Access to financial services by women entrepreneurs in Migori County: A Case of West Sakwa Ward

Women entrepreneurs’ access to finance services is crucial to the economic development and growth in a particular area. They need to have access to financial services to make their work easier regarding saving, investing and even insuring their businesses against disasters like the fire that can lead to many losses. Accessing financial services improves the living standards and reduces the economic dependency of individuals, families and even groups. It is a fundamental aspect towards poverty reduction and development of a particular area since it opens up employment opportunities, attracts both local and foreign investors, leads to the development of infrastructure and economic growth. The study aimed at exploring the factors affecting women entrepreneurs’ access to financial services in Migori County, West Sakwa ward. Given that their financial access restricted regarding options available, there are few m-past shops, one Equity bank agent and KCB mtaani agent, all owned by one person worsening the situation in case the owner has an emergency to attend to or is not around. Determination of the effects of financial exclusion and effects of economic illiteracy on women entrepreneurs’ access to financial services in Migori County, West Sakwa ward were the specific objectives. The study used random sampling method and 378 female entrepreneurs of Migori County, West Sakwa ward as the appropriate sample size. The study adopted descriptive design. The study was conducted in West Sakwa ward, Migori County. Data collection was done by using questionnaires; SPSS was used to analyze the data collected. The analyzed data was submitted in various forms; charts, graphs, and tables. The major findings of the study established that culture is the greatest barriers to access to financial services for the women entrepreneurs, small levels of education has had a great impact on their access to financial services, more than half of the respondents only have the primary school education

Role of Customer Orientation on Customer Loyalty in the Hotel Industry in Kenya

The purpose of the study was to establish the role of customer orientation on customer loyalty in the hotel industry in Kenya. The study used the non-experimental cross-sectional survey design. A total of 147 hotels listed in the Kenya Association of Hotel Keepers and Caterers (KAHC) guide 2014 were studied. A census sampling technique was used. The respondents comprised of 147 customer relationship managers or equivalent. Semi structured questionnaires were used to collect primary data. Qualitative and quantitative techniques were used to analyze the data. Qualitative and quantitative techniques were used to analyse the data. Quantitative techniques were used to analyze the data. The study findings showed that customer orientation has contributed to customer loyalty in the hotel industry in Kenya. The study concludes that employees were easily accessible, empowered to take initiative and their knowledge of hotel procedures was recommendable. Stakeholders in the hospitality industry should be aware that a loyal customer does not only engage in repeat patronage but also provides positive word-of-mouth to other people, thereby increasing the revenue of the hotel. The implication of this,therefore, is that a customer’s change of patronage would have an impact in the long-term revenue of the hotel. Delivering quality service to customers is a must for success and survival in today’s competitive hospitality industry