Speeches

Director-General of Trade and Industry encourages SME entrepreneurs to make the best use of TID's SME support services
Wednesday, November 20, 2002

Over 300 SME entrepreneurs who have participated in this year's SME Mentorship Programme, and their mentors, attended a tea gathering hosted by the Director-General of Trade and Industry today (November 20), to know each other and share experience on running nascent businesses.

Organized by the Trade and Industry Department in collaboration with 25 major trade and industry organizations, the Mentorship Programme aims to help SME entrepreneurs who are at their early stage of business to learn from and be guided by accomplished entrepreneurs, senior executives and professionals, through one-on-one free counselling. 219 SME entrepreneurs have been assigned mentors, and there are altogether 170 mentors.

Speaking at the tea gathering, the Director-General of Trade and Industry, Mr Kevin Ho, told the mentees: "The more committed you are to the Programme, the more benefits you may draw from it. In a knowledge-based economy, it is crucial that entrepreneurs keep learning from each other, including competitors."

Also, Mr. Ho encouraged the mentees to make good use of the various SME support measures and services provided by the Trade and Industry Department, including the four funding schemes, the Support and Consultation Centre for SMEs (SUCCESS). He made special mention of the SME Newsletter, called "the Pulse", which TID has launched a couple of days ago.

Mr Ho thanked the 25 co-organisers for their staunch support, and the mentors for providing counselling and advice to the mentees.

The 219 mentees comprise mainly proprietors of SMEs of a size of less than 20 people, and are established for less than five years. Under the Programme, they may seek advice from a designated mentor during a period of nine months. Also, they would attend a full-day leadership development course.

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