Marketing window offers a learning point for SMEs
July 24: The Public Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) offered a marketing window to the local entrepreneurs at the Salalah Tourism Festival (STF) ground. About 30 selected entrepreneurs got an opportunity to showcase their products at a cottage dedicated to them in the festival ground.
The SME Authority had fixed a criterion for the SMEs for their participation in the marketing window put up in the STF, and those who qualified got an opportunity to showcase their products. A total of 30 SMEs are participating in the STF as they have been given a slot of 24 days each in two groups.
The first group consisting of 15 entrepreneurs is exhibiting products from July 15 to August 7, while another group of 15 would take part in the festival from August 8 to 31.
Mohammed Ahmed al Ghassani, Director of the Public Authority for SMEs in Salalah, expressed happiness over enthusiasm shown by the entrepreneurs to take part in the exhibition as they have been successfully doing their ventures and want to showcase their products.
“Through this exhibition we are offering them a marketing window. This is a platform for them to learn from each other and know the market trend. It is not enough only to produce, but the entrepreneurs should know what to produce and how to produce,” said al Ghassani.
Al Ghassani puts stress on the fact that the SMEs should avoid duplication, because if there are too many people in the same trade the profit margin would go down and there might be a situation when goods do not move.
“Hence we invite the entrepreneurs for consultation and expert suggestion. There are experts and there are successful entrepreneurs. We arrange orientation which helps the newcomers to understand the venture in a good way,” he said.
Huda al Huraibi, Head of the Entrepreneur Club in Salalah College of Technology, participated in the exhibition as a special invitee. She put thrust on good training before taking up any enterprise. “It is important because the newcomers should understand the basics of SME before taking up any assignment. This saves their time and money. Training helps them from committing mistakes and instills a sense of confidence, which is the most important ingredient for success in any area,” she said.
Rawya al Marhoon, who started her perfume products enterprise, is happy over the support extended by the SME Authority to establish her business. “This is my family business which is going on for the last 16 years. It was going on unorganised for so many years. But when I came in contact with the SME Authority, I got my business organised and I am earning much more than what I was earning before,” said Rawya.
Most of the participants have their own shops in some part of Dhofar. They are dealing in retail, textile, perfumery, food and beverages, and jewellery. They are finding STF a good opportunity to market and develop contact to develop a supply chain in future.