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| "DAWN" Newsletter of The DAWN CENTER |
| Support for Women in Starting Businesses |
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| Motokazu Nishigami |
In Japan, people traditionally tend to consider that men (husbands)
should go to work earning money while women (wives) should stay home doing housework.
In recent years, however, an increasing number of women have gone outside the
house in order to take an active role in society. In order to help and support
such women, the Osaka Prefectural Government and the Dawn Center jointly offer
a support program for women who want to start businesses. The program consists
of three pillars: offering a training course, consultations, and a financing program.
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| 1. Training Course |
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The Dawn Center offers a 5-day business training course. This
course provides participants with basic business know-how, including procedures
for establishing a company, the way to work out a business plan, and the basics
of accounting. In addition, the program also provides participants with practical
knowledge by involving them in a simulation of the process of starting business,
as well as various case studies, so that they can learn how to make adequate judgments
as business managers. So far, the course has attracted 275 women between the ages
of early 20s and 72, with 61 of them actually starting business.
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| 2. Offering Consultations |
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The Dawn Center offers consultations on an individual basis to
help solve problems facing women who want to start businesses. Appropriate advice
is given to each woman based on her specific problems concerning a business site,
profitability, capital investment, and so on.
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| 3. Financing Program |
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The largest obstacle for women who want to start business is
how to raise funds. Generally, in order to obtain a loan from a bank, applicants
in Japan are first of all requested to offer real estate as collateral, which
is extremely difficult for women. The Osaka Prefectural Government offers a financing
program which demands no collateral. The program is aimed at women who have completed
the training course at the Dawn Center and plan to start socially meaningful projects
in Osaka Prefecture. The program provides funds within the limits of 10 million
yen. Up to now, five women have received funds under the program and started business.
One of them manufactures and sells "okaki (sliced and dried rice cake)"
in cooperation with handicapped people and another is engaged in the manufacture
and sales of box lunches and side dishes using natural food materials. |
Copyright (C) 2007 DawnCenter. All Rights Reserved.
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