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By Sunday Adegoke
Experts in business recently exposed some businesswomen to the secrets of success in the business world, leaving them with the mindset that building a growing business enterprise is no longer the exclusive preserve of men.
The women learnt new ways to innovate at a workshop organized by The Phoenix Learning and Development Academy (TPLDA) in Lagos. The women-in-business workshop was held at Landmark Towers, Oniru, Lagos, recently.
The businesswomen learnt that they can excel in business if they are able to conceive and develop ideas that would better the lot of the society.
The workshop provided opportunity for women to share their thoughts on how best they can survive in the global, but male-dominated economy.
Entitled “Women Network and Business Partnership”, the workshop attracted women from mostly private organizations. Participants were taken through the rudiments of owning and building a business enterprise.
At the event, the Director, Strategy, Funding and Stakeholder Management, Mrs Abosede Alimi, urged women to be strategic in their thinking and actions, if they want to succeed in their chosen trades.
Alimi advised women to keep abreast of developments in the global economy, maintain their contacts and regularly exchange correspondences with their mentors or mentees. By so doing, she said prospective and existing business owners would be able to innovate, know the problems facing them and strategize to overcome problems at the initial or future stages of business.
She advised the participants to leverage on the opportunities offered by social media tools such as Linkedln, Facebook, Whatapp, Twitter and others for growth as well as using e-mail to exchange ideas that would increase their networth.
“To build tangible assets and revenues, women must introduce new products and brands regularly. Besides, they should try and mitigate risks, by running away from business(es) they have little or knowledge of. History has shown that accomplished leaders in businesses in Europe and other climes, carry out a through business research before they delve into it. Little wonders they are succeeding,” Alimi said.
Similarly, the Chief Executive officer, Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPMAN), Mrs Ajibola Ponle, urged women to certify themselves in areas outside their core competence.
She disclosed that she got certification in event management and coaching in order to excel in the trades.
She advised caterers to seek more knowledge about their business by knowing how to prepare foreign dishes in order to meet the needs of international tastes. She said meeting the needs of locals is not enough because Nigerians travel far and near for tourism globally.
Entrepreneurs, she said, should not be afraid to partner with their colleagues, claiming that nobody can steal their ideas through that means.