For women is three times more difficult to succeed in businesses

In Moldavia, the entrepreneurial initiative for women is still low, the small number of businesses developed by them being a prove of this. The trainers from some non-governmental bodies, and also women that manage businesses, wanted to prove at Iasi that the success in businesses doesn’t take into account the gender, male or female, but a set of other abilities. The aspirants to the status of entrepreneur were trained during the seminar “Days of entrepreneur women”, organized by T.O.S.M.E.C Iasi, about the ways in which non-reimbursable funds from the European Union or from the public budget can be obtained.

Ideas concerning the marketing of a business, proposals for new businesses, and also solutions concerning the financing with non-reimbursable European funds were a few of the themes approached during the conference “Days of entrepreneur women”, that took place in Iasi. The event was organized by the Territorial Offices for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises and Co-operatives (T.O.S.M.E.C) Iasi, the regional structure of the Ministry for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises, Trade, Tourism and Liberal Professions. The seminar represents the second stage of the Multiannual National Program for developing the entrepreneurial culture of the manager women from the SME area.

The representatives of the business environment from the North-East side of the country think that in Moldavia it isn’t an entrepreneurial emanation strong enough for that the number of companies set up by women to be significant. For having success both in private life and business one, women must work twice or three times more than a man. “From experience I can say that a woman must prove a statement, while men are trusted on their word. If we don’t prove our statements, our position is ignored. However, the results prove that it is worth working two-three times more for enforcing us. I’m from the first generation after 1990, when at the notice board weren’t anymore displayed allocations for graduates. I had graduated Hidrotehnica, I was from Bacau and I wanted to settle down in Iasi. I had to study hard for occupying a job for which competed nine persons. At 40 years old, I have already subscribed to the second university, I’ve attended several courses and I continue to study,” Laura Balanovici, regional director within the company News Outdoor stated.

One of the seminars’ sections was about the funds that can help women to start a business. “The most difficult decision for any entrepreneur is the program on which he wants to develop. In this library of information, you may risk if you don’t know precisely what you are looking for. Although it seems to be an insipid information, the data related to the European funds must be known in detail and well assimilated,” Gabriela Macoveiu, director of Communication and Regional Promotion, within the Regional Development Agency North-East stated. The representative of the agency said that once with joining to the European Union, after adopting the Regional Operational Program, there were launched a set of programs that aim the development of small and medium sized enterprises, to which even the manager women can apply. “One of the inconvenient is represented by the fact that the programs are national, and their implementation at regional or even local level becomes complicated in case in which it is wanted to meet the local needs”, Gabriela Macoveiu added. The Regional Operational Program offers these type of solutions in two main axis, namely axis 4 and 5. The axis 4 assumes “Supporting the regional and local business environment” and has as goal the set up and development of the structures for supporting the businesses, rehabilitation of the industrial spaces and supporting the regional and local entrepreneurial initiatives, the goal being to facilitate the set up of new jobs and the economic growth. Within this axis, the micro enterprises have a distinct chapter through which they can benefit of financial support. The intervention domain 4.3. assumes “Supporting the development of micro enterprises” and takes into account to support the productive companies, and also the ones that provide services in the region. According to the representatives of RDA North-East, the EU funds have the goal to encourage the micro enterprises, to use new technologies and innovations, IT equipments and services for increasing the competitiveness.

Taking advantage also of the specific of the area, the women from the North-East side of the country can choose to invest in the domain of tourism, a sector in which was recently opened a new financing chapter. The axis 5 within Regional Operation Program, “Development and promotion of the tourism”, assumes funds for initiatives directed to render profitable the touristic attractions of the region, so contributing to the economic increase of certain centers. The total value of a project in the domain of tourism, which assumes for example, the modernization and expansion of the accommodation structures and of the connected utilities, will start from a minimum level of 700.000 and maximum of 85.000.000 lei. The intervention domain 5.3 - Promoting the touristic potential and creating the necessary infrastructure, for increasing Romania’s attractiveness as touristic destination, goals activities directed to turn Romania in an attractive destination for tourism and businesses, together with the lasting development of touristic products and increasing the use of internet for services of booking and touristic promotion. The informative financial allocation for the period 2007-2013, for this domain is of 150 million euro, of which 127 million euro from ERDF and 22 million, from the public budget. For this intervention domain (5.3), intermediary body is the Ministry of SMEs, Trade, Tourism and Liberal Professions. The informative financial allocation at the level of North-East region for this domain is of 24,53 million euro.

The seminar from Iasi gathered especially young women that plan to step into the business world. It’s also one of the reasons for which the START program, carried on through T.O.S.M.E.C would be one of the options which they can take into account for starting a business.  The program which sustains the young persons aged between 18 and 35 years old, is close to the end, but the system will probable be carried on also in the next years. Women must elaborate serious business projects, following that the Government to cover a half of the investment from the public budget.  For this year, the allocation of 50% of the projects value didn’t exceed the value of 60.000 lei. The young women can finance the approved business project with an own contribution, in cash, a total of minimum 50% of the estimated value of investment, without VAT, excluding the contribution in nature.