Most women entrepreneurs are involved in running Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), and like all other SMEs, their resources are limited and their focus remains mostly on managing day-to-day operations. Little attention is given to how the company should manage its growth-in particular how it should market products, including that across boundaries-and use its financial options that may allow it to grow quickly. A survey conducted by SEDF shows that only 5% of the total women entrepreneurs in the sample actually opted for outside financing.

Keeping in mind these challenges faced by women entrepreneurs, two seminars were held as part of a larger event, 3rd Asian Women Entrepreneur Eid Fair 2006.

The objective of the first seminar titled 'Fair Participation & Marketing' was to illuminate challenges faced by women entrepreneurs in marketing their products and strategies to overcome them. Her Excellency Patricia A. Butenis, the US Ambassador to Bangladesh, attended the seminar as Chief Guest (an article adapted from her speech is featured elsewhere in this issue).

Erika Hoffman Kiess, Deputy Director of JOBS, expounded on two successful case studies: Karupannya and BBRL (Bengal Braided Rugs Ltd.). Both of these SMEs are from Bangladesh; they have been manufacturing jute-made products, and they received a large number of export orders through trade fairs.

Karupannya manufactures products like tangy rugs and carpets. Over the last five years the company has done well in the local market. The carpet industry benefits from substantial government subsidies, available raw material, low labor cost, low capital investment and convenient transport system. However, Karupannya's major challenges include not having access to informational market trends and lack of appropriate design and technology. In the recent past, there was a trade fair in India that additionally provided training and the participants spent a month there, getting acquainted with various relevant businesses. They applied the strategies they had attained from India to bring down their cost of production by 50 percent. Orders received from that fair amounted to US$25000 and the buyers were from Germany.

BBRL (Bengal Braided Rugs Ltd.), the other local company, was already very successful in the United States market but it did not know how to target European markets, nor did it have proper technology and market intelligence to customize their products for European markets. Participation in an international fair, however, allowed them to find contacts to bring relevant technology into Bangladesh so that they could extend their product ranges. Through that fair, they also met thousands of vendors, discussions with whom gave them a good idea about the characteristics of European markets.

In his presentation in the 'Fair Participation & Marketing' seminar, Dewan Atif Rashid, Executive Director of Design & Technology Center, discussed product display strategies, pricing and negotiation. According to him, entrepreneurs need to make cost benefit analyses prior to taking part in a fair (international or local). He emphasized the fact that entrepreneurs must find out ex ante whether their business objectives will be met through the fair. Participation in a trade fair, especially an international one, has its costs and before making such an investment commitment, said Atif, entrepreneurs should try to gather information about the current market trends in those countries. After all, it would be very difficult to market products that are not in line with market trends. Also, entrepreneurs should participate in fairs that promise to attract a large number of intended customers. While talking about pricing strategy Atif observed entrepreneurs often do not consider the cost of the entire manufacturing processes. All costs, such as raw materials, factory overhead, packaging, office overhead, marketing expenses, freight and research & development expenses should be taken into consideration before setting a final price of a product.

The second seminar called 'Financing and Managing Growth' was held with Amir Khosru..