OIDA International Journal of Sustainable Development
Open-access, peer-reviewed journal
https://doi.org/10.64211/190101
Business Growth and Access to Finance: Evaluating the Impact of Bundled Services for Women-Owned Small and Medium Enterprises (WSMEs)
Maya Giorbelidze 1*, Natia Jibladze 2, Hoa Nguyen 3
1,3 Shannon School of Business, Cape Breton University, Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada.
2 Georgian National University, Tbilisi, Georgia.
2 Corresponding address: giorbelidzemaia@gmail.com
Volume 19, Issue 01, Pg. 11-24, 2026.
Abstract: Women run one-third of all registered businesses globally, and small and medium-sized enterprises account for 80% of jobs created. Significantly, the proportion of women-owned businesses continues to grow (de Haan, 2016). However, in developing economies, mentorship plays a pivotal role in empowering women-led small and medium enterprises (WSMEs) by addressing the unique challenges they face, such as limited resources, gender biases, and insufficient support networks. This paper explores the multifaceted effects of mentorship through bundled services on the growth and purpose of these enterprises. Bundled services and mentorship empower women entrepreneurs with essential skills for decision-making, strategizing, and navigating business challenges. They foster innovation, expand markets, boost finances, and build confidence, promoting gender equality and economic growth. Despite the positive impacts, challenges persist in ensuring the quality and relevance of mentorship, aligning it with the needs of WSMEs, and assessing long-term outcomes. The findings underscore mentorship as a vital tool for addressing immediate business challenges and fostering sustainable growth, innovation, access to finance and societal change in women-led SMEs. Ongoing research highlights its transformative potential in developing economies.
Keywords: Women-Led SMEs, Bundled Services, Mentorship Impact, Organizational Innovation, Value Creation, Inclusive Growth, Entrepreneurial Empowerment, Access to Finance
Full-text paper download here
About Authours
The authors report there are no competing interests to declare.
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, [MG], upon reasonable request.
Maya Giorbelidze is an Assistant Professor, Management at Shannon School of Business. She has more than 12 years’ experience of working with UN, USAID, Asian Development Bank, US and Canadian based consultancy companies on strategy development, performance management system development, quality assurance, monitoring and evaluation. Dr. Giorbelidze has practiced academic teaching at top universities in the country of Georgia. Her expertise includes the strong research experience in the field of social entrepreneurship, social innovation, impact measurement and women’s economic empowerment. Maya holds PhD from Tbilisi State University, Georgia focusing on “Social Impact Measurement of Social Enterprises”. She has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals and has participated in academic and practitioners’ conferences across the world. Dr. Giorbelidze is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).
Natia Jibladze, PhD is an accomplished academic and consultant with expertise in operations and supply chain management, customer experience (CX) systems, and research-driven strategic initiatives. Serving as an Associate Professor at Georgian National University, she integrates her academic rigor with hands-on experience in entrepreneurship and consultancy. Her research spans sustainability, customer experience management, and economic development, with multiple publications in international journals and conferences, including the Sorbonne-hosted International Conference on Sustainable Development.
As the co-founder of CX Hub, a technology startup, Dr. Jibladze has applied her expertise in designing CX strategies and implementing innovative systems. She has led diverse consultancy projects for organizations such as UNDP, USAID, and World Vision, focusing on evaluation frameworks, customer satisfaction indices, and environmental sustainability. Her technical skills include developing monitoring and evaluation systems, conducting qualitative and quantitative research, and designing customer journey mapping frameworks.
Hoa Nguyen is a finance professional and entrepreneur with nearly 14 years of experience in banking, business management, and entrepreneurship. She specializes in financial risk management, effective operations, and strategic growth, working with private enterprises, banks, and consultancy projects. Hoa co-founded T&B Trade and Technical Service Ltd., where she implemented strategies that boosted revenue by 140% over five years, including during the COVID period. At North Asia Commercial Bank, she contributed to launching and managing the first card system, training all branches about the new system and improving operational efficiency. As a consultant for We-Edit, Hoa helped employees with disabilities enhance their financial processes and workflows. She holds a Master of Business Administration in Community Economic Development from Cape Breton University, Canada and a Bachelor’s in Applied International Economics from Foreign Trade University, Viet Nam.