{"id":89050,"date":"2026-04-07T12:32:46","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T12:32:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/empowering-liberias-entrepreneurs-through-sme-support"},"modified":"2026-04-07T13:01:07","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T13:01:07","slug":"empowering-liberias-entrepreneurs-through-sme-support","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/empowering-liberias-entrepreneurs-through-sme-support","title":{"rendered":"Empowering Liberia\u2019s Entrepreneurs Through SME Support"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Liberia. <\/strong><\/span>Mercy Corps Liberia, in collaboration with key partners, has intensified initiatives aimed at improving the skills and capacity of small business owners and emerging entrepreneurs across the country.<\/p>\n

The program is part of a broader vision to build a vibrant community of over 10,000 entrepreneurs committed to fostering innovation, resilience, and sustainable business growth.<\/p>\n

At the heart of this initiative is the creation of a dynamic platform where entrepreneurs can learn, connect, network, and grow. By bringing together diverse stakeholders\u2014including investors, industry experts, mentors, and startup founders\u2014the initiative seeks to bridge critical gaps that have long hindered business success in Liberia.<\/p>\n

One of the key highlights of the program was a recent high-impact event held in Monrovia, which attracted approximately 150 participants. Attendees included entrepreneurs, startup founders, small business owners, investors, industry experts, and mentors, all united by a shared goal of advancing Liberia\u2019s private sector.<\/p>\n

The event provided a unique opportunity for participants to: Build meaningful connections with potential investors and partners, Gain actionable insights into business growth and innovation, Access cutting-edge knowledge on market trends and digital transformation<\/p>\n

Pitch business ideas to prospective investors, such engagements are critical in cultivating an entrepreneurial ecosystem that encourages creativity, collaboration, and long-term success.<\/p>\n

Background:<\/p>\n

Challenges Facing Liberian Entrepreneurs Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), particularly youth-led startups, have played a vital role in Liberia\u2019s economic recovery following the country\u2019s 14-year civil war. Despite their importance, many young entrepreneurs continue to face significant challenges when starting and managing businesses.<\/p>\n

Research conducted in 2020 by the Business Department at the University of Essex Online identified several key factors contributing to small business failure in Liberia, including: Lack of entrepreneurial and technical skills, Limited access to mentorship opportunities, Weak business management capacity, Inadequate financing and funding options.<\/p>\n

These challenges often leave aspiring entrepreneurs ill-equipped to navigate the complexities of running a sustainable business. Building an Inclusive Entrepreneurial Ecosystem<\/p>\n

Addressing these gaps is the mission of the Youth Entrepreneur Network \u2013 Liberia (YEN-L), an organization dedicated to inspiring, supporting, and connecting young entrepreneurs nationwide. With a vision to unlock the full potential of Liberia\u2019s youth in business and innovation, YEN-L continues to play a pivotal role in ecosystem development.<\/p>\n

In 2024, the organization hosted a landmark Youth Entrepreneurs Conference in Monrovia, which successfully connected intrapreneurs, startup founders, and small business owners with investors, sponsors, and government officials committed to supporting Liberia\u2019s entrepreneurial growth.<\/p>\n

The conference spanned three days and offered a comprehensive experience designed to equip participants with practical skills and opportunities: Two days of intensive training, focusing on entrepreneurship, business management, and innovation. One day dedicated to certification, recognizing participants\u2019 commitment and newly acquired skills.<\/p>\n

A business fair, open to the public, where entrepreneurs showcased their products and services.<\/p>\n

