Tokyo Cement ‘Divi Shakthi’ training workshops on business management, conducted together with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), has trained over 200 Sub-dealers and distributors marking a significant milestone in empowering its dealer network. 
Tokyo Cement and the IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, launched the programme one year ago targeting Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) who are part of the Tokyo Cement’s distributor and dealer network.
The Tokyo Cement Divi Shakthi programme is designed to address specific pain points faced by the SMEs, and is particularly meant for owners and managers of enterprises engaged in the dealership and distribution business, in selected districts in the Northern and Eastern provinces. Conducted under the theme ‘Planning to compete’, the trainings are customized to cater to the Sri Lankan SMEs and delivered in a manner that is engaging and prepares them to look at business growth beyond traditional price competition. Participants are nominated by Tokyo Cement’s regional sales teams who have a close-knit relationship with its distribution channel.
Kanagarathnam Dinesh Kumar, owner of Ruban’s Hardware in Vavuniya, who participated in the 2-module program sharing his experience said, “The Divi Shakthi training programme provided me with a lot of valuable inputs to help develop my business further. It is very valuable for businessmen like me, as it gave us knowledge on how best we can adjust some of our business practices to successfully meet the challenges in a competitive market.  We were given the opportunity to exchange our best practices and share ideas among other participants. It also gave us the confidence to implement new business methods to compete wisely and manage our businesses for profitable growth. We look forward to similar training programs in the future too, as it is definitely a positive boost for our business success.”  
The training course utilizing tools provided by Business Edge (BE), IFC’s proprietary training products and methodologies, is designed for adult learning and delivers skills and knowledge in areas of human resource managements, marketing, finance, cash flow management, operational and personal productivity. Conducted by IFC’s Business Edge accredited master trainers attached to the International Institute of Development Training (IIDT), the participants are taught the fundamentals of business management, strategic planning and decision making. The entire Divi Shakthi course is delivered using experiential learning methods and gives an opportunity for the participants to share their real-life experiences among peers and expand their scope of business.
Ismail Azeez, certified trainer for CGAP and Business Edge, and General Manager of IIDT, who plays a key role in the training initiative, commenting on the success of the programmes said, “We are encouraged by the marked change in the business acumen of participants who undertook our training. To most of them, this was their first ever formal professional training experience and it was clearly evident that they wished to make the maximum out of this opportunity. Almost all participants were keen to learn non-price based strategies to compete and ways to manage credit sales and improve profitability. Some participants even showed their willingness to organize similar trainings for sub-dealers in their respective areas. This is a notable indication of the level of satisfaction and relevance of the training”.
Most of the participants are experienced businessmen who have been in the industry for many years while some of the enterprises have been brought up through generations. They bring to the table a vast amount of hands-on experience in running successful small to medium scale retail trades that deal with hardware and building material, providing job opportunities and economic mobility to their local communities. This training creates a platform for these SME business owners to expand their horizons, with a skill set complete with improved financial literacy that takes macro market factors into account with a long-term orientation, giving them the confidence to advance their entrepreneurial skills.