International Opportunities and Impact

May 12, 2015 at 10:30 AM | Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

When you see the words “women” and “international” in the same sentence, so many things come to mind: Women business owners thinking bigger about the potential of scaling their businesses by expanding in overseas markets. Women in developing nations struggling to gain basic rights women in the U.S. have enjoyed for decades, including the right to start and run your own business and access to the education and capital that make it all possible.

At NAWBO, many of our women entrepreneurs have taken their businesses global in recent years or are now thinking about it. That’s why we have always had an international breakout session track at our Women’s Business Conference hosted by NAWBO—this year, September 28-29 in San Antonio, Texas—and we make it a priority to provide valuable resources and education to our members who are interested in international business throughout the year. Additionally, through our new MentorCloud online mentoring platform that we are preparing to roll out this year, global-minded women in business will be able to seamlessly connect for valuable support and advice.

At the same time, we remain committed to positively impacting entrepreneurial women the world over. That’s been increasingly evident through our growing number of partnerships with organizations that are focused on identifying and supporting women in developing nations. In this issue of NAWBO ONE, I hope you’ll take the time to read our Member Spotlight on longtime NAWBO member and leader Terry Neese, who, after successfully running her own staffing agency for 31 years, founded the Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women whose PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® Program empowers and mentors women entrepreneurs in Afghanistan and Rwanda. Now in its ninth year, the program has graduated more than 500 women who have created more than 12,000 jobs for their communities and countries.

In this issue, we also feature a Q&A with a leader from Opportunity International. This new NAWBO partner is helping women entrepreneurs around the world to break the cycle of poverty and thrive. Opportunity International is accomplishing this by providing loans, savings programs, insurance, business training and other financial services to empower community entrepreneurs to launch and expand businesses that break the cycle of poverty, transform their lives and strengthen their families and communities. Be sure to read how NAWBO members can get involved to make a difference.

In the Unites States, there are currently 9.1 million women business owners, making us the fastest growing segment in today’s economy. However, in many other countries around the world, women remain an untapped economic resource. According to the International Labor Organization, there are 812 million women living in developing countries with the potential to contribute more fully to their economies.

This month, I encourage you to consider what international opportunities exist for your business as well as what you can do to help other women around the world who share your entrepreneurial passion and spirit.

—Darla Beggs, NAWBO National Chair