Medium and small scale enterprise management

Public Workshop; 19th October 2010, Kampala University

PRINCE J. K WASAJJACoordinator,

Language Skills Development Program and Communication Skills

Kampala University

Public Workshop; INNOVATION AND

MANAGEMENT IN A DYNAMIC WORKING ENVIRONMENT:

19th October 2010

Kampala University, Uganda.

MEDIUM AND SMALL SCALE ENTERPRISE

MANAGEMENT: “Succeeding Through

Effective communication and

Public Relations”


• Uganda has progressed well in many of the economic and social indicators over the past decade

• the various policy and institutional reforms undertaken within the context of the Poverty Eradication Action Plan (PEAP) currently under revision to produce a five-year National Development Plan (NDP).

Introduction


Private Sector

• However, despite progress, country’s competitiveness, compared globally and regionally remains low.

• Government put in place the Competitiveness and Investment Climate Strategy (2006-2010)

• improve the competitiveness of Uganda’s productive sectors and investment climate that are critical to private sector growth.


MSMEs

• Recent evidence shows that Micro,

• Small and

• Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs)

• form the bulk of Uganda’s private sector.


MSMEs

• If Uganda is to become competitive through growth of the private sector,

• it is inevitable that more attention must be paid to addressing the key bottlenecks to MSME growth and competitiveness.


Statistics

• Uganda estimated to have 1,069,848 enterprises classified as MSMEs (90% of Uganda’s private sector).

• MSMEs employ approximately 1.5 m people (90% of total non-farm private sector workers.)

• Therefore, MSMEs represent one of the most viable vehicles for sustainable grassroots economic growth

c/o Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development ,JULY 2008


Definitions:

• A Micro Enterprise is defined as

• an enterprise employing maximum 4 people;

• annual sales/revenue turnover of maximum Ugandan Shillings 12 million and

• total assets of maximum Ugandan Shillings 12 million.


Small Enterprise

• A Small Enterprise is defined as

• an enterprise employing maximum 50 people;

• annual sales/revenue turnover of maximum Ugandan Shillings 360 million and

• total assets of maximum Ugandan Shillings 360 million.


Medium Enterprise

• A Medium Enterprise is defined as

• an enterprise employing more than 50 people;

• annual sales/revenue turnover of more than Ugandan Shillings 360 million and

• total assets of more than Ugandan Shillings 360 million.

Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Business Guide March 2008


Public Relations

(Leon Noone)


PR Lifecycle Model


Effective Communications

• Regardless of how innovative your business plan, how talented your workforce, or how ripe the market, you won't get far unless you can communicate effectively.

• Too many small and medium-sized businesses overlook the importance of communications, and as a result, miss opportunities.


Checklist for a speaker

• Recognizes that talk is cheap and therefore have good reasons for speaking in the first place.

• Talks to achieve a goal or a result. Talk for talk's sake may be enjoyable but It's not productive.

• Take care to use words that don't threaten. Listeners who are threatened will say what they think will reduce the threat. They probably won't mean what they say.


Checklist continued..

• Respects listeners' feelings. Upset and anxious listeners are more concerned with their emotions than speakers' words.

• Accepts absolute responsibility for conveying meaning to listeners in their terms: use jargon as little as possible.

• Accepts listeners' misunderstanding as genuine. Never ridicules or belittles listeners who fail to understand.


Checklist continued..

• Welcomes, encourages feedback and questions. Feedback and clarification are essential for effective communication. Discouraging comments and questions is counterproductive.

• Treats listeners as equals. "Talking down" listeners may make a speaker feel good. But it alienates listeners.

• Speak clearly and distinctly. If you want to be heard, be clear.


The Effective Listener

• Concentrates entirely on what the speaker's saying. It's not only a question of courtesy. Listening is an active, not passive, art.

• Seeks the speaker's meaning. As a listener, be careful you're not over impressed by words. It's what they mean that matters.

• Recognizes that silence is most important. Shut up and show respect for the speaker whether in the car park or at the monthly meeting.


Effective Listener continued.,

• Avoids actions or words that threaten speakers' self esteem. Speakers who believe that their listeners lack respect for them will be more concerned about that than what they're saying.

• Acknowledges that the speaker has something worthwhile to say. Interrupting, correcting, heckling or making dismissive comments are hallmarks of a poor listener.