Participants also gained access to the National Entrepreneur Community, an online platform that brings together young entrepreneurs and small business owners under one unified network. Through this platform, members can: Participate in regular entrepreneurial hangouts, receive guidance from experienced business professionals Access mentorship, partnerships, and support systems, Expand their professional networks.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Liberia<\/span> Follow Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Liberia. Mercy Corps Liberia, in collaboration with key partners, has intensified initiatives aimed at improving the skills and capacity of small business owners and emerging entrepreneurs across the country. The program is part of a broader vision to build a vibrant community of over 10,000 entrepreneurs committed to fostering innovation, resilience, and sustainable […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":89049,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,12],"tags":[234],"class_list":["post-89050","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-policy","tag-liberia"],"yoast_head":"\nEmpowering Liberia\u2019s Entrepreneurs Through SME Support - Liberia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Mercy Corps Liberia, in collaboration with key partners, has intensified initiatives aimed at improving the skills and c ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/empowering-liberias-entrepreneurs-through-sme-support\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Empowering Liberia\u2019s Entrepreneurs Through SME Support\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Mercy Corps Liberia, in collaboration with key partners, has intensified initiatives aimed at improving the skills and c ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/empowering-liberias-entrepreneurs-through-sme-support\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Liberia\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AfricaPressTunisiaa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-04-07T12:32:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-07T13:01:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/liberia\/sites\/37\/2026\/04\/sm_1775554235.715921.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"752\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"564\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/empowering-liberias-entrepreneurs-through-sme-support#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/empowering-liberias-entrepreneurs-through-sme-support\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Empowering Liberia\u2019s Entrepreneurs Through SME Support\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-07T12:32:46+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-07T13:01:07+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/empowering-liberias-entrepreneurs-through-sme-support\"},\"wordCount\":526,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/empowering-liberias-entrepreneurs-through-sme-support#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/liberia\/sites\/37\/2026\/04\/sm_1775554235.715921.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Liberia\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"policy\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/empowering-liberias-entrepreneurs-through-sme-support#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/empowering-liberias-entrepreneurs-through-sme-support\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/empowering-liberias-entrepreneurs-through-sme-support\",\"name\":\"Empowering Liberia\u2019s Entrepreneurs Through SME Support - Liberia\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/empowering-liberias-entrepreneurs-through-sme-support#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/empowering-liberias-entrepreneurs-through-sme-support#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/liberia\/sites\/37\/2026\/04\/sm_1775554235.715921.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-07T12:32:46+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-07T13:01:07+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"description\":\"Mercy Corps Liberia, in collaboration with key partners, has intensified initiatives aimed at improving the skills and c ...\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/empowering-liberias-entrepreneurs-through-sme-support#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/empowering-liberias-entrepreneurs-through-sme-support\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/empowering-liberias-entrepreneurs-through-sme-support#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/liberia\/sites\/37\/2026\/04\/sm_1775554235.715921.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/liberia\/sites\/37\/2026\/04\/sm_1775554235.715921.jpg\",\"width\":752,\"height\":564,\"caption\":\"Empowering Liberia\u2019s Entrepreneurs Through SME Support\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/empowering-liberias-entrepreneurs-through-sme-support#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Empowering Liberia\u2019s Entrepreneurs Through SME Support\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/\",\"name\":\"Liberia\",\"description\":\"Just another Africa News Agency Sites site\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\",\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7417380fa9e23b5c57fdbfdaf3fdf92ee478f759a084addda5faa3732853e74a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7417380fa9e23b5c57fdbfdaf3fdf92ee478f759a084addda5faa3732853e74a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"cfeditoren\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Empowering Liberia\u2019s Entrepreneurs Through SME Support - Liberia","description":"Mercy Corps Liberia, in collaboration with key partners, has intensified initiatives aimed at improving the skills and c ...","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/empowering-liberias-entrepreneurs-through-sme-support","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Empowering Liberia\u2019s Entrepreneurs Through SME Support","og_description":"Mercy Corps Liberia, in collaboration with key partners, has intensified initiatives aimed at improving the skills and c ...","og_url":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/empowering-liberias-entrepreneurs-through-sme-support","og_site_name":"Liberia","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AfricaPressTunisiaa","article_published_time":"2026-04-07T12:32:46+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-04-07T13:01:07+00:00","og_image":[{"width":752,"height":564,"url":"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/liberia\/sites\/37\/2026\/04\/sm_1775554235.715921.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"cfeditoren","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"cfeditoren","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/empowering-liberias-entrepreneurs-through-sme-support#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/empowering-liberias-entrepreneurs-through-sme-support"},"author":{"name":"cfeditoren","@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb"},"headline":"Empowering Liberia\u2019s Entrepreneurs Through SME Support","datePublished":"2026-04-07T12:32:46+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-07T13:01:07+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/empowering-liberias-entrepreneurs-through-sme-support"},"wordCount":526,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/empowering-liberias-entrepreneurs-through-sme-support#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/liberia\/sites\/37\/2026\/04\/sm_1775554235.715921.jpg","keywords":["Liberia"],"articleSection":["all news","policy"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/empowering-liberias-entrepreneurs-through-sme-support#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/empowering-liberias-entrepreneurs-through-sme-support","url":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/empowering-liberias-entrepreneurs-through-sme-support","name":"Empowering Liberia\u2019s Entrepreneurs Through SME Support - Liberia","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/empowering-liberias-entrepreneurs-through-sme-support#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/empowering-liberias-entrepreneurs-through-sme-support#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/liberia\/sites\/37\/2026\/04\/sm_1775554235.715921.jpg","datePublished":"2026-04-07T12:32:46+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-07T13:01:07+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb"},"description":"Mercy Corps Liberia, in collaboration with key partners, has intensified initiatives aimed at improving the skills and c ...","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/empowering-liberias-entrepreneurs-through-sme-support#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/empowering-liberias-entrepreneurs-through-sme-support"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/empowering-liberias-entrepreneurs-through-sme-support#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/liberia\/sites\/37\/2026\/04\/sm_1775554235.715921.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/liberia\/sites\/37\/2026\/04\/sm_1775554235.715921.jpg","width":752,"height":564,"caption":"Empowering Liberia\u2019s Entrepreneurs Through SME Support"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/empowering-liberias-entrepreneurs-through-sme-support#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Empowering Liberia\u2019s Entrepreneurs Through SME Support"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/","name":"Liberia","description":"Just another Africa News Agency Sites site","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb","name":"cfeditoren","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7417380fa9e23b5c57fdbfdaf3fdf92ee478f759a084addda5faa3732853e74a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7417380fa9e23b5c57fdbfdaf3fdf92ee478f759a084addda5faa3732853e74a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"cfeditoren"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89050","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/84"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=89050"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89050\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":89052,"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89050\/revisions\/89052"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/89049"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=89050"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=89050"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=89050"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}