The local activity organized by the Romanian Humanist Association to empower young women aspiring to become entrepreneurs took place in Cluj-Napoca. The workshop's focus on practical aspects of business development and risk management demonstrated a commitment to providing participants with valuable skills and knowledge.

Here's a breakdown of the key components covered in the workshop:

SMART Objectives & SWOT Analysis: Participants learned to define clear and actionable goals for their businesses, and the crucial factors for effective strategic planning.

Risk Management: Participants learned how to identify potential risks that could affect their businesses. Strategies for responding to and mitigating risks were discussed, helping participants develop a proactive approach to challenges.

Funding Sources: The workshop provided insights into various funding sources available for entrepreneurs. Participants gained knowledge on how to access these funding opportunities, whether through grants, loans, or other financial instruments.

Brand Identity: The importance of brand identity in promoting a business and attracting customers was emphasized. Participants learned about the elements of a strong brand, including logos, messaging, and the overall customer experience.

One of the things we learned during that week are the key factors that an entrepreneurial person needs to be successful in the process of creating a business:

    • Rights: the main and most important thing is to have the right to create a business. In many countries women, for example, do not have the right to start a business, nor do they even have the right to study or work.

    • Means: you must also have access to the Means that will allow or help you in the creation process. Access to financing, to information, to training

    • Support: support from the government and the closest environment is vital. One way to provide support from the government would be with scholarships, grants, training and growth spaces for women who want to start a project.

    • Opportunities: women deserve to have the same opportunities as men when it comes to creating a business or a project. If a person is denied the opportunity from the outset due to gender issues, they will never succeed in entrepreneurship.

    • Skills: the person interested in creating a project must have the necessary knowledge and skills to do so.

From here we could continue talking about what are the key skills that anyone must have in mind when starting any project. A competence is the sum of attitude, knowledge and ability, that is to say, will, knowledge and power. And of these skills there are 8 that are key:

    • Multilingualism

    • Personal and social skills (the relationship with oneself and with the people around)

    • Citizenship (belonging to a specific place, which does not have to be the same place of birth)

    • Entrepreneurship

    • Skills in cultural awareness and expression

    • Digital skills

    • Skills in mathematics, science and technology

    • Literary skills

Finally, it is important to set achievable goals and that is why we learned to use the "S.M.A.R.T" methodology. Goals”. The objectives we set when starting a project must be:

    • Specific (specific): specific, detailed, developed.

    • Measurable (measurable): measurable in time and in quantity.

    • Achievable: if we set goals that are too big we will not be able to achieve them. They must be realistic, sincere, honest goals

    • Relevant (relevant): how important are the goals we set? Who are they aimed at? What will be the long-term consequences?

    • Time (time-bound): the objectives must be framed by a time frame. Are they goals that can be achieved in the time set?

The workshop was attended by aspiring and early-stage women entrepreneurs, providing a platform for young women leaders who were eager to explore and navigate the entrepreneurial landscape. Participants included individuals with diverse backgrounds, ranging from students and recent graduates to those who had recently embarked on their entrepreneurial journey. The target audience for "EmpowerHER: Navigated the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem for Young Women Leaders" was young women who were interested in or had recently started their entrepreneurial ventures. This included students, graduates, and early-career professionals who were passionate about building their own businesses and contributing to the vibrant community of women entrepreneurs. The workshop aimed to empower and support this demographic by providing practical insights, networking opportunities, and valuable connections with experienced mentors in the business world. 

Workshop (1st and 2nd edition) were focused on the general and legal framework of the entrepreneurship, discussion related to the specific features of the women entrepreneurs, young women entrepreneurs and the role models in this field, the workshops were finalised with the adapted small group human library.

The participants found the topic and content very inspiring and innovation comparing the the administration perspective which is more common and more accessible. The programme was flexible towards the interest, question and sharing needs of the target group, the facilitation was adapted to the rhythm of  the group. The feedback was important for the follow-up activities which the project contributed to in terms of sustainability.