MANAGERS TO STRENGTHEN STARTUPS – INTERVIEW WITH ANTONINO ITALIANO

Manageritalia is the national federation that since 1945 represents at the contractual level executives in the sectors of commerce, transport, tourism, services and advanced tertiary industry. In addition to its representative function, it offers a complete system of qualified and personalized services and consultancies, also in partnership with Italian authorities and institutions.

Starting from 2016 Manageritalia collaborates with Invitalia, the national agency for the attraction of investments and business development, to provide a tutoring service to startups financed by Smart&Start Italia.
This measure, decreed by the Ministry of Economic Development, offers resources and support to innovative startups with high technological content to stimulate, encourage and enhance the results of scientific and technological research in order to further develop the new entrepreneurial culture linked to digital economy, life science, environment, energy.

These are companies that operate in different economic sectors, but have more than a few features in common. Most importantly, every innovative startup brings with itself a high technological value. There are also common difficulties, such as the limited funds and the partial lack of experience and management skills.

Smart&Start also provides support in this sense, thanks to the mentoring service that sees as protagonists the associate managers selected by Manageritalia and Federmanager. After an analysis of the needs of the startup carried out by the tutors, together with the company, it identifies in which area to develop the tutoring, between strategy, organization and innovation (general management, human resources, project management, information systems and innovation); sales (sales and marketing); operation (production management, logistics and purchasing) or, finally, administration, finance and control.

office during a 3D modeling class held by Prof. Engineer Matteo Turchetto.
The growth of the company stems from continuous training, not only in a field that is evolving very rapidly as additive manufacturing

Here’s how Manageritalia’s magazine Dirigente tells the story of Desamanera through an interview with mentor Donatello Aspromonte and our Antonino Italiano:

«Donatello Aspromonte, manager selected by Manageritalia, for his activity of mentoring, chose to support several companies in the Central-North Italian regions.
How is your experience? Do you have any suggestions for an evolution of the managerial mentoring service?

«It went very well. Depending on the specific needs expressed by the entrepreneurs I followed, we have developed together specific mentorship paths aimed at giving timely answers to specific requests: from the design and implementation of advanced management control systems to the resolution of various financial problems, from the redefinition of business models to financial support for the implementation of strategies for the internationalization of activities.
With some of the entrepreneurs I followed, a strong relationship of trust has been created and we continue to work together, even after the end of the mentorship process Probably, the possibility of anticipating the mentorship intervention in the very early stages of the startup’s activity could further increase its effectiveness».

In a period of disqualified “disintermediation of intermediate bodies”, does it consider this form of intermediation that its union, Manageritalia, has exercised in favor of its members?

«Sure! I have been in Manageritalia for several years and I must say that the services provided and the activities developed, especially in recent years, are increasingly high added value for the members».

Antonino Italiano, entrepreneur, General Director of Desamanera, one of the companies funded by Invitalia through the measure Smart&Start Italia who benefited from the mentorship service offered by Donatello Aspromonte.

Desamanera is a company from Rovigo that deals with additive manufacturing (3D printing) of large dimensions, made with minerals and exclusively natural binders. Desamanera also deals with the aesthetics and performance surface characterization, both for works produced with their technologies and for objects produced with other technologies and other materials, using artisan processes that derive from ancient Italian knowledge, reviewed and developed.
Technologies and minerals for production have been developed internally, in collaboration with Italian and international universities and research centers.

How do you evaluate the managerial support offered to your company by our associate?

«I approached the mentorship offered by the Smart&Start project with the sufficiency of those used to receive, and therefore to evaluate, an “almost obligatory” service and for free: ineffective, disappointing and wasting time. Fortunately then, right from the first phone contacts, I felt a different way of leading the coaching, confirmed by the following meetings in which Donatello Aspromonte wanted first and foremost to understand our potentials and needs and, on these, organized an effective mentorship program, that I consider very useful, engaging, adequate and profitable. I hope, and I will do everything to make it happen, to be able to use again its support».

How did a manager’s support affect his company’s prospects?

«Small, medium-sized companies, or better, we entrepreneurs in SMEs, although knowing certain tools, are not very likely to use them because it is very difficult to find the right consultant to guide you. The possibility of an adequate technical support, even within the assigned time limits, opened the possibility to rediscover and give the right evaluation to elements that, forgotten, prevented us from organizing our business model with maximum effectiveness. The support of Donatello Aspromonte gave me the opportunity, strictly and methodically involved, to look and look again, very deeply, into our organization. And to reorganize systems and objectives over time». »

Nearly 800 startups, like us, have been positively supported by mentoring.
Smart&Start is thus a tool that supports the growth and improvement of the internal business processes of these small but powerful business realities.

Special thanks to Valeria Pistolese, author of the original article on Dirigente.