HP helps people grow their own businesses

Farmers receive computer training at a Hewlett-Packard Entrepreneurship Learning Program (HELP) center. The US-based computer giant is offering the center's assistance to would-be entrepreneurs and micro-enterprises in China. CFP

Fu Xianhua, a young farmer in Guixi township in Beichuan Qiang autonomous county, Sichuan province, is famous in his county for setting up its first cooperative rabbit farm in 2006.

Fu provided adult rabbits and reproduction technology to local farmers. After helping farmers breed and raise rabbits, he would buy the rabbits back at a reasonable price.

By April 2008, Fu's farm had cooperated with 360 local households, increasing incomes and creating jobs for more than 400 farmers.

But the magnitude 8 earthquake on May 12, 2008, turned his rabbit farm into rubble. Of some 70,000 rabbits there, only four survived. And the farm's direct economic losses surpassed 4 million yuan.

Fu started the reconstruction of the farm at the end of 2008. And in March 2009, he purchased 1,000 adult rabbits to re-start his business.

His foremost problem was how to train farmers to raise rabbits, handle sales and operate the farm efficiently.

Thanks to computer and related technology support provided by Hewlett-Packard Co Ltd (HP), the farmer now can use portable computers to train rabbit-raising farmers with vivid, computer-generated images and also improve management of his operations. He also leverages the Internet to deal with business issues.

"My farm is recovering faster than I had imagined, and I expect the farm's business by the end of this year to reach the same level of operations as before the earthquake," Fu said.

HELP program

Fu is one of more than 5,000 people who have benefited from the HP Entrepreneurship Learning Program (HELP) in the past three years.

Formerly known as the Micro-enterprise Development Program, HELP is a project created by US-based HP to provide up-to-date information technology to micro-enterprises and individuals to start or expand their businesses and thus, create jobs.

The pressure on the country's job market currently comes mainly from the unemployment of farmers and university graduates, according to the Chinese central government.

Because of the effects of the international financial crisis, it is difficult to rely solely on existing enterprises to create job opportunities.

The government has issued a series of preferential policies involving tax reduction and exemptions and micro-credit loans to support self-employment businesses. But challenges such as shortages of business operation skills and experience, as well as investment risks, exist.

"We initiated HELP to help solve the problems. It's one important part of our corporate social responsibility strategy in China," said Pete Ekstedt, director of global citizenship for HP Asia-Pacific and Japan.

HP had been operating HELP in countries around the world for decades. Three years ago, it brought HELP to China.

The company joined three local non-government organizations -- Youth Business China, the China Association for Employment Promotion and Fuping Development Institute -- to set up 22 HELP centers in China.

Those 22 centers account for more than half the number of HELP centers located throughout Asia.

HELP training sessions provide technical support and professional business guidance for college graduates and entrepreneurs from China's poorer regions, particularly in the western provinces. Courses cover fields such as science, technology, management and the use of computers.

Ekstedt pointed out that the uniqueness of the HELP program involves using a collaborative and holistic approach, while achieving genuine and sustainable outcomes."Partnerships with NGOs combine HP's global business and technology leadership, local expertise and capabilities on the ground, and specialist expertise in program administration and curriculum development together," he explained, adding that rigorous monitoring and evaluation over multiple years, as well as needs analysis and competitive RFP (Request for Proposal) processes, guarantee long-term development.

According to the latest HELP report by HP in 2008, the company had invested more than $46.2 million in social initiatives, incluidng the HELP program. The centers in China have trained more than 5,000 people, 1,500 of whom have started their own firms, creating more than 20,000 jobs.

Ekstedt said that the Fortune 500 company plans to help 13,500 Chinese people realize their business dreams by 2010.

Long-term devotion

There is an old Chinese saying that "it's better to teach a man how to fish than to give him a fish", so, in addition to donating money, HP emphasizes business operations training, helping trainees reduce risks and enhance efficiency in starting and expanding businesses, the company said.

Soon after the devastating May 2008 earthquake in Sichuan, HP opened a new HELP center in Mianyang, one of the hardest hit cities in Sichuan.

The center helped people learn small-company entrepreneurship, said Charles Shen, director of corporate marketing and communications at HP China.

In spite of the financial crisis, HP increased its investment in China's HELP program, though no exact figure was revealed.

HELP is just one of several CSR programs HP is operating in China. HP also initiated the Technology Ignites Dreams (TID) Program, Pathways to Higher Education Program and HP Chongqing "IT5000" Training Program.

TID is a program launched in June. It selects entrepreneurs from the HELP program and designs technology solutions to promote the business of entrepreneurs.

The program provides the entrepreneurs with "one-on-one" free support and training by HP volunteer employees as "full-power-ambassadors".

"HP has always maintained the view of 'Growing with China' and continues to contribute to Chinese society through our leading technologies and products," Ekstedt said.

The company has been continuously investing in entrepreneurship and micro-enterprise support, educational support and environmental protection, he said.

(China Daily 09/21/2009 page10)