SME Academy Resources
BNOW supports local and foreign professionals living and working in Bangkok. While the group is open to anyone, most members are women. The group meets twice a month and has a weekly newsletter. It also organizes networking events, local tours, professional development classes, educational workshops, leisure activities, and philanthropic programs.
Launched in 2003, Innolab is a place for PLDT customers to develop innovative ICT products and business solutions. It is a venue for testing and simulation of ICT products and services, learning through demos and hands-on experiences, training and education, and research, development, and collaboration. Innolabs currently operate in Baguio, Manila, Subic, Clark, Davao, and Cebu.
MWEC was designed by infoDev, a global partnership program at the World Bank, with donor funding from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the government of Finland, to support women entrepreneurs in Lao PDR expand their businesses. The project was predicated on a theory of chance that posited that entrepreneurs learn best from their peers, sharing practical experiences and lessons to improve confidence, risk taking, and management skills. In Lao PDR, the program featured peer learning with a focus on market assessments and marketing; resource management and budgeting; time management and lifestyle choices; financial benchmarking; network and joint venture formation; financing; and quality development. Program participants reported that networking was one of the most important benefits of the program.
The mission of the Da Nang Women’s Business Club is to: improve skills and knowledge of members; create a network between members; create a forum for exchange of information and support; and engage in social charity. The club also supports trade promotion for members, including business exchange opportunities, exhibitions, and trade fairs.
YBA’s mission is to support business skills development of young people and contribute to Viet Nam’s economic development, in particular through supporting young people to engage with global markets. Specific services for members include a website, a newsletter, legal archives, workshops, and seminars on topics such as intellectual property, the new enterprise law, trade promotion, exposure visits to successful businesses, and networking. YBA has almost 600 members, all business owners or senior managers of businesses.
HIPMI is the “Indonesia Young Entrepreneurs Association”. It has over 30,000 members and a presence in 33 provinces across Indonesia with 274 regency level chapters. Members must be between 18-40 and must run a business. They represent a range of business types, mostly within the SME sector, including agriculture, financial services, procurement, industry, and mining, among others. HIPMI conducts advocacy work and also hosts hipmi.net, a social network for members across the economy.
A network of 30 non-government organizations, WON was established in 2008 in Yangon for the purpose of supporting women’s community groups across Myanmar that are working to strengthen the well-being of all women and men in Myanmar. WON operates in a number of conflict and post-conflict areas across Myanmar, including Karen State, Shan State and Mon State, while also sponsoring activities in Yangon and other major cities and towns. WON advocates for “peace, justice and equality for women and men through working with key stakeholders at all levels towards positive social change in Myanmar.” The primary goals of the group center around women’s empowerment, the rights of women and girls, elimination of all forms of discrimination, increased participation of women at every level of decision-making, and “peace, democracy, and national reconciliation.” At least 12 member organizations of WON are involved in women’s economic empowerment activities, including coffee production, creation of organic products such as soap and shampoo, ladies’ clothing and accessories, and housewares. These include Precious Stones; Than Daung Gyi, WON; Hpa-an, Phoenix; Rainbow – Yangon; Akhaya; Karen Women Empowerment Group; Phan Tee Eain (Creative Home); Yangon Karen Women; Yangon YWCA; and The Mothers’ Union. Phan Tee Eain has set up a shop in its office for different groups to place their products for sale.
Established in 1919, UMFCCI is Myanmar’s largest, most influential, and most globally integrated association of business representatives. Its membership includes nearly 11,000 Burmese companies, 770 foreign corporations, 185 cooperatives and 3000 individuals. Women have long been able to participate in the organization, but their representation on its Central Executive Committee has been minimal. UMFCCI does not have a separate committee that addresses the particular interests of women entrepreneurs; however, Myanmar Women Entrepreneur Association (MWEA) is an active member of UMFCCI and regularly participates in its activities and dialogues on key issues of concern to business.
MATRADE is the national trade promotion agency of Malaysia whose mission is to promote Malaysia’s export industry. MATRADE works to build the profile of Malaysian exporters in foreign markets, provide trade and market information to support Malaysian companies’ participation in overseas markets, connects Malaysian companies with foreign importers, and promotes the export of Malaysian goods into overseas markets.
UMEC actively promotes an entrepreneurial culture and entrepreneurial development among university students. UMEC provides entrepreneurship training opportunities for students, engages relevant members of the community, organizes visits to businesses, and helps to prepare entrepreneurship courses at the university.