Ask three times, teach a class of women entrepreneurs

I remember learning during one of my intercultural courses that in some cultures you must make a request numerous times before it is understood as legitimate. So after learning that the Rotarian Host of the North Kampla club was also a director of a Uganda Women Entrepreneurs Association Limited, I was very interested. I brought it up once in the car that I would enjoy getting involved somehow. Then I brought it up again the next day as we were eating lunch. I brought it up a third time, feeling as though I would be a pest, but this time she opened up the phone and made the arrangement. I thought it would be like other meetings I have scheduled with entrepreneurs where I would walk through their businesses and they would describe the various functions of equipment. You can imagine my surprise when I walked into an office and was led into a room filled with nearly a dozen women and was asked to present on my experience developing entrepreneurs. The whole thing went like a charm.
“Alex, what would you say to those women who think that they need a plenty of capital to start a business?” asked the coordinator. “I would say the less capital you have to start with, the less you can lose.” The students responded with clapping and laughing. The ladies were with me after that and the rest of the presentation went well. I continued to explain how I see entrepreneurs getting into trouble when they throw too much money at a business and don’t grow organically.
While making this presentation and answering their questions, I stared to incorporate what I had learned speaking in Uganda.
“If you are working in the business and not on the business, you can not what?... grow”
“Your employees are not your family, they will leave you and you must be, what?..prepared, how?..by training plenty of people”
The women had plenty of questions regarding mostly human resources interesting enough. One lady told me how she can control her employees from stealing eggs from her chickens. Another lady asked how she can retain her best employees. Another one asked what type of crafts the Muzungus (white people) like. I answered their questions and spoke passionately and practically about business development. I was encouraged to see the ladies busy writing down suggestions.
All in all I could tell these were true entrepreneurs. They were excited about growing their business and always keeping their eyes open to the next opportunity. They pressed for practical answers to their questions and were quickly on to the next thing once the meeting was over. I just turn of fire while doing entrepreneurial stuff and this was the best experience of Uganda so far.