The city of Shanghai yesterday launched a new business-building consultation hotline for women.

 

Organized by the Shanghai Women's Cadres School and the Shanghai Captaino Garment Co Ltd, the free hotline will provide information including market analysis, company management and mental adjustment for women starting their own businesses, said the school.

 

The hotline will be open from 4:30 pm until 9 pm every Tuesday and Thursday. The school has invited experts from the Shanghai Women's Federation, the Shanghai Start-up Guidance and Service Center and some noted enterprises, including Captaino, to do consulting.

 

The school has been assisting women in business since 1998. It has found that women usually meet more difficulties than men when starting out.

 

"Many of our students gave up, feeling helpless," said Li Rong, director of the school.

 

"Women usually need to set aside time and energy to take care of their families, and it's not easy for them to get capital, space and employees.''

 

Fan Juanfen, director of Shanghai Captaino, supports the hotline because she had a hard time starting her own firm.

 

(Shanghai Daily July 12, 2007)