Introduction

"Business Development Services" (BDS) refers to a wide range of services used by entrepreneurs to help them operate and grow their businesses.

For three decades, governments (both national and local) and international donor agencies have recognised the importance of small business development in increasing employment and income amongst poor and low-income people. Many development projects therefore include activities to promote small enterprise development such as credit, training and business advice.

Evidence abounds that many small businesses are constrained by factors such as levels of education, poor management, weak marketing skills, inadequate technical know-how, limited access to markets, lack of information, and unreliable infrastructure.

BDS aims to address these constraints through training, consulting, marketing services, business information, promotion of business to business linkages, and other non-financial services.

Sustainability of BDS providers, and full cost recovery by charging fees to small enterprise clients, are now the watchwords for donor facilitated BDS programmes. Small enterprise consultants therefore face the challenges of designing, marketing and delivering BDS products that the market will pay for.

The course is delivered fully using distance-learning methods through the use of information and communication technologies.
Each participant receives the constant support of a specialised teaching team and, through the Delnet virtual campus, is able to call on a tool for monitoring and developing his or her learning processes: the virtual classroom.

Participants who pass the course are awarded a Diploma issued by the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organisation.

This course is available in English and Spanish.