Tato Khundadze

Business for Start

 

One of the programme aims of the Community Development Centre is promotion of income-generating activities. In 2012, the Community Development Centre was given the opportunity to implement the ‘Business for Start’ project.

The project was aimed at supporting women’s entrepreneurship and self-employment in the region of Kakheti (more specifically, in the villages of Nukriani and Napareuli and in the city of Gurjaani).The project outcomes benefitted small and medium business development and job creation in the region.

This was a pilot project, as initiatives of such kind (support for small business development) had not yet been implemented by the Community Development Centre.

 

The project was supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland. It had two implementers: the Polish non-governmental organisation B4 and the Community Development Centre. It should also be noted that the following organisations were involved in the project as partners: Community Union ‘Nukriani’, Community Union Napareuli, and Media Centre Kakheti. It should be pointed out that without their active involvement in the project it would have been impossible to implement the objectives of the project. For this reason, in the future, we plan to develop the capacity of local partner organisations to ensure their sufficient qualifications when engaging in implementation of similar projects aiming at promotion of income-generating activities.

 

In the first stage of the project, 60 women who had a wish and an idea for how to start a small business were selected through an open competition; the chosen women participated in a thematic training which involved the following issues: main legal aspects of undertaking economic activity and production, choice of organisational and legal form for the economic activity and its registration, basic aspects of accounting and tax law, marketing, and management, creating a business plan, etc. In addition, the project participants had the opportunity to take part in consultations on specific issues relating to starting a business and its deployment with relevant experts during the whole course of the project.

 

The participants of the project developed their own business plans with assistance of qualified trainers and consultants; 23 women received funding instead of the originally envisaged 20. The business plans that took part in the competition and received funding can be divided into three groups: the service sector, tourism, and agriculture. It depended, on one hand, on pre-established external preconditions, and on the other hand — on limits for the amount of grants. Among the funded businesses, the most notable are: a confectionery business, a beauty salon, beekeeping, livestock farming, a guesthouse, fish farming, etc.

 

At this stage it is relatively difficult to discuss the project’s outcomes in terms of success and failures, as only two months have passed since the business plans were implemented. Nevertheless, it can be said that the project ‘Business for Start’ helped dozens of women to overcome the feelings of hopelessness and helplessnessthat arose as a consequence of prolonged ‘domestic isolation’. As it was acknowledged by one of the project participants Mrs Tamar Mirianashvili, the ability to start her own business allowed her to overcome the protracted alienation from the society and restored her self-confidence. Precisely this social aspect of the project determines its extraordinary importance.

 

List of projects funded within the ‘Business for Start’ project

Surname, name	Implementation venue	Grant (GEL)	Activity
Nikolaishvili Liana	Gurjaani	3000	Enjoy Kakheti: village house, traditional Kakhetian cuisine and wine selection/tasting cellar
Mamulashvili Tamar	Gurjaani	2980	Manufacture and sale of traditional Kakhetianconfections ‘churchkhelas’
Mirianashvili Tamar	Nukriani	3000	General village shop
Bezhashvili Mariam	Nukriani	2900	Banquet hall in the village: bathroom fittings
Tandashvili Nana	Nukriani	2500	Livestock farming: purchase, breeding, and sale of calves
Qalabegashvili Tamar	Nukriani	2975	Ethnographic yard: manufacture and tasting of traditional Kakhetian wine and various Kakhetian pastries
Nadikashvili Tamar	Nukriani	3000	Pig farming: breeding and sale of pigs
Bakhturidze Elene	Nukriani	3000	Livestock farming: breeding of cattle, manufacture and sale of dairy products
Lomidze Nezhna	Nukriani	2620	Baking and sale of traditional Kakhetian bread shotipuri
Tsertsvadze Lela	Nukriani	2400	Pig farming: purchase, breeding, and sale of piglets
Pirashvili Ekaterine	Nukriani	2500	Beauty salon: haircut and hair dyeing for women
Kuparashvili Tsira	Nukriani	3000	Livestock farming: breeding of cattle, manufacture and sale of dairy products
Otiashvili Mziana	Nukriani	2600	Rabbit farming: breeding and sale of rabbits
Bakhturidze Maqvala	Nukriani	1165	Manufacture and sale of traditional Kakhetian confections churchkhelas
Khomizuri Natalia	Napareuli	2785	Fish farming: purchase, breeding and sale of different kinds of fry
AkhalkatsishviliShorena	Napareuli	1284	Mushroom growing and sale
Kosalashvili Tamar	Napareuli	2945	Fish farming: rehabilitation of general lake facilities, purchase, breeding and sale of different kinds of fry
Beriashvili Mariam	Napareuli	2900	Greenhouse farming: cultivation and sale of vegetables
Kartlelishvili Endi	Napareuli	2995	Beekeeping: manufacture and sale of honey and various honey products
PotolashviliSopio	Napareuli	3000	Livestock farming: breeding of cattle, manufacture and sale of dairy products
Makhariashvili Marekhi	Napareuli	2396	Manufacture and sale of confectionery
Beriashvili Nana	Napareuli	2970	Pastry bakery, fast food
Iosebashvili Tinatin	Napareuli	2730	Livestock farming: breeding of cattle, manufacture and sale of dairy products