 In the last 10 years, the number of women in the global workforce has increased by 250 million, and that trend is only rising. Compared to just a quarter century ago, more women and girls have access to higher education and capital, giving them greater opportunities to leverage their innovative ideas into businesses. Research finds that supporting female entrepreneurs boosts the country's markets by 12% GDP. In 2012, there was an estimated 126 million women starting new businesses and another 98 million running established businesses throughout the world. In the U.S. alone, women are starting 1,200 businesses a day and employing nearly 8 million people, generating $1.4 trillion in sales. Now that's a lot of cash. But what's more, these strong women are building a framework for young women and girls to enter the workforce with fewer obstacles in the future. But our work isn't done yet. Women in developed nations are half as likely to start businesses compared to men and even less likely in countries with fewer opportunities for female entrepreneurship. For success in this space, women need more female mentors, the same access to capital as men, and a change in perception that entrepreneurship is not only a masculine activity. And on top of the numbers, women are often caught between cultural expectations and the expectations of the workplace. Despite this, women entrepreneurs are breaking barriers, benefiting themselves, their families, and their home countries. The numbers are in. When women entrepreneurs are supported, economies grow. Hello and thank you for joining us to participate in this online discussion on the subject of female entrepreneurship in Africa. My name is Sidi Glyn and I am the CEO of the Foundation for the Development of Africa based in Washington. This foundation invests in small land companies, especially in the fields of agriculture, energy and entrepreneurship. Women entrepreneurs can be specific. I am very happy to be able to participate in this conversation. During this discussion, we will talk about capital mobilization, the rise in power of your companies, access to buyers and unique challenges women are facing when they are looking to create and develop a company in Africa. If you look online, you can ask questions in the comments section, next to the video reader or on Twitter, through the hashtag Women Entrepreneurs. With us on the platform, there is Elisabeth Gore, president of HelloAlice.com, a free website, piloted by Artificial Intelligence, which helps companies to find the right way to launch and develop a company. Being a social company, Alis welcomes all entrepreneurs and gives priority to the service for women, minorities and former fighters. Before working for Alis, Elisabeth was the resident entrepreneur near Dell Technologies and the very first resident entrepreneur near the Foundation of the United States. We also welcome Charity Anang Adupang, PDG of Menon Foods. She has joined us in duplex since the ambassador from the United States to Accra to Ghana. Charity is in charge of a specialized company in the transformation and the conditioning of food and a defender of women's autonomy. Founded in 2006, Menon Foods has more than 23 range of products delivered to shops in Ghana and exported to Europe. Also, since Ghana, we are with Adjo Dede Asare, PDG of Alfie Designs. Being a small sewing workshop at the beginning, Alfie Designs has now become a well-known brand producing confections for men and women. The effectiveness of the company has gone from 25 to 105 employees with three shops in Accra, the same as in Africa, East and West. Adjo also participated in the Yali initiative for young leaders in Africa. She also received a subvention from the Foundation for African Development. Charity and Adjo are a group of spectators at the ambassador from the United States to Ghana who will ask questions to the participants and share their point of view. Hello Accra, we will be with you in a moment. And to moderate the space of discussion, there is Adetoun Ayo Adyola, PDG of Transshipping Incorporated, who will help us answer your questions and will provide us with links to access resources. The Transshipping Inc. company provides logistics and transport services to African companies wanting to export their products to the United States. Adetoun also participates in the AWEP program for women's entrepreneurship in Africa. I will start the discussion by communicating with you the answers to a survey that we have conducted on social media. We have asked people what was the most interesting topic concerning women's entrepreneurship. Here are the results on the screen. As you can see, the mentor and the network for women were the first responses followed by capital mobilization and then the power of the company. Elizabeth, since this subject was the first in the survey, can you tell us about the mentor and the network for the companies? And how is this a key track for success? First of all, hello, everyone. Hello, Ghana. You look great. Aqaba, if I remember correctly, the most important thing when it comes to the network is that there are women on your left and on your right. Where do you find yourself in the world? Look to the left and say you have probably some good advice to give me. There you go. That's good. From a statistical point of view, you will succeed more if you, as a woman, as a business leader, if you train and support a network for success. We have noticed at Alice that if you have a mentor or if you have a commercial organization, you will have more resources. You can grow your business. Being a business leader is difficult. You have all noticed, I'm sure. You have to have these support for you, the funder, in addition to the company itself. And what's interesting is that mentors do not only concern the most famous PDG that you have ever met or that you have met in magazines. No, it's really this person right next to you. And so these mentors can give us good advice, for example, six months before the creation of the company. Maybe this person can provide you with a loan or provide employees and maybe this person can find you a co-founder. And if you ask these questions in an environment where women have just taken this decision to create a company, well, that's your best chance to succeed. I encourage you to build a network. There are a lot of great network sources in terms of networks at home. For example, there are commercial rooms, but there are also a lot of online resources. There are two groups that are great, which allow you to connect with others. For example, in New York City, Mentora.org and also at Alice.com, you can also sign up and discover excellent mentors. I encourage you to be alive, whatever your level of being totally super, I encourage you to think, look for a mentor for your life, for your business, even if it's your friend who is sitting just on the left of you. Elizabeth, it's a very good advice. In fact, indeed, 75% of top success for women entrepreneurs who have access to a commercial organization or who have access to mentors. Very good advice. Charity, your company has 23 production ranges that provide clients with money and export to Europe. Could you briefly talk about your processes to obtain the necessary capital to launch and develop a company? And what advice would you like to give to other women who are looking to finance their company at their initial launch phase? Thank you for this opportunity. Indeed, we have 23 production ranges. It's about finding the right basic products. This is my main challenge because, generally speaking, you have to address the farmers and work with them. Although I have only 25 direct employees, but