Nepalese women in MSMEs sharpen business tools for innovation and leadership

Kathmandu, Nepal - To manage risks and enhance quality business decision-making Nepalese women who are engaged in micro, small and medium enterprises recently participated in a series of training programs designed to prepare them for greater challenges in the field of business.

Co-organized by the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry and WINNER-Nepal, the short skills-upgrading courses provided the women entrepreneurs preparation to deal with issues and problems associated with the dynamics in the workplace, disruptive situations in the industry and uncertainties in the changing conditions of markets. The training programs included: negotiation skills in crisis situations; aim-oriented performance appraisal; strategic planning; and leadership development.

Recent political turbulence and industrial disruptions, as Nepal transitioned from  monarchy to republican democracy, have impacted the nature of business and harmony between business owners and workers. To provide valuable lessons from the experiences during the transition period, the organizers of the training program on negotiation and crisis management invited experts and leaders in the business community, to share their insight and expertise as resource persons: Sanu Raja Shilpakar of the Lalitpur Chamber Commerce and Raja Dharubhadel of Bhaktapur Chamber of Commerce as well as Dharma Shakya of the Federation of Handicraft Associations of Nepal.

Productivity has been a continuing challenge to business organization, particularly in light of trends in the emerging markets overseas. To cope with keeping financially healthy businesses, and improving productive capacities, a short-term training course was conducted to provide women entrepreneurs the basic tools in assessing performance, measuring results and using the insight from such evidence-based data for strategic planning and development of business. For this, the organizers invited a resource person from the academe, namely Prof. Timila Yani Thapa of the Institute of Engineering, University of Tribhuvan, who showed the participants the practical applications of metrics and insights from data and information as basis for plotting a course of action for business.

Harmony in the workplace is vital to business growth and development.  Achieving harmony can best be enhanced by two-way communication.  Motivating people to work together is also a challenge to leadership in a business organization.  Invited to handle the training session on innovation and business leadership was Dr. Niti Rama, director of the New Era Career Development Academy. 

Some sixty women from micro, small and medium enterprises across the country attended the training programs, with majority of them representing various industry sectors.