starting a small scale business
DESCRIPTION
In Nigeria its a challenge starting a small business. This is because we basically do not have an understanding of what it means to start a small business. While preparing for a training I developed this manual to help students understand small business start-ups and what it entails.TRANSCRIPT
INTERCAMP CONSULTING
STARTING A
SMALL SCALE
BUSINESS TRAINING MANUAL
CAMPBELL MARIAM OLUWATOYIN
11/10/2010
This document is a product of INTERCAMP CONSULTING and is used
for the purpose of training.
It is not to be distributed or used without the prior consent of the
company or the author.
Table of Contents
STARTING A SMALL SCALE BUSINESS ............................................ 4
BUSINESS MODELS ................................................................................ 4
BASIC FORMS OF OWNERSHIP .......................................................... 5
REGISTERING YOUR BUSINESS.......................................................... 7
INTRODUCING YOUR BUSINESS TO CLIENTS .............................. 8
HOW DO I GET CLIENTS ...................................................................... 9
CONTENTS OF A COMPANY PROPOSAL ...................................... 11
MAKING VISITORS FEEL WELCOME .............................................. 12
BOOKKEEPING ..................................................................................... 16
STARTING A SMALL SCALE BUSINESS
A business can be defined as an organization that provides goods and
services to others who want or need them. A small scale business can be
said to be one that requires a small amount of capital to establish it, this
kind of businesses usually have a small number of employees or in most
cases personally handled by the owner.
Adapting to change is crucial in business and particularly in small
businesses not being tied to and bureaucratic inertia makes it easier to
respond to the market place quicker. These proprietors of small scale
businesses tend to be intimate with their customers and clients thereby
resulting in greater accountability and responsiveness. These kinds of
businesses are common in many countries depending on the economic
system in operation.
BUSINESS MODELS
There is more to deciding on the right business other than settling on the
actual product or service you will be producing. Here are a number of
other factors that may be a consideration in identifying the right model
for your business.
• Buy a Franchise vs. Join a Direct Marketing Business vs. Start
From Scratch
• Home-based vs. Office-based
• Invent Something New vs. Produce a Product vs. Offer a Service
vs. Consult as an Independent Contractor
• Long Term Commitment vs. Build a Business to Sell
• Not-for-profit vs. Profit-based
• Online vs. Physical Business (or Both)
• Sell Your Product or Service in a Physical Location vs. Contracting
Your Goods or Services Out to the Federal or State Government
BASIC FORMS OF OWNERSHIP
Although forms of business ownership vary by jurisdiction, there are
several common forms:
• Sole proprietorship: A sole proprietorship is a for-profit business
owned by one person. The owner may operate on his or her own
or may employ others. The owner of the business has unlimited
liability for the debts incurred by the business.
• Partnership: A form of for-profit business owned by two or more
people. In most forms of partnerships, each partner has unlimited
liability for the debts incurred by the business. There are three
typical classifications of partnerships: general partnerships,
limited partnerships, and limited liability partnerships.
• Corporation: A limited liability entity that has a separate legal
personality from its members. Corporations can be either
privately-owned or government-owned, and privately-owned
corporations can be organized either for-profit or not-for-profit.
Furthermore, a privately-owned, for-profit corporation can be
either privately held or publicly held. A corporation is directed by
a board of directors, which hires the business's managerial staff.
• Cooperative: Often referred to as a "co-op", a cooperative is a
limited liability entity that can be organized for-profit or not-for-
profit. A for-profit cooperative differs from a for-profit
corporation in that it has members, as opposed to shareholders,
who share decision-making authority. Cooperatives are typically
classified as either consumer cooperatives or worker cooperatives.
Cooperatives are fundamental to the ideology of economic
democracy.
