The secret to a successful business goes much beyond just setting up a business or paying attention to customer services alone. This is what women operating small businesses in Paro learnt from a training yesterday. According to them, their businesses are barely thriving due to a lack of knowledge on how to do proper business. Following the training on marketing and accounting, and building customer relations among others, these women say, they are now more confident of turning their businesses into successful ventures.
Around 50 women owning small businesses such as restaurants, grocery shops, garment shops and pan shops in Paro attended the day-long financial management training.
They say such training will empower them to become financially independent business owners.
“I have learned that saving even Nu 100 from the daily income is worthwhile. Until now, I used to keep hoping for better days to save better amounts. But this is wrong as per the training. If I can save Nu 100 daily, I will have Nu 3000 for saving. This is what I am going to practice now,” said Kinley Wangmo, a restaurant owner.
“We were trained on how to manage our money properly. And one of the most important lessons that I have learned from the training is how to cater to our customers because without customers we don’t exist. Therefore, I know how to deal with my customers more professionally now,” said Thinley Choden, a garment shop owner.
“To have a workshop like this one, where everyone can gather and talk about their experiences and their challenges is enriching. We even had role-plays about how to deal with customers. It’s a good exercise to remind shopkeepers that the customers are the King. At the same time we are here to encourage them to do business well and keep on doing business because it is important for women to keep on making money and be independent,” said Yangday, Trainer.
Tashi Beverages organized the workshop titled Jabchor to empower women. They have trained over a hundred women running businesses in Thimphu and Paro so far.
Similar workshops will be provided to women operating small businesses in the rest of the districts as well.
Namgay Wangchuk, Paro
Edited by Phub Gyem
