Abstract:

Professional activation of potential sole proprietors is a very broad issue as it requires taking into account all the aspects, for which the owner of a future business will be responsible. In the case of employment contract, a person is required to perform tasks delegated by the employer, in a manner and under conditions determined by the superior. Moreover, they are adequately trained to carry out tasks within the job description. The authors are interested in approaches to shaping entrepreneurial skills that allow professional activation of women in rural areas. The source for the study was consulting services, prepared and provided to this group by the authors of this paper. In defining the consultation service, the authors focused on shaping the entrepreneurial skills of the participants, with a special focus on creativity and building innovative business models, atop of the operational transfer of knowledge. Such an approach allows undertaking and developing business projects aimed at shaping/creating a permanent market niche and interest from customers. The framework plan for the provision of consulting services assumes following a standardized (unified) approach, consisting of the following stages:
1. Diagnosing the region's situation and the support needs of the program participants.
2. Providing a series of group and individual consulting services.
3. Performing a summary and issuing a conclusion.

It was assumed that the approach and manner of providing consultancy services aimed at stimulating entrepreneurship should be focused at the client, with their expectations, possibilities and life situation in mind.

It should be clearly emphasized that providing consulting services tailored to the pre-diagnosed general situation, as well as individual needs of the participants. The consulting should be aimed at reviewing useful business methods and models that would help women to approach the development of their own business plans more creatively. Women wanting to develop their own ideas for business should be open to new products. However, they need to supplement their knowledge and experience, mainly in business management, building customer relations and human resources management, with an emphasis on cooperation with the members of their network of relations. As shown by the study, it is worth creating diversified conditions to stimulate the entrepreneurship of women living in rural areas.

Implementation of the consulting service also confirmed that the creativity of the participants generates ideas for innovative solutions, both in terms of the offered products/services and approaching the organization of the processes related to the provision of services.

Keywords:

women, education, business, develop