Building The Wealth Of Nations

Women Building Wealth

Female entrepreneurs make up approximately a third of all entrepreneurs globally. According to one study, in 2012 approximately 126 million women were either starting or already running businesses in various economies all over the world.

These women are not just running their own businesses, but they are also employers of labour. This means they are actively participating in the growth of their economies, and helping to build the wealth of their nations.

Women Need Business Financing

Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest number of female entrepreneurs, with about 27% of the female population.

However, even with the availability of technology and the support from different organisations, female entrepreneurs today are still struggling, and financing remains the biggest obstacle they face.

Women Empowering Women

Onesiphorus is a female-led organisation driven by a single vision — the economic empowerment of women in Sub-Saharan Africa. We seek to advance women’s wealth creation by developing and delivering superior financial solutions.

Our mission is to provide the ladder that lifts the female-owned businesses to true profitability and sustainability, using a set of unique service offerings entrepreneurs can leverage to become bankable.

Vision & Mission

The Onesiphorus Vision

Building the wealth of nations via the economic empowerment of women in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The Onesiphorus Mission

Advancing the growth of women in business and women’s wealth creation by developing superior financial solutions.

Onesiphorus is a trademark of FHG Consulting which runs on the vision of socio-economic empowerment of women worldwide.

What Do Women Need?

Finance

  • Accessible collateral
  • Unbiased loan decisions
  • Access to capital

Information

  • Financial education
  • Market understanding

Markets

  • Access to markets
  • Linkages to buyers

Networking

  • Peer-to-peer collaboration
  • Mentoring

The Business Case

  • A female entrepreneur reinvests 90% of her gains in her family and community, producing a significant multiplier effect of increased revenues to local economies, better-educated children, healthier families, and more stable, secure and prosperous communities (World Bank)
  • Women find it harder to raise financing for their businesses even though approximately 70% of new informal businesses are founded/owned/part-funded by women (McKinsey & Co., IFC)
  • Only 12% of women-owned businesses receive early-stage capital (Centre for Venture Research)
  • Only 12% of angel investors are women (Centre for Venture Research)
  • Research shows that “women entrepreneurs gravitate to women angels” and that those benefactors “look at more women’s start-up businesses than some of the more traditional male groups do.. (2006 report by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation)
  • Women’s economic empowerment is fundamental to achieving equal opportunities for men and women.
  • Across the SGB sector there is an increasing recognition of the importance of women entrepreneurs, and a greater willingness to understand how to support them.
  • Factors impacting on women’s unequal access to, and control over resources, include class, ethnicity and socio-cultural dynamics. These all affect women’s ability to compete in the SGB sector, as the required skills, finance and networks are often more difficult to attain. (United Nations, 2009)
  • Unconscious bias, or non-intentional exclusion of women by the SGB serving sector impacts the ability of women to effectively start and grow their businesses. (Value for Women, 2014)
  • Start-ups and seed-stage businesses are least likely to receive early-stage finance in developing countries.
  • There is a need to increase the risk appetite of emerging market investors and to expand efforts to de-risk early-stage investment.
  • There is still a problem with quality deal flow.
  • Identifying attractive investment opportunities is not easy. Whilst there are no shortage of small businesses and/or social businesses looking for investment in emerging markets, finding those with solid management teams and business systems in place is a challenge. Most SGBs need some sort of technical assistance support – like skilled accounting services, management coaching, or new financial systems – before they become attractive to equity or debt investors or even local banks. And, unfortunately, this kind of support is hard to finance.

Methodology & Services

Our initial approach is to analyse the businesses to determine where they are with respect to both the market and the industry. This allows us to place them properly to receive what is required from our service offerings. These service offerings include:

Business Development

  • Business Organisation Development
  • Human Resource Management
  • Fashion

Regulatory & Compliance

  • Tax Advisory
  • Accounting Services
  • Insurance
  • Legal Services

Marketing

  • Marketing Services
  • Brand Development

Infrastructure

  • Technology
  • Co Working Spaces
  • Office Supplies

Who We Are

Onesiphorus & FHG Consulting are led by Babi Subair. Babi has an MBA from Cranfield School of Management and a Bachelor’s in Economics and Management from Durham University.

Babi is a business-minded strategy consultant who previously worked as a Special Adviser with the Ogun State government, heading the Investment Promotion Agency which she was responsible for creating. She recently established a Women Funding Women Angel Network to raise capital for early-stage investment in women-owned businesses.

She has about two decades of financial services experience from top global companies, including Schroders Salomon Smith Barney in London and Citibank Nigeria.

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