Tilapia remains the star of inland fishery commodities with a relatively high economic value, so the cultivation of this type of fish is widely seen as a promising business opportunity.

Anggara Wisesa stated this when leading the training and debriefing activities for community empowerment groups organized by a team of lecturers and students from the SBM ITB in collaboration with the Faculty of Islamic Economics and Business (FEBI) UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, at the Sribit Village Hall, Delanggu district, Klaten regency Sunday (16/10/2022).

The three-days training and tutorial entitled “Empowering Micro Business and New Venture by Improving Entrepreneurial Competencies” was provided by Dr. Anggara Wisesa, Aria Bayu Pangestu, M.HRM, Amilia Wulansari, M.Si., Dr. Prameshwara Anggahegari, Wipti Eka Prahadipta, M.S.M., and Irka Wijaya, S.Farm from SBM ITB, and Dr. Ruspita Rani Pertiwi from UIN Sunan Kalijaga. “With the increase in entrepreneurial competencies, we expect these business actors can develop their current and future businesses,” said Anggara, Sunday (16/10/2022).

This activity involved two community empowerment groups in Sribit and Mendak villages: Mina Gatak Makmur and Generasi Muda Islam (Gemuis) Masjid Rohmat Mendak. Uniquely, these two groups take advantage of the potentials around them by utilizing agricultural irrigation channels to raise tilapia, using their yards to grow lemons and several other businesses whose results are used for the welfare of the residents and members of the groups.

Against the background of concerns about the lack of assistance for micro-enterprises, Anggara argues that community empowerment efforts should not only be the responsibility of the community but also need to involve academia, government, industry, and the media carried out in the form of synergistic collaboration between parties (Penta helix). In addition to the team of lecturers and students from the two major campuses in Bandung and Yogyakarta, this event was also attended by the local Village Assistant (PLD), Thomas Sutana, known as one of the leaders who has pioneered several activities for empowering the local community and spreading the entrepreneurial spirit and knowledge to citizens.

Using the results of field research to identify the problems experienced by the two groups, the lecturer team invited the participants to reflect on their efforts so far. They were asked to identify their strengths and weaknesses and situations that can be both opportunities and threats to their business. The participants were also invited to practice compiling a Business Model Canvas (BMC), developing a business strategy with an analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, and preparing simple financial reports. The atmosphere is more interactive when the participants enthusiastically share their experiences to learn from each other.

The participants revealed that the knowledge provided by the collaborative team of lecturers from SBM ITB and UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta had opened their eyes to the importance of recognizing individual and group capacities for business continuity. In addition, the approach taken by the presenters succeeded in inviting them to be creative and innovate in developing strategies to answer existing opportunities and challenges.

This activity was closed by giving the two groups mementos and business capital funds. The trainers hoped that the participants would not stop learning when the training was over but to pass on their knowledge to others. What they have learned needs to be continued on an ongoing basis through concrete synergies and have a real impact on people’s lives, said Anggara closing the event.

Written by Dr. Prameshwara Anggahegari