By Michal Bashan

Eighteen women from the region recently completed a course offered by P2K in business development. The course met once a week for 10 weeks and used a system of  instruction together with personal coaching (each woman received an hour of coaching each week in addition to the course instruction), a method that has blossomed in the past few years.

The special and different aspect of this method as opposed to other types of learning on the subject of business development is that during the course each woman was asked to examine herself and her core values. The participants were taught to create a change in their internal beliefs, those that prevented them from gaining personal advancement and financial success in the past. The course was created and taught by Ayelet HaShachar - an experienced personal coach and outstanding instructor.

This was the second cycle of the course "Kavanah Im Totzaot" - translated as "Intention with Results", that was supported by the Economic and Community Development subcommittee of Partnership 2000 Beit Shemesh - Mateh Yehuda - Washington - South Africa of the Jewish Agency.

The goal of the course was to help the women who already have their own business to identify their vision, define clear goals, develop and sharpen marketing and other business skills and bring the vision to fulfillment.

This was done once the women clearly defined their own personal values and their strengths. The main idea behind this system is that the results of the process will bring self fulfillment to each woman which will end up in a successful thriving business.
 
Many of the graduates of last year's course have reported meaningful breakthroughs in their businesses because of what they learned in the class. In addition, many reported that aside from growing their businesses, the class brought change and improvement to their family lives and social lives as well.
 
Adds Brenda Ganot:

More than half of the women who completed the course in 2009 have joined the P2K Women's Business Forum. The Forum was formed by women who graduated from the same course in 2008. The Forum, which includes 18 women (and soon to be expanding further), are all business women from Beit Shemesh and Mateh Yehuda. They meet twice a month for learning (with external or internal lecturers on business topics), networking, and mutual support.