Bacolod: The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is helping more micro and small enterprises in Negros Occidental boost their entrepreneurial capacity through the Kapatid Mentor ME-Money Market Encounter (KMME-MME) Online in partnership with the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship (PCE).

According to Philippines News Agency, provincial KMME coordinator Gabriel Advincula mentioned in an interview that they are seeking eight mentees who will learn to scale up their businesses for free through weekly coaching. Applications for the multi-sectoral batch are open until February 7, and those selected will undergo a 10-week module mentorship program from March to June.

Participants will be mentored by experienced and knowledgeable mentors duly accredited by the PCE. The program optimizes weekly interactions between the mentors and mentees with the primary goal of enhancing the entrepreneurial capacity of the mentees through improved access to Mentorship, Money, and Market.

The modules cover various topics, including Entrepreneurial Mindset and Values Formation, Marketing Mindset, Business Model Canvas A (Market Segment, Customer Relationships, Channels, Value Proposition), and Business Model Canvas B (Key Resources, Key Partners, Key Activities, Revenue Streams, Cost Structure). Other subjects include Operations Management, Digitalization, Supply and Value Chain, Human Resource Management, Accounting and Finance, Product Development, Market Expansion and Internationalization, and Business Law.

In September of the previous year, 11 mentees from Negros Occidental completed the KMME-MME Online program and successfully presented their comprehensive Business Improvement Plans. The KMME-MME Online has been developed as a practical delivery mechanism of the regular Kapatid Mentor ME Program and the Money Market Encounter in a digitalized form to assist micro, small, and medium enterprises in surviving despite the unprecedented challenges their businesses faced during the Covid-19 pandemic.