FOR all those planning to open a small or medium-scale business, you are lucky. Just recently the Negros First Negosyo Center opened at the ground floor of the Negros Occidental Barangay Center or more known as the Kadiwa Building at Gatuslao St. in Bacolod City.
When we started with the Association of Negros Producers (ANP), we were blessed to have the support of the provincial government, most especially, Gov. Daniel “Bitay” Lacson Jr. at the time, and the Department of Trade and Industry to assist us.
However, since it was one of the more pioneer programs of the country in small and medium businesses, there was the ceaseless struggle to look for assistance in sourcing financial assistance and development and marketing of products.
However, 30 years hence and with the establishment of the Negosyo Center, every entrepreneur has all the assistance he or she needs to start a business and make it flourish.
One of the involvements of RA 10544 or the Go Negosyo Act is the establishment of Negosyo Center in all provinces, cities and municipalities in the country. Negosyo Centers, created under the supervision of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development (MSMED) Council, shall encourage public-private partnership in the establishment and management of the center.
It is envisioned as a one-stop shop for services that cater to the entrepreneurs’ needs in processing requirements to establish, and in assessing these services for MSME’s growth and sustained development.
Its work consists of facilitating business registration through the Philippine Business Registry (PBR) and the Barangay Micro Business Enterprise (BMBE). As facilitator, it will accept all registration applications of MSMEs. It shall coordinate with the respective local government units and liaises with concerned government agencies to process the duly accomplished forms submitted by the MSMEs. Furthermore, it will integrate a unified business system for MSMEs and will encourage government institutions to help in promulgating information.
The Negosyo Center will extend advisory services to MSMEs on a free one-on-one basis. It will endeavor to tailor the needs of the particular entrepreneur to include product development, marketing promotion, brand development, financing and investment facilitation and management and guidance of government assistance programs plus more.
What is also noteworthy is that Negosyo Center can access grants and other forms of financial assistance, shared service facilities (SSF) and equipment and other support for MSMEs.
Negosyo Center will establish a data bank which will be a source for entrepreneurs to avail of all information necessary for project monitoring, research and policy studies, and informal dissemination campaigns. It will coordinate with schools and organizations for the development of youth entrepreneurship programs plus (I like this!) to encourage women entrepreneurship by giving women access to information, support, training and credit facilities.
The Negosyo Center may be very new but in the next five months, it has lined up training programs and activities. For August, there is "How to Start a Business and Accessing the Business Financial Portfolios." September will see "Enhancing Entrepreneurial Competencies and Business Management Training." In October, they will be sponsoring "The Business Planning Workshop and Bookkeeping for Non-Accountants" and for November, "Developing and Penetrating Markets" and will end the year with "Quality and Productivity and the 5S of Good Housekeeping."
To be an entrepreneur is exciting and since assistance is coming in full swing, why not join the bandwagon of MSMEs? It is good to have a 15-30 pay but also better to add on extra with a little business of your own.