Helping Businesses Flourish through Coaching Support

by
Gaya Nagahawatta, Skills for Inclusive Growth
on
January 13, 2023
The blended coaching model carried out in the Eastern region through the business development support system of S4IG, has provided a localized and safe space to learn and grow.

The Blended Coaching Model (BCM), introduced via Skills forInclusive Growth’s (S4IG) Business Development Support System, aligns withAustralian Aid’s new paradigm of enabling the private sector to support development via economic growth. It focuses on enterprise owners of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and provides long term support, tools and resources to help them restructure their businesses and rethink their organizational objectives and processes.

The BCM provides a localised, intimate and safe space to learn and grow. Since many owners do not have formal training in their chosen sector, and are often thrust into complex situations (as their organisations grow and change), this program offers an opportunity to obtain expert assistance with enhancing overall businesses performance and income generation.

The coaching program has had several successful training events, particularly in the tour guiding sector. The CoralTour Activity Group in Batticaloa, which started coral tours as a secondary economic engagement to supplement their income from fishing, was feeling empowered because of the BCM:

We learned a lot about handling coral, safety measures and how to manage a tour. We are fishermen by trade and this program has taught so much more. We now even have lifeguard training. This is additional income for us.

The Bird Watching Tour Activity Group in Batticaloa highlighted how the coaching program helped them to better network and track sightings of various species. The BCM also educated staff members on administrative procedures critical to enabling their activities:

We were finding it difficult get documents approved in accordance with procedures...we now understand how to structure documents and obtain relevant permissions from government organisations to conduct our tours properly.

Anton is the owner of the Coconut Beach Hotel in Trincomalee. Having undergone the training provided under the BCM, he discussed the impact of COVID-19 and his plan for incorporating more inclusive management practices:

Right now, because of COVID, our businesses have been heavily affected, but we want to hire more people, more women, more people with disabilities, and give them a chance to succeed. My current employees have been here at half pay for the past three months, but they don’t want to leave because they enjoy their work and feel valued. I want to ensure that they all feel valued and appreciated.Employing more people starts to change society’s negative perceptions about employees in the tourism industry
Rupika, Owner of Salon Glamor

Rupika, from Polonnaruwa, works in the beauty-culture sector, and owns a small business named Salon Glamor. With over30 years of industry experience, she noted how the BCM coaching program helped her expand the salon and dream bigger:

My salon was at the back of my house. People entered through my living room. I was going to close it. This training provided me with a new sense of direction. I sold my car and jewelry, raised Rs. 5 million, moved to anew location, hired new staff, and started again. Now I have settled my debts, bought a new car and have many hopes! Even during COVID, we were hired for weddings. Business is flourishing, all because of this program.

Various participants in the coaching program said the BCM had made a significant impact on their success, and assisted with wider community uplift.

The BCM has supported organisations to develop better standards, greater working conditions and improved pricing models. This has enabled tourism operators to offer clients a higher quality, value-for-money service, which has in turn increased the likelihood of repeat business. The program has also encouraged businesses to enter the formal economy, increasing their contribution to wider society. Organisation scan now see that they exist as part of a wider eco-chain.

Programs such as the BCM play a pivotal role in helping businesses flourish, in a way that contributes to wider sectoral and economic growth. Our long standing partnership with, and the tremendous support from Australia, equipped many with the skills, knowledge and resources needed to make their dreams a reality and contribute to sustainable economic development.