Bangalore: A six-week management programme offered by the Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore, has been designed to help women who are homemakers start their own enterprises.

These would-be entrepreneurs can now go through the course which teaches them core management strengths. Organised in partnership with the Nadathur S. Raghavan Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning, the course will have IIM-B faculty training the women. According to programme director Ganesh Prabhu, the course will help housewives run small to medium-sized businesses.

The eligibility criteria is a degree in any stream. Started in 2004, the intake for each course for the past two years has been around 60, and this year it will be increased to 75 because of the increasing demand.

At the end of the course, the women get a certificate. Hostel accommodation is arranged since many participants are from outside Bangalore.

The intensive course requires some dedication on the part of the trainees and an aptitude for business; the subjects covered include accounting and finance management. Those without a management degree are expected to pick up the fundamentals of business management as the course progresses. An interesting feature of the course will be field trips to businesses.

The 80 sessions during the course deal with all management aspects relevant to women entrepreneurs, including economics, industry analysis and business planning. The field trips will be on Saturdays and the classes held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.

After the overall review of factors required in starting a business, the women get a two-week break to prepare their own business plans. On returning to the course, each woman is given individual feedback on the plan prepared by her.

With this critical analysis from professionals, they can improve their skills and prepare specific strategies for their own businesses. The business plans are also presented in the classes.

Many women who have completed earlier courses have gone on to start successful businesses. These have included boutiques, small technology centres and jewellery stores, tutorial classes and Ayurvedic medical centres.

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