A new segmentation framework and practitioner toolkit to unlock the opportunity of serving women-owned/led businesses in emerging markets
What Enables Her Business to Grow is a customer segmentation framework and practical guide designed for financial service providers, funders, business support organizations, and financial regulators to develop segment-specific value propositions for WSMEs in emerging markets.
What enables her business to grow: a new segmentation framework to unlock the opportunity of serving women-owned/led businesses in emerging markets
This report presents the full research and analysis that underpin the WSME Segmentation Framework and Practitioner Toolkit. Developed by ConsumerCentriX with support from the Dutch Good Growth Fund (DGGF) and the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi), it draws on extensive primary research conducted in Colombia, Uganda, and Pakistan.
It introduces a new way of segmenting women-owned and led small businesses, based not on size, but on projected growth, enabling stakeholders to design more effective, tailored interventions. The report includes:
The rationale for a new approach to WSME segmentation
Research methodology and country case studies
Definitions of growth segments and entrepreneur profiles
Key enablers of growth for WSMEs
Market sizing and the investment opportunity
The Practitioner Toolkit equips financial service providers (FSPs), development partners, enterprise support organizations (ESOs), and financial regulators with a structured approach to designing segment-specific value propositions for women-owned/led small and medium enterprises (WSMEs) in emerging markets.
The toolkit guides users through assessing local conditions, understanding WSME demand, and designing targeted financial and non-financial solutions based on each segment’s growth potential and entrepreneur profile. It also supports the analysis of portfolio performance and the definition of the market opportunity and business case for effectively serving WSMEs.
It enables users to implement the new WSME segmentation framework, developed through data analysis from three diverse markets, which classifies WSMEs into high, moderate, and low growth segments based on annual revenue growth. Each segment includes distinct entrepreneur profiles defined by motivations and varying financial and business support needs.
This step-by-step guide is grounded in data and practical insights, helping stakeholders make informed decisions, allocate resources more effectively, and expand access to capital and services for WSMEs.
Development Partners
Use the toolkit to identify high-potential WSMEs, assess risk, and direct capital and technical support toward underserved segments with scalable growth opportunities.
Financial Service Providers (FSPs)
Apply the segmentation framework to better understand your clients, tailor product offerings, and increase service uptake across different WSME profiles.
Enterprise Support Organizations (ESOs)
Design training, mentoring, and support programs that align with the distinct needs and ambitions of women entrepreneurs in each growth segment.
Financial Regulators
Develop policies and programs that enhance WSMEs’ access to and usage of financial services, and incentivize the private sector to address unmet needs and opportunities.
