Artem Zdunov hopes that the new project of Sberra and Google will help increase the share of small business in the GRP of Tatarstan

Google and Sberbank have chosen Tatarstan to launch a project on training entrepreneurs in the basics of business and survival in times of crisis. For investors, this will be the first such project in Russia, but Google says that this practice works abroad effectively, and the Ministry of Economy even expects to increase the share of small and medium-sized businesses in the republic’s GRP. The training program was developed by Beeline and Auchan consultants, but the content, mentors and details of the program are hidden. They do not reveal the companies and their interest in the project, assuring that they do not set as their goal the profit.

Will 300 new businesses succeed in Tatarstan?

RT Minister of Economics Artem Zdunov himself calls the Business Class program “unprecedented in scale” that has ever been implemented in the country. Indeed, Tatarstan was chosen as the pilot region for implementing the program, however, according to Denis Kuznetsov, Google Russia Marketing Director, the company has such experience in the world. “There are several states where we launched similar programs, they were a little different in format, content, but in general, it was always the training of local entrepreneurs.”

“We would like to see in one of the regions how to quickly implement large-scale training for entrepreneurs of completely different levels,” the minister says.

The “Business Class” is designed for people of about 25-55 years old, both active entrepreneurs and those people who, having tried themselves in work for someone, have come to understand that they want to start their own business. Training will begin on May 15 and will last six months. The first applications for the site from entrepreneurs are already coming, the speakers told reporters at a press conference.

The program is presented in the form of courses that can be attended both online and offline, and there will be no less “live” events, promises Rushan Sakhbiev, manager of the Bank of Tatarstan branch of Sberbank PJSC. In one session, the organizers hope to gather at least 300 people and get at least 300 ready-made businesses in six months. For the selection of experts who will give lectures, answered Google. In total, there are 6 online modules developed by such experts as Timur Sokolov & Partners owner Timur Sokolov, who advised Auchan, Leroy Merlin, Vympelcom and others, the founder of Business Engineering Services Konstantin Holstinin, chief curator of the RCB & B research center, member Council of the Marketing Guild, Chairman of the COMAR Foreign Affairs Committee Nicholas Corro and others. It is assumed that the modules will teach potential businessmen to understand tax accounting, accounting, efficiency issues, etc.

“If we are talking about the current business, it is assumed that this is a target segment with a turnover of up to 100 million rubles per year, in addition, it is assumed that companies that need help in developing the export of goods and services abroad or deliveries to other regions, ”said Sakhbiev.

Artyom Zdunov calls the Business Class program “unprecedented in scale”

Special assistance to exporters

“It is assumed that communication between program participants and organizers will take place on a fairly frequent basis. We will have an institute of mentors, these are people who have practical experience both in advising companies and in their own business, and with these mentors the participants will be able to communicate practically on a regular basis. If necessary, even daily, ”Kuznetsov promises. However, he did not say what kind of mentors they would be.

The site, which, it would seem, should attract, interest potential participants and explain what they will receive during training. Moreover, according to Kuznetsov, each mentor will work with 10-20 students. What is the motivation of future mentors and under what conditions are they ready to distract from their business and, in fact, do charity work, the speakers did not report, despite all the questions of the journalists.

“I would not call it charity, it is an investment in education. We know that they are fighting back, using the example of other countries, ”Kuznetsov replies. There is also no list of modules that can be visited on the site. “Sberbank specialists will help you understand the financial aspects of the business, and Google experts will share knowledge in the field of Internet marketing. We also invited experienced businessmen to talk about their business management secrets. All that is needed to start training is a computer with Internet access and a completed secondary education, ”is all that can be found in the detailed description section of the program.

The start for novice entrepreneurs will be a zero module on motivation and ideas for business, said Kuznetsov

Mysterious courses from Google and Sberbank

However, a little later, Kuznetsov said that the start for start-up entrepreneurs will be a zero module on motivation and ideas for business, the first module is “Team and Business Modeling”, the second is “Market Research and Target Audience”, the third is “Marketing and Internet Marketing ”, The fourth -“ Processes and sales ”, the fifth -“ Accounting, project economics ”, the sixth -“ Preparation for starting a business ”. Already working business executives are invited to start training from the zero module “Effective Manager and Human Resources”, the first will be “Business Model and Business Processes”, then “Market, Product Analysis”, “Marketing and Internet Marketing”, “Sales, project management ”,“ Investment and lending ”and“ Company management ”. Participants will share by business areas: for example, service companies, production of products, souvenirs, etc. At the end of each module, participants will undergo testing on how they learned the material. Other methods of quality assessment have not yet been developed by the organizers.

