KB Kookmin Bank said on Tuesday it will expand the number of companies supported by its 'Mobile KB Small Business Owner Mentoring School', which provides tailored consulting to small business owners, and convert it into an annual programme.

The Mobile KB Small Business Owner Mentoring School is a programme that has, since 2019, provided field-based solutions for small business owners facing management difficulties by having experts in management and finance, marketing, tax and SNS operations visit business sites directly. It has supported a total of 343 companies so far to help strengthen small business competitiveness.

For the ninth round, the bank will expand the scale of support to 100 companies from 50 and overhaul operations from a second-half-focused schedule to a year-round programme.

It also plans to have mentors including well-known chefs and baristas, as well as a bakery-sector business owner who achieved business success through the mentoring programme, to pass on management know-how. The bank will also support ongoing follow-up management by linking participants to KB Small Business Consulting Centers nationwide after the mentoring ends.

A KB Kookmin Bank official said, "The KB Small Business Owner Mentoring School is a programme that grows by thinking together with small business owners and finding solutions," adding, "We will continue to provide a range of inclusive finance support to strengthen the competitiveness of small business owners."