13th Annual International Management Conference Proceeding

Recommendations
The study recommends the following measures to make the training more focused and applicable in addressing the
entrepreneurs’ challenges for business improvement and growth.
i The training for business improvement and growth should be based on real needs and problems of the trainees
so that they have a direct bearing on their businesses. This requires a careful needs assessment as a basis for
designing the training programmes and hence, having high chances of assisting the entrepreneurs improve their
business performance.
ii The training should be broken into sector-specific sessions to enable entrepreneurs with common business
interests exchange and share their experiences and challenges for the common good.
iii The training providers should use successful entrepreneurs as trainers and guest speakers, as trainees are more
likely to take great interest in people with similar experiences in business. Such kind of trainers serve as role
models and are likely to be more practical and realistic to their needs and aspirations for business growth.
iv The training for business improvement and growth should include more practical demonstrations to enable
trainees apply the concepts learnt. The use of video presentations and demonstrations by the experts in the
relevant areas is likely to achieve this.
v The training providers should make arrangements with credit providers to extend credit to facilitate
implementation of ideas generated for business improvement and growth. To achieve this, the training
institutions should make arrangements with banks and other financial institutions to support their clients where
the former can act as guarantor. Inclusion of a session on prudent financial management practices in the training
can also expose entrepreneurs to innovative ways of mobilizing their own funds through savings either
individually or in groups for reinvestments.
vi At the end of the training, trainees should be made to provide statements of what they propose to do in terms
of business improvements and growth. These statements may be in form of business plans, action statements or
proposals for business improvement. The statements will not only commit trainees into implementing them but
will also provide basis for future evaluations.
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