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A Cup of Tea With An Entrepreneur
Part 1: Story of Ezgi
I decided to become an entrepreneur after observing my mom and dad.
They own a flower shop.
Where we are currently located.
They inspired me to set up my own bussiness.
My story began like this...
First of all it is necessary to be determined to become an entreprenuer.
I believe in that, it is also necessary to have a strong personality.
Patience is very important and furthermore,
the team spirit and intelligence , and a little creativity also needed.
I belive in that I have got these characteristics.
I would like to work at the field of book café.
People can read books in this cafe whilst drinking their coffee or tea.
In fact, there is a cafe like that called: D & R.
I want to open a cafe like that one.
My cafe will be more lending library oriented.
People will be able to borrow books from there whenever they want.
I want to establish a membership system.
Such as D&R , but more advanced.
All what I need is financial support.
I guess banks/companies can give this support.
I've heard that KOSGEB was doing such a thing.
However, this situation needs to be well researched.
I think we are a bit lacking in Turkey.
People don’t know how these resources could be requested from those.
I 'm counting on this case more...
My advice to people who wants to become an entrepreneur
is to be determined, and aware of some people who will try to demoralize them.
I would advise them to ignore those.
They should stand on their decision, be strong and patient.
I'm sure they will collect the benefits.
I believe in that I can also do all of these.
Ziraat Bank: Support for entrepreneurs
Our bank has a KOBÝ (Small and Medium Sized Enterprises) loan related to young entrepreneurs
under the name of "My first bank- My first job" supported by Europe Investment Fund.
KOBÝ loan is a loan which aims to support young entrepreneurs,
artisans besides developing their work.
In addition, it aims to expand the borders of the sector and ensure the participation
of the groups staying outside the sector in economic activities.
It is a loan which has 50.000 TL limit.
We give a 30% discount out of normal current ratio to women entrepreneurs.
We give a 20% discount to men entrepreneurs.
Branch is not a question in the companies.
In the firms working based on license and in the others,
the sector is the point in the question.
For example: lawyers and doctors.
This kind of branch is in question.
If the 51% of the company shares belong to a woman,
then they can benefit from a 30% discount.
Their maturity date has a range of 36 months on normal working capital loans,
on investment loans; it has a range up to 5 years.
In private companies,
by taking the bail or rather the assurance of our loan
with the sign of the applicant,
in the business enterprises by obtaining the bail
of the partners we give loans.
There are self-employment experts under the name
of natural entities who can take support.
These are lawyers, doctors, dentists, dental prosthesis makers,
independent accountants, financial advisors, pharmacists, and etc.
There are also jobs based on the license.
For example this credit provide financial support to hundreds of branches like hotels, barbers,
hairdressers, private vets, like biological substance makers who make vaccines and sera,
eyewear sellers, clockmakers, glass sellers, dental laboratories.
The conditions of this loan:
there must be at most 9 insured employees.
End of the year sales must be under 2 million Euro worth to Turkish Lira.
Activity period will be at most 5 years.
The firm must not have any negative worries or states
as a result of the workplace intelligence visit that we will make.
There are some documents we need for the use of the loan.
Whether they are private companies,
natural or legal entities,
they have to provide us with those documents.
Part 2: Story of Eyyup
I started to become an entrepreneur 4-5 years ago, in 2009.
I used to work as web designer funded by KOSGEB before.
Web design had difficulties at that time.
I met a private company later by reference.
They had developed a product
disposable toothbrush
a Disposable product.
There is toothpaste inside.
When you push, the toothpaste comes out.
People brushing their teeth and chuck out.
Really very practical product
people generally use it a lot while travelling.
Of course, it was not very common at the beginning but now became very common.
We worked so hard about how to introduce our tooth brush to the people.
We have done R and D study.
And we decided to make toothbrush vending machines.
It was rather difficult to expand because it was a new product.
A new product costs too much.
When I began to solve problems, I realized, thet I could accomplish
because people around didn't lean to this.
A small product, a cost-efficient one...
