Abstract
Local partner communities play a crucial role in inclusive economic development, yet sustaining partnerships requires key entrepreneurial skills such as business planning, financial management, and innovation. Despite their importance, limited descriptive evidence exists on the current level of these skills among partner communities. To address this gap, this descriptive study assessed the entrepreneurial skills of 54 purposively selected respondents in a barangay of a highly urbanized city in Central Visayas for AY 2025–2026. Skills were measured using a content-validated instrument rated Very Good (4.33) with excellent reliability (α = 0.962). Respondent profiles, such as age, years in business, and capitalization, were analyzed using frequency and percentage distribution, while skills across profiles were examined with mean scores and the Mann-Whitney U test to determine whether significant differences existed, testing the hypothesis of no significant differences. A self-made questionnaire with 10 items per skill area was used, and ethical standards, including voluntary participation, informed consent, confidentiality, and data protection, were observed. Findings indicate that most participants are older and operate higher-capital businesses. Overall, entrepreneurial skills were strong, though financial management, such as fund separation, saving, and profit calculation, needs improvement. Lower-capital and less experienced respondents struggle with record-keeping but often demonstrate greater creativity and perform strongly in business planning, financial management, and innovation compared to higher capital participants. In conclusion, respondents with high capital and experience have an advantage, while younger and lower-capital participants need support. Financial management gaps require targeted training, and limited resources often foster creativity and growth among low-capital participants.
Keywords: Entrepreneurial skills, partner communities, educational institution, business planning, financial management, innovation and creativity