indirectly, I have hundreds of farmers who provide me and advise me. And I focus mostly on women farmers because it's much easier to work with women. They are loyal. They help you at work, unlike men, because as soon as they see money, they change their mind. Yes, it's laborious. Sometimes, I have to abandon everything, visit a village and find the right raw materials that I need for my products. And sometimes, people don't care. You look for trends and you get things you think you need. But thanks to the help and participation and the good encouragement of these villages, they organize themselves and do very good work. And of course, the challenge... They tell you, listen, we've been doing things this way for a long time and it continues. But there are things you have to do to be able to commercialize and launch the product. And if you don't have the right formula from the beginning and if you don't succeed from the beginning, well, you have to have tax and tax questions. But what you have to get is the right raw materials. But you have to find the right formula. You have to study the field and you have to work very hard and manage your money. I don't think capital access is a problem because I couldn't find money myself. But what you have to do is find the right people and the right raw materials and know what everyone does to find the right formula. Yes, excellent point of view. And that's really the point of view of a land woman on a daily basis. It's not just a matter of money. You have to find the right products, the right people and then you will find the money. That's the conclusion I draw from your commercial experience. I'm happy to see you again on this side of the Atlantic in some way where I find myself, your company has gone from 25 employees to 105 employees. And you made an expansion. You had au gana stores and now you are present in several countries of the continent. Tell us about the rise in power of this company, what has happened and tell us what were the problems, the failures in the course of the road. Yes, thank you very much. But I'm very happy to see you again. Well, how to start? Well, the good thing to do is to be on the network. And to have an expansion, you have to address the people you know. Maybe there was a friend who had a store in his house who was ready to lend you this place at a good price. And then there is an exchange of rent. So, as you said, it's a network. Women form a network. For example, there are your owners who are among your friends. And that's how they made an expansion. When we went to Sierra Leone, it was thanks to a friend, a judge. And that's how I was able to open my store in Sierra Leone. She told me, you should come here, we will do it for free. Idem, Ogana, it was free, Idem for the Gambit. So it's a question of network. That's how we made this rise in power of our stores. And then we went from 25 to 105 employees. Well, we proceeded with an opening. I know that we, women in Africa, we don't like others joining our company. So to make a rise in power at a high scale, we can't do it all by ourselves. If you want to go far, you have to work with other people. You can't do everything by yourself. So you have to have a network for this expansion. And for example, there are joint ventures to make this expansion. So that my company can make this rise in power. You have to open your heart to other people. Yes, indeed, we have paid certain people, people who didn't even know me, and who took my money. And yet I was able to have the stores. I sent products to certain people who didn't pay. With my mother, we argued. It wasn't easy. And there are people who abandon you in the middle of the street. And for example, you have problems on the road. And although we had friends, but the seasons weren't as useful as in Camille. But there are also people with whom you sign contracts. And then there is this document that is legally restraining. And here are some of the challenges that I've known. But you always have to have someone to talk to about this expansion. And there is this person who will find you the right formula at the right time to help you get out of this problem. Indeed, a rise in power may be very difficult sometimes, if you want, but it's worth it. Finally, yes, great. As a council, yes, you gave us these advice directly. You, who are on the front, the mentor and the networks, the capital mobilization, the rise in power in the company. But what you also said, you talked about the power, the importance of people, the importance of having very good products. And also the key factor of success. You tell me, all three, it's perseverance. I think, therefore, you have to keep in mind your own words. Allow me to share a little bit of a study of my staccato. This year, more than 46% of companies in Ghana are detained by women. What makes Ghana the country that has the highest percentage of women business leaders at the global scale? That's very impressive. And a sign of the very strong impact that women entrepreneurs have on the economy of the country. We are happy to invite a group of Ghana entrepreneurs to the United States Embassy in Ghana today, in Kauava. That means welcome. I am Naomi. I am the President of the Embassy. Thank you for giving us this opportunity to be the pilot ambassador for this wonderful discussion. There are people who participate in the Yali network. Ideally, people from the Ghana network. There are also participants from Aweb. So we are very happy to be with you today. Small shift. Are there any questions from the participants? Yes, indeed, we have a first question to ask you. My name is Doroté. I am the head of the company. And we produce local drinks. What are the main issues for women's businesses in Ghana and Africa? That is a very specific question. I think that Charity has just communicated with us his experience. Maybe you could give us your point of view about Doroté. Yes, of course. Yes, as I said earlier, it is not a question of money. To create a company that is better, it is to mobilize money, from friends, especially family. And then, you find a way to mobilize money. So the constitution of the Yali network is the first thing. And if you cannot obtain credit, then you can provide all the necessary documentation to do so. And when you address a bank, no one will give you money if you don't know your social reason, your reason to be. You have to prove a balance of the antecedents to obtain money. That is the key element. But the main problems that we have known are in social or political order. In Ghana, you can address a bank today. But the problem is the rate of interest that is higher. It changes every five minutes. It is like the main challenge. It is for women like us. And sometimes we refuse to respond to directives. So there are many things, especially for a woman. If you become a saint, even if you are committed, everything changes. You become a saint, things change. And the rate is completely reversed. From my point of view, I am not shy to ask for help. I know so many people. I call so many people. I ask people to give me services. I tell them to go to the market for me because I am very busy. So don't be shy. You are not a superwoman. You don't do all the domestic curves. You don't take care of your husband alone. No, so ask for help. Find the right people around you to do all these things. Yes, a very good answer, charity. A very important question, a very good answer that reminds us of the importance of mentoring and networks for women. And it's precisely the answer number one. Yes, perseverance counts, but you have to have a proper movement and have the chance to be able to talk to other people, ask them for