
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 |
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