Central America: Linking women business enterprises (WBEs) with the global gifts and home decoration market

    Overview

    Summary

    Central America: Women and E-commerce

    The project Linking Central American Women Business Enterprises (WBEs) with the Global Gifts and Home Decoration Market aims to improve the export performance of women-led-enterprises from Central America to sell online.

    The project beneficiaries are women-led-companies involved in the sale and export of handicrafts for the gift and home decoration industries from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panamá.

    The project funded by the European Union (EU) has been implemented between 2018 and 2021 by the International Trade Centre (ITC) in collaboration with the Secretariat for Central American Economic Integration (SIECA) and in partnership with national organizations.

    To achieve its objective, the project has produced five immediate results as follows:

    • WBEs have increased their export business management skills for online commercialization.
    • WBEs’ products and services have exhibit enhanced design, quality and compliance with market trends and customers’ demands
    • WBEs have developed high quality digital and promotional material.
    • WBEs have established connections with business partners through increased presence on the Web

    WBEs have acquired the technical know-how to fulfil electronic buyers’ orders.

    Partners

    Sustainable Development Goals

    This project contributes to the following Sustainable Development Goals, as defined by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

    Social media

    Context

    Supporting women entrepreneurs through e-commerce  

    The demand for handicrafts has grown exponentially in recent years, especially in Europe and the United States, with international e-commerce opening an important market opportunity for Central American women artisans.  

    Yet many women lacked the digital skills to take full advantage of online sales. ITC’s ecomConnect team stepped in with trainers and coaches to help 200 small businesses and 24 local trade and design support institutions. Participants learned about product design and export management for online sales. From 2018-2021, ITC helped in the development of 580 new on-trend handicraft products for the international market.   

    ITC also organized several tailored e-labs for the most qualified businesses and launched an E-commerce Leadership Programme offering peer-to-peer e-commerce coaching.   

    The project helped businesswomen open successful commercial websites, improve shipping times, and track sales metrics. From 2017-2021, businesses assisted by ITC generated more than $USD 86,000 in revenue, 125 companies received more than 2,400 orders online from 21 markets, and created and optimized 119 websites and stores on Etsy, eBay and Novica.   

        

     

    Women producing handmade accessories in Guatemala to be sold online 
    Misle Films
    This project helped businesswomen open successful commercial websites, improve shipping times, and track sales metrics. 
    Do not show
    By leveraging targeted online campaigns and continuously tracking sales metrics, I was able to successfully promote my brand abroad, especially in the United States.
    By leveraging targeted online campaigns and continuously tracking sales metrics, I was able to successfully promote my brand abroad, especially in the United States.
    Soledad Borel 
    Founder of Soledad Art Jewelry, Costa Rica 
    Jewelry
    Jewelry
    Thanks to the partnership with DHL, I was able to reduce my shipping time from 3 to 4 weeks to 3 to 4 days, without changing my pricing. DHL's preferential shipping rates have also allowed me to offer free shipping to my customers, and we have since sent several products to Houston, Texas, which was previously an issue due to shipping. With ITC's support, I can now send customers my products quickly and securely.
    Thanks to the partnership with DHL, I was able to reduce my shipping time from 3 to 4 weeks to 3 to 4 days, without changing my pricing. DHL's preferential shipping rates have also allowed me to offer free shipping to my customers, and we have since sent several products to Houston, Texas, which was previously an issue due to shipping. With ITC's support, I can now send customers my products quickly and securely.
    Elena San Martín 
    Founder of Nicteel Ceramics, Honduras 
    Ceramics
    Ceramics
    Supporting someone at a distance is not easy. Our collaboration has been an adventure, and dedication and motivation have been key. The tutor learns as much as the student. Undoubtedly, I would repeat the mentoring experience.
    Supporting someone at a distance is not easy. Our collaboration has been an adventure, and dedication and motivation have been key. The tutor learns as much as the student. Undoubtedly, I would repeat the mentoring experience.
    Lucreacia de González 
    Founder of Casa Cotzal, Guatemala 
    Handmade articles
    Handmade articles
    That a team of professionals with such dedication helped me make my own website is the best gift that I could have received. I couldn't have done it alone. Having been prepared to sell online in 2020 has made sales possible since the beginning of the pandemic. And it continues to be like that.
    That a team of professionals with such dedication helped me make my own website is the best gift that I could have received. I couldn't have done it alone. Having been prepared to sell online in 2020 has made sales possible since the beginning of the pandemic. And it continues to be like that.
    Rebeca Zamora 
    Founder of Gato Negro, Costa Rica 
    Jewelry
    Jewelry
    I am very excited to be able to pass on experience and knowledge to a motivated colleague. It would be great to replicate the E-commerce Leadership Programme at a wider scale, including more mentees. I really like to see how my student responds to the advice I give her.
    I am very excited to be able to pass on experience and knowledge to a motivated colleague. It would be great to replicate the E-commerce Leadership Programme at a wider scale, including more mentees. I really like to see how my student responds to the advice I give her.
    Anna Sophia Reyes 
    Founder of Achiote, Guatemala 
    Food company
    Food company
    This project has managed to drastically change the vision of businesswomen and their way of doing business. Today, they are businesswomen with a more open mind, more confident of their abilities and much more motivated to be the pioneers in Nicaragua in entering the world of electronic commerce.
    This project has managed to drastically change the vision of businesswomen and their way of doing business. Today, they are businesswomen with a more open mind, more confident of their abilities and much more motivated to be the pioneers in Nicaragua in entering the world of electronic commerce.
    Yudyth Cerda 
    Business Intelligent Specialist at Association of Producers and Exporters of Nicaragua (APEN) 
    Import-Export
    Import-Export

    ITC contact

    Beatriz
    Rodriguez Perez
    Email
    brodriguez [at] intracen.org