JAY JOSHI
Goa has an environment conducive to entrepreneurship, and Goa Entrepreneurs Mentoring Services Trust (GEMS) is gearing up to help budding entrepreneurs give wings to their dreams.
GEMS will be hosting a five-day ‘Budding Entrepreneur Workshop’ to train budding entrepreneurs. The workshop will help aspiring entrepreneurs fine-tune their ideas, test their commercial viability, and design an appropriate business plan. The workshop begins on July 27 and will be held in phases.
“The first phase of the workshop is scheduled on 27-28 July, the second on 3-4 August, and the final session is on 10 August,” informs Manoj Patil, President of GEMS. “ It is not a continuous exercise for various reasons. On the first day, we have a ‘passion test’ to identify how passionate the entrepreneurs are about their ideas, and over the next five weeks, we make them do a market survey, gather information about various schemes of the Economic Development Corporation of Goa Ltd, and work other knick-knacks of setting up a business. On the final day, they present a business plan, which is examined by a panel of judges. After this, we give them a mentor to guide them further.”
Also, it would be difficult for the participants to digest the information if the workshops were a continuous affair, quips Patil.
GEMS has so far conducted four such workshops. The workshop plays a key role in shaping entrepreneurial idea, says Patil. “Many a times, when the participant enrols for the workshop, they have a particular business idea, but by the end of the whole process, that idea undergoes a complete change - which is a positive development. In this way, the programme helps participants develop realistic, commercially viable business ideas.”
The business scene in Goa has tremendous potential, but it is not without its own issues, notes Patil. “The key to good business is patience,” he says, “ When I started my business, it took me a few years to gain traction, and I did not give up. But there are instances when today’s youngsters try their hand at a business for six months, and then give up when it does not work out. That should not happen.”
“Secondly, what we call ‘fire in the belly’ is what truly drives a person to become an entrepreneur. In case of Goan youth, they have a house to stay and food on their plate which is provided by their parents. Many of them lack the spark, and the flair for hard work. Also, in many case, even when they do not hold jobs, they enjoy a pretty comfortable lifestyle, which raises their expectations. They expect high salaries at their first job. This not practical,” says the veteran entrepreneur.
Reflecting on the right way to approach a business, Mr Patil believes that the best thing to do is to start small and grow gradually, but much depends on the type of business you seek to establish, he says. “I would suggest you start small, be good at your job, and then venture into business later,” he says, adding that for a hard-working person, there are plenty of opportunities in Goa.
People are in need of services, and are willing to pay for them, he notes. “Only, there has to be something unique in your product or service for the people to buy it. Success will come slowly with time, ” says the GEMS President.
Rajkumar Kamat, executive director BNI (Business Network International) and managing trustee of GEMS observes that creating entrepreneurs also involves taking family of the aspiring businessman into the loop. GEMS has started a programme called ‘Biz Plus’ in some of Goa’s colleges. The programme seeks to encourage and enable students to become entrepreneurs. In many sessions, the parents too are invited.
“In some cases, when the parents of a person come from service background, they tend to discourage the next generation from entering business. Sometimes, despite all his or her passions, the aspiring entrepreneur cannot answer all the tough queries raised by their family. We help them answer these questions” says Kamat, noting that entrepreneurship needs passion and perseverance.
With the rise of startup culture, people are now more open to possibilities of business, says Mr Kamat with satisfaction.
Budding Entrepreneurs Workshop
Venue: Nalanda hall, EDC Ltd, Panaji
Date: 27 August onwards
Fees Rs 3000 per person, inclusive of lunch and course material.
