Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
General FAQs
1. I am already registered on SheTrades.com, do I need register for SheTrades Invest?
Yes, SheTrades Invest is a project under the SheTrades Initiative that requires additional registration details to meet the project’s objectives.
SheTrades Invest is dedicated to unlocking finance for women in developing and least developed markets. The project facilitates the connection of capital providers with women seeking funding and SMEs supporting women, while promoting the mainstream of gender-lens investment and building capacity of women entrepreneurs to become investment and due diligence ready.
Please click on Women-led Businesses or SMEs Benefitting Women and Capital Providers to download the user guide on how to register for SheTrades Invest.
2. Does SheTrades Invest fund companies?
SheTrades Invest DOES NOT fund companies directly. The project facilitates matchmaking between companies seeking funding based on compliance to capital provider’s investment and/or lending criteria.
3. Do I need to pay to register?
No, registration to SheTrades Invest is free of charge.
4. Who can register for SheTrades Invest?
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Women Owned businesses |
Capital Providers |
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· Women-led (at least 25% owned by one or more women, whose management/control lie with one or more women) · SMEs benefitting women* *Companies not led by women but seek to address gender disparities intentionally and measurably (e.g., have commitments towards promoting women leadership, increase the share of women in the workforce, produce products and/or services that benefit women, etc). |
· Commercial bank · Corporation · Development finance institution · Foundation · Impact investor · Investment fund · Microfinance institution · Private equity firm · Venture capitalist |
Click here for more information about registration requirements
5. I have previously registered for SheTrades Invest. Is my old registration still valid?
The system will only keep basic company information (such as company name, country, etc). The registration for SheTrades Invest will request companies to provide latest information to ensure a more efficient matchmaking.
6. I already created a SheTrades Invest account, how can I access it?
- Log in to your SheTrades.com account
- Click on the 'Finance' tab
- Scroll down and click on 'Access your account'
7. How can I edit my profile details?
- Once logged in on your SheTrades Invest account, click on “edit profile” next to your picture on the upper left side of the screen.
- On this page there is an option to edit your company, personal and financial profile.
- After making any edits to your profile,scroll to the bottom of the page and don't forget to "save changes".
- Click here to view snapshots on how to edit the profiles.
8. Why can’t I continue to the next section during my registration?
The system won’t allow you to continue to the next section unless you have at least answered the mandatory fields. The platform will highlight and place messages in red to indicate the missing fields. Do not forget to upload mandatory documents in PDF or JPG.
9. Why can’t I add mandatory images on my profile?
You may experience challenges with your device when uploading images especially with iOS. Please trouble shoot on iOS customer queries to enable your device.
10. Can I have multiple financial profiles for different businesses under the same profile?
Yes, you can add financial profiles to your company profiles for the different businesses under your brand.
10. What is the difference between a business plan and a pitch deck?
A business plan is a written document that clearly defines the goals, and objectives of the business. It also lays out the financial, marketing, and operational procedures that will be required to achieve them, in addition to a brief section detailing information on the enterprise’s organization, its top management team and main investors. There is no golden rule when it comes to business plan length. The general expectation, though, is that it should be no more than 8 to 10 pages, usually produces in a word document.
A pitch deck is a visual document designed entirely to sell the business to potential investors, lenders, or interested stakeholders, usually produced in Power Point. It should contain information about your product/service, clients, revenue, team, competition, differentiation, and return on investment.
Click below for templates of a business plan and pitch deck to use as reference.
Women Entrepreneur FAQs
1. Will I be connected to capital providers?
The project will facilitate matchmaking between companies seeking funding based on compliance to capital provider’s investment and/or lending criteria.
2. How do I see Capital Providers registered under the platform?
Once your company is accepted, you will be able to click on “company” to view capital providers registered on the platform.
The platform will automatically show you capital providers that match your financial requirements based on the information you provided. Click on their profiles to find out more about their products and or services.
The system will also allow you to filter capital providers by type of capital provider, geographic focus, sector focus, financial instrument, ticket size and country of operation.
3. Can I contact Capital Providers directly through the system?
Capital providers under the SheTrades Invest network decide whether they would like to be reached out directly or not. Once you’ve identified the capital providers you want to reach out, you can send them a message or ask to connect with them.
Capital Provider FAQs
1. How do I view the profiles of Women-led businesses and/or SMEs benefiting women (WLBs) seeking finance?
Once your organization is accepted, you will be able to click on “company” to view women-led businesses and SMEs benefiting women (WLBs) seeking finance registered on the platform.
The platform will automatically show you WLBs that match your requirements based on the information you provided. Click on their profiles to find out more about their businesses, financial profile and needs.
The system will also allow you to filter capital providers by geographic focus, sector focus, financial instrument, ticket size, stage of business, social and/or environmental impact, financial statements, and country of operations.
2. Will WLBs message me?
As a capital provider, you will have the option to allow direct messages from entrepreneurs or not. If you don’t want direct messages, women entrepreneurs will express interest on your profile on the ‘Express Interest’ tab which will send you an alert to connect with them. You can Click here for the guide if you wish to activate direct messaging from entrepreneurs.
3. Can I message WLBs through the platform?
Yes, you can message WLBs by clicking on the ‘Send Message’ tab next to their profiles.