The entrepreneurship seminar organized by STEKOM University has entered its second session. After the presentation by Wibi Ardi Alvianto in the previous article, it was now the turn of Sajida Qureshi, Deputy Director of Quality Assurance & Global Partnerships from ILMA, Pakistan, to speak. The seminar also featured Dr. Atikah Nor Johari from UniMAP, Malaysia, as the second speaker. The event was hosted by MC Novita from International Affairs at STEKOM University, with Hafizah Adul Rahim as the moderator.
In her speech, Sajida Qureshi expressed her gratitude to Dr. Joseph Teguh Santoso, Rector of STEKOM University, for organizing this event. She also appreciated the presence of Wibi Ardi Alvianto and Dr. Atikah Nor Johari as speakers. Sajida believes that their insights will inspire and guide aspiring entrepreneurs.
Sajida Qureshi then shared her experience in doing business. One of her success stories was collaborating with the Canadian Medical Center in Pakistan. They created an online platform that allows patients to interact with their doctors, view medical test results, and get prescriptions virtually. This has been a very useful solution, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic when people were reluctant to go to the hospital.
In her presentation, Sajida explained the characteristics required by a successful entrepreneur. Creativity, risk-taking ability, resilience to pressure, adaptability, and problem-solving ability are some of them. In addition, an entrepreneur also needs to have leadership abilities, networking skills, good time management, and a spirit of continuous learning.
The importance of solid business planning was also discussed by Sajida. She emphasized the importance of thinking outside the box, identifying the right market, and developing a product or service with the necessary core features. In addition, building a strong team with members who have the appropriate skills is essential.
Sajida also discussed various ways to get funding for your business, including through personal funds, support from friends and family, investors, financing through banks, competitions, and loans. In her personal experience, Sajida managed to raise funds by partnering with other organizations, utilizing loans, and through an innovation-focused approach.
The next presentation was on how to develop an idea into a robust product. This involves the process of formulating an idea, testing the idea in the market, building a minimum usable product with core features, and constantly collecting user feedback for improvement.
Sajida also explained the importance of marketing and branding in bringing a product or service to market. Target audience, unique value proposition, brand consistency, online presence, content marketing, and SEO strategy were all discussed as part of a successful marketing strategy.
Next, Sajida talked about corporate social responsibility and how your business should contribute positively to society. She emphasized the importance of maintaining quality services and products, as well as ensuring that your business does not have a negative impact on society.
Finally, Sajida highlighted the importance of celebrating your success. She reminded us that success does not always come quickly, but with perseverance and hard work, your idea or business can reach its peak.
The seminar offered valuable insights into the journey to entrepreneurial success. It is an opportunity for participants to learn from Sajida Qureshi's experience and get inspired to start or grow their own business.
Hopefully, this article provides a clear picture of the content of the seminar and provides useful insights for readers interested in entrepreneurship. May success always accompany your steps in entrepreneurship.