help, support. And that is very fundamental. Thank you for taking part in this point of view. Very good question. Logana Naomi, can you give us more? Is there any other question? Yes, hello. I am the head of beauty products. I am also a student. My next question is, if the company does not work, how can we know when to give up? Let it fall. Yes, very good question, very specific. And it's not a complicated question. And since you are the head of a beauty product company, and also Alfie Desanne is in the fashion field, not only in Ghana, and Adjo who made an implantation on the whole continent, how can we know when to let it fall and stop? Talk to us about your own experience as the head of the company. Well, I would say that you have to analyze the numbers. For example, your range of beauty products identifies the products that sell well and those that sell badly. For example, I used my fashion products and I sell more clothes for men than for women. And I also want to produce clothes for women, but for children, it is my specialty, but you have to analyze the numbers. And what are the results of all the stores? What sells the fastest? That's what advances the fastest. And I increase certain quantities, I reduce others, and then I find an balance. And moreover, if you like beauty products, but if you don't have good beauty products, well, you have to make the constant. For example, make-up, I don't know all the elements of this field, but if you want to do something as a pastime, as a violinist, but if you don't have all the details to do with the production of very good products, well, it's not a good thing. And in the fashion world, as my mother said, I am the head of the company. It's not me who's going to make all the bosses, I don't know how to make money and make the marketing of my mother's products. I work on what I know. For example, if I feel that a very elegant-looking clothes may sell very badly, and so you have to find the right commercial brand that will suit you the best. Yes, these are very good advice, Adjo. The question is, when do we stop? And it must also be pushed by the data elements. You have to have data that supports these decisions. As you said, it's not about stopping or starting. It's about making this pivot, making decisions to scale, to orient yourself in a different way, but at the heart of your response, there is the knowledge of these skills, things for which we are well qualified, what we know how to do, and then recruit talent, support from the part of people who will allow you to do more. Excellent question, very practical, and very good response. Let's now move on to the questions that come from the comments section, or from those who follow us on Twitter with the hashtag Women Entrepreneurs. The first question comes from Elise at the American Center of Abidjan in Côte d'Ivoire. She asks us, my next question, is your platform, Alice.com, is it adapted to the use in African countries? If so, how can I connect with them? On the contrary, do you think that you can connect with African countries? Thank you for this question, and I really enjoyed the previous questions about the moment when we have to stop. Other numbers, in my opinion, passion is another element of importance that we must think about. If you don't have passion for something, you have to evaluate your activities in my opinion. And the Alice.com is available to anyone all over the world. There are basic resources that every entrepreneur needs for the creation and development of his company. We are talking about planning, acquisition of the clientele, among other things. It is therefore useful where you are. But the localized resources are, of course, the most important resources. And we are proud to say that we implement a little everywhere in the world. And I have been working in Africa for 10 years, and I am proud to say that we work hard every day to obtain local resources. Wherever you are in the world, however, I know that we have friends in Nigeria, in Côte d'Ivoire, in Togo, in South Africa. I advise you to connect with alice.com. And at that moment, we are going to ask you to talk to us about your company. We will send you the resources that suit you best. So, connect with us and ask us what you need. We also love receiving feedback and advice. Thank you, Elizabeth. It was great. Another question. The next question. In your sense, what are the particular challenges of female entrepreneurs? And how have you been able to overcome them during the creation of your own company? When you were a resident entrepreneur at Dell and then at the Fondation de l'ONU, you have always been an entrepreneur. So, talk to us about what you think about it. In my sense, there are two particularly important challenges for women. First of all, time. I don't know any woman who can say, I have so much time, I don't know what to do. We all tend to miss time. Women, whatever their situation, tend to take care of other people, whether they are elderly or children. Most business creators were employed elsewhere at the same time. So, we get to do more things with less resources. I always recommend to women to use the maximum digital tool for the creation of companies for a better efficiency. I totally agree with our friends in Ghana who are asking for help from our friends. I have two children, and it's a big problem to keep children. It's very difficult to juggle between them and their business, and I also take care of my mother. So, you have to use the tools that allow you to be more efficient. You have to have an excellent team that surrounds you. And secondly, the capital. Whether it's in the United States, Ghana, or elsewhere, access to capital is very difficult for all business creators. And it may be surprising, but in the United States, we are the last in the world in terms of access to financing for women. We receive almost 2% of capital risk financing. I see your reactions, and it's surprising, isn't it? In the world, women entrepreneurs tend to say that it's a problem, whether it's about access to credit, or the management of capital, or the acquisition of funds from the family or friends. So I encourage you, women entrepreneurs, to think about capital as much as possible, and the best capital, in my opinion, and the capital that comes from your clients, as our friend Ogana said. So try to make benefits as quickly as possible. But it's the management of time and the management of finances, which are the two most important aspects for women business creators. Very well. There are three things to remove from this. The management of time, the constitution of a team with your employees, your friends, your family, and thirdly, a concentration on the tools. So time, the teams and the tools. Let's move on to our online question, which just came from Yaoundé, in Cameroon, the next question. How to know that it's the right time to move to a higher level? Adjo, you asked the question of knowing when you have to stop, when you have to change, and when is the growth? I would like to know how your growth has gone. I know you had the help of the Foundation for Development in Africa. So when did you make this decision to move to a higher level, in terms of production or something else? It's when you have a lot of work and it's the right time to do it, because you have a lot of clients and you know you need more employees and you need to enlarge your facilities and add other people to your team. You can no longer manage things yourself and you don't have enough time. It's time to move to a higher level. And a lot of your clients want to work with medium-sized or large companies. I always think about the horizon in two years, in five years, where