new business module

6
BUSINESS SKILLS
It is important to note that course participants will benefit from
the course irrespective of whether they are selected to receive
a grant. They will leave the course with a stronger business
plan and basic concepts and tools allowing them to better
manage a future business.
2. Purpose of the course script
This script for the business skills training course provides
course facilitators with the material they need to train MEI
beneficiaries how to plan and run their businesses. It discusses
a series of topics considered important for the fledgling entrepreneur
and provides facilitators with background material,
exercises and hand-outs.
The course script is designed to help the beneficiaries of an
MEI programme run successful businesses. It treats the beneficiaries
as starting entrepreneurs and is designed to provide
them with basic skills and tools to start their business without
burdening them with extensive theoretical concepts and
complex models. During the training course, the beneficiaries
will develop a clear understanding of their business idea,
devise a plan to implement it, and receive some basic tools to
run and monitor their business. The course is also intended to
stir their entrepreneurial spirit.
During the course, the participants will:
• define and spell out their business idea;
• determine the strengths and weaknesses, the
opportunities and risks presented by their business
idea;
• learn about the importance of marketing and develop
their own simple marketing plan;
• conduct a market assessment to gather the information
required to plan and implement their business idea;
• estimate the income, costs and profit of their business
idea;
• determine the capital they need to start the business;
• learn how to keep simple records; and
• integrate all the information acquired into a simple
business plan.