LOLC Finance trains regional entrepreneurs

LOLC Finance continues to reinforce its commitment to inclusive economic development by further strengthening its support for Sri Lanka’s micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) sector. 

Through its Personal Finance Business Unit, LOLC Finance has successfully concluded a series of targeted customer training and financial literacy programmes across key regions of the country, onboarding over 2,000 new customers during the past six months.

Aligned with LOLC Finance’s broader mission of fostering financial inclusivity and supporting sustainable livelihoods, the initial programme of the series was held at the LOLC Finance auditorium in Bambalapitiya and subsequently rolled out across Divulapitiya, Mathugama, Nittambuwa, Batticaloa, Wellawaya, Chenkalady, Suriyawewa, Jaffna, Badulla 1, Badulla 2, Kahatagasdigiliya, Tangalle, and Galle.

Conducted under the theme ‘Empowering Business Owners: Building, Growing, and Sustaining Your Business’, these regional programmes were designed to address practical challenges faced by the MSMEs while equipping participants with actionable strategies to enhance resilience, strengthen operational efficiency and support steady business growth. 

Recognising that strong financial discipline is essential for business stability, the sessions provided practical guidance on managing day-to-day finances, highlighting key concepts such as financial literacy, cash flow management, responsible borrowing, informed investment decision-making, income diversification, entrepreneurship, business planning, manufacturing, sustainable agriculture, market identification, attracting and retaining customers and developing realistic marketing plans suited to limited budgets. 

These modules also focused on relationship management, with a strong emphasis on empowering women, youth and rural micro-entrepreneurs. Participants were also guided on effectively leveraging digital platforms such as Facebook and TikTok to increase brand visibility and tap into new market opportunities. A key highlight of the initiative was a live demonstration on integrating artificial intelligence tools into day-to-day business operations. 

Further extending its community impact, LOLC Finance conducted Centre Leader Programmes across Bibile, Akuressa, Dambulla, Kuliyapitiya, Monaragala, Ambalanthota, Tangalle, Mannar, Gampola, Tissamaharama, Balangoda and Galgamuwa. These programmes were designed to strengthen leadership within LOLC’s Isuru Diriya Centre model. 

LOLC Finance Head of SME and Personal Finance Charith Jagoda stated, “These programmes are not solely focused on enhancing portfolio performance; they are fundamentally about transforming mindsets, fostering positive attitudes and strengthening resilient, self-sustaining communities.”