Ministry speeds up development of startups in Bali

Denpasar (Antaranews Bali) - Small and Medium Industries` Directorate General of the Industry Ministry is accelerating development of Bali`s startups, especially those in fashion and craft, to boost the creative economy sector and contribution to the gross domestic product.

"We provide training and mentoring to grow and develop their businesses," Director of Small and Medium Businesses, Chemical, Garment, Multifarious and Handicraft Industry Ratna Utarianinggrum stated while opening a business incubation here on Friday.

According to Utarianinggrum, Bali is one of the regions in Indonesia that has given birth to creative industry entrepreneurs, including in fashion and craft, whose products` design and quality are at par with foreign products.

The incubation program provided by the ministry to several startups in Bali is carried out through a dialog by presenting practitioners, who share their knowledge on business development strategies.

The practitioners comprise an online company Antea Tigra network and representatives from the Business Venturing and Development Institute.

The speakers are expected to motivate startup players to advance their businesses.

The event was enthusiastically welcomed by startup players engaged in fashion and craft, one of them being high school student I Gusti Agung Putu Prasaditya.

Despite only being a student, he harbors an entrepreneurial spirit indicated by his business to produce typical Balinese headbands, locally known as "udeng."

Prasaditya`s udeng design is updated by following the current trends under a brand named "Udeng Nyanggluh." He incorporates Balinese batik cloth or "endek" in his design.

"I want to know more about how to develop a business and product marketing," he stated.

So far, Prasaditya admits to only using social media to market his products, one of which being through Instagram.

Prasaditya is optimistic that through the incubation program, he would expand business marketing and gain more information, especially about how to obtain financial support.

Data based on a special survey on creative economy in 2016 by Bekraf, the Creative Economy Agency, and BPS, the Central Agency on Statistics, showed that contribution of the creative economy in 2015 had reached Rp852.2 trillion (some US$57.2 billion), up 4.38 percent as compared to Rp784.8 trillion (some $52.6 billion) in 2014.

The culinary industry was the highest contributor at 41 percent of the total amount, followed by fashion and craft, at the second and third positions, with 18 percent and 15 percent respectively.

As for exports, the largest contribution came from the fashion sector, with 56 percent, followed by craft, 37 percent, and culinary, six percent. (WDY)