
Applied Microeconomics Research Group of FEB UNS Hosted a Planning and Financial Literacy Training for Traditional Batik MSMEs in Kalikotes, Klaten Regency
Klaten Regency consists of 26 sub-districts, 391 villages, and 10 urban neighborhoods. Being one of these villages, Gemblegan Village in Kalikotes Sub-district has a natural asset: a large and never-dry reservoir, according to the Head of Gemblegan Village. In addition to this natural potential, Gemblegan Village is also home to several Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), including the Traditional Batik of Klaten.
This partnership is established considering that Gemblegan Village’s batik uniqueness attracts the attention of both local and national tourists. The Deputy Minister of Villages, Development of Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia even visited a traditional batik exhibition in Gemblegan Village in August 2023.
Therefore, the Community Service Team from the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS), led by Prof. Yunastiti Purwaningsih, established a collaboration with the head of Gemblegan Village, Kalikotes Sub-district, Klaten Regency. This community service activity was conducted in a one-day training session format, starting on Thursday, June 27, 2024. The training was attended by 20 selected traditional batik MSMEs, which are fostered MSMEs in Gemblegan Village.
The objective of the community service activity was to help Batik MSME entrepreneurs understand the importance of financial management through simple bookkeeping. Financial literacy is crucial for MSMEs to help them cut costs or increase working capital through loans, thus facilitating business development.
In addition to this main objective, the training also aims to enhance MSME entrepreneurs’ marketing skills through product photography. All training materials were delivered by the Applied Microeconomics Research Group team FEB UNS.
The first material on MSME financial management strategies was delivered by Malik Cahyadin, Ph.D., followed by the second speaker, Mulyadi, M.Ec.Dev., on product photography practices and optimizing marketing through MSME marketplaces. The third speaker, Arif Rahman Hakim, M.Ec.Dev., discussed financial literacy for MSMEs with financial institutions. The final speaker, Selfia Bintariningtyas, M.Si., presented the practical use of bookkeeping applications using Si Apik, E-Kas, and Qasir apps.
Following up on this training, the Community Service Team will conduct a mentoring process and continue monitoring for the next two months to assess the effectiveness of the training’s impact on the performance of Batik MSME participants. Routine monitoring will be carried out to ensure that training objectives are truly achieved.