For aspiring business students to learn and apply general marketing strategies and create marketing plans for refugee-owned microenterprises in Athens, Greece.

Students are guided by our local staff and mentors from leading consulting firms to support small businesses in Athens owned by migrants and refugees fleeing conflict in the Middle East and North Africa. Through client interviews, mentorship, industry research, and cultural sharing, students create online marketing strategies and the corresponding deliverables to help our clients grow their businesses.

Students engage in a sequence of international business experiences to develop a marketing plan proposal for a rural small business in Greece. Students will:
● Engage in real-time with local business experts and rural business owners
● Explore details of existing microfinance opportunities in Greece
● Understand how business principles are applied in a small business
● Learn how to use business assessment tools during a consulting process
● Develop business communication and assessment skills
● Work to develop intercultural competencies throughout the course.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Marketing Planning program Learning Objectives- Students that successfully complete the program will be able to:
● Analyze a business’s cultural context to develop appropriate marketing materials and strategies.
● Learn how to consult with clients from rural and indigenous communities.
● Discuss economic and social issues impacting rural and indigenous communities in a developing country.
● Understand microfinance concepts utilized in community banks in Panama.
● Create a marketing plan for a microenterprise.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Module 1: Introductions and Program Overview

Coordinator and student introductions along with a presentation on Squads Abroad (SA) and the work of our parent organization Global Brigades (GB) in Greece. Self-paced Activity: Group reviews GB Greece’s small business development program in the context of GB’s Holistic Model for community development.

Module 2: The Refugee Crisis

Local refugee expert facilitates discussion on the causes of the crisis and its impact in Greece from a social and economic lens. Self-paced Activity: Group watches a video on the refugee crisis for context. Research on the contribution of refugee and migrant-owned micro-enterprises to economic inclusion, social integration, and the economy of the host country.

Module 3: Business Opportunities for Refugees and Migrants

GB’s program manager provides the context of small businesses in Greece and opportunities for refugees and migrants. Self-paced Activity: Group reviews program materials and background on SMEs’ operation in the Greek business environment.

Module 4: Business Selection

Coordinator presents potential refugee or migrant-owned businesses and supports students to choose which they will work with. Self-paced activity: Group reviews entrepreneur information and informs staff of selection.

Module 5: Initial Meeting Preparation

Coordinator presents business information and current online marketing/media materials of the business (if any). Self-paced Activity: Group prepares and assigns questions to ask the entrepreneur. Students practice introducing themselves in the business client’s mother tongue or Greek.

Module 6: Initial Meeting with Entrepreneur

Introductory meeting between entrepreneur and group to build relationship and have cultural exchange. Self-paced Activity: Group reviews notes from meeting and divides into teams and assigns tasks to create online marketing strategy and deliverables.

Module 7: Mentor Session with Professional Consultant

Mentor and GB coordinator help prepare the group to ask most strategic questions during the consultation day. Self-paced Activity: Group prepares and assigns questions to ask business clients based on mentor guidance.

Module 8: Second Meeting with Entrepreneur

Live virtual session with the entrepreneur to answer questions and gather information to create their marketing solutions. Self-paced Activity: Group begins work to create marketing solutions.

Module 9, 10 and 11: Working Sessions

Three working sessions with coordinators to answer questions and help students create their online marketing solutions. Self-paced Activity: Continuing working in teams to finalize solutions.

Module 12: Business Plan Submission and Final Mentor Feedback

Group submits final deliverables and presentations for final feedback from mentors. Self-paced Activity: Make any last edits to project deliverables on mentor feedback.

Module 13: Presentation to Entrepreneur

Group presents solutions via a video conference to the entrepreneur with translation by the coordinator and cultural mediator (if needed). Group receives feedback from the client.  2 hrs. Self-paced Activity: Group reflects on the presentation and feedback from the client and makes any edits to deliverables. Procure cooking materials for cultural activity.

Module 14: Cultural Activity and Project Celebration

Squads Abroad coordinator debriefs with the group and the team celebrates with a traditional dish. Self-paced Activity: Group reflects on the TeleSquad experience.

Impact Reporting

Students will be included in Squads Abroad’s regular newsletters and receive project updates and overall monitoring and evaluation of our programs.