After completing the program, participants will receive bonuses: Google will give certificates for organizing their own advertising companies, and Sberbank will receive 6 months of free cash settlement services. “Not enough,” an involuntary comment burst out of the hall.

Sakhbiev calls the main objective of the program to teach entrepreneurs to develop real business in a crisis. “We all understand that the situation is changing, the external and internal environment confronts us with new challenges,” he states. In his opinion, the program may even increase the share of small business in the republic’s GRP: recall, back in 2014, according to target indicators, this share should have reached 34%, but it “froze” somewhere at the level of 26-27% and practically did not is growing. The only exception is Kazan, where the standards were implemented. “The peculiarity of the program is that we do not select one hundred or two hundred people, we attract the maximum number of participants to this program, and, I hope, we will talk about several thousand,” he says.

One of the first participants in the program, Ayrat Sungatullin, general director of the hotel business, who is involved in the development of the hotel business, said he hopes to find new reserves for his business growth. “I hope that the program is configured not only for regional centers, but also for those who want to do business in any of the regions,” he says. To which Kuznetsov opened the veil of secrecy that 30% of mentors will be recruited from local and regional entrepreneurs. There will be a hundred consultants and mentors in total.

“For us, this is a chance to reach a new level and be the center for the development of entrepreneurship in the Russian Federation,” says Sakhbiev

Sberbank claims to be the center of entrepreneurship development in the country

It is noteworthy that the speakers do not name either the specific initiator of the program or the main sponsor. “The idea came up with us together with Sberbank,” Kuznetsov answered journalists' questions, having heard from the audience a bewilderment: “Oh, well?”. “They began to agree in Moscow, and only then to think which region to make pilot, and, of course, Tatarstan was the first and main contender, since the republic is known for its advancement in business and IT.”

When asked about the personal interests of companies during the implementation of the project, their representatives also did not give an intelligible answer, stating only about the social functions of the project. “The competence of the bank is not only the provision of services, but also the improvement of financial literacy. Among our products, there are already those that are not directly related to the financial orientation of the bank, these are invoices and so on. For us, this is a chance to reach a new level and be the center for the development of entrepreneurship in the Russian Federation, ”says Sakhbiev, assuring that such a“ multidisciplinary ”of banks already works in Europe.

The program is quite expensive at the initial level, because we are only creating these institutions and mechanisms, which we hope to scale to other regions if we successfully go to Tatarstan. We do not disclose the amount, but it is significant. It is financed jointly by us and Sberbank, and in what proportions it is not very important, Kuznetsov admitted.

Of course, any company has a commercial component in its practice, ”Zdunov admitted. But he did not reveal the commercial interest of investors. “We must not forget that we have a special economic zone, Innopolis, in general, we see Google as an investor in the republican economy in a number of programs, and not only in Innopolis,” he only hinted.

In contrast to the previous entrepreneurship support programs implemented by the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Tajikistan, representatives of the trade sector will also be allowed to enter the Business Class. “I believe that I must study, I must affirm in his mind that there is not only trade and procurement, but all business. He must get those basics in order not to be afraid to go into the manufacturing business, ”says Zdunov.

Dina Valiullina, photo tatar-inform.ru

The Business Class course can be completed remotely, online. Photo courtesy of Sberbank Press Service

Sberbank and Google expand the scale of the joint free program "Business Class", addressed to representatives of micro and small businesses. Experienced entrepreneurs in online and offline mode help to open a business for those who are taking the first steps in the economy, and those who already have a working business are recommended how to take it to the next level.

In the "Business Class" will be able to participate more than 100 thousand entrepreneurs from more than 40 regions of Russia. Already, more than 40 thousand entrepreneurs from 13 regions of Russia have joined the program: Tatarstan and Chuvashia, Sverdlovsk Region, Primorsky, Kamchatka and Khabarovsk Territories, the Jewish Autonomous Region, Amur, Magadan, Vladimir, Nizhny Novgorod, Sakhalin Regions and Chukotka Autonomous Okrug. Until the end of this year, the project will be launched in Karelia, Novgorod, Vologda, Murmansk, Tyumen and Omsk regions. The course received support from the Russian government, in particular, Igor Shuvalov, First Deputy Prime Minister, noted its relevance in the regions of the Russian Federation.

