The Financial Management Research Group of the Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Sebelas Maret (FEB UNS), under the Research Group Grants for Community Engagement (PKM-HGR) hosted a training program entitled “Fostering MSMEs Independence among Beneficiary Families (KPM) of the Program Keluarga Harapan (PKH) in Begajah Subdistrict, Sukoharjo.” Held on Friday, 16 May 2025, from 13.00 to 17.00 WIB in Begajah, Sukoharjo, the activity was attended by 30 MSME entrepreneurs who are recipients of the PKH program. The program aimed to enhance their capacity in financial recording and digital marketing.

The event was attended by lecturers from the Financial Management Research Group, including Dr. Endang Suhari, M.Si.; Dr. Bambang Hadinugroho, S.E., M.Si.; Dr. Setianingtyas Honggowati, M.M., Ak., CPMA.; Dr. Harmadi, M.M.; Alpha Liana Yuvita Rahma, S.Hut., MBA.; and Ria Esana, S.AB., MBA. The session began with an opening remarks by Dr. Bambang Hadinugroho, S.E., M.Si., as Head of the Financial Management Research Group.

Following the opening remarks, Bambang Sudiono, S.Km., M.M. (Secretary of the Social Affairs Office of Sukoharjo Municipality), and Muhammad Jaelani, S.Sos. (PKH Coordinator of Sukoharjo Municipality), delivered a short welcome speech to the UNS Team and attending participants. The event also received strong support from PKH mentor Widia Lestari, S.Sos., M.Sos.

The first session material was delivered by young entrepreneur Izzudin Abdurrahman Alghiffari, who provided training on digital marketing, with a focus on utilizing social media platforms such as WhatsApp Status and Instagram for product promotion and sales enhancement. The second session was presented by Ria Esana, S.AB., MBA., who delivered a training on financial recording using the SIAPIK application.

SIAPIK is designed to assist MSME entrepreneurs in recording business transactions in a digital, simple, and systematic manner. During the training, participants received handouts as training guides for both digital marketing and SIAPIK-based financial recording.

The third session, an interactive Q&A addressing the challenges faced by the participants in managing their businesses, was led by Dr. Setianingtyas Honggowati, M.M., Ak., CPMA. The event concluded with distribution of door prizes and participants insights. The training served not only as a learning platform but also fostered active interaction between the speakers and participants, allowing for the exchange of experiences and strategies in overcoming business obstacles.

The involvement of academic staff and practitioners in this program is expected to contribute meaningfully to improving the digital literacy and entrepreneurial skills of MSME actors. Through this initiative, the Financial Management Research Group of FEB UNS hopes that MSMEs among PKH beneficiary families in Begajah, Sukoharjo will become more self-reliant and adaptable to technology. Moreover, participants are expected to have better understanding and skill to use social media to reach a broader market and manage their businesses more professionally. This activity stands as a concrete example of the university’s role in empowering communities toward economic independence.