Baruch Mackler got off the plane three years ago, but still hasn't completely landed. The oleh from Baltimore has a teudat zehut and a tik atzma'i (self-employment file with the tax authorities), but he still sometimes feels different than a "Sabra."
"I had a bustling graphic art office in Maryland before I moved to Israel, and I still retain quite a few of those clients, but I still feel that I haven't broken through the glass ceiling of the Israeli market," says the father of four, including one born in their new home in Maale Adumim. "That, and of course dealing with Israeli bureaucracy, are areas that I could use a little help in."
Enter MATI, the Jerusalem Small and Midsized Business Development Corporation, which has been providing advice, mentoring, courses, and other services for entrepreneurs in the Jerusalem district since 1991. MATI, together with the Israel Ministry of Aliyah Absorption, has launched a marketing campaign among English speaking newcomers to Israel, raising awareness of this resource.
"Ben is certainly the kind of business owner who can benefit from MATI's services," says Gidon Ariel, director of the marketing campaign, "But far from the only kind. Since its establishment in 1991, MATI has assisted over 30,000 people, contributed to the creation of over 20,000 new jobs, taught hundreds of courses and workshops in business skills and management, and has helped entrepreneurs receive business loans of over NIS 120 million! This is truly one of the 'best kept secrets' of Jerusalem, as the skills that MATI teaches are priced 3-5 times more on the open market, and for Olim and returning residents (Toshavim Chozrim), some of the benefits carry a 100% subsidy!"
MATI's forte is its coaching and mentoring services. Provided by experts in the fields of accounting, marketing, business planning, financing, franchising, law, and more, the mentoring has recently been revamped, and is being offered on a holistic, team basis. Following intake, clients' cases are discussed by the entire staff and a team of business consultants is assembled to reflect the best service possible.
Advice includes feasibility studies, business plan writing, accounting and tax issues, and more. Eligible businesses can benefit from loans with exceptionally good interest and repayment conditions, and for a limited time only, professionally created websites are available to businesses with a discount of 85%. For Olim, MATI's business skills courses, especially their "Setting Up And Running A Business" course, are second to none. Again, new Olim and returning residents are entitled to a discount of up to 75% on these courses.
MATI Jerusalem also specializes in franchises, a business opportunity often overlooked by western Olim. Michael Benin, MATI's Franchise Promotion Center director, points out that franchising is an effective key to growth, especially during periods of recession. It enables people to enter active businesses – often without previous experience – and promises a far greater than average likelihood of success.
For future information please contact Mati Jerusalem.
Benefits Campaign
