With ABV Mentoring Janet Yagur's Business Goes from strength to strenth

Janet Yagur Photo by : ABV

With family problems, and after losing her job as a real estate valuer, Janet Yagur and her son were sleeping on her brother’s living room floor.
“In Papua New Guinea family is very important, and if you don’t have that then you don’t have much support and have low status,” says Janet.
“I’m a professional woman, but because of family problems I lost a lot.”

Although she had been laid off Janet had several contacts in the banking sector who knew she did her job very well. After a  year with little income Janet started doing  some freelance valuations work, and soon her tasks were building up. “I got to be quite busy, so that I didn’t have
time for my son,” says Janet. “Even so, I didn’t think of myself as running a business, more like working for bread and butter. I  was spending nearly everything I earned.”  In late 2015 Janet attended the ‘YES (Your Enterprise Scheme) for Women’ program in Port Moresby, which ABV ran
in partnership with the PNG Women’s  Chamber of Commerce and Industry. YES  is an ABV model which sees two business
volunteers mentoring and training groups of 15-20 small business owners in business  basics over a month.
Nearly two years later Janet is adamant  that the YES program has had profound  impact on her operations and her life. “I’ve been empowered to a new level in person and business.” For Janet confidence in herself and her ability to run a business was one of the most important  things she got from the program.
“I’ve always worked under people,” she says. “The two business volunteers Sharon and Bea encouraged me to have confidence in my views, and speak up.
I’m shy and reserved, and they really  helped me come out of my shell.” Another important new skill was bookkeeping.
According to Janet “before, I was making money, but I never had any  records of what I was doing. This program opened my eyes. I realised I can save, I  can invest, instead of just living on a daily  basis.” Other important take-outs included  an understanding of the importance of
marketing, and time management.
Following what she learned during the YES Janet bought proper book keeping  software. With this information Janet
was able to get a loan and move out of  her brother’s house. She was also able to  take on an employee. These actions not  only improved her efficiency, but have relieved pressures on Janet’s time. “Having  someone else to help me means I have  more time for my son”.
In just under two years Janet’s operation  has, in her words, “gone from strength to  strength”. She has more than doubled her
income, and her earnings are so strong that she plans to pay off her new house within
the year, and buy a larger one.  “I never thought that after doing the YES, things would be better for me and  my son and even those around us,” says
Janet. “I am lucky that I made it out of my  situation. I think my story and my business  are encouraging for other women as well. I
meet girls and women say ‘if I can do it, you  can do it.’” “I really appreciate what ABV and the  women’s chamber have done for me.  Because of the YES I have stepped up,  stepped out and am stepping forward.”

Source: Australian Business Volunteers : www.abv.org.au