Abstract:
Micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are one of the main pillars of the
national economy, with an independent perspective and great potential to improve
welfare. This study aims to determine the form of empowerment that is carried out
to MSMEs as an effort to improve the welfare of business owners in Makassar City,
as well as the response of business owners related to the empowerment program
that has been carried out by the local government, especially through the
Cooperatives and MSMEs Service in Makassar. The population in this study is all
business owners in Makassar, both those who have participated in empowerment
programs from the government and those who have never participated in these
programs. The sample in this study was 60 business people selected by purposive
sampling by considering several criteria, both the type of business and the
background of the business owner, so that the respondents in this study could be
heterogeneous. In addition, interviews were conducted with academics. Research
instruments are in the form of questionnaires and interview guidelines. The data
were analyzed descriptively and qualitatively. The results showed that: 1)
empowerment programs desired by business owners tended to lead to
improvements in the quality of business products; and 2) empowerment programs
focused on product marketing training. 2) Recommendations related to the results
of research, namely: a) Every empowerment program to be carried out by the
government should be prepared based on an analysis of the needs of the
beneficiaries, in this case, business owners. b) Empowerment programs carried out
by the government should be directed at improving the quality of business
products, providing training in marketing products, or providing containers to
business people to market their business products. c) The program held should be
able to socialize well and evenly with all business owners. This can be achieved
whenever information from the government is easily accessed by all businesses.