Beekeeping was just a hobby for Normunds, until a training course in entrepreneurship helped him to turn his bees into a business.
Despite being a trained mechanic, Normunds Zeps was struggling to find regular work in his native Latvia. “Most of the time, I stayed at home and took care of the boys while my wife went to work,” he shares.
While on the lookout for other employment opportunities, Normunds began to wonder if his interest in beekeeping could become more than just a hobby. It was something he’d always been passionate about, but did it have real business potential?
A project funded by the ESF gave him the chance to find out. “I wanted to change my situation. I knew I had to learn more about business. The programme was offering a free training course on how to run a small enterprise, so I decided to go for it.”
The course was perfect for Normunds as it covered topics such as how to start a business, and how to develop and implement a successful business plan. Being completely free, there were also no financial implications to consider.
It wasn’t long before Normunds registered as a small business owner and started to sell his own high-grade honey. Looking back, he’s quick to recognise the positive impact of the course. “When I started getting down to business I realised how useful the training course really was. Quite frankly, my life wasn’t going anywhere and this experience help me to think in practical terms.”
Want to find out more? Check out the links below:
About the project
Boosting business (ESF website)
Entrepreneurial skills (Entrepreneurship Competence Framework)
Details
- Publication date
- 20 November 2017
- Author
- Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion
- Involvements
- Adult learner/employee