Growth Enterprise Program

Overview

The Growth Enterprise Program is an online program, designed for early stage businesses and start-ups to help them identify steps to grow their businesses and become attractive to access funds.Growing your start-up enterprise is the ever changing business environment can be tough, it requires you to be well equipped with the know how in strategy, business model, marketing and building a team that will work with you to achieve your vision

Objectives

• To engage those who are considering the venturing process to have a smooth learning experience while still in employment.
• To set the foundation for the implementation of suitable systems and structures to ensure long-term sustainability of entrepreneurial ventures.
• To help the Entrepreneur and her organization to be better prepared in accessing finance for growth.
• Provide the networks for access to new markets to deliver valuable products and services.

Program structure

The program will be delivered in modular form which will be further categorized into the online and class structure. This modular structure allows entrepreneurs to spread their skill development over a period of four weeks (online and facilitator-led classes) and 3 days business clinic , making the program compatible with their work schedules and giving them time to implement the action plan they draw from each module in their businesses. Management of Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) and its in-house experts will be prepared to provide assistance in implementing these action plans to the participants.

Benefits

• Ability to develop a growth plan
• Expand your market reach
• Build the right network
• Business Clinic

Modules

Sales and Marketing

Having a fantastic product is no longer enough; a clear plan on how to make it available at the market place and beat competition is critical to the bottom-line. Also to be constantly relevant in the market place, entrepreneurs must understand the market dynamics and how his organization fits in. Topics such as the concept of marketing, the marketing mix, Market segmentation, Marketing Communications, Branding for Entrepreneurs, Developing a winning marketing strategy, selling techniques etc. This module helps to develop all these topics into a workable plan.

Developing Financial Records

One of the greatest hindrances to SME funding and indeed growth is undoubtedly the inadequate keeping of Business records. Even when such records are kept, they are often not available in a format that helps the entrepreneur make quality decisions. Similarly, investors and funding organizations are not able to make meaningful conclusions with respect to the enterprise- thus denying the enterprise of the much-needed capital for growth. This module has been designed to be hands-on, at the end of which participants are expected to develop usable financial recording system for their firms and how this process can be automated and sustained.

Building Your Team

For businesses to outlive its founder, the entrepreneur must learn how to transit his firm from an entrepreneurial to a professionally managed firm. His leadership qualities, the building of a strong management team and his ability to motivate his employees to buy into his vision are a few of the elements that makes the business outlives him. Apart from examining all these in this module, attention will also be given to the communication process.

Strategies for Growth

One of the biggest challenges small enterprises face is that of short-term orientation. However, in order to be truly successful, organizations (especially small businesses) must think long-term. Strategies for growth has been designed to assist participants develop a conceptual framework for the planning process, build competitive edge to outperform competitors and above all, learn ways of effective implementation of these long-term plans. Computer-based strategy simulation will help participants sharpen their strategic planning abilities.

Preparing your Business Plan

Many business concepts never go beyond the “Idea” stage. Even for functional businesses, they tend to lose focus during implementation. Developing a business plan helps participants to rigorously think through their business concept and develop a roadmap with specific milestones from the concept to the functional stage. This module will help entrepreneurs develop not just a business plan but unfolds what must be done for a successful implementation.