Akbank Entrepreneur Development Program 2012 completed
44 entrepreneurs are certified
Participants of the 2012 Akbank Entrepreneur Development Program held with the cooperation of Sabancı University and Akbank received their certification. Out of 380 applicants to the program across the nation, 44 entrepreneurs were admitted. Participants received their certificates at a ceremony held at the Karaköy Minerva Palas on September 28, 2012.
The Akbank Entrepreneur Development Program offered by Sabancı University and Akbank to guide, train and support entrepreneurs on how to design, implement and manage their business ideas gave its 2012 graduates. Out of a total of 380 applications across Turkey this year, 44 entrepreneurs were admitted to the program. Participants received their certificates at a ceremony held at the Karaköy Minerva Palas on September 28, 2012.
The Entrepreneur Development Program is designed to train and provide entrepreneurs with the foundations for them to build a successful and efficient business, conduct applied projects, and establish ongoing support mechanisms. The first EDP was held in 2003. Based on global examples and customized to the Turkish context, the program has been under continuous development since its launch.
In the wake of the success of the first program, the Turkish Employment Authority was contacted to enable similar projects and the proposal submitted for European funds was accepted. As part of the proposal, two more Entrepreneur Development Programs were held in 2005. The Association of Women Entrepreneurs (KAGİDER) has been an EDP partner since 2005 to support and increase the number of female entrepreneurs. Since 2007, Inovent and Endeavor have been among program partners.
The Entrepreneur Development Program continued through 2007 and 2009 with the partnership of Akbank and Sabancı University, and as of 2012 the program has close to 200 graduates.
The Akbank Entrepreneur Development Program includes a 5-day intensive training program for the participants. Subjects 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.
As part of the program, Akbank offers participants the “Text Message Promotion” opportunity where entrepreneurs can promote their businesses and products to target audiences free of charge. The Text Message Promotion program enables entrepreneurs to send text messages to prospective customers in regions of their choice. This increases brand awareness, expands customer portfolio and drive sales.
Professor Dilek Çetindamar, Academic Coordinator of the Sabancı University Entrepreneur Development Program, said that the purpose of the project was to educate entrepreneurs who have been in business for some time and are in the growth stage about how growth can be achieved. Dilek Çetindamar continued, “The entrepreneurship lifecycle begins with the establishment of the company and continues with the growth stage. All entrepreneurship programs in Turkey focus on the startup stage where a business idea is transformed into a company. The only program training entrepreneurs who have proven themselves with their products and services on how to manage growth is the Entrepreneur Development Program offered by our university in association with Akbank. We are proud to support these entrepreneurs on their way to growth and contribute to entrepreneurs who create value for Turkey.”
Kaan Gür, Vice President of Commercial and Small Business Banking of Akbank, explained that the global economy needed ideas and enterprises that will sustain growth, create employment and bring stability more than ever. Saying that Turkey must provide more opportunities to entrepreneurs, Gür continued, “Akbank believes that entrepreneurship is among the vital elements of growing economies, and is committed to supporting enterprise. Many multinational companies have been born as small enterprises. An enterprise needs an original business idea, the funding needed for that idea to be put into practice, and experience to manage this investment. However, our entrepreneurs mostly lack the facilities to support them, which prevents growth opportunities. It is here that we provide many solutions that add value to the entrepreneurship ecosystem. Our support is not limited to the financial aspect. As Akbank, we position ourselves as a business partner rather than a funding institution. We have activities in access to information, consultancy and direction setting. Small and medium businesses need knowledge in finance, marketing and new strategy development to compete in the global marketplace. The Akbank Entrepreneur Development Program in association with Sabancı University will hopefully enable entrepreneurs to grow their businesses and secure their place in the business world of tomorrow. We will continue to support our entrepreneurs in establishing businesses with new products, services, financing models, information services and collaborations.”