Russian expert helps develop social entrepreneurship in Belarus
The development of social entrepreneurship in Belarus have intensified during the past few years in response to new economic and social challenges. Now there are at least three social entrepreneurship incubator programmes operating in Belarus, however local social enterprise sector lacks business development experience and relevant skills in administration, financial management, and most importantly in marketing and sales.
The Russian consultant of programmes for social entrepreneurs conducted a thorough online research of Belarusian social entrepreneurs’ needs via survey and in-depth interviews and developed a training programme on marketing, sales and promoting goods and services for Belarusian social enterprises. The training sessions took place on 16-22 June and attracted 40 aspiring owners and marketing directors of the social enterprises where they developed knowledge on product placement and targeted audience, marketing communication and channels for its usage. Participants also learned how to improve partnerships and collaboration with key stakeholders.
Based on the training participant’s feedback, the Russian expert prepared an analytical report with recommendations for further training of social entrepreneurs in Belarus, which will enable them to raise sales to a new level and make financial models of their enterprises more sustainable, and thus increase the social impact of the projects.
The expert assignment is implemented within the framework of the project "Knowledge Management and Capacity Building in the UNDP-Russia Partnership".