The last 20 years have seen the private sector increasingly act as the engine for growth in developing economies. AESDC provides technical assistance services and training to national and local governments, business support organizations, regional development agencies and private industries.
Our knowledge and expertise enables us to address even the most deep-seated issues in emerging economies. These include expensive and inefficient business and investment environments, low levels of business capacity, inefficient financial markets, low access to business service markets, lack of impact on poverty and lack of corporate social responsibility. AESDC Private Sector Development team is structured around the following specializations:
1. Private Sector Development Policy
Entrepreneurs and small/medium enterprises (SMEs) are widely recognized as the driving force that stimulates economic growth and job creation. Their inherent flexibility means that they can adapt quickly to changing market demand and supply situations. This in turn, helps to diversify economic activity, and ultimately makes a significant contribution to national exports and trade.
At AESDC, we have been helping national governments, regional development agencies and business support organizations encourage private sector’s activity. Our experience and expertise in this area has been and remains to be in great demand across the African continent.
2. Business Support Services
Private enterprise is a key to economic growth and development apparatus in both developed and developing worlds. Therefore, it is vital to create an environment that enables small and medium enterprises to start up and remain innovative and competitive over the long term. Our consultants have been designing, arranging and delivering the types of services, which help to ensure continuity and sustainability in both transitional and stable economies worldwide. These include:
- Tailor-made business and incubator facilities;
- Access to finance and international sources of investment;
- Gathering and applying market intelligence;
- Partnering and clustering to pool and exploit resources;
- Delivering training and know-how transfer to existing and start-up businesses;
- Business support centres/one-stop-shops for business support services.
AESDC’s strategy has been to create these services and then hand them over to local managers who later run them as viable business operations. Our belief is that intelligent, accessible business support services are key to the creation of an environment in which entrepreneurs thrive and survive.
3. Research and innovation
The increasing globalization of trade means that private enterprises everywhere must compete in a highly competitive international business environment.
To survive one must be prepared to innovate. To achieve or retain competitive edge one must fully exploit available and emerging technologies. Moreover, to maximize market opportunities one must take advantage of opportunities to work collaboratively with other companies.
Of course, export growth and/or international co-operation do not simply happen by themselves. There are plenty of examples of great businesses with innovative products and applications, which have failed to fulfil their commercial potential.
AESDC continues to provide advice and guidance to businesses on how to access and use international market intelligence. In addition, we help companies develop and implement their business plans.