Digital Skills in Business: Empowering Female Entrepreneurs
Ms. Trinh Thi Huong, Deputy Director General of the Agency for Enterprise Development (AED), also hold the position of Director of the CWE project, stated that this program was specially designed for female entrepreneurs in Da Nang, a rapidly developing city with many business opportunities and potential. Female entrepreneurs in Da Nang and the surrounding areas are becoming an important part of the economic development of the region and Vietnam. In this course, female entrepreneurs learned about the technology activities needed in enterprises, how to conduct market research through free online tools, and business thinking on digital platforms. The course also emphasized the application of artificial intelligence (AI) and ChatGPT in business development, such as how to write headlines and product/service communication materials in an attractive way.
Representatives attending the photo session as a souvenir of the event
In addition, Ms. Mai Thi Dieu Huyen, Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnam Women Entrepreneurs Council, stated that Vietnam's digital economy is rapidly developing and becoming an important part of the national economy. Vietnam is currently ranked third in the ASEAN region in terms of the scale of the digital economy. Digital technology has also been strongly applied in Vietnam's industries, agriculture, and services.
Ms. Huyen also stated that according to a rapid survey on digital transformation of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) with women in leadership positions conducted by the Vietnam Women Entrepreneurs Council in March 2021, almost all women-owned MSMEs (99% of those surveyed) are interested in investing in technology initiatives to promote business activities, but they are still struggling with implementation, selecting suitable technological solutions, identifying breakthrough steps and rules for digital transformation. Only 18.45% of the surveyed enterprises have integrated digital transformation into their business development strategies, while 17.5% have applied technology to automate core activities such as purchasing, inventory management, and 30% have used IT software to manage finance, accounting, and human resources. Although they recognize the opportunities and benefits of digital transformation, women-owned MSMEs still face many challenges and difficulties such as lack of knowledge and skills about digital transformation, financial and technical human resource limitations.
Ms. Mai Thi Dieu Huyen, Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnam Women Entrepreneurs Council
Ms. Huyen added that in recent years, the AED has always accompanied the Vietnam Women Entrepreneurs Council and business associations in supporting and promoting digital transformation in enterprises led by women, as well as enhancing the capacity of women entrepreneurs. The CWE Women's Business Development Promotion Project, supported by UNESCAP, has been implemented since 2020 and has contributed to improving the capacity of women and female entrepreneurs in digital technology application. The Vietnam Women Entrepreneurs Council hopes that with timely technical support, in line with the objectives of the CWE project and close cooperation with the AED and business associations including the Vietnam Women Entrepreneurs Council of the VCCI, an ecosystem to support enterprises led by women in Vietnam will be created, contributing to improving the competitive capacity of women-owned enterprises nationwide.
The overview of the training session in Da Nang
The course provided more than 100 female entrepreneurs with basic knowledge and information about artificial intelligence (AI) and ChatGPT in business development, as well as tips on making short videos to attract customers. Overall, the training course provided female entrepreneurs in Da Nang and neighboring provinces with useful knowledge and practical skills to improve their businesses and contribute to the region's economic development.