“Business Class” is a free program not only for beginners, but also for experienced businessmen, to whom Sberbank and Google are invited to participate in practical exercises with experienced experts and mentors who are ready to help entrepreneurs start their own business or develop an existing business. You can register for the program on its website www.business-class.pro. The course lasts six months and is presented in two modes - remote (online) and intensive. In the first - video tutorials, test assignments, webinars and additional materials. The second one, which is available in the region where the project is implemented, has all the components of the online mode, as well as additional functions - mentoring and meetings with experienced experts. A “business class” consists of eight modules that are built in such a way as to give a person the opportunity to gain knowledge from various fields, for example, law, marketing, personnel management, the basics of financial literacy.

The program includes two “trajectories of participation”, the choice between which makes the potential student of the course. Beginning businessmen will join the program along the initial path, the purpose of which is to create a business plan, launch and develop their own business from scratch to first sales. More experienced business representatives will receive knowledge at a higher level - they will analyze and evaluate the weaknesses of their companies, develop professional skills, optimize their business and promote their strategy. Also, regularly during the training, tutors will conduct a phased assessment of the achievements of their students, and after graduation, the graduate will receive a step-by-step plan for starting a business and practical knowledge for its development. Each successful entrepreneur who has completed the program will receive a special personalized electronic certificate.

“We are interested in seeing more and more qualified entrepreneurs appear in Russia,” says Anatoly Popov, Sberbank Senior Vice President. “Already today we see real-life examples of how, thanks to the Business Class program, people make their business more efficient.”

“We are pleased that the program was in demand among Russian entrepreneurs,” says Yulia Solovieva, Google’s director of business operations in emerging markets in the EMEA region (Europe, the Middle East and Africa). - Thanks to this, interest in the project is growing and an increasing number of regions are joining the "Business Class". This shows the relevance of such an initiative and its significance for the development of the ecosystem of small and micro-business in Russia. ”

2.5 years ago, Promsvyazbank also had two educational projects for entrepreneurs - Chestnok and Business in the Lens. Chestnok publishes interviews with successful entrepreneurs 3-5 times a week, and Business in the Lens is a platform for entrepreneurs who are ready to tell about themselves and show their business in photographs, says bank representative Daria Kozyreva.

Take the scale

The program started in April 2016 in Tatarstan. 30,000 entrepreneurs registered there, but to date, 5,000 people have completed their studies and another 4,000 continue to study. Every third entrepreneur who is interested in the program goes through it to the end - a good result for a free curriculum, Sharov believes. Later connected Sverdlovsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Vladimir and other areas. In 2017–2018 The program will be completed by 103,000 entrepreneurs.

Replenish budget

6 billion rubles. the budget will receive taxes if the “Business Class” passes 103,000 entrepreneurs who are on a simplified taxation system. According to Sharov’s calculations, if 10,000 of them start their own business and are successful, with an average company turnover of 10 million rubles. their total income will amount to 100 billion rubles. in year

The success of the Sberbank program is explained by the support of regional authorities. The President of Tatarstan even recommended that municipal officials go through the “Business Class” in order to communicate with entrepreneurs in the same language. According to a representative of Sberbank, the bank operates through the regional representative offices of "Support of Russia" and "Business Russia", and they already inform the local business. According to Sharov, the first vice-premier Igor Shuvalov, who recommended expanding the program, recently gave a positive conclusion about the program. Therefore, the organizers will not distribute it to 10 as planned, but to 41 regions.

Likebank from bankers

Most Russian entrepreneurs are self-taught: they do not have an MBA and work on the basis of common sense, life experience and intuition, many of them are well versed in their product, but have little understanding in accounting, strategic planning and financial management, says the senior partner of the company FilippFinance Andrey Filippov.

“Business class” is designed for both existing and emerging entrepreneurs. The first in the classroom analyze the weaknesses of their business, learn about what processes in the company can be optimized and how to develop the company. And beginners are taught the basics: how to develop a business plan, register a company and start a business. Even unemployed can study in the “Business Class”. According to Sharov, Sberbank is currently negotiating with Rostrud to ensure that the regions give grants for the development of their business to the unemployed, who have received a program certificate. Rostrud supports the initiative, but is not yet ready to provide details, the press service said.

The program lasts for almost half a year, and in addition to video lessons and webinars for everyone, it includes four face-to-face eight-hour master classes for the 250 best students in the region. The group of the best includes those who scored the highest score during entrance testing and chose the most intensive course of study. They also get the opportunity to communicate with mentors.

