The Challenges of Growing Small Businesses - International Labour ...

2.4 Women’s use of Business Support Services
Figure 4:
Accessing Business Support Services
Numerous public,
private and non-
Enterprise Support Sector
government agencies
(Government, NGO, Private Sector, Membership
Organisations, donors etc)
have been established
in the three study
countries, offering a
range of programmes
and activities
Abilities,
Motivation &
specifically aimed at
skills and
Determination
experience
promoting and
supporting enterprise
H
development. In
S
N
addition, all three
Women
secondary research
P
F
reports noted that a
whole range of
Idea with a
Resources
Market
Plan
Manage
international and
national policies and
programmes exist to
support
the
development of
entrepreneurship (see
the report annexes of
JUDAI, 2002; Zewde
The Economic / Market Environment
(Opportunities and threats)
and Associates, 2002;
and UDEC, 2002).
Many women
entrepreneurs, especially those who lack business experience and have poor access to
resources, would seem to be prime candidates as clients for business support initiatives.
The secondary research revealed mixed experiences, with few women taking advantage of
business support initiatives.
Figure 4 places emphasis on the importance of accessing support, and how it connects
to the components of the MAIR framework. Appropriate and affordable business support
contributes significantly to developing motivation and determination for enterprise, as well
as abilities and ideas.
2.4.1 Awareness and experience of Business Support
Services
All three research teams revealed mixed views about the degree to which women
entrepreneurs are aware of and use secondary business support services, and the extent to
which the services of these business support providers are accessible and appropriate to
women’s needs. Whilst women appear to make extensive use of micro-credit provision
where it is available, and are a key target group for many MFIs, they seem to be less
engaged as clients of other types of business development services. In some countries for
cultural and social reasons women may be restricted in their ability to network beyond
their immediate family or female friends, and many may not be aware of the existence of
any of the formal support agencies. In addition the extent to which formal business
development services reach out to women as a client group, and the effectiveness of their
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