Firm canvasses linkages among businesswomen

With a view to create more opportunities, WEConnect International is canvassing for linkages among women in businesses in Nigeria and their counterparts overseas.

The non-profit organisation, at its first yearly Business Exhibition in Lagos, said such international exposure was needed for innovations in their businesses.

Executive Director, WeConnect International Nigeria, Comfort Avunze Sakome, said since women in business do believe in the capacity to succeed, it means that the women entrepreneur in this part of the world fell more confident about their ability to be successful as business owners.

Sakome observed that women most of the times venture into businesses out of desperation or a need to create employment because of the high level of unemployment rate, but “innovation and thinking big are not priorities in the businesses.”

She added that the challenge was getting women entrepreneurs to believe that they can actually do businesses with multinationals corporations, adding that Nigerians have this warped mentality that contracts can only be gotten from or done with the government.

According to her, “The first step is getting these business owners to understand that every single thing in a company’s office, starting from the paintings on the wall to the chairs they are sitting on and the water they are drinking are all contracted and sourced; and that this is an opportunity for them to become vendors for these companies. They should never think they are too small.”

Speaking further, Sakome said: “With the aim to help these women entrepreneurs connect to these multi-nationals and do believe they are worthy to do business with them, WeConnect is committed to building a better working world with increased trust and confidence in business, sustainable growth, development of talents in all its forms and greater collaboration.’

She pointed out that this initiative is not just some women empowerment thing, as some would see it, adding, “One of the value propositions is to connect these women with these big corporations. We want to bring innovative solutions to your workplace, which will save you cost and time.”

Meanwhile the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Weconnect International, Elizabeth Vazquez, while lauding African women entrepreneurs, said, “We’ve been working in North America, Europe and Asia and there are millions of growing women entrepreneurs in Africa who want to compete in business. So, we seized this opportunity to connect these buyers and these sellers.”

Vazquez expressed excitement with the potentials at the trade fair through the effort of the organisation, noting that it has been able to grow the network from zero to 695 people.

While at the seminar, participants were urged to grow and build jobs and above all, pay their workers well. They were made to understand that these simple principles to every business will help their foundation grow even better and stronger. “Care well for your workers. You must be different from the men,” the Founder and Presenter of Voice of Eve TV Show, Dr. Mrs. Arene told them.