Short Summary: In order to become more competitive in local and national economies, women entrepreneurs need increased access to financial resources. They also need skills development and other training and technical assistance in managing their businesses, producing the appropriate type and quality of products, and promoting and marketing their services and products. Increasingly, these business development services (BDS) have become more available to women. Policymakers and service providers recognise that there are constraints specific to this group, and thus responses and interventions must address women's needs. The report is based on lessons learned in the provision of BDS from two organisations. It consists of two parts, the first is a review of the existing literature on the international experience in providing BDS. The second focuses on extracting lessons from two local BDS initiatives, one by the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) Sericulture Program and the other by the Independent Business Enrichment Center (IBEC) Enterprise Training Program in South Africa.

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