UNDP office in Uzbekistan said that training was organized by the UNDP project "Support to Foreign Trade and Investment Promotion in Uzbekistan," and the Regional Department of the Ministry for Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade.

The purpose of the training was to increase knowledge and skills for preparing sound business plan and to give basic skills on strengthening the financial sustainability of the business. There is a notion that business plan is needed only to attract investment or to obtain a bank loan. However, well-composed business plan can serve as a guide for entrepreneurs since it helps to identify hidden problems and to avoid mistakes starting from the planning process. Therefore, the ability to develop a business plan is an important component in organizing business, business expansion and commercialization of new ideas. For this reason, "Developing a Business Plan and Marketing" are chosen as the topic of the first training among series of trainings that are planned by the UNDP Project in order to improve skills of entrepreneurs in trade development.

Around 25 participants from nine districts of Namangan, including representatives of business support centers of Pop, Uchkurgan, Turakurgan areas, regional departments Chamber of Commerce attended the training. During three days of training, such topics as the formation and evaluation of business ideas, sources of funding, structure of a business plan, marketing and market research methods, risk assessment, calculation of costs and profitability, balance sheet, and others were covered.

"I’m participating in the training with great pleasure and interest. I improved my skills and now have a clearer understanding of the evaluation of business ideas, conducting marketing research, role of advertising, and in general, the importance of business plan for an entrepreneur," said Risliqhon Juraeva, the participant of the training, which has a plan to organize the production of traditional garments on the basis of cooperation.

To increase the practical value of the training, an interactive method of training was used, which included a combination of theoretical and practical exercises, including work and discussions in small groups on real business ideas, case studies and simulations.

"I’m participating in such training for the first time, and for me it is a very positive experience, because along with acquiring knowledge of business planning, I made new friends and exchanged views with other training participants on the organization of the drying plant," said Mustaqim Nuriddinov engaged in intensive gardening. With the hope that business ideas turned into successful business projects, at the end of the training, participants planted two seedlings of persimmon in the courtyard of the hotel "Namangan-S», which hosted the training.

The most promising business ideas prepared and presented using knowledge and skills acquired during the training will be considered by the UNDP Project for support within the framework of "Aid for Trade" component in Namangan Province. In the future, the UNDP is planning to organize five more training courses on other equally relevant topics in the field of trade facilitation.