In Vitebsk, knowledge on organizing your own business can be obtained at a startup school

A young mother of three, an experienced entrepreneur, and a future gestalt coach, Olga Kholodovich, is helping to take the first steps in business. It was she who proposed creating a startup school in Vitebsk, where anyone can come absolutely free of charge. The initiative of the young woman and her social information and educational project was supported by the Association of Employers and Entrepreneurs.

The classes are held in the form of seminars, discussions, and trainings. Here, Olga and invited speakers provide all the necessary information on how to go from an idea to business registration. After all, it is no secret that it is precisely at this stage that there is a risk that the project will remain only in thoughts. Where to start? Where to get money? How to develop a business plan? In which areas is it useful to engage in self-education? The startup school is ready to answer these and other questions.

– I registered my individual entrepreneur status myself when I was 20 years old and started developing advertising products. I printed business cards and brochures on my home printer, – Olga recalls with a smile. – But at the same time, I made my first mistakes: I received fines because I didn't know how to properly run my business.

She gained serious experience when she had to help friends with project implementation. Then, with her husband, she moved to St. Petersburg, where she gained valuable knowledge about corporate relations, marketing, and advertising. When she became pregnant, they returned to Vitebsk. Here, Olga reinstated her individual entrepreneur status and continued to work in the field of advertising product design and marketing support, while improving her knowledge. She managed to make a name for herself as a laureate of the Vitebsk Investment Weekend in the nomination “Strongest Business Project Author”. Currently, Olga Kholodovich is undergoing training in organizational consulting and gestalt therapy at the Moscow Gestalt Institute. She is interested in sharing her experience with others, so she sees herself in the future as a consultant for marketing and strategic planning. She believes that in today's client-oriented economy, enterprises cannot do without a well-thought-out marketing policy.

However, the startup school as a social project will continue to exist. After all, the information needed by the top management of a large company sharply differs from that required at the first stage of business creation.

– The mission of the startup school is to reduce the risks for novice entrepreneurs. They invest effort, energy, and resources, so it is important to know clearly which direction to move in and what difficulties they may have to face. Often, it is simply necessary to support the idea and instill confidence, to convince them that everything will work out, – says Olga.

In addition, one of the tasks is to enhance the image of entrepreneurship and the economic activity of the population. People of different ages, including students, attend the classes held at the M. Gorky Library, but they all want one thing – to try themselves in business, to realize their abilities.

Olga Maslovskaya, "Vitebskiye Vesti"