Some of the participants in the Enterprise Qatar training workshops.
DOHA: Enterprise Qatar (EQ) carried out the second of its series of workshop-training programmes for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with a session on ‘strategic planning’ delivered by Deloitte, a leading financial consultancy firm, a press statement said yesterday.
The event cost was covered by EQ and attracted a capacity attendance of over 30 Qatari and resident entrepreneurs, SME owners and their management teams.
The workshop covered the basics of how to write a business plan, and demonstrated the differences between a strategic plan and a business plan.
Participants discussed with the trainer, David Mason, Director of Consulting for Deloitte Qatar, the key sections of any business plan, such as company overview, products and services, management, marketing, operating processes, financial information, and timescales and benchmarks. An interactive format was adopted, with participants contributing their opinions on many of the areas.
The workshop also included exercises on SWOT analysis, vision/mission statements, and the importance of producing accurate financial projections. The major theme that emerged from the sessions was the need to develop business plans that are specific to the Qatari market and its fundamentals.
The “Professional Series” programme has been designed to provide training to SME owners and manager to create more effective business plans, in addition to building understanding of the available financing schemes in the local market such as Islamic Banking. The program is provided in partnership with leading advisory firms KPMG, Deloitte, PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC) and Qinvest.
Noora Al Mannai, CEO of EQ, said: “Enterprise Qatar exerts all possible efforts to help the country in creating an entrepreneurial ecosystem, in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030, to develop a versatile, knowledge-based and create new job opportunities for Qataris and residents. Once a company has been set up, the first five years are of critical importance in determining whether the venture will succeed and grow, or not.”
EQ will deliver two more workshops on April 2 and April 9 in the Professional Series, on corporate governance and family business planning and financing. These workshops are free to attend for EQ-registered companies. SME owners and managers interested in the programme are encouraged to contact the Business Support Services team at EQ.
The Peninsula