Effective Listener continued.,

• Accepts their responsibility for the clarity of their questions to the speaker. If your questions lack clarity don't blame the speaker if his or her answers are inadequate.

• Maintains composure. Getting upset with speakers won't help communication.

Shows patience. Not all speakers are as articulate as listeners might expect. Good listeners help such speakers rather than dismiss them.


Customer Satisfaction


SME customer satisfaction

• To succeed as a small or medium-sized business,

• you need to keep customer satisfaction and

• Keep employee productivity high and

• Keep operational costs low.

• Dynamic communications help you strengthen relation.



• And controlling costs isn't just about getting a solid return on investment.

• It's also about managing expenditures - especially communications expenses - in a way that suits your budget and your organizational structure.



• Satisfied customers generate repeat business.

• Effective communications can raise your level of service dramatically.

• Ensure you handle incoming inquiries professionally with an efficient greeting system that welcomes clients by name and rapidly refers them to the right salesperson.


SME Communication: Employee

• Small business employs who involve in regular customer contact must;

• possess strong communication skills to create customer satisfaction and increase their odds for job retention and advancement.


Employer; Business owners must;

have strong communication

skills to please customers and

employees.

•

Customer;• There has to be an excellent flow of communication

among the customers, employees and managers for a business to succeed.


Final Tips for Succeeding through effective communication

• You must be able to start a conversation with others, especially your customers, at any given time.

• If you see a customer who appears to need help, do not be shy and stay out of the way.

• Just think of the customer as your friend and enthusiastically say, "Hi! Is there anything I can help you with?"


Caution!!

• Demonstrate you are someone who will remain available to help a customer while knowing how to back off.

• For example, if your customer says he does not need help now or she is just looking around, you can reply, "I understand. I will be nearby if you need assistance.“

• Do not monitor customers too closely.


Non – Verbal Communication

• Body language and eye contact are two important components of effective communication.

• The way you express yourself with your body and eyes tells others the emotions you feel and how serious or unserious you are about something.

• To earn trust and put the person you are talking with at ease, sit or stand up straight without your arms crossed and frequently gaze into the other person's eyes with warmth.

• Do not try to get too physically close to a customer, fellow worker, employee or boss. If you are sitting at a table with someone in close quarters, do not lean over the table.


The social aspect

• Display your ability to lighten up when the occasion is not serious.

• Smile.

• Tell a joke.

• Laugh at a harmless joke.


On-line PR• It is a must to have strong writing skills to

make a good impression on customers and prospects,

• To convey that you provide quality products and

• that you are serious about your business, double-check your web site and every publication you create for accuracy and professionalism.


Confidence = Efficiency• Respond with timeliness. Always reply to every

inquiry and complaint from customers quickly.• Work at being a quick thinker. You can make a good

impression on customers if you can always think of solutions to any problems they might have very quickly.

• Show your understanding, concern and empathy to customers. If a customer has a particular problem you are not authorized to handle, you can say, "I'm not personally allowed to handle this matter. Please let me talk to the manager for a second to see how we can help you."


Intrapersonal communication

• Be proactive about improving your communication skills

• if you are really tired of being misunderstood, disregarded or disliked, look within for the answers as to why you are ineffective.

• That means paying attention to your intra-personal communications, which is the conversation you have with yourself about yourself and others (aka "self-talk").


Exercise self-monitoring;

• Start writing down your thoughts as you pay attention to them, and write contrasting thoughts to off-set any negative/unproductive attitudes.

• For example, replace, "I feel inexperienced in this position" with "I will exhibit enthusiasm about learning, and always do my best work."


Start creating all-positive intra-personal

communications;• Using tools like a dream book or journal,

collect and record the imagery, messages and goals that make up your ideal life.

• Once you have a clear vision of the future you, you can fulfill that vision more easily. You can also use an affirmations table, where you list unwanted intra-personal thoughts, and beside them list the contradictory thoughts that should replace them.


Conclusion

• If you are employed for a small business or owns one,

• you have already considered starting or becoming employed for a corporation that is not too large,

• you work for an organization, especially a small business that involve regular customer contact, then;


You must possess strong communication skills to create customer satisfaction and increase your odds for job retention and

advancement.

Effective Communication =Success!!


End

THANK YOU

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