Time to grow: how print is empowering entrepreneurial women

Time dedicated purely to growth can be hard to come by when you’re an entrepreneur. But when you run your own business, an investment in your skills can be the difference between success and stagnation. This is why Canon Middle East’s Women Who Empower programme has been such a phenomenal success.

Brought to life in conjunction with the Dubai Business Women Council, it creates a different kind of corporate educational space for women who have both new and established companies. It offers knowledge, but also fresh perspectives, acting as a kind of incubator for ideas and helping them to see the future in a new light. This year’s cohort of fifteen women, at varying stages of their entrepreneurship journey, gathered for a series of workshops, grabbing this golden opportunity to learn from experts in print, photography and content creation – as well as each other.

However, it was the print modules, held in the inspiring gallery space of ArtPlus Dubai, which most captured their imaginations. And they were excited and intrigued to learn the many ways in which it can add real value to even the most unusual of businesses. “Our sessions were scheduled to be an hour and a half long,” explains Ayman Aly, B2BMarketing Director for Canon Middle East. “But we usually went to two and a half hours or more, simply because there were so many questions. These are women who don’t have the luxury of time, but had a real eagerness to learn.”

The first of these learnings was that print was within their reach, both literally and figuratively. Because of the location of their very special classroom, within a Canon Print Service Provider’s premises, Ayman was able to physically show them exactly what print is capable of. One participant saw how easy and effective luxury packaging could be for her jewellery business using Canon Colorado and Arizona printers. Another spotted an opportunity for a parallel income stream by offering different formats of pet ‘pawtraits’ to clients who use her veterinary clinic.

Ayman and his team really delved deep into the technologies, covering the differences between offset and digital printing, different materials and finishes, and what the most sustainable choices might look like. On the face of it, this might seem like extremely technical stuff for a small business, but it’s the kind of knowledge that could really help inform their decisions and manage budgets – particularly if you’re at a stage when every penny counts. Ayman also guided them through how to measure the success of their print choices and evaluate return on investment.

The message he drove home loud and clear was ‘the world of print never stands still’ as he took our entrepreneurs on a guided tour of the latest trends. How new ideas in signage and décor can be the difference between a customer stepping through their door or not. And the exciting ways that book publishing is helping people to tell their stories. He showed them how their bold branding can be the visual flag their packaging needs to help them stand out – and how by adding a chic personal touch when mailing orders, you can hook a customer for life. Print can make the difference when your customer is trying to decide who to buy from. It can elevate your brand in new – and very appealing – ways. 

And speaking of elevation, they even explored how our latest technologies in textured and elevated print might feature in their business plans. “I told them that the sky is the limit because today we can print anything on any material,” says Ayman. “Think glass, mirrors…even wood. We have customers who print their own wallpaper – and clothing! So, this was a real eye-opener and they began to think about new revenue streams, target customers, marketing and routes to market. It quickly escalated and became really exciting for their businesses.”

With their new knowledge, plans were written and re-written, ideas interrogated and new ways to do familiar jobs explored. Costs were broken down and many animated discussions took place – with Ayman and experts from Canon and ArtPlus, as well as the leaders of the photography and content creation modules. But the most important conversations were among the entrepreneurs themselves, who were brimming with inspiration. They were keen to talk about what they would take away from the sessions and gain feedback and advice from the other businesswomen.

They also realised that through the print workshops they could now guide those they work with, helping them to also understand their power as print buyers and make the very best decisions. It’s testament to the knock-on effect thatWomen Who Empower has on their wider network – every learning is shared far beyond the student. This is a confidence booster, of course, but it also really helps these businesswomen to make the most of the limited time available to them. Knowing they are able to step away from their laptop from time to time is possibly the most valuable takeaway – because it makes them visible to their customers, teams and the wider world.  Everyone gets to see their success.

Beyond what they have learnt through Women Who Empower, this visibility is crucial to the programme. “It proves that empowering women through print knowledge is a strategic act,” explains Ayman firmly. “It creates time and space for women to grow their businesses, innovate sustainability and inspire others to do the same.” And the secondary effects of this are very real indeed. Because successful businesses hire locally and invest back into their industries and communities. When women are empowered, everyone benefits.

Learn more about Canon Middle East’s Women Who Empower programme.