EMPOWERING THE COMMUNITY OF KANDANGAN VILLAGE THROUGH EDUCATION ON BUSINESS MANAGEMENT, BUSINESS LEGALITY, AND THE DIGITALIZATION OF MSMEs TO FOSTER A SELF-RELIANT VILLAGE

PEMBERDAYAAN MASYARAKAT DESA KANDANGAN MELALUI EDUKASI MANAJEMEN BISNIS, LEGALITAS USAHA, DAN DIGITALISASI UMKM DALAM MEWUJUDKAN DESA MANDIRI

Abstract

This community service program (Kuliah Kerja Nyata/KKN) in Kandangan Village, Cerme District, Gresik Regency, was designed to empower the local community through business management education, business legality assistance, and MSME digitalization. The program addressed three interrelated gaps identified through field observation and interviews: (1) the absence of structured business management practices among local micro-enterprises, particularly in financial recording and operational planning; (2) low ownership of legal documentation, namely the Business Identification Number (Nomor Induk Berusaha/NIB) and halal certification; and (3) limited digital literacy in utilizing e-commerce platforms for marketing. The program employed a participatory action approach consisting of field observation, semi structured interviews, a business management seminar, and direct technical assistance for NIB registration, halal certification introduction, and marketplace account setup. Of 50 invited participants, 35 (70%) attended the seminar, with the highest attendance rate among the general community segment (75%) and equal attendance among MSME actors and PKK members (66.7% each). Despite the gap to full attendance, post-activity monitoring indicated behavioral change among participants, including the initiation of simple bookkeeping practices, separation of personal and business finances, and the creation of social media accounts for product promotion. These outcomes are consistent with recent community empowerment studies showing that participatory, hands-on assistance produces measurable shifts in MSME formalization and digital adoption (Butarbutar et al., 2025; Evangelista et al., 2025). The program is expected to contribute to the long-term economic independence of Kandangan Village by strengthening local MSME competitiveness.