Advanced Level

10 Steps to Develop Your Business

The beneficiary’s business should be financially stable and steadily growing. By investing money into their business, the beneficiaries are trying to move their business onto the “next stage”.  10 Steps to Develop your Business, is designed to help the beneficiary’s business get to a level where they can complete a comprehensive business plan and go to a bank, and apply for a commercial loan; thus the business training given is at a considerably higher level (than the intermediate level).

1. Analyze Business – SWOT and STEPL Analysis
2. Setting Objectives- Targets and Measurements
3. Market Research – Competitor Analysis
4. Fixed and variable costs- Break-even Analysis
5. Purchasing - Economies of Scale
6. Supply – Increasing Business Growth
7. Competitive Advantage - Pricing
8. Promotion – Unique Selling Proposition
9. Financial Analysis – Product Performance
10. Re-investment & Expansion – Business Plan

The booklet is in A4 size and consists of 15 pages. As with intermediate level, the language is kept as simple as possible, though the understanding of those beneficiaries that have reached this level in their business will be advanced. They are more likely to have a better education, understanding of business and greater ability to spot potential lucrative business opportunities. The business concepts go into more detail, as the beneficiaries need to have a better understanding of their business, if they are to complete the comprehensive business plan.

Typical Beneficiaries

• Type of Business: Commercial farmers, retail and wholesalers, income generating co-operatives
• Client Demographic: Secondary school educated, both male and female, individual or group
• Business Experience: Running successful business for a number of years and needs commercial loan to expand or has spotted / researched business opportunity and needs initial capital
• Loan Size: $1000 +
• Motivation: Wants a commercial (not MFI) size loan Expand business / start up capital for 2nd business Invest in means of production. Sell in more than one location Supply to national / international markets

Next Steps

Once the trainee has completed the Advanced Level of training, they should complete the Advanced Business Plan and then they will be able to start more advanced training  i.e. Marketing and Sales.