Background

Before joining the Empower Her Ability Project, Emenike Blessing Benedicta operated her businesses informally, with limited knowledge of record keeping, branding, profit tracking, and financial management. Although she was engaged in foodstuff sales, baking, and event decoration, she faced challenges managing her finances and identifying opportunities for sustainable growth.

Poor packaging, limited capital, and difficulty separating sales revenue, expenses, profit, and money for reinvestment made it challenging for her to manage her businesses effectively.

The Challenge

Blessing’s main challenge was the lack of structured business management practices. Without consistent records and clear financial tracking, she struggled to determine how much her businesses earned, how much she spent, and how much she could reinvest.

Limited access to capital also prevented her from improving her packaging, increasing her stock, and moving to a better business location. These challenges restricted her ability to expand her businesses and reach more customers.

Support Through the Empower Her Ability Project

Through the Empower Her Ability Project, Blessing received entrepreneurship training, mentorship, capacity-building support, and opportunities to connect with relevant networks.

She particularly valued the sessions on branding, record keeping, fund management, and business growth strategies. These sessions helped her understand the importance of treating her businesses as structured enterprises rather than relying solely on day-to-day sales.

The project also strengthened her understanding of responsible financial management and gave her greater confidence in making business decisions.

The Change

Following her participation in the project, Blessing began keeping business records, tracking profit and loss, and making more strategic purchasing decisions. She became more confident in managing her finances and identifying how funds could be allocated towards business expenses and reinvestment.

The knowledge she gained also changed how she approached financial support. Feeling better equipped to manage additional capital, she became more willing to approach family members and microfinance sources for assistance.

Beyond business management, the project strengthened Blessing’s personal confidence and advocacy. She reports that she now has the courage to speak up for herself and others around her, demonstrating how the experience contributed to her personal development alongside her entrepreneurial growth.

Looking Ahead

Despite these improvements, access to finance remains a significant barrier to Blessing’s business expansion. Additional capital would enable her to increase her stock, improve her business operations, and move to a more suitable location where she could better serve her customers.

With continued access to financial resources and business development opportunities, Blessing hopes to build on the management skills she has acquired and grow her businesses into more sustainable enterprises.