Creating a more prosperous life through beauty: how entrepreneurship education empowers women MSME in Indonesia

Abstract

This research aims to determine whether a top cosmetic company’s Beauty for Better Life Women's Empowerment Program (BFBL – WEP) has encouraged women to become entrepreneurs in the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) sector, and identify the various obstacles and challenges they face in navigating their entrepreneurship journey. Launched by the L'Oréal Foundation in 2009 in 27 countries including Indonesia, the BFBL Program believes that a program like this will play a central role in helping vulnerable, underprivileged, or marginalized women regain their self-esteem, develop self-confidence and enhance their well-being. Using a qualitative research design with primary data collected through semi-structured interviews of thirteen (13) female beneficiaries of the Program, the research covered six (6) regions in Indonesia. Additional data was obtained from two (2) more key informants representing the Head of the BFBL Program in L’Oreal Indonesia and a beauty coach. Interviews were done through hybrid methods of offline and online engagements with respondents, enabling reach as well as convenience as the respondents came from different regions across the country. Findings show that the BFBL produces successful women MSME entrepreneurs through a) training in the planning and design of beauty services; b) resource support provides mentoring and coaching, and c) marketing support skills through social media promotion, creating a business portfolio, and learning ethical practices in dealing with clients. Geographical challenges in program implementation as well as logistical capabilities of participants were detected. Implications to organizational practices related to women’s entrepreneurship promotion are presented.