Wednesday, 17 April 2019

REPORT OF ENTREPRENEUR WORKSHOP THAT I ATTENDED IN WINTER VACATION AT GCBS


Entrepreneurial Mindset & Skills Development Training
14/01/19
Entrepreneurial Mindset & Skills Development Training started with 25 participants from six RUB Colleges. The program is designed to facilitate development of ‘The Entrepreneurial mindset and skills’ of the participants, an initiative of the Entrepreneurial Development Centre. It is a program to train the young mind to entrepreneurial adventure. The workshop commenced with welcome speech by the organizer, Mr. Tenzin Rabgay followed by deliverance of few good words by the President of Gedu College of Business Studies.  The President spoke to 25 participants a necessity to have an entrepreneurial mindset in changing and difficult current scenario of Bhutan. Mrs Sonam Choden advised the participants to think out of box, have creative thinking and possess financial education which are very important component for entrepreneur.  The participants were provided with the working lunch.
After the triggering impact made in the minds of the interested participants by the President, Dean of Research and Linkage of GCBS started the formal session of the training. The Dean introduced on the entrepreneurship concepts and aspects. Entrepreneurship as told is a process and mindset. The program ended by briefing on the essential entrepreneurial traits and competencies. The program commenced at 9 am sharp till 4 pm. It breaks at 10:30 am till 11 am for tea and 1 pm to 2 pm for lunch.
15/01/2019
The second day of workshop dealt with “Innovation and Entrepreneurship” facilitated by Mr. Tshewang Drukdra and Tenzin Rabgay, faculty of GCBS. Types of innovation are explained with the help of examples. Trainees were made to think one innovation and share in the exercise. Caution for entrepreneurs and deadly mistakes of entrepreneurs were also reached to the ears of participants. With the introduction it instilled in the mind of trainee, who are mostly without entrepreneur and business background, it sparked in the mind of trainee a need to understand and think about entrepreneurship. Participants were informed about design thinking and importance of empathizing customer. The participants were made to carry activity of going to the town and empathizing with the customers (observe and enquire them). Students thus were inoculated with knowledge of the importance of market research and understanding of the customer for entrepreneurship. Before students were sent facilitators briefed the way to observe and inquire.
16/01/19
The session commenced with second step of design thinking i.e. Problem Definition followed by ideation. Students were made to ideate on the issues based on research market carried during empathizing stage. To screen ideas four steps were taught: brainstorming, macro-screening, micro-screening and SWOT analysis, and these give rise to final idea. PESTLE analysis was also introduced.
17/01/19
The fourth step of design think is development of Business Model and to develop business model students were told that there are nine components. Fifth step of Design Thinking is Prototyping of what one has ideated. Students were given an activity of prototyping business ideas they generated in a group. As loopholes are to prop at any point of time in any of the stages of developing business model it is important to rectify them. Even students were found making mistakes in ideation phase indicating that market survey is not carried properly during empathizing phase. The facilitator reiterated that those five steps in design thinking is never a linear step; it is rather reiterative which gives room for removing loopholes in a business or design thinking.
18/01/19
“Information Technology & Entrepreneurship” was taught by Mr. Jamyang Tenzin, IT officer of GCBS where he focused and taught on how to use excel in business. Basics of doing arithmetic in excel were shared to students and importantly students were taught how to calculate Net Present Value (NPP), Internal Rate of Return (IRR) and Return on Investment (ROI) which is important and needful to an aspiring entrepreneur and businessmen who deals with sum, account and financing in the interest of time and convenience.
21/01/19
Students were taken to a field visit at Babesa where Greener way factory, Enterprise founded by CEO, Karma Yonten , is located. Trainees were received and ushered to factory by CEO himself and were given a short inspirational talk related to his company wherein he told each trainee to be useful and do something for the country if there is a problems to be addressed instead of complaining. He reiterated a need to reach out to many about importance of segregating the wastes and keeping Bhutan clean.  Next trainees visited Chang Zamtok where Startup Building for the Entrepreneur is placed. Students were supposed to visit to plant of Green Road project yet due to time constraint and some obligations Mr. Rikesh, the founder Entrepreneur had, the participants missed a chance to visit his factory. Nonetheless Rikesh was kind enough to explain us about what he is doing apart from manufacturing tar made up of molten plastic mixed with bitumen. He designed a machine that manufactures plastic fencing pole, land measuring reading pole, flower pots and decorative items which can last for long period of time and which is environment friendly than sending wastes to landfills.
22/01/19-24/01/19
Starting from 22nd till 24th January, trainees were taught how to develop a business plan. Format of a business plan includes Executive summary, marketing plan, production and technical plan, Organization and management plan and financial plan. Students were made to experience as seller, buyer and entrepreneur through activity made to work in a group where they used their own real money. It was the key session familiarizing participant a step closer to real world of entrepreneurship.
25/01/19
“The Effective Business Communication” contained of conducting effective meeting, writing minutes in a meeting, writing official business and rectification of few common errors in English that many students make.

26/01/19
Karma Yonten, founder of Greener Way lectured the participants on the topic “Mentoring and Networking” and it was very appropriate for an entrepreneur himself to talk to participants on that topic. He shared his own experience of working as an entrepreneur and how important networking plays in entrepreneurship. The speech that he delivered was very inspirational and food for a thought for the participants to think as big as him. The program ended with closing statement by the organizer thanking each participant, management and working team that ensured a successful end. The participants were awarded with certificates.


Entrepreneurial Mindset & Skills Development Training

Entrepreneurial Mindset & Skills Development Training started with 25 participants from six RUB Colleges at Gedu College of Business Studies. 21 students and four faculties gathered from Gedu College of Business Studies, Paro College of Education, Sherubtse College, College of Science and Technology, Taktse College of Language and Studies and College of Natural Resources. The program was designed to facilitate development of ‘The Entrepreneurial mindset and skills’ of the participants, an initiative of the Entrepreneurial Development Centre. The program started with welcome speech by the organizer, Mr. Tenzin Rabgay followed by deliverance of few good words by the President of Gedu College of Business Studies.  The President, Dr. Sonam Choden informed participants about the necessity to have an entrepreneurial mindset in changing and difficult current scenario of Bhutan. She advised the participants to think out of box, have creative thinking and possess financial education which are very important component for entrepreneur.  
Dean of Research and Linkage of GCBS initiated the formal session of the training by introducing the aspiring entrepreneurs about the concept, aspects, essential traits and competencies of entrepreneurship. One of the most important things for entrepreneurs is a “Design Thinking” which involves empathizing customer, defining problems, ideating solutions, developing a business model and prototyping and those steps are taught theoretically and through activities within and out of class. The participants were made to go to the town and empathize with the customers (observe and enquire them). Brainstorming, macro-screening, micro-screening, PESTLE analysis and SWOT analysis were tools insinuated in the minds of participants for conducting market research.                    
Executive summary, marketing plan, production and technical plan, Organization and management plan and financial plan, part and parcel of developing business plan were learned by the participants through teaching and exercises of making them experience as seller, buyer and entrepreneur by using their own real money. It was the key session familiarizing participant a step closer to real world of entrepreneurship.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
Basics of doing arithmetic on excel and calculation of Net Present Value (NPP), Internal Rate of Return (IRR) and Return on Investment (ROI) were also taught during “Information Technology and Entrepreneurship” session, time saving and necessary skills for entrepreneurs and businessman. Additionally, “The Effective Business Communication” was also reached to the ears of trainees which contained conducting effective meeting, writing minutes, writing official business letters and rectification of few common errors in English.
Besides classroom sessions trainees were also taken to a field visit at Babesa and Chang Zamtok where Greener way factory and Startup Building for the Entrepreneurs are located respectively. Participants met Karma Yenten, CEO cum founder of Greener Way and Mr. Rikesh Gurung, the founder of Green Road project. The workshop concluded with facilitation by Karma Yonten, founder of Greener Way on the topic “Mentoring and Networking.” He shared his own experience of working as an entrepreneur and how important networking plays in entrepreneurship. The speech that he delivered was very inspirational and food for a thought for the participants to think as big as him. The program ended with closing statement by the organizer thanking each participant, management and working team for bringing a successful end. The participants were awarded with certificates. Each session commenced at 9 am sharp till 4 pm. There were breaks at 10:30 am till 11 am for tea and 1 pm till 2 pm for lunch. The participants were provided with the working lunch.

Since the program was found very helpful especially for aspiring entrepreneurs and to those who had no commercial background, it was never waste for college management to send students for such program. It instilled in the minds of participants a need of entrepreneurship in the country which is not only helpful at individual level but also to the society and nation at large. Unlike businessman, who chases after profit and money, entrepreneurs solve problems, which is helpful for both entrepreneurs and customers. It totally wiped away pre-program irrational thought of participants about money making and sin creation that is associated with entrepreneurship. It rather made them rethink and explore about it in hard times of rising unemployment scenario of Bhutan. It gave them hope and idea to create job for themselves and others. Although it is through the full support of college that students could learn and gain intangible assets and make themselves useful during vacation through such program, the provided Daily Student Allowance could have been little more given participants had to pay for rent (150 per day) and have breakfast and dinner on their own. However, the learning the participants extracted and enjoyed certainly deserve College Management to send students for such program in future too and improvement in DSA is a gateway to ensure the most interested and deserving grab the chance and make difference at individual and national level. 

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