16.10.2020 Ankara
The Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu met with the TOBB Young Entrepreneurs Council President Ali Sabancı and Members of the Young Entrepreneurs Council online. Listening to the opinions and suggestions of the Young Entrepreneurs Council Members, Hisarcıklıoğlu said that he considers it beneficial for the Councils to add digitalization and innovative projects to their agendas.
Hisarcıklıoğlu said in his speech that the
pandemic period brings with it opportunities as well as difficulties, “We saw
how important technology is in this process.
Digitalization and e-commerce have been
prominent all over the world. Be sure to
take your business to digital media. Be digital, not just in e-commerce, but
also in all manner of ways from customer relationships to advertising and
marketing.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu pointed out that the volume
of e-commerce in Turkey increased by 64% in the first 6 months of the year
compared to the same period last year, while the overall trade rate of
e-commerce in the first half of last year was 8%.
He said it has reached 14% today. “When we
look at the world, we see that all rapidly growing companies have chosen the
e-commerce path. After Covid-19, the orientation to this area will continue to
accelerate. E-commerce will become a habit for the consumer who have started
shopping online. Therefore, businesses now have to move their products and
services to digital media.”
- We place great importance on digitalization and next generation
entrepreneurship
Stating that TOBB is aiming for the
digitalization of the private sector and the development of a new generation of
entrepreneurship, M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “We are preparing companies and
entrepreneurs for the digital world.
In this context, we produce projects to move
SMEs to digital media and improve their technological infrastructure. For example, we work with Vodafone, one of
the world's largest global technology companies. At TOBB and Vodafone, we
prepare SMEs for the digital world through Turkey Technology Meetings and
Digital Transformation Movement. We want to improve e-commerce not only from
company to consumer, but also from company to company. We also guide them
together with our e-Commerce Industry Council, which represents the entire
sector. In cooperation with Facebook and Habitat, we are setting up Facebook Stations
in the provinces.
Thus, we provide our entrepreneurs with
access to the resources, knowledge and skills they need to grow in the digital
world, to be mobile, to organize events. At the same time, we support the
opening of businesses in Turkey to global markets. With TOBB Young Entrepreneur
Councils, which have become the largest organization in Turkey in its field, we
are spreading the impact of the Stations all over Anatolia. We expect you to
use these centers effectively.”
- We communicate the problems in the field to the Government
Noting that TOBB has taken on the task of
acting as a bridge between the business and the government in this troubled pandemic
period, Hisarcıklıoğlu said that they quickly convey the problems in the field
to the government.
Urging Young Entrepreneurs Council to meet
with young entrepreneurs in their provinces, and to relay their problems to him,
the TOBB President said, “We also look for solutions with the public
administration. So today, we're going to put everything you're going to convey
on our agenda. We will continue to follow up on them and relay it to the
relevant places.” Hisarcıklıoğlu told members of the Young Entrepreneurs
Council, “Make more use of KOSGEB and Development Agencies. Keep your
cooperation warm with universities. Have a good dialogue with chamber and commodity
exchange heads, mayors and governors. Improve dialogue and consultation among
yourselves. Keep close relations with the upper committee, executive committee
and provincial boards. Take advantage of video conferencing and hold your
meetings there.
Use social media effectively and support
each other. During pandemic, hold Provincial Councils more frequently. Consult
these meetings and move the issues reported there to our Provincial Executive Councils
by taking. Hold the meetings every month without disruption; communicate the
demands, hardships, projects that you need to communicate to our Upper Council
and to us. In addition, make sure to tell us about the projects that are well
implemented in your province and region through our members of the Executive
Council. Bring successful entrepreneurs together with our entrepreneurial
candidates via videoconferences on entrepreneurship.”