do I want to find myself? So if you have goals that are shared by the screen and that you also have a clientele of clients who order large quantities and that you only have a small team, you know it's time to take advantage to be able to respond to clients' demands. This is done in a gradual way. You have to be able to enlarge your capacity to be able to add other clients to your clientele. If you work well, your mouth and ears work and you end up having additional orders of new clients. It's a good time to enlarge your activities and move to a higher level. Here's something to say about it, to comment on this point as well. But there's another question. How? Sorry. How? By saying that she's a woman and an innovator. We don't necessarily encourage the entrepreneur. So you can do what you want, but you simply have to give yourself a deep thought. As I said earlier, you have to have an environment that suits your activities. What's the difference between me and Jo or the person behind me? These are my friends and my lectures. You meet people on social media. You meet people every day and you try to see who will be able to help you for your work. No one does anything without a personal interest. We are selfish like that. So you have to try to see what you can gain. That's the first thing. It's not a bad thing. It's a good thing to be selfish because you want the best for yourself. So your children, you know that there are some who know how to express themselves without hesitation. My little three-year-old boy expresses himself even more firmly than me when I was seven. So I found Nunu, who knows how to talk to my three-year-old son. She knows how to talk to my children. And so you can have your children as high as you want and be an entrepreneur. You can't do anything. You have to ask for help. You have to find the people who come to what you want to do. Very good response from a woman who is a mother, an innovator, an entrepreneur. So a very good perspective of first hand. There is a question that comes from Benin. And she has the following. What strategy should be put into work to ensure the serenity of the activities of a company? It is a question that is relevant for Charity, for those who have serenity, durability in the field of food, or in the field of fashion. Yes, we like to eat and dress well. And so you can both talk about these two questions. But I'm going to pass the floor to Elizabeth, because Elizabeth has seen from her own eyes what is happening in various companies in the world. So, in your opinion, what strategies can be used to ensure the serenity of the companies? This can come from your professional or personal experience or from Elo Alice. Successful entrepreneurs always have a long way to go. We are sometimes very busy with the small details of the day-to-day life. But the fact of seeing things over three years, over six years, over a year, is essential. I come to think more about this month's treasury, the receipts, the salaries. But I also have to take the time to think about financial planning for a six-month period, particularly for the PDG. It is important to think over the next three years and finance over a period of a year. And this can lead me to develop new relationships in case I lose a client. And on our side, when you ask the question when it comes to the SSH Superior, well, generally, it's not something that happens when you wait for it. Do you have the necessary capital to do it at the right time? Every week, you have to make predictions of the financial situation over a period of a year, three months, sorry, a month, three months and a year. If you are a personal company, it's the case, just as well as if you have 200 employees. You always have to take the time to think about the financial situation. For me, it's the way to the poverty. Secondly, the team. No one is fully independent. Even if there are very talented women here, I admire them, but they might agree with me when I say that we all have weak points and the most terrible companies are those who, over time, continue to hire people who surpass you in certain fields, for example, in the field of strategy. So you always have to be interested in finance in the long run, but also hire the best people possible. It's amazing, Elisabeth. Yes, you have to focus on finance as well as day to day, but also on long-term forecasts and hire people who have diversified skills to help you work well in the long-term but also to work well in the future. Let's go back to Ghana to take on other questions from the public here at the embassy. Naomi, good evening. I'm a PDG founder of my company and I'm a member of the Web. What are the essential elements when you make up your brand? Women who are at your disposal know a lot about the brand's constitution. Between Charity and Adjo, they are superwomen, but Adjo, I'm going to give you the floor on this question about the brand's constitution. What do you think? And you can go a little further on this question about the brand's constitution. Thank you. To make up your brand, first of all, you have to love it and you have to show it. Make sure that your friends and relatives also appreciate it. You start with your circle of immediate relatives who carry your brand, which allows you to design the brand. And if you want to then go on social media, there are visual tools. And you have to use professional services. You have to have professional visual supports. You have to be well-made. For example, drawings, croquis must be well-made. Or photos must be good on your Facebook page. It's not necessarily something very expensive. You can take very nice photos and use well-thought-out subtitles. And sometimes, you can also give gifts to people. It allows you to raise the interest for your brand. Then, you also have to know who you target with your brand. Is it the age range of 18 to 25 or 30 to 40 years old? You have to think about what you sell and what the market targets. The brand will not be loved by everyone. You have categories of age that buy, which make their courses at H&M and other categories that will make their courses at Marques Spencer. You can do everything you want. The young people will not go to Marques Spencer and vice versa. So you have to think about it. Very good advice for categories of products and fashion. In the field of agriculture and food, what do you do to represent the person you are? Whether I am in the field of food, I like people telling me that I am dressed well and that I am beautiful. All this energy is channeled into what I do. Let's do it in excellence and experience. I sell eggs. When you buy eggs, I guarantee you that they are fresh and clean. You know when they are good at consuming. I can also guarantee you that if the eggs don't suit you, I could give you another dozen. It's my brand. When people buy my brand, they must see the reflection of charity. It's you first, and then the product that comes in second place. When people buy my product, they don't know whether it has been made in Ghana. Well, I make a lot of effort to make the packaging beautiful. If you try to convince someone that you are a good person for 15 minutes, it's useless if you are really dressed well. You present yourself well. It is important to have a good presentation. People are more receptive when you have a good presentation. Present yourself well, and people will take you seriously. We all agree. It's a very good advice, an excellent advice. The constitution of a brand starts with the creator, the entrepreneur and his investment in the product. But I have to say that charity, the next time I'm going to buy eggs, I'm going to ask if these eggs are excellent, because in