IDENTIFYING USEFUL BUSINESS INFORMATION

By the end of this element, the trainee should be able to:

1. Explain the types of business assisting agencies
2. Identify various assistances from respective agencies
3. Use the assisting agencies in developing business

Business Assisting Agencies

Are government and non-government institutions that support entrepreneur who struggling to start
enterprises. These institutions provide Business Development Services to Prospecting Entrepreneurs who
want to initiate new venture and existing entrepreneurs who want to expand business operation and
services. Therefore business assisting agencies group, consists of Government institution and Non-
government institutions that working together under Public Private Partnership (PPP) approach to achieve
economic objectives of a country. These institutions are categorized as;

i. Government agencies

ii. Academic institutions

iii. Trade associations

iv. NGOs and development projects

v. Professional consultants and Consulting companies

vi. Financial institutions.

List of business assisting agencies in Tanzania

s/n Category Institutions

1 Member Based Trade Association  Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF)

 Tanzania Chamber of Commerce Industry and

Agriculture (TCCIA)

 Confederation of Tanzania Industries(CIT)

2 Government institutions  Small Industries Development Organization

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 IDENTIFYING USEFUL BUSINESS INFORMATION
These institutions deal with research,
Innovation and development production
technologies. These institutions
disseminate information for public use
3 Non-Government Organizations (NGOs)
Provide support and promote private
sector initiatives including micro and
small enterprises in various economic
sectors.
2
(SIDO)
 Tanzania Industries Research and Development
Organization (TIRDO)
 Business Registration and Licensing Agency
(BRELA)
 Vocation Education and Training Authority
(VETA)
 TAN-TRADE
 Tanzania Investment Center (TIC)
 Tanzania Chamber of Commerce industries and
Agriculture (TCCIA)
 Arusha Technical College
 Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA)
 University of Dar Es Salaam (UDSM)
 Institute of Financial Management (IFM)
 College of Business Education (IAA)
 Moshi Cooperative University (MoCU)
 Other colleges and university
 SNV
 Technoserve
 Caritas
 World vision Tanzania
 IDENTIFYING USEFUL BUSINESS INFORMATION

4 Financial institution (Financial Services
providers)
These institutions helps to start-up, run
and scale up small business
 Commercial Banks like CRDB, NMB,NBC e.t.c
 Micro Finance Institutions like SACCoS,
VICOBA, PRIDE, FINCA, BRAC
 SELF (Small Enterprise Loan Fund)

5 Professional consultant

It consists of individual consultants,

Private companies and association of
business advisors and counsellors

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT SERVICES

Are services and product offered to entrepreneur at various stages of business operation.

These services are normally offered when an entrepreneur;

a) Start a business

b) Operating a business and want to expand operation.

Business Development Services is a center of every successfully entrepreneur because as an input,

individual entrepreneur can access various technical issues and services that enhances existence and
expansion of a business. These services are usually provided by authorized Government and Non-
Government Organizations as well as professional consultants who use appropriate information and
professional techniques to support prospective and existing entrepreneurs to prosper their dreams. These
organizations provide BDS are known as Business Development Services Providers.

Business Development Services providers

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 IDENTIFYING USEFUL BUSINESS INFORMATION

Are institutions and professionals that support those who are struggling to start enterprises and expand
existing enterprises. These entities provide services that contribute to start up and development of
enterprise. Through such organizations, entrepreneurs get help or information to guide and support them in
getting up and strengthen their business. Such organizations are categorized in terms different functions
that serves specific purposes of the enterprises. These institutions include, the organizations categorized in
terms of functions they serves

i. Member Based Trade Association

ii. Government institutions
iii. Non-Government Organizations (NGOs)
iv. Financial institution (Financial Services providers)
v. Professional consultant

These institutions provide the following Business Development Services (BDS)

i. Provision of general business information

ii. Training and education
iii. Business counselling and coaching
iv. Financial advice and access to finance
v. Licensing
vi. Quality assurance and aproval

Examples of BDS providers by category and types of services provided

Category of BDS Types of services provided

providers General business Training and Business Financial advice and
information education counselling and access to Finance
coaching

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1 Member based TCCIA, TPSF and Trade association and Trade associations Trade associations
organization Trade association cooperative unions and cooperative and cooperative
unions unions
2 Government BRELA, Local VETA, CBE,ATC, SIDO, Presidential Trust
institutions authorities, SIDO, UDSM, SUA, IFM e.t.c Entrepreneurship Fund (PTF), SELF,
TRA and TIRDO centers Commercial banks,
and MFIs
3 NGO’s and SAGCOT, AGRA (for agro- SHIPO, TATEDO CARITAS, FSD
Development TPSF,ILO, dealers), SNV, and KIWOHEDE
Projects Business Technoserve, ILO-ITC
Development (Italy)
Gateway
4 Private BDS Local private MDF (Arusha) GO Consult, HACH, Local private
firms or consultants IMDE,MMA consultants and
consultants accountants, PWC,
Ernst and Young,
KPMG
5 Financial TAMFI (MFI VICOBA, SACCOs Embedded services Embedded services
institutions network) (Provide Financial provided by banks provided by banks
education) and other FIs and other FIs

In short, for an entrepreneur to start business, the following services should be provided and are obtained
from the following BDS providers

s/n Information required Types of BDS provider

1 Procedures for starting business BRELA
2 Information on appropriate technology SIDO
3 Linking with an experienced entrepreneur for guidance and SIDO
counselling
4 Financial advice and access to finance Trade associations, Presidential Trust
Fund (PTF), Financial Institutions and
Local consultants
5 Business supporting and counselling SIDO
6 Training and education Trade associations, Cooperative unions,
College and Universities
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