NGO helps migrant women build start-ups

Starting a business must be accompanied by a good marketing and advertising programme. The NGO Women-Owned Media & Education Network (Women) is training women entrepreneurs – including Venezuelan migrants – in marketing and advertising so they can expand and grow their ideas and businesses.

Lucia Cabrera-Jones, co-founder and CEO of Women, said since 2020 they began hosting branding and digital marketing workshops for local women to ​​show them ways to attract potential clients.

As a result of the rise in numbers of Spanish-speaking women starting businesses in Trinidad and Tobago, the NGO decided to go further and hold workshops for the migrant community as well.

Cabrera-Jones told Business Day that a month ago 14 Venezuelan women participated in the first branding and digital marketing pilot workshop.

The workshop was in great demand. Cabrera-Jones said they originally planned to open for five people and 14 signed up.

The workshop lasted four weeks and was carried out on the Zoom platform by Cabrera-Jones and Jaime Hoyte, a member of Women.

"We had to make arrangements to do the workshop. We are happy with the acceptance the programme has had because that makes us understand the Venezuelan community, especially women who want to advance their businesses and ideas in an organised way," she said.

Women plans to expand the next workshop to show women how to do more research, analyse the competition, create tools to locate financial assistance.

The workshop is planned for January and is expected to last four months.

Some of the Venezuelan women said following the workshop, they now have a better approach to running their businesses.

Elizabeth Escalona, who ​​lives in San Fernando, said the workshop helped her to use the digital platform to attract clients with the creation of logos and use of photographs.

She has a dessert and candy business, and is also about to open a burger and hot dog cart.

“I have learned to manage my own networks and with the quality of the photos I learned to take, now my desserts are shown more.”

Hormary Zacarias, of Sangre Grande, started selling cookies out of her home and expanded into meal preparation.

She was able to separate her two culinary styles thanks to better marketing.

"I learned to separate one thing from another. Before, I had everything together and it was confusing for clients. Now I get calls and ideas for everything," she said.

Julia Elena Franco, of Arima, said through the workshop she was able to create her social network that has allowed her to book more clients and orders. Franco operates Franco's Cafe – a food delivery service for Latin and local meals. Although most of her clients are from the Latin community, her branding and digital marketing is helping her attract local customers.

Anne Flores, a baker, sells a variety of Venezuelan breads through social media. She got some assistance from the UN Human Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to start her business.

"Thanks to the support of the UNHCR I was able to buy my equipment. I lacked the idea of ​​marketing and now with this experience (workshop) I can not only sell my bread, but also promote courses so that other women learn to make their bread and also sell it as a means of income," she said.

Cabrera-Jones is pleased with the success Women has had among Latin women.

"The results speak for themselves. Now these women can display their businesses in an organised way visually and sell like the big companies."