YOU ARE NOT A BORN ENTREPRENEUR? TRY BASE
Creating something of their own — many an entrepre- neurial journey starts with this aspiration. For nearly six years, Business Academy for Starting Entrepreneurs (BASE) has helped hundreds of bootstrappers achieve professional independence and personal satisfaction by supporting their first steps in business. Graduates of the America for Bulgaria Foundation’s free training program start successful ventures in their chosen fields, often in their hometowns or other desirable places. Their success also benefits their communities: in addition to creating jobs, a small business feeds families and supports the local economy. BASE follows a time-tested model developed in the United States: program lecturers and mentors are successful entrepreneurs and professionals who volunteer their time, sharing their experience and knowledge. Over three months, participants learn how to develop their business ideas, why it is important to do a market study, how to talk to potential customers and suppliers, where to get start-up capital, how to price their goods and services, and how to avoid rookie mistakes. Participants gain broadly applicable practical skills and access to a nationwide network of business partners and entrepreneurial individuals. At the program’s end, the best business plans receive seed funding for the businesses’ launch. Free entrepreneurship training is available through ABF’s partnership with the Trust for Social Achievement, Srednogorie Industrial Cluster, Association of Bulgarian Leaders and Entre- preneurs (ABLE), Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria, Magna Natura Association, East Accelerator Foundation, IT Stara Zagora, and Society and Security Foundation.
17
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs