Author: Inna Boyko
Executive Director
of ZNGO “Center for Career Development “Professionals”
In May, 2019, 20 Zaporizhia women, who are set to start their own businesses, have completed a training course under the program “Women Business School”. It was a highly topical program. Specifically, it included 8 modules and covered the fundamentals of entrepreneurship for new businesswomen to develop such skills as drafting business plans, the “Business Model Canvas”, marketing and financial plans, customer funnel, communication and team management, fund-raising for business at the launching/extension stage.
The knowledge acquired by the trainees will help them to effectively analyze their ideas and competitive environment, prospective customers, as well as to shape their own vision of their businesses and to develop an effective business plan.
After completion of the course, 14 participants are currently working on development of their own business plans. Later, during June-July, they will be mentored and receive expert advice on financial and legal issues, marketing tools and HR management, PR, taxation, etc.
The “Women Business School” training program is aimed at reducing unemployment level, setting up and scaling businesses of participating women and men, developing social infrastructure in the city, promoting small and medium businesses, namely women businesses, in Zaporizhia.
The “Women Business School” is held in the framework of the project “Business Women’s Space” – a co-working center for support of social innovations, women entrepreneurship and start-up companies”. It is implemented by the “Center for Career Development “Professionals” NGO in partnership with the “Ukrainian Women” NGO as part of the program “Project for development of small and medium-sized entrerprises in Zaporizhia for 2017-2021” financed by SME Support Fund of the international technical assistance project “Partnership for Local Economic Development and Democratic Governance” (PLEDDG), which is implemented by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and funded by Global Affairs Canada.
Project Director, Executive Director of ZNGO “Center for Career Development “Professionals” – Inna Boyko.