in the event that they had no other arrangement for child care.

Her word of encouragement to fellow small business owners: “Do understand that the journey ahead would be challenging but it is also rewarding beyond measure. Each setback is a lesson and a stepping stone that brings you closer to your goal.”

Apart from Denny and Wong, throughout the ceremony, personal testimonials from participants highlighted the transformative journey they experienced during the programme. Their stories underscored the programme’s effectiveness in developing business acumen, leadership qualities, and a strong entrepreneurial spirit among women.

First Lady Arya Ali commended the graduates for their dedication and perseverance, emphasising the crucial role of women in society and pledging her support for gender parity and women’s empowerment initiatives.

Cherie Blair praised the participants for their entrepreneurial endeavours and their impact on local communities. “These women are not just creating businesses; they are fostering economic growth and providing essential services,” she remarked.

The ‘Road to Growth’ programme addresses the specific business development and financial literacy needs of women who own small business. It has been successfully delivered annually in Guyana since 2021.