Empower 20 unemployed Spanish women

This 2016 is the year of hope. The year in which entrepreneurship becomes an expression of a better future for several long term unemployed women in Spain through this project.

In our previous report we already wrote about Iraida, Inmaculada, Nuria, Carolina, Carlota and Isabel, the six women of different ages who were not able to reenter or enter the Spanish labour market and who were supported through our program to become future entrepreneurs, by working on their business ideas and developing their confidence and skills.

The six participants are now closer to their new lives as businesswomen: Iraida will launch her online health portal this July 1st; Carolina currently has the opportunity to take a course on restoration before launching her business; and Isabel is analysing the target audience of her future company. And while Inma is still struggling with getting the necessary funds to finance the launch of her business (lack of funding is one of the main barriers who women entrepreneurs from all over the world report), Nuria has almost everything done and will start her business in January 2017.

And thanks to all of you keeping giving, we had a seventh participant entering the program: Maria (50) who after losing her long-term employment as nurse worked hard with our mentor Beatriz and already has her business plan (BP) done and approved. Her business is a center for alternative therapies based in Premià de Dalt (Catalonia). Maria is now working with Beatriz on how to best establish and regulate the partnership with the doctors and trainers who will participate in the business.

This year will be a positive year. For you and us who contributed to improve the lives of other people but especially for these women themselves who really got a second chance.

Last year at this time Iraida (53), Inmaculada (45), Nuria (21), Carolina (21), Carlota (22) and Isabel (55) were six very demotivated women living in Barcelona, Spain. Demotivated because, despite of being very skilled and all holding a university degree, they were unable to find a job in order to maintain their economic independency. Some of them had strong difficulties in reentering the labour market after having lost their jobs during the economic crisis and others just couldn’t find a job after graduating and were seriously considering emigrating to another country. And this situation was starting to affect also their wellbeing causing sadness, lack of self-confidence and other related problems.

Now, one year later, we are standing in front of six strong and resolute women entrepreneurs. And this, thanks to this program and to YOUR GENEROUS DONATIONS which allowed us to provide Iraida, Inmaculada, Nuria, Carolina, Carlota and Isabel with business advice and mentoring.

With Iraida we have worked intensively on her business plan for an online health portal. The idea was very promising and after concluding a professional business plan and several mentoring sessions and thanks to Iraida’s hard work and determination we have managed it to get 100.000.- EUROS of funding for her to realize her dream and start working on the portal - Wow! Internet has also been a crucial part of Inmaculada’s business idea: she has developed a method (also available online) to help people with their professional development choices, especially young students. Through our work with her, Inma has now a fully professional business plan clearly showing the strengths of her project that will help us to look for funding to put the project in practice. Carolina loves food and she has always dreamed about having her own restaurant. For her, the crisis has been an opportunity to make her dream a reality as she realized that her studies provided her with a good background but that what she really wants is to start with the restaurant. With the business plan done we are now preparing her through mentoring to get investors for her culinary dream on board. With Carlota we have just finished the business plan for an event planning company and are now testing her target. Nuria is working with us on a business plan for an online sales platform and Isabel is receiving mentoring sessions to better develop her project of chiropraxis and reflexology so to attract investors.

In Spain there are much more Iraidas, Inmaculadas, Carolinas, Carlotas, Nurias and Isabels. Imagine how many wonderful business ideas to explore with them! Aren’t you curious?