English, the eggs are called eggs. So you see the word game, excellent. Is there any other question to ask? Go ahead. We produce, my company produces, lessiva products for the field of hotels. With the growth of our companies, how can we position ourselves in a way to attract the financing of banks and other financial institutions? We have to use banking services to be able to move forward. When my children ask me for money, I want to know what they're going to do. So it's the same thing. You have to sign everything in records. And at that moment, when the bank has to give you a loan, you have the documentation to present. Ask a friend who knows how to count, to work on these records. It's important to have a documentation to present when you're asking for a loan. Very good advice from a real entrepreneur. So how to attract capital? Well, use banking services and make sure you have records. So you can use the money from the family and the philanthropic donations and others. But you have to start at the bottom of the banking scale and keep moving forward. We have other good questions that have been asked online. Alice, on Niger, asks us the following question. Is a commercial plan necessarily necessary during the creation of an enterprise? So I think it's a good question. When you're talking about 5-year-old forecasts and full-time business plans, when is it? Elisabeth, you've certainly seen a lot of people who have a lot of good ideas and who think that money will flow and that everything will work well. So is a commercial plan important when you create an enterprise? So yes, absolutely, it's very important. But there is no unique format. In my opinion, you have to share your ideas on paper or on your computer and they don't just stay in your head. Because the first thing you have to do when you're going to have to hire someone, hire someone or find a client, you will have to sell your commercial plan. We have a lot of business plans on elualis.com. However, don't be impressed by this task. In my opinion, it is simply to ensure that your thoughts are organized, that you know how much money you need and that you know the team you need. And that you also have goals and goals. In terms of background input, of target market, it is therefore to organize your thoughts. And we tend to create things in our head, sometimes even at 3 o'clock in the morning. But it has to be translated so that we can share them with the people who need to appropriate our ideas. And once again, there is no unique format. It is important to share these ideas on paper so that we can share them in a way that is understandable for others. It is very important. Excellent answer. And a question of great importance. We often hear this answer. Yes, absolutely, it is necessary. But you have to have this plan that corresponds to your needs and to your needs. How do you work with companies that are developed from the base? For example, I get my raw materials with women in rural areas. And I would like to be able to work with them more and improve their communities. So I would like to share a little bit the point of view of my foundation. Well, we are talking about providing funding for start-ups and giving a voice to Africans in their development. And then, this gives them a chance to succeed and to change their lives, to improve their lives and communities. So when you work in rural areas with this kind of business, you have to focus on the local appropriation of the activity. It is about responding to the demand and the local needs so that these communities can see an advantage and a chance to improve their lives. It is also a participative process. If it is about service providers, it must be a relationship where the benefits are mutual. So this is the point of view of our foundation that provides a start-up funding. But, Charity, we know that your company gets its first material. You now have a hundred women who help you get the food you then provide to your clients. So how do you support these basic organizations for economic development in rural areas while ensuring to get the products you need for your activities? So you have to believe in them. And people tend to think that things can't change. They say what they are and explain the reason why you have to adopt your point of view. What we do is to buy the first material at the lowest price and sell it with a 100% margin. But if you go to see this woman and you tell her what you want, and the woman answers you, that's how my ancestors always did it, and I will continue to do it like this, pay the woman who wants to answer your demands more. Because like that, women will understand that if they answer to your needs, they are paid more. So it's not always about having the best price possible. You have to explain the reason why things must be done in a certain way. There are other advantages than monetary. You can explain the advantages at the level of education and education. You can explain that they can earn more money by doing things like entrepreneurs want to do. They can then, for example, buy a machine that allows them to sell the manioc. It is necessary that these producers appropriate their services, the services that you try to obtain. If they think that there is only one way to do things and that they tell you that you don't understand what we are doing, or that the taste changes if you use a machine, you have to do it manually. I don't like the look. Finally, there is something to be presented, but you have to know what things must be done in a certain way. And this is also possible only by the example. So give real examples, you have to be in place with them and potentially allow them to institutionalize certain practices. But it is important to understand their starting point and you have to work with them, show them how it works. And if things are well done, they must have a good taste, for example, for the manioc. So it is important to show these people how new technologies, new tools can improve their lives. And the fact of being in place with them is important. So it is very important to put yourself at their level at the start. It is important for you as an entrepreneur, but it is also important for a community that seeks to improve their lives and to transform. So very good contribution. Another question from Juliette. So it's a question that comes from Juliette, who is in Nigeria. The next question, how do women entrepreneurs be able to ensure that their products are well accepted on international markets? And in a follow-up, Eunice Otogo asks us, how can we put these products to the test to know that they satisfy the requirements in terms of export health? I know that your companies are not African now. So how will we proceed with the tests of your products? How can we ensure that it is consistent on international markets? What have you to do to allow the export of your products? For what concerns me, I had to invite international technical experts to visit and test my products to analyze their quality because I realized that we were doing our best, but it did not respond to international standards. So who can better inform us? Well, it's precisely the people who work on the international market. Thanks to that, you realize that it allows you to rationalize your products and it responds to the customer's expectations. But instead of avoiding unsold products, no, it's preferable to have someone in Amon who does tests and tests and then you are ready to attack the international market. So I have asked international experts to help me develop my brand so that it can respond to international standards. Personally, I can't wait to be able to buy excellent eggs here in Washington. I