The
Association of Business Consulting Organizations of
Georgia
"ABCO-Georgia"
Address: 80, I. Chavchavadze Avenue, Tbilisi, 380062, Georgia . Tel: + (995 32) 999077; 250761; 250085. Fax: + (995 32) 93 35 39; Email: [email protected]
The Association of Business Consulting Organizations of Georgia,
"ABCO-Georgia" was established in October 2001, with purpose to promote
and co-ordinate the development of business consulting services in
Georgia. The ultimate goal of "ABCO-Georgia" is, through the development
of the existing business-consulting organizations (BCOs) of Georgia, to
facilitate the overall upswing of local entrepreneurship, proper
development of existing enterprises and, by increasing the knowledge and
experience of local SME managers, help the entire Georgian business to
reach a new qualitative level.
The coverage area of "ABCO-Georgia" network includes the whole
territory of Georgia. All of the "ABCO-Georgia"'s member organizations are
highly qualified and experienced in the area of business consulting and
over past few years have successfully implemented several relevant
projects in Georgia, through financial and technical support from various
international organizations and technical assistance programs such as
TACIS, USAID, The George Soros Foundation, several other development and
humanitarian organizations operating in Georgia
Members of
"ABCO-Georgia" are
the following
organizations:
- Small & Medium Enterprise Development Agency "Smeda-Tbilisi";
- CERMA
Consulting;
- Business Support Center
"BSC-Kutaisi";
- Gori Agro-Business Center "Gori
ABC";
- Tsnori Agro-Business Center
"Tsnori ABC";
- Akhaltsikhe Business Center
"ABC";
- Ozurgeti Agro-Business Center
"Ozurgeti ABC";
- Association "Abkhazinterkonti"
;
- Association "ATINATI" (Zugdidi)
;
- The Lawyers and Economists
Union (Chiatura);.
- Small
Business Development Center (Zestaphoni);
- Georgian Women's Employment
Supporting Association "AMAGDARI";
- Rustavi Busuness Center;
- Akhalkalaki Busuness Center;
- Union of Employment and Small Business Development (Telavi);
- The Chamber of Development of Small and Medium Enterprises (Poti).
"ABCO-Georgia"
and it's member organizations
provides the following services:
l
Support
of International business missions;
l
Identification
of potential trade partners (investors, customers, suppliers);
l
Consulting
on Georgian legislation and statutory requirements;
l
Market
surveys and partner search;
l
Industry
sector surveys and analysis;
l
Preparation
of business plans, investment proposals and feasibility studies;
l
Strategy
development and support in company restructuring;
l
Business
plan training;
l
Supporting
in creation of trading representative offices in Georgia
l
Economic
strategy development and regional studies;
l
Agriculture
sector survey and analysis;
l
Support
and development of Agricultural Projects;
l
Issue
and monitoring of small loans;
l
Issue
and monitoring of small Grants;
l
Wide
scope of business - training courses, workshops and seminars;
l
Specifically
tailored training workshops for business centers, credit unions and
similar business service agencies;
l
Creation
and development of Community Based Organizations (CBO’s), Associations,
Cooperatives and other entities;
l
Management
and monitoring of various business development projects funded by
international donors.
"ABCO-Georgia" ’s member organizations already have experience in joining their forces for the implementation of a large project of "Global Training for Development" sponsored by USAID through Academy of Educational Development (AED), during which more than 500 farmers and private entrepreneurs were trained in the regions of Samtskhe-Javakheti and Guria. This training program was conducted for the credit line of the International Orthodox Church Charities (IOCC).
Delivered 2 training sessions in Business
Planing in Akhalkalaki and Akhaltsikhe for IOM’s (International
Organization of Migration) Micro Finance Program.
In 2002, "ABCO-Georgia" and its
member organizations implemented the training component of the
State Program for Temporary and Permanent Employment of the Unemployed
Persons. Under the above program, 234 registered unemployed persons were
selected (on the basis of testing) and subsequently trained and provided
with direct consulting in business planning. As result of the program
implementation, 110 business plans were developed by participants and 52
unempoyed persons receved bank loans and started their own business. At
the same time, consulting was provided for those entrepreneurs as well,
which prepared their business plans within the framework of the state
program for "Facilitation of Social Security and Employment of the
Unemployed". At the stage of
loan allocation and project implementation, consulting was provided for
both established businessmen (considered within the scope of the program)
and to former unemployed persons which
started their entreprises.
In
year 2002 "ABCO-Georgia" was instrumental in creation of the
Business Center in town Rustavi. Also, through financial support from GTZ,
established the Business Center in town Marneuli of Kvemo Kartli region of
Georgia as well as assisted Akhaltsikhe Business Center in creation of new
Business Center in town Akhalkakaki of Samtskhe-Javakheti region of
Georgia (with financial support from OSGF - Soros Foundation).
Within
the framework of World Bank Irrigation Project, "Association"
implements business training in General Agriculture, Agricultural Business
Management, Organizational Development, Financial Management and
Accounting for the overall territory of Georgia.
Currently, ABCO-Georgia through its regional member organizations is implementing the training and consulting component of the State Program for Temporary and Permanent Employment of the Unemployed Persons for year 2003.
ATTENTION!!!
More
information about the ABCO-Georgia see: http://www.abco.caucasus.net/