Entrepreneurship

The World Bank 2010 Report ranks India at 133 out of 183 countries for case of starting a business. Why does it rank so poorly? One of the main reasons is lack of awareness of entrepreneurship skills in the youth.

ARCH aims to create design professionals and entrepreneurs with the sensitivity, the sensibility and the ability to eventually contribute in a fully aware and insightful manner, to societal needs. ARCH specializes in vocational education & training, in keeping with the following aims:

• Be an internationally recognized design institution nurturing individuals to develop as innovative professionals and entrepreneurs with requisite skills and social sensitivity
• Develop students to take up challenging jobs in the industry successfully or to perform better in their jobs
• Develop student’s ability to enable them to work effectively and appreciate a multi disciplinary environment and apply their knowledge and skills, in this environment

Promoting entrepreneurship among youth, ARCH conducts several workshops for skill based entrepreneurship development programme sponsored by several Govt. Bodies like Micro Small Medium Enterprises (MSME) Govt. of India; The Department of Science and Technology (DST), Govt. of India; Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) (DCH), Govt. of India; Entrepreneurship Management Institution (EMI); Rajasthan Mission on Livelihood (RMOL) and the Rural Non Farm Development Agency (RUDA) et al.

ARCH has been imparting hands on skills for self employment and a successful career development among youth. We offer a combination of practical and theoretical skills, supported by an understanding of the socio-cultural context and industry needs.
In another of its links, ARCH has its alliances with NEN (National Entrepreneurship Network), TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs) and AIESEC (an international youth organization).

NEN (http://nen360.nenonline.org) assists in developing entrepreneurial skills and mentoring, and AIESEC supports global networking and youth exchange programs. TiE (www.tie.org) supports online mentoring and helps source venture capitalists for promising projects. Students can avail of a vast gamut of counseling-oriented programs, at ARCH, to develop their entrepreneurial skills.

E-Week at ARCH

ARCH celebrated its Entrepreneurship Week from 5.02.2011 to 12.02.2011 in collaboration with National Entrepreneurship Network. During this week, we have conducted many events promoting entrepreneurship like Bazaar on Campus, where students have practically implemented business models like Handicraft Store, Eatables, Tattoo Making & Nail Art et al, 4 on 100 Exercise, T-Shirt Logo Making Competition, Skill Development Workshop for Underprivileged Women by Fashion Design Students, Quiz Competition et al.

Vital Voices Exxon Mobil Challenge Grant

ARCH Academy of Design has been awarded a Vital Voices/Exxon Mobil Challenge Grant for Vital Arch Women leadership program to develop business and entrepreneurial skills among young women in India.

Objectives of the Program

• Create awareness about entrepreneurship among young women
• Identify & select potential women entrepreneurs from amongst various target groups
• Organize training programs for existing women entrepreneurs toward survival, growth and expansion
• Motivate beneficiaries to set up micro & small scale commercial or service ventures
• Encourage potential professionals to become entrepreneurs
• Orient the support-system officers (including those form financial institutions) towards entrepreneurship development
• Establish linkages & networking to support potential entrepreneurs
  

Entrepreneurship Workshops with I Create

The main objective of the training was to empower them by giving them entrepreneurial skills and life skills, mentoring and supporting them as they start their own small enterprises. It also aims at trying to change the mindset of looking for jobs, however small they may be. The aim was to make them believe that with the skills they possess and the training they have undertaken to start something of their own is not a far-fetched reality.
During the training, the focus was also to identify women who could be attached to a mentor or identified for advanced skills training.

Content of Training

• Importance of Networking
• Characteristics of an Entrepreneur
• Opportunity Recognition
• Concept of Bookkeeping
• Importance of Business Plan
• Quality, Timeliness & Packaging
• Market & Market Research
• Principles of Selling
• Ps of Marketing
• Unit of sale
• Understanding elements of Costs, Start up, Operating & Cost of Goods Sold
• Income Statement
• Sales Promotion
• Idea to execution
• Break Even Point
• Inexpensive ways to promote your product or service
• Market Stimulation
• Cash Flow
• Business Plan Preparation

The program was successful since the participants were very keen to come out of their shells and confidently and spiritedly start something of their own. There was a transformation in them. From shy, reticent, diffident women, they were now ready to take change of their lives and decide for themselves. More than 90% considered vision and methodology of this training excellent. The sessions instilled in them a sense of empowerment and determination to overcome their problems.

 

Yuva Unstoppable

Yuva Unstoppable is a premier volunteer movement with a force of 60,000 young people across 30 cities of India helping more than 100,000 kids in municipal schools/ slums through organizational partnerships with schools, colleges and corporate companies. YUVA Unstoppable is currently the largest volunteer movement of India and growing exponentially. YUVA Unstoppable motivates and fosters Random acts of kindness through its three initiatives namely:

• School Unstoppable
• College Unstoppable
• Corporate Unstoppable

ARCH has joined hands with Yuva Unstoppable to mobilise its students towards contributing on social causes on March 12, 2011. Archana Surana, Director, ARCH, said, "It is a great platform for city youngsters to fulfill their social endeavors."