Michel Botzung Senior Operations Officer

Sustainable Business AdvisoryApril 6th 2011

How to unlock another emerging market - Women Entrepreneurs / The experience of IFC's SME Solutions

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What are we aiming at?

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IFC’s SME Solutions : SME Toolkit and Business Edge

SME Toolkit (www.smetoolkit.org)

The SME Toolkit leverages the latest information and communication technologies. It works with global partners and a network of local distributors, to provide SMEs with on-line and mobile phone access to business management information, interactive tools, and training resources.

The SME Toolkit is available in 32 markets in 18 languages

Kenya Saudi Arabia

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IFC’s SME Solutions : SME Toolkit and Business Edge

Business Edge

BE is an IFC owned training system specifically designed to strengthen the management skills of owners, managers and staff of SMEs. BE offers clients applicable management training solutions adapted to the local business context, and delivered by a network of local franchised providers and certified trainers.

BE covers 42 management courses, available in 10 languages and rolled out in 27 markets

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A Global presence with Local partners

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Business Edge is present in 27 countries since 2004

SME Toolkit is present in 32 countries since 2002

Business Edge was selected by the following brands to build their value chain

SME Toolkit local implementation Partners

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Wholesale Business Model

Tools, Information & Training Curriculasare made available against fees to

Local/Regional Distributors

Self-study managem. books in bookstore

s

Public trainin

g course

s

Customized courses for

SME in value chains

Corporations/IFC clients

Training firms

& Trainers

Publisher

SME TK & BE Content

Capacity Building & Management of

Distributors’ Network

Market Development & Brand Awareness

IFC’s Services

SMEs & Entrepreneurs

IFC’s SME Management Solutions

Local Stakeholders (Firms, NGOs,

Gos, etc.)

Web-based Tools,

Templates and

Information

What does our data tell us? Region Middle East &

North Africa( since2004)

Sub Saharan Africa

(since 2008)

Latin America (since 2009)

# of Total Trained 54,655 4,068 1,154

# of Women Trained

11,421 1,670 504

% of Women Trained

21% 41% 44%MENA with 21% average reach reflects the regional conservative attitude towards women and their lower participation in the labor force

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*Data covers 27 countries and include 16,656 women and 50,160 men

• Cultural differences influence the number of women trained

• Globally, there is no significant difference between courses taken by men or women…

Courses* Men Women

Finance and Accounting 15% 18%

General Operations Management

6% 9%

Human Resources Management

6% 7%

Marketing Management 40% 34%

Others 10% 8%

Personal Productivity Skill 22% 24%

Tourism 0.2% 0.2%

…but women specific content has attraction

# of Visits

“Women owned business” section attracted 13,350 visits on the Global SME Toolkit website

Data source: Global site,

between January to March 2011

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13350# of Visits

Looking at the past to develop the future: Key Lessons Learned

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• t:

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Format • Depends on the size of the business. Short and flexible training modules are

essential for women micro-entrepreneurs, allowing them to care for their families whilst taking classes. It is less true with SMEs and bigger companies.

Delivery Model• Working with local partners who know how to work with women to

overcome entrenched barriers• Women only training : mostly demanded for micro-entrepreneurs in

extremely conservative regions (Afghanistan)• Go where women are, target specific sectors

Content• Add strong female character in examples: helps trainees identify with them. • Content delivered in the same way regardless of the sex of the participants.