UOB Thailand introduces the Womenpreneur: Tech and Sustainability Programme
UOB Thailand launched the Womenpreneur: Tech and Sustainability programme to support and empower women entrepreneurs in digitising their businesses with the necessary tools and knowledge for success in the ever-changing digital economy. This initiative is by The FinLab Thailand in collaboration with the Thai Business Incubation and Science Park Association (Thai-BISPA), O2O Forum, and Reporter Journey. This program aims to benefit more than 150 women entrepreneurs by providing access to training programs, knowledge, and various tools to enhance their digital skills.
The Womenpreneur: Tech and Sustainability Programme is part of UOB’s commitment to promote women entrepreneurs with technology and sustainable practices, helping them build sustainable businesses.
The three-month program included workshops conducted by experienced instructors who provided in-depth guidance on leveraging technology for business development and expansion. Additionally, women entrepreneurs benefitted from networking sessions that fostered business collaboration and exchange of experiences, enabling the creation of successful and sustainable businesses. Participants in the Womenpreneur program also received a voucher worth 5,000 Baht for campaign management fees from TellScore, a leading influencer marketing agency and platform.
Data from the Office of Trade Policy and Strategy indicates that there are more than 3 million medium-sized and small-scale enterprises (MSMEs) in Thailand, predominantly led by women. This highlights the importance of women in driving the country’s economy. However, despite efforts to adapt business strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic, MSMEs led by women still face significant challenges, such as a lack of digital skills, online marketing and content creation, business networking opportunities, and mental health issues.
Sirinun Jiradilok, Senior Vice President of Digital Engagement & FinTech Innovation at UOB Thailand, said “In Thailand, we have observed that female entrepreneurs are making progress in business, despite the challenging business environment. The Womenpreneur programme aims to create an ecosystem to support women-led businesses, connect them, and open doors to new opportunities. Additionally, they will gain access to various digital tools and beneficial advice to help integrate sustainable thinking into their business ventures. These factors will serve as proof that their organisations and businesses can grow in the future and keep up with the ever-changing market.”
Among these businesses, over 40,000 are owned or co-owned by women. We recognize the significant challenges faced by female entrepreneurs in the digital business and e-commerce sector, such as developing competitive digital capabilities. Currently, there is a lack of experts to provide guidance and digital-savvy teams to facilitate income generation online. We believe that what female business owners need the most is online marketing, the development of digital business models to enhance competitiveness, and access to government funding for the advancement of intelligent digital systems. We consider the Womenpreneur: Tech and Sustainability programme, organised by UOB Thailand, The FinLab Thailand, Thai-BISPA, O2O Forum, and REPORTER JOURNEY, as a crucial force in empowering resilient digital businesses led by women.”
Watcharin Witthayaweerasak, General Manager at the Thai Business Incubators and Science Parks Association (Thai-BISPA), stated, “We have a joint mission with the O2O Forum to build a digital business community. Currently, there are more than 60,000 SME owners interested in establishing their own digital businesses and seeking access to government funding to expand their businesses.
Kulthirath Pakawachkrilers, President of the Thai E-Commerce Association (THECA) and Founder & CEO of Thailand e-Business Center (TeC) stated, “The future is heading towards digital e-commerce, blockchain, metaverse technology, and many more. Therefore, female executives, entrepreneurs, and businesswomen need to prioritise global business trends in order to apply and advance technology within their organisations. The Womenpreneur: Tech and Sustainability programme by UOB and The FinLab will provide the answer and support for women-led businesses to develop themselves and propel their organisations towards a technology-driven future effectively and efficiently.”
Ning Alisara Sivayathorn, CEO of Sivatel Bangkok Hotel, said “Sustainability is conducting business with a balanced approach that generates profits while benefiting people, including employees, partners, and communities, in an environmentally friendly manner. Today, customers are ready to support brands that do good and do not leave anyone behind. Are you ready to start and take action?”
Narisa (Pam) Israngkura-Na-Ayudhya, CEO of A Little Lullaby Co. Ltd., located in Ayutthaya, and Founder of the Nappi Baby brand, a manufacturer and distributor of comprehensive baby products made from bamboo fibre, produced through environmentally friendly processes, and one of the female entrepreneurs participating in the Smart Business Transformation (SBTP) project, shared, “Personally, after joining the SBTP project with UOB Thailand four years ago, I gained knowledge to transform the entire organisation. We transformed the business model, work processes,
migrated everything to the cloud, reduced costs, increased efficiency, gained more flexibility, and achieved a better life balance. However, during the recent COVID period, we faced additional business challenges, and as business owners, we differ from employees in that we have to think and work seven days a week. Managing stress and self-care are often overlooked. I would like to emphasise that giving importance to wellness affects oneself, the people in the organisation, and the business because to succeed and be happy, we need to excel in three aspects: self, people, and work. We must take care of ourselves. I also want to recommend female entrepreneurs that joining the Womenpreneur program is a shortcut to learn various beneficial skills, exchange positive energy, and build a network of female entrepreneurs together in one leap.”
The Womenpreneur: Tech and Sustainability Programme is open to female entrepreneurs that are ready to adapt to technology and willing to invest in digital tools. Registration for the programme is currently closed. Learn more about the programme at www.facebook.com/uob.th or https://thefinlab.com/th/thailand.
