COVID-19 ‘Business continuity bootcamps’ for Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs) and local enterprises

The current crisis is reshaping the business environment. Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs) have had to rethink how to serve local enterprises. They have also had to reconsider how to operate in these challenging and uncertain times. DGGF is partnering with the African Management Initiative (AMI) and Village Capital (VilCap). Together they will provide 3-month bootcamps on business continuity for ESOs and local enterprises across Africa.

African Management Initiative
Image: ©African Management Initiative / African Management Initiative

Supporting the business continuity of local entrepreneurs

Ensuring business continuity for the Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs) themselves is essential. While at the same time, the entrepreneurs they support need to be guided through the crisis.

DGGF is partnering with the African Management Initiative (AMI) and Village Capital (VilCap) to create virtual learning environments in the form of 3-month bootcamps on business continuity. 30 Entrepreneurs Support Organizations (ESOs) and up to 600 of their client local enterprises will take part. The programme offers practical tools and strategies to help ESOs and entrepreneurs face the challenges presented by COVID-19.

Business continuity bootcamps

The goal of the business continuity bootcamp programme is two-fold:

  1. To support ESOs as they adapt to the arising challenges, and address the threats and risks to their business models. This will enable them to come through this crisis resiliently and able to continue serving local entrepreneurs in a meaningful way; and
  2. To help ESOs continue to support local entrepreneurs so that they not only survive the crisis, but they also thrive in the uncertain future.

The specific topics that the bootcamps focus on follow:

  • Scenario planning for an uncertain future
  • Cashflow and liquidity forecasting for an uncertain future
  • Response strategy and action plan definition to continue operating in an uncertain future.

More information

The bootcamps will kick-off with webinars in July, followed by 3-months of virtual support and engagement. This will enable both ESOs and entrepreneurs to develop, test, adjust, validate and implement business continuity plans. More information is available on AMI’s website.