Entrepreneurship training key for business success

What you need to know:

It is due to lack of major entrepreneurial skills that many projects fail to make a mark. This makes it important to have various training that will drive business success.

Most entrepreneurs fail to record any success in their business ventures mainly due to lack of the required skills needed for the business to flourish, Unsung Heroes award winner Diana Gasper has said.

The Unsung Heroes award is an international humanitarian prize from Canada.

Diana, who is also the Owner of GO Extra Mile Tours Company and Founder of STUKA, a non-Governmental Organization that works with women entrepreneurs says lack of major entrepreneurial skills contributes to projects failing to make a mark.

“If these women were to be given entrepreneurial skills and education before embarking on projects, risks can be minimised. It is not uncommon to see women spending the capital meant for business on clothes and parties” she says.

About her Awards

Diana says the humanitarian award is aimed at recognising a person who supports others without receiving anything in return, noting that her major activities were done on pro bono basis.

“I was the only Tanzania woman to receive the award. Other countries that also had nominees include Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Canada, and the US,” she says.

She expounds that she was nominated by good Samaritans who saw her efforts through STUKA Tanzania and the GO Extra Mile Tours Company which helps Tanzanian entrepreneurs travel to China to learn about how manufacturing industries are set up and run.

Diana by encouraging women to set up small to medium business enterprises, is in her own small way supporting President Magufuli’s efforts on the industrialisation drive.

She notes that through STUKA they have been supporting women food vendors, commonly known as mama lishe to improve their working conditions by holding seminars and workshops.

“Our seminars have been a success and we normally invite motivational speakers to encourage and inspire women in business,” she notes.

TALKING ABOUT STUKA

Diana says STUKA Is a non-profit Company which aims at inspiring entrepreneurs (especially entrepreneurs whose businesses are not realising any growth).

She says STUKA philosophy is grounded on love and freedom of positive mindset, explaining that they serve and help people build lasting legacies.

Diana says they work on transforming people’s mindset and educating entrepreneurs who have been facing difficulty in dealing with their socio-economic sphere of life.

Diana says they try to impart knowledge and skills training through hosting seminars where the women are taught by business visionaries, celebrated authors and humorists-fusing the words of inspiration with imagination and humour.

“I also work with women who are over the age of 50, who have been producing cashew nuts. Thanks to the training we offer them, they have now managed to improve on their production and packaging,”she says.

CHALLENGES

Diana says since they established STUKA Tanzania it has been difficult to meet women entrepreneurs who are ready to attend seminars and pass on messages to others.

She says some women think being involved in seminars is akin to wasting their time and many would opt for something that has monetary incentives rather than gain invaluable knowledge through seminars.

Advice

Diana calls on women to have a daring spirit, adding that losing hope should not be any woman’s language but they should rather be ready to take risk.

“Women should learn to transform their challenges into opportunities. They need to work even much harder in realising their dreams and this cannot come without developing a positive attitude,” she says.

Diana says youths should dare to grab opportunities that come their way, noting that youths from other countries have really improved in entrepreneurship and it was high time Tanzanians emulated their move.

“The government should support upcoming entrepreneurs by setting an enabling environment for them. As President Magufuli pushes for the industrialization drive, everyone needs to embrace his trajectory by shying away laziness and be focused,” advises Diana.