Applications are now open for the Akbank Entrepreneur Development Program held with the cooperation of Sabancı University and Akbank. The program is open to managing partners or executive directors of companies established in Turkey. The assessment considers the value created by projects and the objectives of the applicants.
The Akbank Entrepreneur Development Program held by Akbank in association with the Sabancı University Entrepreneurship Council will accept admissions until November 2, 2015. The program is open to managing partners or executive directors of companies established in Turkey. The assessment and selection criteria for the program include the value added by the project, the ground covered, growth potential, and objectives.
Akbank Entrepreneur Development Program is a 5-day training that includes subjects such as strategy, innovation, marketing, operations, finance, human resources, law, intellectual property and government incentives that entrepreneurs need to know. The training will be held at the Karaköy Minerva Palas between November 23 and 27, 2015, and participants will be issued a Sabancı University certificate at completion. The keynote speaker at the certification ceremony will be Mehmet Buldurgan, founder of the active angel investor network Şirket Ortağım and former CEO of Temsa.
"Our support for entrepreneurs is not limited to financing; we offer many solutions that add value to the entrepreneurship ecosystem."
Speaking about the program, Akbank's Vice President of Small and Medium Enterprise Banking, Bülent Oğuz, said that supporting entrepreneurs was instrumental for dynamic and accelerated economic growth, continuing:
"Entrepreneurs play active part in creating new thought and giving rise to new industries, and bring dynamism to the economy they operate in by analyzing customer needs as quickly and accurately as possible. Therefore, Akbank's support for entrepreneurs is not limited to financing; we offer many solutions that add value to the entrepreneurship ecosystem. The Akbank Entrepreneur Development Program we implement with Sabancı University as a mini-MBA for small and medium enterprises aims to pave the way for a long-term development strategy and sustainable growth for participants. Taking a company to healthy growth and sustaining it are supremely important. Akbank Entrepreneur Development Program has given support to a great number of entrepreneurs since established, and this year we will extend our service to 50 carefully-selected entrepreneurs. We hope that the program will enable our entrepreneurs to further grow their businesses and gain an important position in tomorrow's world of business."
Trainings will be given by Sabancı University faculty members and business experts. Trainers and their subjects in the program will include Sabancı University Faculty Member Dilek Çetindamar on “Business Plans and Business Models in SMEs"”, Sabancı University Faculty Member Cenk Kocaş on “Creating value through marketing in SMEs", Lean Institute Specialist Hüsrev Yaman on “SME Operations, Competitive Advantage through Lean Production and Management", Sabancı University Faculty Member Işın Güler on “Making a Difference in SMEs with Strategy and Innovation", Sabancı University Entrepreneurship Council Director Kutlu Kazancı on “SME Growth through Right Finance Management”, Sabancı University Faculty Member on “Leadership and HR Management in SMEs", Diffusion Capital Partners Founding Partner Ömer Hızıroğlu on “Law and Intellectual Property for SMEs”, and Sabancı University Entrepreneurship Council Specialist Başar Kaya on “Government Incentives for SMEs".
Speaking on the Akbank Entrepreneur Development Program, Sabancı University Entrepreneurship Council Director Kutlu Kazancı emphasized the importance of leaps in innovation, speed and effectiveness in Turkish SMEs to compete on an international level, and said: “Akbank and us joined forces for a thorough certificate program to improve the competitive strength of 50 SMEs every year in order to support the backbone of the Turkish economy."
About the Akbank Entrepreneur Development Program:
Established in 2003 and supported by Endeavor, Kagider and Inovent, the Akbank Entrepreneur Development Program is designed to provide entrepreneurs with a sound basis for building an effective business, deliver the necessary training, and complete applied project work. During the 12 years since the first program, the training content was constantly updated and redesigned to reflect the outcomes and experiences around the world and to adapt to the circumstances in Turkey. The program aims to equip entrepreneurs who have started their ventures or ready to grow with knowledge on how growth will be achieved and sustained.
The selection jury for the Sabancı University-led training program aiming at entrepreneurs who want to grow their business determine the participants among applicants who have been in business for at least three years and are having growth issues, as opposed to applicants with only a business idea. SMEs from all over Turkey join the Akbank Entrepreneur Development Program for a week-long training free of charge. Trainings are open to entrepreneurs who already have a business.
Subjects in the Akbank Entrepreneur Development Program cover a wide range of issues from financial calculations in the growth stage of companies to operating and marketing plans varying by business model, and include informative sessions on loan and shareholders’ equity requirements and growth in domestic and foreign markets. Also included in the program are visits to successful entrepreneurs or lectures by visiting entrepreneurs who share their success stories. The keynote speaker in the certification ceremony of the 2014 Akbank Entrepreneur Development Program was Hasan Aslanoba.
The program is free of charge and applications will be open at www.akbank.com until November 2, 2015.