The SIYB program is a system of inter-related training packages and supporting materials for small-scale entrepreneurs to start and grow their businesses. It aims at increasing the viability of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) through management principles suitable for the environment of developing countries. The ILO assists Business Development Service (BDS) organizations to develop the skills required to implement, monitor, manage and finance the training program, and sets up a sustainable training system at the national level, thus contributing to sustainable economic growth and employment generation. 
The SIYB program originated from a management training package called "Look After Your Firm" which was developed in the late 1970s by the Swedish Employers Federation for local small and medium entrepreneurs. In 1977, the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) funded a project for the ILO to adopt the materials to reflect the needs and situations of entrepreneurs in developing countries. 
The adapted training package was called the "Improve Your Business" (IYB) program. In the early 1990s, an ILO technical cooperation project in Fiji developed the "Start Your Business" (SYB) training package addressing potential start-ups. The program, after an initial development stage, quickly spread around the world. The product range grew as the "Generate Your Business Idea' (GYB) package was developed. All of these training packages use the "SIYB Business Game" as a key motivational and learning tool that simulates a real-life business situation. As all the programs had a similar design, in the late 1990s the ILO decided to group the GYB, SYB, and IYB training packages and associated management tools within a common framework, calling it the "Start and Improve Your Business" (SIYB) program. In the early 2000s, the ILO developed the next generation of training modules and interventions for growing small enterprises called "Expand your Business" (EYB) and this also became part of the SIYB program.