The first session of a training project designed to improve the skills of women entrepreneurs in small and micro businesses concluded in Beijing on November 13.

The project began to roll out its 12-week-long online training courses in July. The courses were aimed at 350 women engaged in the culture and tourism businesses from Yanqing District in Beijing and Zhangjiakou City in North China's Hebei Province.

The courses focused on online marketing, fiscal and tax management, financial capacity and human resource management, highlighting the weak points that often exist in small and micro businesses.

The project also invited mentors in related fields to launch thematic studies on the status of the culture and tourism industries in the post-epidemic era, giving advice on how to take advantage of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games, cultural and innovation product development, homestay hotel operation and management, and business negotiation and communication.

A total of 33 outstanding trainees and 22 promising enterprises were granted bonuses totaling 500,000 yuan (US $76,150) when the training session closed.

Initiated by the China Women's Development Foundation (CWDF), Visa, a global payments technology company and Beijing Sport University in December 2019, the project is designed to energize women working in small and micro businesses in the sports, culture and tourism sectors, heighten their abilities and external resources to serve the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, and facilitate the development of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou sports, culture and tourism belt.

The training project also aims to benefit 5,000 women-run small and micro businesses by the end of 2022.

Zhang Jianmin, vice-president and secretary-general of the CWDF, said that as a charity organization, the CWDF, led by the All-China Women's Federation, strives to serve women and families, upholding the principle of safeguarding women's rights and interests and promoting their development, especially in the economic sphere.

"We have conducted a series of public welfare projects to help women start their own businesses and find jobs, and to help needy women to increase their income and achieve sustainable development," Zhang said, adding that she hopes that women will use their initiative and creativity, seize the opportunities brought by the upcoming 2022 Winter Olympic Games, and make new achievements in their careers and lives.

"Through the training courses, women will wake up to their business's shortcomings and find ways to improve," said Jia Chunmei, president of the Yanqing Women's Federation, adding that the federation will fully support the project and encourage more women operators of small and micro businesses in the fields of culture, tourism and sports to participate in the training.

Lu Jianying, vice-president of the Zhangjiakou Women's Federation, spoke highly of the training courses and said that the project greatly helps women-run businesses take the rare opportunities brought by the 2022 Winter Olympic Games to develop themselves.

Trainees shared their feelings and stories of attending the training courses at the closing ceremony.

"The courses provided us with many innovative ideas and development proposals on business philosophy, methods and products," said a trainee from Zhangjiakou, adding that she will make full use of what she has learned, and integrate online and offline channels to develop her business.

(Source: China Women's News/Translated and edited by Women of China)