Training Course for Sustainable Business Coaches
ASEAN Sustainable Business Coach Training (TOT) 2023

Group photo on day 1 of the training course

HSF

Hosted by the Ministry of SMEs and Start-ups of the Republic of Korea and co-organised by the Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF) and the ASEM SMEs Eco-Innovation Center (ASEIC), the virtual Training Course was organised to strengthen professional capacities of business coaches, start-up accelerators and the related stakeholders in the ASEAN countries and support start-up ecosystem development in the ASEAN region. This is the third year in a row that the Training Course has been organised as part of Ecothon – the competition for sustainable business models featuring a wide range of training, coaching and mentoring sessions for start-ups in the region.

Out of nearly 200 applications, more than 40 business coaches from Lao PDR, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines were selected for a 2-day virtual training course via Zoom. On the first day of the training, the participants were introduced to key sustainability concepts such as ESG, SDG, SCP and their increasing significance for tackling climate and economic crisis in the post-Covid period. In addition, international instructors also guided the participant through business model development and verification, and strategies for ASEAN start-ups to go global. On the second day, the participants learned the importance of establishing a robust brand identity, a crucial aspect for business growth within the framework of sustainable production and consumption. International experts provided insights on positioning a company in the market through a well-defined branding and business strategy. Furthermore, the instructors also facilitated the discussion about the alignment of investments with responsible practices, emphasizing the consideration of societal and environmental impacts in business decision-making. The significance of maintaining strong investor relations and effective public speaking skills for clear communication with stakeholders and the public was particularly highlighted during the course.

Upon successful completion of the 2-day training course, 20 coaches were selected to join an intensive coaching orientation session in which they were equiped with coaching skills to prepare for their role as local coaches in Ecothon 2024 which is scheduled for August and September this year.