Bandung, 26-27 Mei 2023– Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat ”Pengembangan Bisnis secara online pada pelaku UMKM Anggota PEKKA” di RW 15 Kelurahan Sadang Serang Bandung.
Empowering micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) is one of the priorities of the government, especially in Bandung. Many individuals are forced to start their businesses not by choice but due to a lack of job opportunities or family responsibilities, particularly for women who need to take care of children and their families. This makes it difficult for them to work in companies with rigid time commitments and demanding educational requirements. To address the needs of women in Indonesia, the Department of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection regularly organizes activities to empower women who are heads of households through a collective organization called PEKKA.
PEKKA was established to assist women who are forced to become heads of households. They often lack opportunities to work in companies due to a lack of education and family responsibilities. Consequently, they choose to start their businesses. However, they require guidance and training to run and develop their businesses. Many stakeholders who care about women's entrepreneurial empowerment support this government program by providing knowledge about entrepreneurship and fostering the right understanding of the entrepreneurial spirit through various outreach activities. Universities also contribute by imparting this knowledge through community engagement initiatives, including Maranatha Christian University.
In collaboration with the Department of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection, Maranatha Christian University organized an online business training event for PEKKA members on May 26-27, 2023. The event was opened by Mr. Hasan Arifin, S.E., M.M., the Head of Sadang Serang Village, and was attended by representatives from DP3A, Mr. Andi Iskandar, S.H., and PEKKA members, especially from RW 15 Sadang Serang Village.
On the first day, Ms. Nur, S.E., M.T., delivered a presentation on entrepreneurship, particularly focusing on the entrepreneurial mindset. She emphasized the importance of having the enthusiasm and confidence to start a business without fear, as there is always a way to begin and develop it. Ms. Nur also provided numerous motivating examples to the participants, especially those who are women heads of households. On the same day, the participants also gained knowledge about marketing strategies, particularly branding strategies, delivered by Mr. Allen Kristiawan, S.E., M.M. This material provided an essential understanding of the significance of branding products and employing the right brand strategies to enhance the image of the products sold by MSMEs.
On the second day, Ms. Felicia Abednego, S.E., M.M., delivered an engaging presentation on Digital Marketing that can be implemented by MSMEs. Throughout the event, the participants not only received theoretical knowledge and concepts but also engaged in workshops to apply business strategies and utilize social media as a digital marketing tool to promote their products.
The hope is that through this community service activity, MSME practitioners can apply the knowledge provided to their respective businesses. At the end of the event, the participants shared their impressions and messages, expressing tremendous appreciation. They hope that similar activities can continue and be sustained, particularly from the Management program of the Faculty of Business at Maranatha Christian University.
