Be Your Own Boss Facilitator’s Manual

The program aims to improve the life of youth in Pathway 1, which includes developing the capacity of Liberian youth and business service providers to improve youth employment and livelihood opportunities. The primary objective of the Be Your Own Boss (BYOB) training course is to provide guidance to those youth who are beginning their own business life or those who are already running small businesses and wish to improve their business skills. The training course consists of six main sessions on various aspects of business management, including an overview of what business is about, the core business skills, characteristics of successful business owners, having a properly defined and analyzed business idea, introduction to marketing, and important financial issues. The BYOB training course is designed to equip youth with the business skills necessary to start and run their own small business. The course introduces participants to basic concepts and sets of skills that are important for environmental scanning, identifying opportunities, encouraging young people to find new ideas and ways of doing things, and establishing the plan that makes them think through the different aspects of their business idea. The course also guides participants on how to plan and operate their own business. The primary targets of this training program are young men and women, though it can also be used by anyone who wants to set up a small business. The training course is designed to be a basic step-by-step business skills training course that provides a comprehensive overview of the business management process. The course is intended to be used by employment service providers while providing coaching services and preparing individual employment plans for young people. The BYOB training course is based on a simple tree metaphor, which is used to explain the dynamics of business in a natural way. The course also underscores the importance of visioning process, market research, and the six marketing steps. The course provides simple tools to generate a business idea, to assess their viability, and to select the best ones. The course also focuses on important financial issues such as sources of financing, separating personal and business expenses, saving, operations, equipment, supplies, and suppliers that are necessary to start and run their own small business and start-up costs among others. The BYOB training course is designed to be a comprehensive and practical guide for youth who want to start and run their own small business. The course provides a step-by-step approach to business management, including planning, marketing, and financial management. The course is intended to equip youth with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in business and improve their livelihoods.