Fijian women entrepreneurs earn about $25,000 in sales during Pacific Fair in New Caledonia

A delegation of women entrepreneurs from Fiji who participated in the Pacific Fair in Noumea, New Caledonia have raked in about $25,000 in sales from the event.

The trip was funded by the French Embassy in Fiji.

Women Entrepreneurs Business Council Coordinator, Fiona Uagunu says this was the first time for many of the women entrepreneurs to attend an international trade fair such as this.

She says it was an eye opener especially in terms of seeing similar kinds of products as theirs and the value-add done on them.

Uagunu says the first day of the fair exceeded expectations, with the women entrepreneurs making strong sales and reaching their day one sales target .

She says the second day started slowly but picked up, resulting in fruitful business dealings while the third and final day was full of fair attendees, with some members selling out their products.

She is urging MSME’s to embrace the opportunity to showcase their products or services without hesitation.

Uagunu says while they may encounter obstacles and hurdles on their entrepreneurial journey, they must remember that they are the primary advocate for the success of their products and services. Investment Fiji played a key role in facilitating the women entrepreneurs’ participation in the Pacific Fair in collaboration with Women Entrepreneur’s Business Council as well as the New Caledonia Trade and Invest. Investment Fiji CEO Kamal Chetty says they are committed to supporting women entrepreneurs and helping them to succeed in the global marketplace.

He says the Pacific Fair was a great opportunity for women entrepreneurs to showcase their products and services to a wider audience.

The CEO says at Investment Fiji, the main focus is providing avenues such as the Pacific Fair, for MSME’s to upscale their business.

He says these platforms allow businesses to find markets outside of their usual business environment as well as grasping the standards and requirements to meet the demand in the global landscape.