hope that you will export your products to us. What should we do? What do you have to do to be able to meet the standards and international requirements for your companies to sell your products? Unfortunately, sometimes, there are not huge standards. As I said, I do a lot of research on Google today and I try to inspire standards that exist. I do research on websites specialized in editing and they tell me what to do and you don't have to round up the angles because for food, after having done tests here, but if there are unopened tests in Lithuania, well, you have to find the right people. In fact, there are two possibilities that are little expensive to do tests and you proceed to these tests yourself. Sometimes, we pay a lot of money to externalize this work, but if you can't find these means here, you can do research on Google, you can sell your products somewhere and we ask you to do this work for you. And if you don't even have the standards at home and if you don't have a normal instance, you have to find the right standards and you can even go further, for example. We do everything we can to help develop our country, but if you don't find it, you don't have to stop. Someone asked us when to stop, but we never stop. No, if you're disappointed, you're going to cry all by yourself. No, and then you put it back, then it continues. In fact, we never stop. We continue. And we hope to find the right process that will allow you to get results. Once again, once again, please remember this very important word, perseverance. We never stop. We never give up. You have to do this difficult work and find the right resources to know the international market. Elizabeth, I know that there is not much time left. I would like to know your point of view regarding the international market, the export, the possibilities and the challenges that you have to face from the point of view of the exporters. Yes, indeed, one of the main challenges is how things change. Yes, I agree. You have to keep in mind everything that happens. You can read everything that is possible, but I would like to add an idea. We tend to start on the market with big products with other companies. So, a way to start on other markets is to associate yourself with much bigger companies than yours. For example, we launched Alice in the company of Dell Technologies because we were in the same concentration axis. So, what I encourage you to do is to target a market and identify the big companies in your country who are also present in this other market and try to create a relationship with these companies and potentially you will launch on these markets in partnership with other companies. You will be really surprised. Even very big companies still do not have the possibility because they are too big. So, these big companies must innovate. So, I always encourage entrepreneurs to think about the possibility of associating with very, very big companies if you want to launch in another country, if you want to launch other products, but inadvertently, protect yourself from a geographical point of view in relation to these new environments. But thanks to this, you will have access to much more resources. It's great. Very good advice. Thank you, Elisabeth. Thank you for everything you do for the women entrepreneurs of the Mollentier near AliceHelloAlice.com. You can consult all your resources that are great. Thank you, Elisabeth. Let's go back to our spectators of Ghana for one last question. Nami, you have a wonderful, wonderful team of women. Do you have one last question to ask us? Yes, hello. My question is the following. What kind of support can the government of the United States provide to women entrepreneurs in Africa? Yes, very good question. Well, thank you. Thank you for asking this question. Well, let me ask you, in fact, Charity and Adjo, do you have any ideas or perspectives? Do you benefit from someone who supports you or do you have the knowledge of support in various ways by the American government or the women entrepreneurs? Of course, of course, I have my own point of view, but can you tell us if there are other support modes that are provided by the American government? Adjo or Charity? Me, yes, indeed. You have to have a very good management plan. And as my colleague said, you have to have a model. For example, there is this American instance. Indeed, the American government supports women in Africa. You just have to give yourself a good commercial plan and be passionate and be able to express this passion. And if you are taken into the process, they will be ready to help you. If you produce an impact to your community, to the lives of others, you are not the only person concerned. And no, you have to touch other people. You are not the only person who is going to advance. You have to make other people advance with you. And I think that's what the American government is interested in. And they want to help you to do so. And above all, with the Yali network, you are a member of this network. Well, you participate in the group and you benefit from all of this. For example, there are regional centers and there are Mandela buses. And there are the Yali priests. So there are all these resources that are available and that can help you as a head of business in Africa. I'm not quite sure, because I don't have the experience of what kind of support the American government has. Well, I have experiences, for example, of other structures. And I received donations. There are other support structures that helped me. But I can tell you, prepare yourself. You have to have a commercial profile, a commercial plan. You have to do the pitch, so the promotion of your company so that someone can give you money. If you tell me that there are a few thousands of dollars, well, no one will be able to give you right away. No, but if someone is ready to give you that ready, so prepare yourself in advance. And when the chance is present, well, grab those two hands. Yes, above all, what I'm holding is, prepare yourself, whatever the origin of the financing of the government or elsewhere. But indeed, next to the American government, there are all kinds of programs, the SID, which provide the help for the female head of business in Africa. There are programs. Yali, the initiative of young African leaders, there is the State Department with the Awep program, the women's entrepreneurship program. And more and more, the American government, the State Department, well, we have accrued support for women's autonomization. And there are current programs, but also new programs that will be launched in order to effectively compete with the transformation in competition in Africa. And of course, this is piloted by women in Africa. So keep listening to this space. And as I said, Chaité, whatever the price is, be ready to prepare your file and show what you are trying to do with your business. This will not only transform your lives, but it will create jobs that will increase income, will increase life expectancy for hundreds of people on the continent. And I'm sure there will be support. Let's now move on to other online questions. Online questions. Madame Cicé, on the side of Ivoire, asks us the following question. A proper environment for business is important. So how do we, as women's entrepreneurship leaders, be able to work for us and work for a better government? That's a very good question. And precisely, you are at the forefront of change. Well, precisely, Ghana is the leader in women's entrepreneurship. Because they are the women's entrepreneurship leaders who help with the government to effectively create favorable policies for companies. Charity, you talked a little bit about