REGISTERING YOUR BUSINESS
Once it is decided what form of business you would be starting the next
step would be registering your business. It is important to register your
business for various important reasons which include:
1. Clients would see you as more responsible and established if you
have a company name and a company account
2. It is easier to manage the account of the company once the
business is registered
3. You can only have a company bank account when your business
is registered
4. No government agencies will deal with a person but would find it
easy to deal with a business establishment
5. Once your company begins to grow and expand you will need to
file for company tax
All businesses in Nigeria are registered at the Corporate Affairs
Commission (CAC). The business owner is usually advised to contact a
legal practitioner who has an understanding of the charges and what it
entails to register a business. Generally it costs about N20,000.00 –
N30,000.00 to register a Sole Proprietorship or partnership (what is
otherwise called a business name) and about N90,000.00 – N120,000.00
and even more at times to register a limited liability company (i.e.
partnership, corporation or co-operative) depending on what the share
capital for the business will be. Most companies start with a million
shares.
The registration process begins with the name search which is legally
searching whether the name the business owner has chosen is available or
is been used by another business owner. Once this is completed and the
name of the business is identified and agreed on the registration begins
and takes from 2 weeks to 1 month if it is contracted to a professional.
However some business owners find it easy to start and complete the
registration process themselves but this is not advisable as the CAC
would require certain information that only a lawyer can provide. Also
the time for registering the business yourself takes longer than if you had
contracted it out but it might cost you less.
INTRODUCING YOUR BUSINESS TO CLIENTS
It is important that as a new business you are able to identify who your
clients will be and where they can be found. There are different ways of
identifying your clients but most important is the fact that as these clients
are identified you should be able to introduce your business to your
clients. The introduction should be done in a way that it leaves a good
and lasting first impression, so much so that the name of your business
will be remembered and you will be contacted for the services you render
anytime it’s needed.
The best way to get this done is to have at your disposal company sales
materials and a good sales pitch that will catch the prospective client’s
attention. You could also introduce your business by sending out letters
of introduction to prospective clients.
Sales materials may include the following:
1. Company business card
2. Company brochure (that shows a general profile of the company)
3. Company handbills or fliers
HOW DO I GET CLIENTS
This is one of the major challenges of small business startups. Once you
have duly registered your company and have identified your customers
then the next question becomes; “how do I get customers?”
This has been made somewhat easy with the introduction of a lot social
networks and events. Presently most businesses and small business
owners have profile pages on major social media networks such as
facebook, twitter, myspace, linkein and even nairaland and nairalist.
The possibility of how you can get your clients is endless and in most
cases does not cost you much. However the methods of getting clients can
include online networking and physical networking.
Online networking includes the following:
1. Having a blog that showcases your products and services and
educates people about your business
2. Having a profile page on social networks such as facebook,
twitter, myspace, linkedin, nairaland
3. Having a company website
4. Subscribing to other peoples blogs and social media pages
5. Listing in online free business listing sites such as nairalist,
craiglist and a lot of others
Physical networking includes:
1. Letting your friends and family know about your business and
asking them for patronage and referrals (maybe even for a
commission)
2. Discussing your services at events and giving out company sales
materials
3. Exchanging business cards with prospective clients and doing a
follow-up
4. Sending out formal proposals to companies and organizations
introducing your company and services
5. Attending seminars and conferences that allows you to meet
prospective clients
CONTENTS OF A COMPANY PROPOSAL
Writing a company proposal must be done by the owner of the business
as he/she alone has a concise understanding of the business and how the
business would work. However some business owners outsource the
writing of the company proposals to consultants that have better
knowledge of how it’s done and what clients would expect. When this is
done it is advised that the business owner paints a picture of the business
to the consultant to avoid a clash of perception.
A typical business proposal (or in some cases company profile) will
include the following:
1. Cover page
2. Introduction
3. Core values
4. Corporate vision statement
5. Corporate mission
6. Our services (what we do)
7. Our clients
8. Our team
9. Charges
MAKING VISITORS FEEL WELCOME
• Keep an appointments book that shows when visitors are
expected. Wherever possible make appointments for visitors to
discourage unexpected visits.
• Design any notice boards (vehicle control board, meeting board,
etc.) nicely so that they make the office look more attractive.
