16 Montenegrin small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from the fields of furniture production, sales of cosmetics applied for the competition for the free mentoring program, which is carried out by the Directorate for the Development of Small and Medium Enterprises in cooperation with the Government of Japan through the Japanese Agency for International Cooperation (JICA). , IT services and machine industries.
Adviser in the Directorate Anđela Gajević explained to "Vijesti" that through the mentoring program companies receive free non-financial support through diagnosing the current situation in the company, help in preparing development activities, plans and projects, counseling and coordination for access to EU funds, new technologies and consulting services .
"Information is also obtained about funding opportunities, government support programs and opportunities for establishing business cooperation and finding business partners. This is a strategically important project whose goal is to contribute to the improvement of the overall business environment for small and medium-sized enterprises and to improve their competitiveness at the national and regional level. It is also important for establishing new and strengthening existing regional economic cooperation between Montenegro, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, because the project is implemented in all three countries", said Gajević.
She stated that the problems faced by the companies were difficult access to finance, bad collection of claims, illiquidity, the existence of a gray economy... Gajević said that some companies had difficulties related to internal processes, such as poorly established organizational structure, inadequate workforce, insufficiently developed marketing activities...
Companies have at their disposal 50 mentoring hours with a chosen mentor lasting half a year.
JICA consultant Masaši Yamanaka told "Vijesti" that the strength of their economy is the large number of SMEs, of which more than 99 percent are, and that is why they supported SMEs in Montenegro.
"Those companies have a lot of problems and little time, because their human and financial resources are limited and the owner of the company has to do everything himself. They do not need a textbook or a general seminar, but a room that analyzes the situation and together with the owner finds a solution. It takes time, and we believe that mentoring is exactly what companies really need," said Jamanaka. He adds that people in the Balkans are good at production and quality control, but the main goal is how to increase sales.
"Analyzing the market and creating a marketing plan through the mentoring process can be very useful," said Jamanaka.
Jamanaka: Montenegrins are proactive
Jamanaka said that Montenegro shares the same language with Serbia and BiH, so Montenegrin companies have an advantage to expand their business in those areas.
"There are many companies that have a good production system and quality products. That kind of technological means or tradition is the strength of SMEs in this region. The Montenegrin people are very proactive.
So if the company sets an appropriate goal and finds a plan to set it, there is no room for concern as to whether the goal is achievable," Yamanaka said.
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