A Story of an Egyptian

Woman Entrepreneur

By: Dr.Yomna El Sheridy

President of BWE21

September 2011

Brief Background:

– Educational Background

– Crossroads between career and

personal..Faced the challenge

– International and Domestic

experience…

– From Pharmaceuticals to bar soap

– From Import to Export.

Baby Food Business

• Population : 84 MM

• New Birth : 1.8MM per annum

• Baby Born every 27 seconds

• Based on this statistics : Baby Food

should sell at least 2 million dozens of

jars

• No reliable data to base investment

especially we were the first Company

to launch Baby Food in jars in 92.

• Trial and Error is the Challenge we

faced.

FINDING OPPORTUNITIES IN

CRISIS • Exchange rate and Currency crisis.

• Import Business total Collapse.

• Had to reverse the cycle from import to export.

• From Trading to Manufacturing.

• Started Internet Business comparing relative advantages of Egyptian products and World Demand.

• Trial and errors from Onions to Strawberries to olives to Sundried Tomato

• From Trading to Manufacturing

What worked:

• Networking

• BWE and similar NGO cut red

tape and is welcome by official

Authorities

• Training and Upgrading your

knowledge.

• Traveling and Trade Shows

• NGO and Chambers of

Commerce

• Donors like IMC and Expolink are

of ample support to SME

• The entrepreneur’s

advice:

• Capitalize on networks and

connections..The world is

becoming very small

• “Always upgrade and

improve. Compare yourself

to competitors in other

countries and stay updated

on world markets. You can’t

be content to sit still; if you

do, you may lose it all.”

• Adapt to crisis and be

flexible

Business Women of

Egypt 21 BWE21 was registered in August 1998 • It is a self financed NGO whose mission is to

upgrade business women contribution to develop the Egyptian economy.

• BWE21 strength lies in its members who accomplish together what is impossible alone.

Who should be a member: • Business Women

• Professional & Career Women

• Women who want to start a business

Thank You