Thus, they were suspecting questioning,
you know, the level I can bring up this product to.
To be honest, being carried away by what they said,
I decided not to give up and I took over the firm that I was working for.
I tried to carry this product up to the highest level supporting it on different areas.
Some determination, passion and patience…
I can say that is how I started to entrepreneurship.
To be an entrepreneur, first of all, one must be honest.
Apart from being honest, one should be patient and ambitious.
It is a long marathon.
If you have a project, after observing it in all the lanes,
you should think over how to make it best of it.
that you face, you loose...you give up.
When you don't do this, and if you are a little impatient about the problems
We have recently chosen our field.
It has just started to fall into place considering 4 years has already gone by.
We think about the work we've done. What can we do now? What have we done so far?
We assess it all.
When we consider the field we work on, I don't see many troubles, and I think it is successful.
As it is totally on self-care, on hygiene, it is a never ending sector.
That's why we decided to enter this sector.
It is a sector which will never end.
Our product is toothbrush.
As there were such products as gel, perfume and crème beside the toothpaste,
we decided to work on this sector.
I think this sector will branch out.
I didn't get any support from any companies.
My business life started in the company and I continued the studies
which that company did by making similar studies and developing them.
Before starting a business, what will be done should be decided and R&D study should be done.
The substructure should be well set up.
First and foremost, the system should be determined correctly.
A product should be developed.
On this product R and D study should be done.
Then, the firm is set up sturdily.
Part 3: Story of Gonca
I got my certificate, after attending 80 hours training course
for entrepreneurship in January 2013.
I established my own limited company in February.
I applied to be registered in the database of KOSGEB.
Then, I started to prepare a business plan
which was requested to get funding support for entrepreneurship.
SME Consultant was asssigned for me after my registration to KOSGEB.
Data and I tried to complete my business plan by consulting him to submitt to Committee.
I heard meeting of committee was held in April.
I applied in April and my application was approved.
I had become eligible to be funded for entrepreneurship support given by KOSGEB since May.
Making decision in last five months
what I wanted to do and working patiently
were all what I did by continuing on my system.
There are certain rules of KOSGEB
as they were mentioned during the Training Course for Entrepreneurship
Firstly, I was supported morally and financially by my family
Establishment of your company is requested as precondition to apply for a grant.
You have to finance yourself at the beginning.
Afterwards, I applied to be funded by KOSGEB.
Firstly I established my own company and supported moraly and financialy with my own resources,
before applying for an entrepreneurial funding from KOSGEB.
Grants for Entrepreneurial funding of KOSGEB are as follows:
Establishment Cost up to 3.000 Turkish Lira, monthly funding for operational cost
cost for the duration of 2 years up to total 12.000 Turkish Lira
and Funding for Machinery and Equipment up to 15.000 Turkish Lira.
These are maximum amounts and up to 70% for Female
60% for Male Entrepreneurs of total expenditures.
For example, 70% of total cost for Machinery and Equipment
should be maximum 15.000 Turkish Lira can be granted.
Another important issue is to have extra financial resources and moral support as well.
Transfer of financial grant was done in December,
due to some period ot time needed for checking and monitoring although
I had submitted my documents in May.
You are funded after a proper period of time spent for the transactions of checking and monitoring.
I would recommend to entrepreneurs those as follows: be patient , be decisive , and of course, also be diligent.
They should apply for this kind of opportunities whenever they can.
They should be courageous.
There are regular calls to apply and the only thing to be taken
into consideration is that to apply on time and not to miss the deadline…
Part 4: Story of Merich
I am Meriç.
I'm studying at the University of Bilkent, second grade student.
I study in the fine arts.
I do paintings and now I'm studying sculpture and ceramics.
I actually want to work on this issue in the future,
of course, after my graduation from the university.
Maybe, I can open a gallery but rather than the standard galleries we are used to
you know there's something different in my mind.
I want to be an entrepreneur like that,
but I'm facing some problems in the process of establishment of entrepreneurship.
Firsty, there is the problem of money, of course, you know as well as anyone.
Money or Financier… I should say, you can find financier somehow I think.
