FCMB Offers Training to SME Operators

First City Monument Bank (FCMB) has organised another programme in a series of free training interventions for small and medium enterprise (SME) owners and operators. This, the bank explained, was in pursuit of its resolve to support and nurture SMEs to achieve growth and stability in their businesses.

According to a statement, the event which held in Lagos recently tagged, “Business Empowerment & Sustainability Training for SME Customers,” focused on budgeting, cost and budget management.

It revealed that facilitators took participants through the intricacies of raising capital for business and getting businesses ready for loans as well as preparing them for other investors’ invitation in partnership.

Addressing the participating SME customers of the bank, Divisional Head, Corporate Services, FCMB, Felicia Obozuwa, said the bank recognised the role of entrepreneurs in the society and their capacity in driving growth and sustaining the economy.

She added: “This is one of the ways we support the growth of our SME customers. We are conscious of the fact that many small businesses could have the dedication to succeed but lack adequate training and experience to make the business thrive. This gap is capable of hindering operation and thereby limiting the achievement of targeted results. Business acumen and day to day operational skills are very essential for business owners particularly when venturing into new or sustaining already existing businesses.

“Our training programmes are specially packaged for the SMEs to establish solid foundations for growth, learn new skills, better serve their customers, and stay relevant to their niche,” she stated.

According to the statement, FCMB has a number of special offerings designed for its customers with a lot of benefits to SMEs.

“Among them is the e-invoicing platform – a unique solution, designed to help businesses monitor and control their cash management, especially as it affects payments, receivables, reconciliation and other financial transactions, through the internet and other mobile channels among others.

“The bank also offers free banking transactions for a period of three months for new-to-FCMB SME customers. This was discovered to be one of the strategies of the bank towards continuous building of bridges between SMEs and investors, national and international developmental agencies to facilitate and unlock opportunities for SMEs,” the statement added.