BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT SERVICE (BDS)
Introduction
Business Development Services (BDS) are designed to help Micro, Small, Medium-sized Enterprises (MSME), and cooperatives overcome barriers to increased profitability, by improving their productivity and access to high value markets. In this way, they can create and sustain productive, remunerative and good quality jobs, as well as reduce poverty, and contribute to the development of the national economy.
To encourage competitiveness, business growth and employment creation, the Sundy Merchants will assist partners in building national and local capacity in cost-effective and sustainable Business Development Services (BDS).In this approach Sundy Merchants use Action Learning Approach/Programme to deliver its services to the clients including; capacity building and incubation programme.
1. Business Incubation
To address market systemic constraints existing in most of agriculture market systems Sundy Merchants adopted the generic Sundy Incubation Program which seeks to improve both inputs and market supply market systems so that small holders farmers, processors, services providers can get access to key services like improved agricultural production inputs, affordable improved technologies, affordable finances for investment and reliable markets for their produces.
Sundy incubation program aims at encouraging Farmers Organizations (FOs) and Micro, Small and Mediums Agro Enterprises (Agro MSMEs) to consider investment in various area of their capacities as part of an overall effort towards agricultural commercialization and growth of sustainable and innovative agribusiness MSMEs and FOs.
2. Capacity Building & Trainings
Sundy Merchants have a component of training programme with the clear mandate to produce and offer an extremely wide range of skills while helping to smoothly facilitate the knowledge transfer on business subjects to the community. The training guides are prepared considering the skills gaps to help the agri business owners to make their business performing according to the market standards and requirements and preparing the youth to become a good entrepreneurs in competitive business industry.
The model of developing the training manuals are designed around the central idea of creating a big and highly competent middle class that uses updated management skills as an enabler, an accelerator and a tool for increasing productivity in public and private sectors.
3. Financial & Market Linkages
Smallholder farmers and MSMEs often face many challenges including access to financial services for working and investment capital, as well as reliable markets for their produce. Sundy Merchants through facilitation helps to improve financial & market linkages among market actors within value chain that can improve outcomes in the following ways:
Helps the Smallholder Farmers/Farmers Organisations and MSMEs to access large markets through collective actions like collective inputs purchase, increase bargaining power in the market, collective marketing of their produces and access to appropriate and reliable financial services for capital to support growth of their agribusinesses. Facilitate the establishment of contractual arrangements in the markets between smallholder farmers and input suppliers(agro dealers) and off-takers for their produces( buyers, traders and processors).