Scotiabank Womenʼs Initiative Workshop empowers female entrepreneurs through technology

Women-owned businesses are now better equipped to leverage technology, e-commerce and digital tools following a Scotiabank Women Initiative (SWI) workshop focused on resilience and innovation.

The workshop, titled “Deepening Business Resilience Through E-Commerce and New Technology”, brought together leaders from women-owned and women-led businesses from areas including law, manufacturing, tourism and entertainment, for a practical look at how technology can help businesses prepare for and navigate disruption.

Delivering remarks, Programme Lead for SWI and VP Credit Solutions, Scotiabank, Nadine Heywood, said the decision to host the workshop was a deliberate and strategic response to the realities facing businesses today, particularly in the aftermath of COVID-19 and other economic and environmental shocks impacting Jamaica and the wider region.

“The COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters such as Hurricane Melissa and other emerging challenges have had a debilitating impact on some businesses, while we have also seen businesses recover, adapt or transform,” said Heywood. “The Scotiabank Women Initiative intentionally centred this workshop on resilience to reinforce the place of technology and digital tools in future-proofing businesses, planning for continuity and creating new opportunities for growth.”

Founder of SmartNote2Self, Marcelle Smart, who was a key presenter at the workshop, highlighted the growing importance of Artificial Intelligence in helping entrepreneurs remain efficient and competitive, particularly when operating with lean teams. She led participants through an exercise which assessed their business resilience using a tool, SmartNote2Self | Biz Resilience Scan, that she developed for SMEs.

“The impending hurricane season provides an annual window/trigger for SMEs to be proactive re resilience readiness. AI allows business owners to automate routine tasks, improve productivity and fill gaps they may not yet be able to fill through human resources,” Smart explained. “The reality is that many entrepreneurs are running lean operations, and technology gives them the ability to still operate efficiently, scale strategically and remain competitive.”

Participants also received insights into digital payment solutions and online transaction security from Gail Whylie, Senior Manager, Global Transaction Banking at Scotiabank.

“At Scotiabank, we are powering the e-commerce activities of our clients by enabling them to accept online payments via debit or credit cards, which settle directly into their accounts through secure e-commerce solutions,” said Whylie. “One of the major advantages of our platform is the built-in security and fraud detection capabilities, which help identify suspicious transactions prior to the card authorisation process, helping to protect our clients from potential losses associated with fraudulent online payments.”

Nadine Heywood also reinforced the importance of empowering women entrepreneurs through access to financing, education and strategic support.

SME innovator Aybarinee Campbell Mendez, founder of Mendez Kare, gave a testimonial at the event, which gave insight into her company’s resilience and continuity strategies and the role of e-commerce as a buffering pillar of her business’s success.

Launched in Jamaica in 2022, the Scotiabank Women Initiative is designed to support women-owned and women-led businesses through tailored financing solutions, advisory services, networking opportunities and educational programming. For the period 2022 to 2029, J$11 billion has been made available through a Scotiabank Women Initiative Access to Capital Fund dedicated to supporting women-owned and women-led businesses across sectors, including technology, retail, tourism, manufacturing and education.