17 Sep 2020

Women entrepreneurs have been implored to exploit the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to grow their enterprises.

Making a presentation at Women in Business Association (WIBA) workshop on Tuesday, Botswana Business Coalition on HIV and AIDS- Trainer Consultant, Mr Wallace Chikukutu told women entrepreneurs that ICT remained an integral part of business management.

He noted that sometimes businesses failed because of poor record keeping due to manual recording.  

Mr Chikukutu thus elaborated that accurate records helped one to make informed decisions, as one could keep track of everything in a business.

The presenter noted that manual records keeping was a cumbersome exercise, particularly to retrieve a record which one could easily lose as opposed to the use of ICT.

“Losing a single receipt could spoil record-keeping and alternately business accounting,” he said.  

Mr Chikukutu, who described accounting as a backbone of business, said through the use of programmes like Microsoft Excel, one could improve management of a business in accounting and records keeping.

“When you are advanced you can utilise QuickBooks which does everything for you. You just capture invoices and QuickBooks will do reports, stock control, and payrolls and will determine if you made loss or profit,” he stated.

Further, he said through the use of different ICT platforms women entrepreneurs could reach more potential clients and suppliers instantly without any physical contact.

Equally, Mr Chikukutu said due to the outbreak of coronavirus which dictated social distancing, ICT had become more relevant.

He accentuated that owing to the great benefits of ICT, the expenses for buying computer or smartphones could not be avoided in any business.  ENDS