Group to tip entrepreneurs on marketing skills
Association for Experts in Socio Economic Development (Aesed) has said it is geared towards the promotion, production and marketing of Malawi’s goods and services.
To achieve this goal, the association has planned a day-long workshop to bridge the information gap and skill deficiency that is prevalent in budding and some established entrepreneurs.
In an interview ahead of the workshop slated for July 9, Aesed president Maurice Gondwe said the association has a role in facilitating entrepreneurship development to grow the economy.
“The contribution of Malawian entrepreneurs to the country’s economic development is crucial but is limited by several challenges key, among which, are poor entrepreneurial practices, limited access to credit and information regarding international markets.
It is against this that we would like to prepare entrepreneurs to take advantage of the opportunities existing both on the domestic and international front,” he said.
According to Gondwe, the training will provide information on export procedures as required by the government, information on opportunities available in the export sector and how the Malawi exports exploit them.
He said entrepreneurs will not only be drilled on the fundamental marketing skills, but will also be provided with a platform to network and information on the importance of quality in business circles.
This initiative comes at a time when government is dedicated to supporting SMEs to have access to both local and international markets.
Over the past year, the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism supported 60 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to participate in both international and agricultural fairs who through the fairs, were able to generate orders and business deals worth over K20 million in 2015.
In addition, the ministry also supported 60 small scale entrepreneurs to participate in the Tanzania-Malawi Joint SME Exhibition held both in Lilongwe and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.
The SMEs have since established business links with buyers in the United States, Europe and Tanzania to supply products such as groundnuts, honey, textile products and handicrafts. n
