About service support of business: where to go if there is a business idea

Employees of the Service Support Department of the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs of "Atameken" chatted with reporters at the traditional press breakfast. The discussion centered on non-financial services provided by NCE under a single program "Business Road Map 2020".

Service support and information are provided by NCE RK through business service centers at the regional level and centers for servicing entrepreneurs  in the districts, which allows to cover the active business community of the country. Information is provided by consultants, who were selected on competitive basis by the regional chambers of entrepreneurs.

Director of the Department Bagdat Telebayev reported that in 2015 about 35 thousand residents of Kazakhstani obtained services at centers for servicing entrepreneurs nationwide and about 212 thousand people at business support centers. Over 15 thousand entrepreneurs and people wishing to start their own business were trained at Business School.

"Business School" is a project, which includes "Business Advisor", "Business Growth" and mentorship project. Currently, business-classes were establish in all regions, which comply with standards and qualified trainers were recruited.

"In 2015, for the first time in Kazakhstan information support was provided to people with entrepreneurial initiative in the framework of which were opened 188 business support centers. We covered all regional centers, monotowns and towns. We reached the villages, people can come and ask questions. There we advise how to start a business, what financial institutions exist, what state programs. This makes it possible to eliminate legal illiteracy among new entrepreneurs. If a person is interested, then he wishes to get a service support. One of the services of business support centres is collection of applications for service support", - said the expert of the department Yuri Besedin.

He stressed that the state program for support of entrepreneurs suggests only the list of services. NCE went further, it helps to register a business. "The same with the promotion of the projects - it's not in our responsibility, but we are now introducing it themselves in the range of services, because it is in demand. We help to obtain financing. We can say that for the whole year, according to Buisness Support Centre, we not just consulted and met the targets of the Ministry of national economy, but also helped to open businesses for 1,600 entrepreneurs ", - added the expert.

Yuri Besedin noted that the program is updated taking into account the requests of entrepreneurs.

"This year we submitted a project to the Ministry of National Economy, because the demands for business change. Therefore, we have introduced changes to 8 services. In particular, there are a lot of questions on escort of projects. A person addresses to us, we  help with the same legal issues: how to open a business, to issue, to receive funding – we give consultations in the framework of service support. But the entrepreneur wants us to escort him further, for example, in the development institutions: needs help with approval of the business plan and so on. Now we have introduced a service for support of projects in the development institutions, government agencies, banks, for obtaining permits. If the government will support our changes, we will deal with these issues", - he said.

"It all depends on the interest of an applicant. If he needs advice on how to register a business, he goes to BSC, CSE. If he is an operating entrepreneur, he needs to enter the international markets, he also addresses to our consultants in order to identify measures of non-financial support for collection of applications for filing documentation in these or other institutions of development ", - added his colleague Arnur Darbayev.

Darbayev also said that "Atameken" conducts expertise of state programs. "State bodies before to amending the legislation on matters of business development, direct them to the NCE. Thus, we create a feedback between us and the entrepreneurs. Based on the business challenges, we make adjustments, make recommendations", - he said.

Besedin also added that this year at BSC in areas, where consultants provide services of state support measures, will be provided services of accounting and legal advice. "Before, it was only in some BSC, now it is in all. It is necessary to have it villages or district centers", - he explained.

"If to take 2014, our department covered only one direction: the service support of business. In 2015, we have three areas: in addition to service support for business, it is business school and information support for businessmen. In 2016, our department already covers five areas: we added "Business Connections" and "Elderly Seniors". That is, we are expanding our field of activity ", - added the expert.

Expert of the Department Erlan Mustafin told more about the new directions. "Direction" Business connection" implies training of managers to management skills, strategies, enterprise development, marketing, communications, customer focus, foreign economic activity. During one year, 500 people will undergo training and receive certificates. An international partner of NCE for this program is the German Center “GIZ”, which of these 500 chooses projects that can work with German companies. People, who are interviewed, are sent for a free overseas training. Within a month, they visit the leading German companies. Some entrepreneurs go from one business idea, meet with German colleagues, there change their mind and open another business in cooperation with the Germans. This year 52 people went to Germany under this program. After the internship we hold a conference where we discussed the projects. We help them to implement projects further, we hold talks with the German side and help these people to realize their experience gained during the program ", - he said.

The project "Elderly Seniors", in the words of Mustafin, suggests the involvement of a highly qualified professional from abroad to Kazakhstani enterprises.

Deputy Director of Service Support Mukhtar Myrzahmetov mentioned another project of NCE RK "Mentoring". "We invite a successful entrepreneur in a particular industry, and he teaches by example people willing to start a similar business", - he said.

M. Myrzahmetov also emphasized that in addition to the website of the National Chamber, beginning businessmen can also learn useful information in special manuals issued by NCE. "For example, there is a book "100 SME projects". It provides all the required information: how much money is needed to start a business, what permits - up to an estimated profit and payback period. We had a first edition, then there was a second, in the summer there will be a third one", - added the expert.

Yuri Besedin, in turn, added that free consultations for existing businesses in times of crisis are very relevant. "Some entrepreneurs can’t afford to hire an accountant and a lawyer, or, for example, deal with issues of public procurement, to implement a management system. Service support is one of the anti-crisis measures aimed at helping entrepreneurs in this respect: they may apply to BSC and CSE and receive the services of these specialists for a year free of charge", - said the representative of NCE.