What will you do when you find financier? This is the point.
People do not think about as if all things would come up,
after you found the money, but in fact, that seems to me as a mistake made.
So you must have some management skills,
knowledge about economics, you should work with the group
because its not a work that you can do alone.
Therefore, you need very good relations with people
and need to have some knowledge about accounting, management skills and economy
you need to learn, and maybe to read some books about these, you need to get training.
I think you should think about it.
At one point, you should well analyze your own character before becoming an entrepreneur.
For example, what you like to do, for instance I like traveling.
I do not think I could stay at a certain place.
My job should not to be in one certain town,
what I want is travelling different places every day.
You know I can not stay for a year in one place, I have to choose accordingly.
May be it is different for someone else.
Before being entrepreneur people need to analyze themselves carefully.
For that reason self-knowledge is so important.
Considering to solving the problems that we face now,
especially I said the money at the beginning…
Who would give money?
For example, TUBITAK.
We have KOSGEB and TÜBITAK.
For example, I'm working on art.
Maybe TUBITAK supports me or spends much money
money for art by paying me as a cost paid for service doing my artistic workshops.
In that way, I can find financiers but from where I sat in, it is not possible...
Nobody would come and find me,
and realize my works.
It is important to be open for all entrepreneurs.
To be open, meeting new people,
participating in competitions and being active… These are important.
When you are active…you meet many people...
and that can open you open a lot of doors.
Not only meeting new people but also you can discover new things.
You can be part of different environments,
maybe there, a different idea can come to your mind,
or a person you can find with whom you can work together.
For that reason, I think it very important to be active behold.
In fact, this may be the most important point.
Somehow the best deals will come up to you.
If we come to the question that can you do everything when there is money,
can dreams be realized? To some extent…yes.
For example to buy supplies, for hiring gallery, money is paying and ultimate role.
Money is really important but just a lot of money is not enough for doing what you want.
As I said before, you have to have many capabilities, to meet needs of people's, you need to be active.
Amount of money not enough alone but you really need money to start.
Part 5: Story of Erkan
I decided to become an entrepreneur as a result of the great desire to make my own business
and also of the free and more comfortable working independent atmosphere.
As I have been working for many years in the private sector,
I saw with my own eyes the difficulties of this sector,
which caused me to decide to establish my own business
and advance in this area by creating a value.
I believe is that a little bit of imagination is needed to become an entrepreneur.
Even when walking on the road, a lot of ideas may come to one's mind,
but a little bit of imagination is needed for this.
Besides the imagination, you must have a determination.
When you have an idea to carry out, you must challenge the difficulties you encounter on your way.
So, you have to be determined, consistent and realist.
And I think that I have these characteristics.
My project combines software and geographic systems.
The reason for choosing this area is that I am especially a city planner
and that I can observe some missing or omitted points in this field.
I know this also from my daily works,
and I think that my project will fill the gap in this area.
My advice is as follows: If you have an idea in mind,
you have to do first a very good research about this.
As for me, I got a support from TUBÝTAK's 1512 Programs for my project
and this, thanks to my business idea.
If you want to receive support from such a program, you must explain your ideas very well.
Everyone has an idea, but this idea has to be a return,
either in terms of commercialization or knowhow towards a country or a business group.
It can be also an R and D project.
I would recommend you share your projects with reliable persons
or institutions in order to develop the idea of project.
For example, when you present your project to TUBÝTAK
is this institution finds it very simple, it can be rejected.
So, if you develop your idea in all its aspects,
it will surely be accepted and financed seriously, provided it is original.
As far as I remember, about 1.500 people
had submitted, but only 120 out of them were approved.
As I have been working for many years in the private sector.
1008 - Patent Application Promotion and Funding Program from TUBÝTAK
Turkish citizens and Turkish firms that are in Turkey and established under Turkish laws can apply to this program.
For national and international/regional patent applications grants up to 3000 TL
it is possible to apply for a support credit up to 100.000 TL.
The application form and attached documents can be found at the 1008 Turkish web page