Conquering
the Global Exports Market just got Simpler for Women Entrepreneurs!
"Women entrepreneurs Economic
Empowerment - From Local to Global" was the theme of the Seminar jointly
hosted by World Trade Center Goa and the Women's Wing of Goa Chamber of Commerce
and Industry (WWGCCI). The Seminar was organized at the Nalanda Hall, EDC
House, Panaji Goa, on 28th April 2022.
The main objective of the seminar as spelt
out by Mr. Cyril Desouza, Assistant Director - Trade Promotion World Trade
Center Goa, during his opening remarks, was to address the three main
challenges namely of Finance, Ideas and Market reach that are becoming so
daunting especially in the post COVID -19 scenario and especially challenging
for Women Entrepreneurs as they seek to find greater Economic Empowerment in
the Global business arena.
The finance aspect was addressed by Ms.
Pallavi Salgaocar, Chairperson, WWGCCI, and certified Chartered Accountant, who
started her address by making brief comments on how to select the right
country, which countries to avoid and also dwelt on the aspects of a successful
Market Entry Plan and Strategy. Diving into the aspect of Finance, Ms.
Salgaocar said that Market Research will strongly impact success chances and
should be in sync with the finance backing.
She then moved on to the aspect of Export financing which could be done through
Banks, Subsidies and Government financing or also through Investments and more
recently through Crowd funding. Ms. Salgaocar summed up her presentation by
saying that a very good Financial Planning and Strategy coupled with a strong
determination to succeed are hall marks which women entrepreneurs should inculcate
in their quest of seeking global Economic Empowerment.
Moving on to the realm of Ideas, Ms. Rahila
Khan, Lecturer in Garment Technology at the Government Polytechnic College,
addressed the fashion aspect with emphasis on the clothing and garment sector.
She began by saying that fashion is what is adopted by a majority of people and
explained that the Pre Historic period fashion was purely functional whereas
the Modern period fashions addressed the Functional as well as non functional
aspects. She moved on to say that in the 15th Century fashion was Slow, in the
18th Century there was a demand for Designer Wear, 19th Century saw the demand
for Ready-mades and the 20th Century has seen a shift from Couture to Pret. Ms.
Khan then addressed a few Do's for
success that included Use of Traditional art, Innovative products and effective
pricing. Whereas the Dont's included avoiding high pricing and making products
without demand. The latest trends she
said were the Bohemian Styles, Unisex Clothing and Gender Fluid Clothing. Ms.
Khan strongly recommended that Rental
Wardrobes and Exchange / Repair cafes will be strong aspects that could also be
considered for fueling growth in the Global Fashion Industry and could add
strongly to Women Entrepreneurs Economic Empowerment.
Ms. Prathiba G, Chief Marketing Officer,
NavaTies, addressed the aspect of how to Explore Export Opportunities in the
International Markets. She began by saying that India is at the helm of a major
growth in Exports and the major seasonal changes across the globe make the export
market very attractive for Women Entrepreneurs. Ms. Prathiba then addressed the
key steps for Exports which included the Preparation Stage - Setting up for
Exports, the Marketing Stage - Finding a buyer and the Transaction Stage -
Executing the Export order. She emphasized that for Export Success it is very important
to Evaluate Trade Statistics, Attend Events related to International Trade and
also to get listed in county wise directories / Catalogues. Ms. Prathiba introduced the NavaTies App which she said is
a simple one point solution for Global Exports Success and highlighted some of
the features of the App which supported various activities that related to
Marketing, Registration/ Certification activities, Logistics /
Transportation amongst others.
While expressing The Vote of Thanks Ms. Sonia
Rocha, Officer, World Trade Center Goa, pondered on the finer aspects of the
Seminar and hoped that they would be of
great benefits for Women Entrepreneurs who are seeking to conquer the Globe.
Seen in the Picture (From L-R) Ms. Pallavi Salgaocar (Addressing) Ms. Prathiba G, Ms. Rahila Khan and Mr. Cyril Desoua