• You may want to hang a display board showing the organisation’s
current activities. This could include photos (with captions) of
staff or partners at work, workshops they have attended, and
visitors to the office.
• Display the organisational structure chart, mission statement and
strategic plan if you have them.
• Make sure that the reception area, however small it may be, is
always clean and tidy.
• Take any steps necessary to make the office accessible to disabled
people.
BOOKS AND FORMS
1. Telephone messages: Whenever a person calls for someone who is
not in the office, the Administrator (or Secretary, if the office has
one) should write down the name of the person who called, his or
her telephone number, the time and date of the call, and any
message. The person who took the message should also sign her
name.
2. Appointments book: The appointments book can be a diary or any
other calendar that is used only to record appointments. The
Administrator or the Secretary should record all the appointments
and remind people about them closer to the time.
TELEPHONE MESSAGE FORM
For: _______________________________________________________________________
Mr/Mrs/Miss ____________________________________________________called you
at __________________________ am/pm on ____________________________ [date]
Please call back. Telephone number:___________________
Will call you later.
Will visit you.
Left a message for you:
Prepared by:
Name: __________________________________________________________________
Signature:________________________________________________________________
Job title: _________________________________________________________________
3. Visitor’s book: The visitor’s book can be a blank book. In it,
visitors should sign their name, their organisation’s name,
address, telephone number, fax number, email address, and the
date of their visit. Some visitors will just give a business card; the
Administrator can attach that to the book instead. The
Administrator can also write down later with whom that person
met, and what was discussed. If the organisation uses a computer,
the Administrator can put the visitor’s information in a database
or spreadsheet so that the organisation can keep a contact address
list.
BOOKKEEPING
Financial records document the operations of a business. Financial
records are an extremely important tool for managing the inflows and
outflows of a business activity. There are certain required records that
must be maintained to satisfy the Internal Revenue Service for income tax
reporting, however, the need for good record keeping goes beyond the
IRS. Information that is specific to your business should be documented
in an organized manner. This will enable you to efficiently and effectively
manage your business. If adequate records are kept, peaks and dips in
sales are easily determined, cash needs for payroll or outstanding bills are
easily counted, and inventory can be properly controlled. The simplicity
or complexity of the record keeping system is dependent on your
personal preference and the needs of the business. For example, an
accounting system can be as simple as a 3-ring notebook or as complex as
an entire computerized system.
No two sets of financial records are the same. However, the basic format
includes:
1. A Cash Payments Journal (checkbook register)
2. A Cash Receipts Journal (receipts book)
3. A Sales Journal
4. An Accounts Receivable Journal
5. An Accounts Payable Journal
6. A General Journal
There is also the need to have a financial statement for the company to
show the growth rate and the prospect of the business. The financial plan
is also used to plan the future of the company over a period of years and
how many clients the business expects to get within a certain period of
time.
The standard financial statements include:
1. A Balance Sheet
2. An Income Statement
3. A Statement of Owner’s Equity
4. A Statement of Cash Flows
The accounting vocabulary can be overwhelming at times. A “journal” is
nothing more than a diary or logbook. The purpose of the diary is to keep
track of similar type transaction items in a separate book. For example, in
the Sales Journal, you keep track of all your sales in the same diary, which
is separate from your check register called the “Cash Disbursements”
Journal.
LEDGER BOOKKEEPING
TYPE OF JOURNAL HOW IT IS USED
Cash disbursements journal Cheque book register records money
spent
Cash receipts journal Receipt book records money received
Sales journal Record invoices when sale is final not
dependent on cash received
Accounts receivable journal
Detailed listing of customers to whom
you sold merchandise on credit
Accounts payable journal Detailed listing of vendors from whom
you bought merchandise on credit
General journal Master file, records all individual
entries and transactions from each
journal
CASH DISBURSEMENTS JOURNAL
Date Purpose Amount Collected by Disburse
d by
Sign
10/10/200
9
money spent
in purchase of
materials for
chair covers
15,000.00
Mrs.