that earlier, when it comes to really favorable policies. Is there any other encouragement for this women's entrepreneurship in Côte d'Ivoire who wants to know how women's entrepreneurship can fight for a better government? Yes. Well, you have to get involved. You have to invest. When people meet, wherever they are, and if you hear that they are going to help for women's entrepreneurship, well, get involved. There are a lot of young people who come to see me, who come to learn, to experience my work, my activity. So when people meet and get involved, well, I am not... Well, I push people, I encourage them to get involved in women's entrepreneurship. So if you exchange your resources, for example, if you learn that there is a women's congress, well, this ensures the promotion of women's entrepreneurship. Well, make yourself heard and make your contribution to their activities, whatever it is, because we never know. Because when something happens, well, most of the time, maybe there are responsible people in the state, there will surely be someone on the spot who will be able to get inspired by your information, that you communicate. Well, these are the people who count. These are the people who make the decisions at the level. So, together, make yourself heard, make yourself heard by women's voice, and always make yourself heard. Yes, I would like to add something else. Whatever your sector is, do very good work. And apply yourself to the bottom. Like that, you attract attention. Me, who is Yali, me, who was able to get a free education for women's favourites, not women's favourites, well, I attracted the attention of the top leaders of the state who have come to see my factory, to observe my activities. So, there are women who are trying to operate politically, but if you impact the lives of your committee at the local level, well, all the leaders of the state will be interviewed to see what's going on, and these people will be inspired to come to see you, to learn from you, and to see how you can do better. Whatever your activity is, do good work. You can talk to the state's leaders, but at the level of the base, it will spread. Your name will be known, it will be spread, and then the people will be interviewed. And there are mentors who had a big factory in Ghana who produced t-shirts and who had thousands of employees. Well, whatever your activity is, in terms of employment, well, this person, dear company, is invited to the meeting. If you have a lot of employees, if you impact a lot of lives, well, people, your guests, to the discussion. So, listen to your work, do good work, enlarge your activities, and then you will be invited to the table of very good advice for a difficult question. Indeed, a favorable environment for companies in general in Africa, it is a challenge sometimes, but things are getting better too. But you really have to give practical advice to women. Be present, present yourself, show yourself, make yourself heard. Constitute yourself as an excellent example because you will be able to serve as an example. Especially during this stage, during this phase, for example, a woman, the head of the company, who has a factory that employs thousands of people, well, the state's managers have against you. For example, you were a great head of the company in your country, well, people will listen to you, you will be an example, be present and make yourself heard. And it will clearly have an impact on the favorable environment for companies, and it will allow you to encourage other women. Thank you for this point of view, not only Ghana, but it can be used in the entire world for companies. We have a very last question. Several viewers asked us how can women, head of the company, find mentors and expand their professional network? Elisabeth Gore is committed to doing this. Thanks to her website, HelloAlice.com, this is one of the means, she is an actor, but Adjo and Charity, what would you say? Women, head of the African company, need mentors, how do they find mentors? How can they expand their professional network? What network do you enjoy yourself? Thank you. I said that you have to adhere to professional associations or that you find, for example, I am a member of an association of the job, so confessional, on a large scale, find professional associations, participate in meetings, interact and then you will find mentors. So for me, being a member of the association, I found a woman who had the largest business of the company, with thousands of employees. I discuss with her every month and she encourages me. She even wants people even younger, to do the same thing to her, a hundred times more. So what I tell her, I tell her about my dreams, she tells me, yes, it's possible, she did the same thing. Although her company was small at the beginning, so she has thousands of employees now, so everything is possible. You have to adhere to professional associations based on your victim sector, your daughter, and there you will find mentors. Sometimes you will go online, like on Hilo Alice, you will find a person, maybe not in your own sector, but who will encourage you. And then you push, you encourage to do the necessary. Find, look for these people, you will find them. If you look, you will find these people. And then adhere. Precisely, the person who sits next to me, it's my mentor, because she gives me a lot of very good advice. And I connect with people at a different level. There are people with whom I don't talk about religion, because it's a sensitive question. So you have to find a neutral ground to talk to people, to make sure they listen to you. We could talk about shoes and tell someone, oh, you have very good shoes and that makes a conversation. For example, if someone is naked, I say to you politely, and so it makes a conversation. For example, on social networks, when people make good comments, well, you thank them, you say thank you, and then you can check if the person has received your thanks. And then it makes a discussion. And the best way is on social networks. And if people worry about you, they are interested in you. And then I can meet people just on Facebook. For example, I see something that interests me. Someone who says, oh, you have the great ones, I love you. Well, everyone loves receiving very good compliments on all women. Because I love shoes, the shoes. I am a fan of shoes. So if you tell me that I have very beautiful shoes, of course, without a doubt, you will be my friend. You understand. So, for example, if I tell someone, you have wonderful glasses. I love your glasses. Well, it's very effective. And this person will become your friend. This person will love you. He will worry about you. For example, he himself wants to send you gifts for your children's birthday. There are all kinds of means to establish contact. And he feels very proud of your work. He shares with you. That's it. Exactly. Elisabeth Gore told us, so go left, look right. That's your network. These are your mentors. These are the people who will inspire you. I would say that you two, as well as Elisabeth, go and make mentors for thousands of women who participated, female entrepreneurs who participated in our program today. So, follow us on social media. Be ready for the transformations that will take place as your journey, your life has been broadcast on a global scale. There is almost no more time left. Thank you very much for your wonderful questions. We have covered a lot of topics today. I hope that our viewers will continue to get involved in these important issues. Charity, in conclusion, do you have any final thoughts? Yes. Yes, indeed. I have a few final thoughts. Yes, I would like