The
first
clinics,
which
have
been
dubbed
Level-Up
Business
Clinics,
following
the
Starter-Up
Incubation
programme
the
bank
inaugurated
last
year
for
about
40
entrepreneurs,
some
of
whom
are
among
the
63
entrepreneurs
expected
to
benefit
from
this
clinic.
Auxilia
Kambasha,
Head
of
Enterprise
Banking,
emphasised
the
Incubator
Hub’s
role
in
supporting
SMEs
by
understanding
their
unique
challenges
“For
Stanbic
Bank
to
identify
the
best
interventions
for
entrepreneurs
we
need
to
appreciate
their
challenges
and
their
realities,
such
as
tax
compliance,
market
access
difficulties
and
funding
limitations,”
she
said.
“If
a
business
is
not
registered
as
a
company
and
the
books
are
not
in
order,
it
is
difficult
to
obtain
a
bank
loan.
If
a
business
has
employees,
it
follows
that
a
human
resources
policy
or
structure
is
required.
Family
businesses
need
a
clear
assignment
of
roles
and
a
succession
plan
so
that
the
business
can
continue
for
generations
to
come.
“Where
some
of
these
things
are
lacking,
we
offer
advice
and
training
to
improve
the
business’s
capacity
and
prospects
of
success,”
she
said.
Some
of
the
entrepreneurs
who
attended
the
Starter-Up
programme
have
begun
to
see
an
increase
in
revenues,
while
others
are
now
employing
more
people,
Kambasha
said.
The
Level-Up
clinics,
which
will
continue
until
May,
involve
diagnosis
and
treatment,
she
said.
The
core
objective
is
to
continue
building
capacity
for
SMEs.
There
are
five
clinics,
each
dealing
with
a
particular
area.
These
are
financial
management,
human
resources
management,
branding
and
marketing,
funding
and
mentorship.
Each
clinic
has
six
sessions.
Participants
have
been
assigned
to
the
two
clinics
judged
most
appropriate
for
their
needs
or
three
at
the
most,
Kambasha
said.
Towards
the
end
of
the
programme
participants
will
make
presentations
on
what
they
have
learnt,
how
they
intend
to
go
forward
with
their
business
and,
if
they
are
in
need
of
funding,
how
much
funding
they
require.
Those
judged
to
have
proved
that
they
are
ready
to
grow
their
business
will
have
the
opportunity
to
obtain
funding
from
the
bank.
There
will
be
three
follow-up
sessions
after
the
programme
has
ended
to
assess
how
the
businesses
are
doing
and
what
further
may
need
to
be
done.
Stanbic
Bank’s
business
clinics
represent
a
strategic
effort
to
bolster
the
SME
sector
by
equipping
entrepreneurs
with
essential
skills
and
resources,
thereby
contributing
to
Zimbabwe’s
broader
economic
development.
Post
published
in:
Business