Aiyelabola
Manager
12/10/200 sewing of 300 Solace The
9 chair covers 5,000.00 Fashion Manager
13-10-
2009
Transportation
to Lagos
Island
(Idumota
market for
supplies
800.00
Sola The
Manager
CASH RECEIPTS JOURNAL
Date Purpose Amount Recieved
by
Paid by Sign
17-10-
2009
decoration of venue
for a wedding
70,000.00
The
Manager
The Bride
to be
(Miss
Davids)
17-10-
2009
Rental of 500 chair
covers
50,000.00
The
Manager
Deji
Shobanjo
18-10-
2009
retal of bridal chair
3,500.00
The
Manager
Deji
Shobanjo
SALES JOURNAL
Date Product Amount client Payment
method
Sign
17-10-
2009
decoration of
venue for a
wedding
70,000.00
The Bride
to be (Miss
Davids)
cash
17-10-
2009
Rental of 500
chair covers
50,000.00
Deji
Shobanjo
cash
18-10-
2009
retal of bridal
chair
3,500.00
Deji
Shobanjo
cash
18-10-
2009
decoration of
venue for a
company end
of year party
100,000.00
Emzor,
Isolo
cheque
ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE JOURNAL
Date Product Amount
Receivable
Client Sign
25-10-2009 rental
decoration
materials
25,000.00
Mr. Smith
11/11/2009 rental of 300
chair covers
20,000.00
Lanre (empress
evnts)
ACCOUNTS PAYABLE JOURNAL
DATE PRODUCT AMOUNT VENDOR COLLECTED
BY
SIGN
GENERAL JOURNAL
Date Product Amount Client Comment Sign
10/10/2009 money spent in
purchase of
materials for chair
covers
15,000.00
Mrs.
Aiyelabola
Paid in
full
12/10/2009 sewing of 300 chair
covers
5,000.00
Solace
Fashion
Paid in
full
13-10-
2009
Transportation to
Lagos Island
(Idumota market)
800.00
Sola for
supplies
17-10-
2009
decoration of
venue for a
wedding
70,000.00
The Bride
to be (Miss
Davids)
cash
17-10-
2009
Rental of 500 chair
covers
50,000.00
Deji
Shobanjo
cash
18-10-
2009
rental of bridal
chair
3,500.00
Deji
Shobanjo
cash
17-10-
2009
decoration of
venue for a
wedding
70,000.00
The Bride
to be (Miss
Davids)
Cash
deposited
in bank
account
17-10-
2009
Rental of 500 chair
covers
50,000.00
Deji
Shobanjo
Cash
deposited
in bank
account
18-10-
2009
retal of bridal chair
3,500.00
Deji
Shobanjo
cash
18-10-
2009
decoration of
venue for a
company end of
year party
100,000.00
Emzor,
Isolo
cheque
25-10-
2009
rental decoration
materials
25,000.00
Mr. Smith Paid
27,000.00
11/11/2009 rental of 300 chair
covers
20,000.00
Lanre
(empress
evnts)
Paid
30,000.00
Invoice
[Your company slogan]
Date[Enter a date]
Invoice #[100]
[Your Company Name]
[Street Address]
[City, ST ZIP Code
Phone[000-000-0000]
Fax [000-000-0000]
[e-mail]
TO [Name]
[Company Name]
[Street Address]
[City, ST ZIP Code]
Phone [000-000-0000]
Customer ID [ABC123]
Salesperson Job Payment Terms Due Date
Due on receipt
Qty Description Unit Price Line Total
Subtotal
Sales Tax
Total
Make all checks payable to [Your Company Name]
Thank you for your business!
Receipt No.:1002
Paid by:
Paid to:
Description Amount
SUBTOTAL
DISCOUNT(S)
TAX
TOTAL
Date: Received by:
Receipt No.:1003
Paid by:
Paid to:
Description Amount
SUBTOTAL
DISCOUNT(S)
TAX
TOTAL
Receipt No.:1001
Paid by:
Paid to:
Description Amount
SUBTOTAL
DISCOUNT(S)
TAX
TOTAL
Date: Received by: