95 SMEs in Cilegon City Attend Workshop on Improving Business Quality through Business Incubation
A total of 95 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Cilegon City attended a workshop on Improving Business Quality through Business Incubation organized by the IPB University Science and Technology Area Institute (LKST) and the Cilegon City Cooperative and SME Office, 25-27/9.
Head of the IPB University Science and Technology Area Institute, Prof Erika B Laconi said that this workshop was the second workshop conducted by LKST IPB University in collaboration with the Cilegon City Cooperative and SME Office. She hoped that the 195 participants, who were dominated by women, could continue to drive the economy of Cilegon City.
“We from LSKT IPB University are ready to assist the family economic fighters of Cilegon City. The workshop can provide a refresher that the business has management, there is a soul, no matter how much capital funds are given, it must increase,” she said.
She hopes that the 195 SMEs that participated in the workshop can grow and open new jobs.
“Keep growing, the business must have quality, hopefully through the workshop you can learn how to do sustainable business, so that people will look for our products, by not looking at the price anymore, hopefully, the workshop participants can do what has been given from LKST,” she said.
Regarding marketing, Prof Erika said, many large companies have grown in the Cilegon area. If all are in favor of SME development, it is an opportunity so that various company needs can be met by SMEs.
“This can increase turnover and create new jobs, so that there is no unemployment, the economy can be supported and 195 business people emerge,” said Prof Erika.
Prof Erika is committed to giving awards to the best non-alumni startups at the IPB University level.
Regional Secretary of Cilegon City, Maman Mauludin thanked the Institute of Science and Technology Area of IPB University for facilitating this workshop. He hopes that this collaboration will continue. “I hope that through this workshop new competitive businesses will grow,” he said.
Maman said that the development of MSMEs in his region is a regional priority program. “This is the seriousness of the local government for MSMEs to upgrade so that they can create new jobs,” he said.
The Head of Cilegon Cooperative and SME Agency, Drs Didin S Maulana, also encouraged the Cilegon SME participants. He said that when women think, even barren sand will turn into a beautiful garden. Furthermore, he believes that Cilegon City SMEs who are now studying at LKST IPB University, businesses will progress and develop.
Drs Didin added that the participants can focus on learning in this workshop.
“This is a form of local government’s attention to Cilegon City Small and Medium Enterprises so that the business that is being carried out can develop and advance, upgrade, this is a form of seriousness,” he said.
Drs Didin is committed to holding this activity every year with LKST IPB University. According to him, in developing a company, the most effective is through a business incubator process, so that products can be competitive and will ultimately create jobs.
Furthermore, he conveyed that the obstacle often faced by SMEs is marketing. “Do not be able to produce but cannot market. In this day and age, I don’t expect SMEs to create markets through conventional means or word of mouth,” he added.
One of the workshop participants, Suadah (42 years old) owns the fried onion product “Suadah”. She has been selling for 10 years and through the Cooperative and SME Agency, her product was brought to Japan. However, she admitted that she has not done online sales due to her limited skills. (IAAS/TNY)
