Running a business means facing a myriad of responsibilities: taxes, bureaucracy, employees to manage, clients to retain, and new markets to conquer. Every day there's a decision to make, a problem to solve, an opportunity to seize. Even if the machine is small and well-oiled, it can stall at any moment. Or—worse—end up off the road. Especially in these fast-paced times: "Thirty years ago, an intuition was enough to build something important. Today, that's no longer enough. Without training, there can be no development," said publisher Sergio Zuncheddu in introducing the second season—starting next October—of Programma US, the L'Unione Sarda Group project dedicated to the growth of Sardinian businesses.

The scenario

The island's economic fabric is made up of small and very small businesses. For many reasons. "Per capita GDP is half that of Lombardy. It's lower than the Italian average. There are many reasons for this gap: in Sardinia, we suffer from entrepreneurial dwarfism, and the market is limited. But above all," Zuncheddu emphasized during the workshop hosted at the Group's headquarters, "in Lombardy, the entrepreneurial class has been able to train in excellent institutions." Like SDA Bocconi, which landed in Sardinia for the first time a year ago thanks to its partnership with L'Unione Sarda.

"A successful gamble for several reasons. The goal was to help the companies grow: in addition to dimensional growth, we sought to strengthen strategy and organization. A 'strong' small business grows and, above all, endures over time. The course will serve to confirm what you already do well and help you understand what to adjust, if necessary," said Marina Puricelli, professor at SDA Bocconi and director of the US Program Business School, addressing entrepreneurs and managers. "One thing is certain: in Sardinia, a small company can only meet Bocconi thanks to the L'Unione Sarda project."

The courses

The first lessons will begin in October. They begin with the "Starter +" course, eight training days on the pillars of business life: strategy, organization, budgeting, and management control. New this year will be the "Advanced" series, designed for both those who have already attended the first edition of the US Program and those who have already taken other top-level training courses.

The project, as Lia Serreli, General Manager of the L'Unione Sarda Group, noted, "was born out of listening to the needs of entrepreneurs. The courses are structured to address the many challenges every entrepreneur faces in day-to-day business management."

In addition to the training aspect (the partnership includes Sole 24 Ore Professionale, Luiss Business School and the University of Cagliari), Programma US also has a communication front and can count on a leading publishing group in Sardinia: «One million and one hundred thousand contacts daily, on an island with just over one and a half million inhabitants», he recalled. "L'Unione Sarda is the leading regional newspaper and the twelfth in Italy, Videolina is the leading local broadcaster in Italy in terms of listenership, as measured by Auditel." A new workshop will be held on June 19th, this time in Olbia, in the conference room of the archaeological museum.

Michael Ruffi

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