At the forefront of efforts to empower Omani entrepreneurs, Shell Intilaaqah recently concluded the first phase of its 2019 training and support program. Entitled ‘Kick Start your Business’, the first of two phases held in Muscat, Suhar and Al Buraimi included the ‘Bright Ideas’ and ‘How to Become a Successful Business Owner’ workshops. Held in collaboration with the Public Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Riyada), the program aims at providing young budding Omani entrepreneurs with the tools they need to turn their business ideas into reality.
“We are committed to spearheading a culture of entrepreneurship across Oman,” said Najwa Al Kindi, Executive Director of Shell Intilaaqah. “The Intilaaqah workshops were created by combining the local expertise of Riyada and the resources of Shell Intilaaqah, to help shed light on all the vital skills every youth needs to be on the path to successful entrepreneurship. We started our 2019 training and support workshops in Muscat, Suhar, and Al Buraimi and look forward to continuing providing aspiring Omani entrepreneurs with an integrated ecosystem of scientific and business support to kick start their businesses as part of our Shell Intilaaqah program.”
Attendees started their journey with Bright Ideas, a 2-day interactive workshop led by experts who introduced key concepts of entrepreneurship, including creative thinking, coming up with a business idea, and evaluating the feasibility of putting it into action. This was followed by ‘How to Become a Successful Business Owner’, a 10-day course dedicated to studying economic feasibility and business planning. The course provided a step-by-step guide on assessing the viability of the business and the resources required for achieving business goals. Furthermore, the associations collaborated with the National Business Centre (NBC) to provide a pre-incubation program in Muscat, where experts coached the participants on making business plans and 60-second pitches. Later, participants will pitch their ideas in front of a panel from Shell Intilaaqah, Riyada, and NBC, which will be rewarded with incubation support, training, and counseling.
“Novel ideas are in-demand, and coupled with innovation, are essential to becoming a successful entrepreneur. But ideas on their own do not create successful businesses. Aspiring entrepreneurs also need to be able to anticipate business trends, opportunities, and future challenges.” said Saif Al Badi, Entrepreneur, and Intilaaqah Alumni. “Thanks to the support of the Shell Intilaaqah program, many of us have gained the skills we need to transfer our ideas into thriving businesses and we hope our examples serve to inspire even more young people to embark on the journey of entrepreneurship.”
Starting in September, ‘Sustain your Business’ courses will complement the previously held sessions by focusing on the next stage of business development. Through ‘Specialised Courses’, attendees will receive training on effective marketing skills, finance for non-professionals, Human Resource management. Additionally, they will learn how to prevent their businesses from stumbling in ‘Managing Cash Crisis’ Course.