The benefits of teaching

According to Oleg Golitsyn, head of marketing for small and medium-sized businesses at Google Russia, the company is interested in entrepreneurs doing business professionally and maximizing the benefits of using the Internet, he notes.

Photo zoom

An entrepreneur from Yekaterinburg Pavel Babushkin, who has a small business for the production of photo books, began to study in the “Business Class” this year. The most useful modules of the program, he considers those that teach working with clients. Previously, buyers found Babushkin through word of mouth. He could not even assess how much of the applicants became customers. But at the “Business Class”, Babushkin mastered contextual online advertising, and this increased sales. Starting to study, he hired two new employees - a literary editor and a color corrector - and introduced a new online service for customers who want to create a personalized design photo book. Now about every 30th visitor to the site makes an order, but Grandma hopes to achieve a conversion of 5-7%.

The more competent the borrower, the lower the risk of bankruptcy, says Filippov. Due to the entrepreneurs trained in the Business Class, Sberbank plans to expand the circle of reliable borrowers, Sharov said. According to him, the bank will monitor the successes of the best students and those entrepreneurs who, within a year after training, will increase revenue, profit, increase the number of jobs, can count on loans at a favorable rate.

Alexei Borisov, head of the educational project Alfa Experience, said that Alfa Bank hopes to use Alfa Experience to increase the loyalty of existing corporate clients. From this year they can participate in the project as teachers. For corporate clients, teaching is a useful marketing move, Borisov explains. They talk about their business to a wide audience and try to make students become clients of their companies. Since the beginning of 2017, Alfa Bank trained 500 people, four corporate clients of the bank became teachers of Alfa Experience. Alfa-Bank also uses Alpha-experience to search for talent among students. This year, for example, the bank hired two program participants for the positions of risk managers. Thanks to educational projects, said Kozyreva, Promsvyazbank additionally receives more than 100 applications per month for products and services for small businesses.

Benefits for Entrepreneurs

In August 2016, Kildaeva, as the best student, was given the help of a mentor - Irina Garnier, managing partner of the French consulting company IB2C France SAS, a specialist in landscape design and urban improvement. Kildeeva was initially skeptical of the mentor: they say that there is nothing in common between medicine and landscape design. But the communication turned out to be useful. Garnier told her that today, traditional methods (site, recommendations of doctors and partners, word of mouth, leaflets) are not enough to attract patients. She advised to use social networks and Internet marketing more actively. Kildeeva heeded the advice and hired two contextual advertising specialists. According to her, in November 2016 the number of patients who first applied to DicomClinic increased by 7% compared with August.

In May 2016, Sberbank and Google will launch a business class joint program for training businessmen in Russia. Tatarstan was chosen as the pilot region of the company, TASS reports citing Dmitry Kuznetsov, Google’s marketing director for Russia.

The program is designed for six months, the number of participants who can be trained is not limited. For those who finish the program, Google will give the certificates “for organizing their own advertising campaigns on the Internet”, and “Sberbank” - a free settlement and cash service for six months.

The target segment of the project is a business with a turnover of up to 100 million rubles a year, as well as companies that need support in the development of exports or the supply of goods to other regions of Russia.

For Google, this program is a pilot, in Russia we have not conducted such programs yet, we have two areas: for beginner businessmen and those who already have their own business. Regardless of which participant chooses the format, there will be six modules that will be implemented online and between the modules there will be offline events in live communication mode.

- Dmitry Kuznetsov, Google Marketing Director in Russia

If the project in Tatarstan is successful, then Google and Sberbank will decide to launch it in other regions of Russia. "We would like to distribute the project throughout Russia, but the question arises of how other regions are ready to implement such a program. In Tatarstan, the Ministry of Economy of the Republic supports us," Kuznetsov explained.

Rushan Sakhbiev, manager of Sberbank's Bank of Tatarstan branch, told TASS that the main goal of the program is to “introduce entrepreneurs to the latest techniques that allow them to develop their business in a crisis.”

“The peculiarity of this program is that we do not select 100 or 200 people, we attract the maximum number of participants. I hope that we will talk about several thousand participants in the program, ”Sakhbiev said.

Training is scheduled to begin on May 15, applications for participation in the program are accepted on the project website.

Alfa-Bank and Yandex have a similar program. Since 2014, companies have held educational conferences at which entrepreneurs, experts in marketing, finance and from other fields speak to entrepreneurs. They, in particular, talk about the features of promoting a business on the Internet and effective ways to attract customers. Bank customers who are in the small business receive certificates for an advertising campaign in Yandex.Direct ..