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. 
SIYB Training of Entrepreneurs helps businesses to improve in below training modules: 

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Planning for Business Training

When you are running a business, it is easy to be overwhelmed by day-to-day problems and lose track of the bigger picture. However, successful businesses invest time in planning for the future. They prepare and then review plans and regularly monitor business performance. This manual will guide you through the process of making the right plans for your business. Planning for your business is one of the training in the Improve Your Business (IYB) series. It is useful for entrepreneurs who are running small enterprises and who wish to develop their businesses, increase sales and reduce costs. When you have completed this training, you will be able to:

• Explain the benefits of business planning

• Describe the steps of making business plans
• Develop plans for your business
• Use the plans to improve your business

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Business Record Keeping Training

This training defines record-keeping and explains the reasons why it is important to small businesses. It helps you to identify records that are important for your business, teaches you how to keep the records, and shows you how to use them to improve your business.

Record Keeping is one of the manuals in the Improve Your Business (IYB) series. It is useful for entrepreneurs who are running enterprises and who wish to develop their businesses, increase sales and reduce costs. When you have completed this manual, you should be able to:

• Explain the benefits of record-keeping
• Determine which records are important and should be kept
• Keep your business records
• Use these records to improve your business

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People and Productivity Training

Your business success largely depends on you and on the people working with you. Employees who are skillful and have a pleasant attitude can contribute to productivity and create a competitive advantage for your business. As a business owner, if you show that respect to your employees and treat them well, you will improve your business performance and, ultimately, your profits. This manual describes how to maximize your profits by adequately planning and then recruiting, motivating, rewarding and protecting your employees.

People and Productivity is one of the Training in the Improve Your Business (IYB) series. It is useful for entrepreneurs who are running enterprises and who wish to develop their businesses, increase sales and reduce costs.

When you have completed this training, you will be able to:

• Explain the link between people and productivity as well as the link between people and competitiveness
• Identify the key productivity indicators of your business and the factors that influence them
• Select the right people for your business
• Motivate people to become more productive
• Build a safe and healthy workplace
• Define a productive workplace culture
• Identify and solve the problems of troubled employees
• Maintain good external relations in order to support your business

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Buying and Stock Control Training

Whatever business you are in, you need to buy supplies before you can make or sell your goods or services. How well you sell depends on how well you buy. If you do not properly plan your business purchasing, you will spend more money than you should. After buying supplies, you may need to store them as stock until you can use or sell them. You must have proper control of your stock in order to protect your investment. This training will help you to buy well and to control your stock effectively. By following the guidelines in this manual, you will be able to purchase items at a lower cost and prevent the loss of stock in your inventory.

Buying and Stock Control is one of the trainings in the Improve Your Business (IYB) series. It is useful for entrepreneurs who have already established small enterprises and who wish to develop their business, increase sales and reduce costs.

When you have completed this training, you should be able to:
• Identify the items that your business needs to purchase
• Design a process to make sure that you are buying well
• Verify whether or not stock control is important to your business
• Create Stock Cards to record the stock coming in and going out of your business
• Do stock-taking to regularly check the level of your inventory
• Properly manage the performance of your suppliers

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Marketing Training

As a business owner, you should keep asking yourself how to sustain and grow your business in the long run. The answer lies in satisfying your customers and making them loyal to your goods and services. This training explains what marketing is and how it helps you create customer loyalty. Marketing is one of the training in the Improve Your Business (IYB) series. It is useful for entrepreneurs who are running small enterprises and who wish to increase sales by attracting and retaining customers, hence developing their businesses in the long term. When you have completed this training, you will be able to:

• Explain the power of customers to your business

• Identify how marketing helps you create customer loyalty
• Project a good image of your good or service in the minds of the customers
• Use the Marketing Mix to consistently build a positive image for your business

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Business Costing Training

Knowing your costs helps you set the appropriate prices so that your business makes a profit. It also helps you to control costs, make decisions and plan for the future. The purpose of this manual is to teach you how to calculate the cost of your goods or services. In this manual, you will examine different types of costs and learn how different businesses calculate their costs.

Costing is one of the training in the Improve Your Business (IYB) series. It is useful for entrepreneurs who run small enterprises and who wish to develop their businesses, increase sales and reduce costs. The costing method discussed in this manual is based on business records. Therefore, this training is recommended for entrepreneurs whose businesses have kept business records. 

When you have completed this training, you will be able to:

• Identify the different types of costs for running a business
• Use the information from your business record books to calculate the cost of your goods or services
• Use the Product Costing Form to calculate the cost of a good or service

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