EMPOWERMENT OF SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISE (SME) IN KARANGASEM REGENCY

The purpose of this research is to develop a strategy of empowerment of SMEs in Karangasem regency based on the results of SWOT analysis. The respondents that were used in this study are the Head Department of Cooperatives and SMEs in Karangasem, academics / observer of SMEs and SMEs businessmen as many as 14 people. The data analysis technique used is a SWOT Analysis with Matrix Internal - External. The results showed opportunities for SMEs in Karangasem are: access to global market, economic growth is quite good, controlled inflation rate, government support, government regulations, culture, whereas that become threat is increasingly level of competition. Which to be strengths to empower SMEs in Karangasem are human skills, entrepreneurial orientation, the uniqueness of the product, quality of service, and good promotion, while there are still weaknesses of SMEs in Karangasem are: limited access of capital, limited mastery of information technology, and bookkeeping system that has not good enough. Based on the opportunities, threats, strengths, and weaknesses, then the strategy was chosen for the empowerment of SMEs in Karangasem is Growth and Build strategy, which is focused on program access to sources of capital, IT mastery improvement programs, and improvement of the accounting system.