USAID (Under the AERA Program) (1999 – 2005)

The Business Advisory Center, under Dr. Saisawan Vadhanapanich, brought in Thai MBAs to work with American volunteers from UNC’s MBA Enterprise Corps and more experienced consultants from the International Executive Service Corps, the Citizens for Development Corps and the Agricultural Cooperative Development International/Volunteer Organization to conduct business consulting and training assistance to more than 300 small and medium-sized companies.

Program activities included:

• Business Consulting Services. The BAC focused on developing SME’s current business management tools and services, such as a Balanced Scorecard, Export Marketing Management, Marketing Planning and Strategizing, Productivity Improvement, Human Resource Management, Business Plan Development, and Financial Strategy Planning.
• Financial Advisory Services (FAS). Kenan assisted Thai SMEs in gaining access to much-needed capital. Kenan assisted SME’s in gaining access to both debt and equity financing by providing business analysis and assistance with various plans and projection documents required by either participating financial institutions or venture capital firms/funds.
• International Marketing (I-Mart). Our International Marketing Program offered numerous international marketing and export services. In order to addressing the export and marketing needs of Thai manufacturers, I-Mart administered a 3-step process for marketing: 1. Export Capability Assessment, 2. International Marketing Plan, and 3. International Marketing Management Services. These three steps helped Thai manufacturers assess their needs, design marketing strategies, and put their marketing strategies into action. In addition, the I-Mart program provided supplemental services, such as seminars and workshops, newsletters, and specialized assistance to Thai manufacturers with an interest in exporting their products.
• Seminars and Training. Seminars and workshops were organized for SMEs to disseminate knowledge on how to survive and compete in Thailand’s turbulent, rapidly-changing business environment. Since many of these companies were too small to receive one-on-one consulting services, seminars and workshops enabled Kenan to help them on a larger scale. Organized not only in Bangkok, but throughout the country, the seminars and workshops covered a variety of topics, including, how to develop a business strategy, write an effective business plan, and perform financial analysis.