Enterprising Ethiopia

Binyam Woldegabriel, 26

Mekele Bright Future 2010

"The most important thing I have learned is the way to success through business. I have learned to organise my business, to set goals and how to reach them. I have learned to be a good entrepreneur, how to avoid failure, to look for a new business idea, how to differentiate and create something special, and I have learned how to build up a business together with other people."

Enterprising Ethiopia with Alchemy World Addis Ababa & London facebook.com/enterprisingethiopia twitter.com/EntEthiopia

My name is Binyam, I am 26 years old and finished the Bright Future program with Alchemy World in 2010.

I originally started my entrepreneurial training in Mekele Incubation Centre. Through them I was introduced to Alchemy World and here I continued my entrepreneurial training. I am currently following the New Venture Creation programme and will finish in spring 2014 – when the program hopefully comes up and running again.

Through Alchemy World I got some really good contacts; we the students are networking and doing business together. And the Alchemy World training has provided me with around 70% of what I know about business. The assemblage of entrepreneurs, the projects we are presented to during the training, the ideas and feedback that come from Alchemy World, have helped me very much to increase my knowledge and understanding about business. Especially the first courses were very amazing and well organised. There were many practical exercises and I learned a lot.

It was a great motivation for me and it has influenced the way I am doing business today. Such courses and projects help us to look to the future. And through this training I have learned how to be a good entrepreneur, to be successful.

But to me success is not measured by money alone; personal success is to get the things that you want in life. And I measure my success by the people involved. For me the main thing is to do business with development. So to make some good projects, we are doing business and development together. We are working with the government and with different organisations. We involve a lot of people that we help making their projects. Of course, to live you need money, so I have to earn a salary. But I want to do what I like. And I get my real satisfaction through helping others.

In my business – Peacock Database Applications Graphic and Media PLC – which I own together with my business partner, we are importing computer hardware, developing software and doing event organisation.

We are not simply looking to make money – we want to create something, we want to innovate. We get the idea, we include other organisations and help the community to develop and we share the profit with the organisations involved.

The Alchemy World training has been very helpful. The most important thing I have learned is the way to success through business. I have learned to organise my business, to set goals and how to reach them. I have learned to be a good entrepreneur, how to avoid failure, to look for a new business idea, how to differentiate and create something special, and I have learned how to build up a business together with other people.

Today we are two people working and our salary is medium good. But in five years time I am looking to bringing this company up onto a higher level. We are on the way to success; we are planning to stay in this business and keep working in the current track to make more business, have more employees and to involve more people from the community.

Even though I am working full time with the business the rest of the Alchemy Training will be arranged so that I can continue my training and work at the same time. And I am looking forward to getting the second half of the New Venture Creation course.

I want to thank Alchemy World and Mr. Stephen for the training. It is helping young people to become entrepreneurs. And it is making a difference. I really hope the Alchemy World training will continue.

Binyam Woldegabriel, 26 years old. Tel. 0914746892 binyam.com@gmail.com