The Middle East Entrepreneur Training in the U.S. (MEET U.S.) alumni conference in Manama, Bahrain proved to be a great success. In addition to forging important new relationships and receiving further entrepreneurship training, the alumni came away from the conference determined to create their own support network of entrepreneurs and business leaders in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
The Beyster Institute presented the conference in November, which gave over 120 entrepreneurs from 15 countries and territories an opportunity to learn, discuss and share their experiences. The participants are all graduates of the MEET U.S. program, an intensive three-week training and networking program which is managed by the Beyster Institute and funded by the U.S. Department of State Middle East Partnership Initiative.
After several learning sessions and speaker presentations, the delegates were asked to participate in action workshops to discuss real issues they were facing as entrepreneurs. Particularly interesting was an action workshop which discussed impediments for entrepreneurs in the region.
The "Barriers to Business Development" workshop helped to identify many issues which encumber entrepreneurship in the MENA region. Among these were government bureaucracy, corruption, illiteracy, taxation, piracy, transparency, infrastructure, financing, political instability and regulations. The group felt that government bureaucracy was most critical and decided to focus on that factor. In particular, they cited government bureaucracy as a barrier because it "slows down needed business activities," thereby discouraging investors and preventing internal companies from being competitive in the international marketplace. The group also felt that it was not a good idea for entrepreneurs to rely heavily on government contracts because the slow processing of transactions could adversely affect their ability and the quality of their products and services.
The entrepreneurs suggested working through civil society organizations and business associations in cooperation with their governments to create resource centers where businesspeople could seek help. Some examples were cited from Morocco and Lebanon, where this idea resulted in the creation of regional government offices (such as the Ministry of Finance) which help investors and entrepreneurs with paperwork, troubleshooting and advocacy. The group suggested mitigating the effects of government bureaucracy by pooling resources with similar companies and by diversifying their customer base so that their business is not concentrated in government contracts.
By the end of the conference, the participants were satisfied with the information exchanges that occurred; however they were interested in continuing the efforts of the MEET U.S. alumni. More specifically, the group wanted to maximize the utilization of this high-caliber group to assist each other in achieving their goals and overcoming problems. With the main theme of "Winning Together," the group decided to continue activities such as holding meetings, creating a website and database and developing a newsletter with the underlying objectives of providing support, sharing experience, creating networking opportunities and encouraging community service.
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Republished with permission from The Beyster Institute.