everyone here to appreciate what we have. So, follow the processes. Make a multiplication of one from two to four. If someone gives you money to create an enterprise, but here, there are people who may not be your friends or because there are rockers in all sectors. So, you have to go step by step. And so, follow the process. How is it small at the beginning? And make a gradual progression, little by little. Make a gradual expansion. For example, for certain products, people want to see you being involved. If people see that you are doing good work, well, the people who count will find you at the right time. Yes, I think my colleague said everything, but I would also say that sometimes, some entrepreneurs want to start over from scratch. And there are other entrepreneurs who can capitalise on an existing company and make it grow. And I work in family companies. If you find something new, for example, in the field of agriculture, to make an expansion, it is not necessary that it is in your same sector of activity, fashion, as for me. But there are people who are competent at the base. There are people who are competent in the next step to make progress. This is what started. So, whatever you do, you are an entrepreneur. You can be a startup or create a big company to become the next big company that everyone talks about. Where do you find yourself? Thank you. You are both extraordinary. You are a source of inspiration and you are really excellent. And you share your knowledge, you share your experiences, your wisdom, your experience as a woman and a leader of African companies. You transform your lives, but you transform your communities, your countries and finally, the continent. I have been very lucky to be able to talk to you today. I am recognizing all the participants of our show today for your lighting, your hospitality, including Adatoune, who managed the comment section of our show, of this online show. It was really an amazing opportunity. Allow me to also say to those who asked questions and comments. Thank you once again. It was at a continental level. There were participants from all over Africa. I hope that this discussion can serve as a ramp for a broader conversation about the importance of our women's representation in Africa and the world. So a big hello to the questions that have come to us online. Thank you to the ambassador of the United States to Accra, Ghana, and thank you to the other online spectators. To the ambassador of Lomeo Togo, the ambassador of Brazzaville to Congo, the ambassador of Nihameh to Niger, the American center of Abidjan, in Côte d'Ivoire, the ambassador of Yaoundé to Cameroon, the ambassador of Asmara in Eritrea, the ambassador of Windhoek in Namibia, the ambassador of Monrovia to Liberia, the ambassador of Fritane in Sierra Leone, the ambassador of Kampala in Uganda, the American center of Kigali in Rwanda, the ambassador of Agabaran in Botswana, the ambassador of Darasala in Tanzania, the American space of Alisabeba in Ethiopia, and 14 antennas of the web and the center of affairs of the United States of Nigeria. Thank you once again for participating in our discussion today. And be sure to listen to this brief message from the part of Elisabeth Simone, Secretary of the United States of Africa for the African questions of the State Department for Africa concerning the commitment of the American government to facilitate the trade and investment between American companies and the United States. And thank you and have a very good day. Thank you. Hello everyone. My name is Elisabeth Fitzsimmons. I am under Secretary of the United States at the Office of the African Affairs of the State Department of the United States. I am delighted that you have been able to join us today since the ambassador of the United States to Accra and more than 20 other American space ambassadors on the entire continent for today's online discussion on women's entrepreneurship. Online discussions like these are important to start the necessary conversations to facilitate trade and investment exchanges between American and African entrepreneurs to catalyze economic growth on the continent. When our Secretary of State, John T. Bornage, arrived in Washington five months ago, he put the accent on two priorities. First, he wants to encourage more American companies to seek economic debuts in Africa. American societies are well-known for the development of local talents, the creation of debuts for women and young people, and for the assurance of the safety of the employees. Second, he wishes that we continue to do everything we can to help African countries to develop in a way to instill proper environments that benefit their citizens and are attractive. For foreign investors, of course, African countries' governments play the most important role to help women, entrepreneurs and young people succeed. And we will do our best to ensure that the United States continues to bring a useful support to this end. Africa is a crossroads in history. From here, in 2050, the population of Africa should double to reach 2.5 billion inhabitants, including more than 70% in at least 30 years old. This population has a rapid growth in the need for education, skills and employment. The Web program for African women entrepreneurs, the Yali Initiative for the leadership of young Africans and other similar initiatives will continue to provide essential debuts to women and young Africans who are the future of their communities. If we do not allow the spirit of entrepreneurship and the dynamism of women and young Africans or the ideas to create jobs and debuts that will encroach them in their countries, we will see a crossroads of African servants and people who risk their lives in dangerous immigration conditions. We must recognize that it is urgent to create new debuts and jobs through entrepreneurship for this rapid growth in the continent. We must also prove together that women and young Africans are part of their own future and are able to lead their communities and countries to take these challenges. The autonomy of women and young people is at the heart of relations between the United States and Africa. This is why, in all American public administrations, we engage in a considerable way to deepen more commercial relations between the United States and Africa and to create ways that lead to an economic and long-term commercial partnership. For example, the State Department has provided $50 million in financing for the initiative of financing for women's entrepreneurship, or WIFI. The Department is also catalyzed with international partners over $340 million for projects that mobilize innovative solutions for the private sector, for women-managed PMs and women-owned owners. The first financing section includes $21 million for 10 sub-Saharan African countries over the period of five years. As you advance towards your entrepreneurship aspirations, I would like to suggest a few things. First of all, stay in touch with our ambassadors and foreign consultants. They rejoice to know your experiences on the Web and Yali and to know how to work in partnership with you. Secondly, stay in touch with each other. Be mentors to each other. Be a safe place for each other. On June 4 and 5, the United States and the Netherlands will co-organize the ninth world summit of the Halaé Entrepreneurial. Check out the 2019.org GES page for information on the participation submission to this event that will bring together other entrepreneurs, investors and business ecosystem creators. I would especially like to thank Elizabeth, Charity, Adjo, Adetoun and CD for taking part in the panel and moderating the day-to-day broadcast. Good luck to you all.