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This guide is part of the FCR/MCR (Fibre Concrete Roofing/Micro Concrete Roofing) toolkit series although not restricted to this type of business.
The FCR/MCR technology was developed in the 1970s based on many years of experiences made with concrete tiles and asbestos cement sheets. During the 1980s it found applications in many countries all over the world. Today the technology is at a mature stage and experiences have shown that it offers a reliable roofing material which can compete in most cases with conventional roofing materials.
The FCR/MCR Toolkit series impart the entire know-how that is required in the field of FCR/MCR technology, covering technical as well as economic, organisational, management and marketing aspects. The FCR/MCR Toolkits Overview shows the structure of its contents.
SKAT and ILO are co-publishers of the FCR/MCR Toolkit Series which this guide is one element.
SKAT is a member of BASIN (Building Advisory Service and Information Network), a coordinated network of experienced international professionals, which was established to provide qualified advice and information in the field of building materials and construction technologies.
The activities of BASIN are divided amongst four leading European, non-profit organisations in the field of appropriate technology viz. GTZ/GATE Germany, ITDG Britain, SKAT Switzerland, CRATerre France.
Each of these organisations covers a separate specialised subject area, thus providing more qualified expertise with greater efficiency.
SKAT is an information and documentation centre and a consultancy group engaged in promoting and implementing appropriate technology in partner countries worldwide.
As a member of BASIN, SKAT specialises in roofing technology, particularly FCR/MCR technology. Within BASIN, SKAT established the Roofing Advisory Service (RAS). To facilitate the promotion and dissemination of roofing technologies, SKAT/RAS produce the FCR/MCR Toolkit Series of which this Business Administration Basic Skills Guide is one element.
A worldwide network of specialists and specialised institutions provides technical support to new and existing producers of FCR/MCR. This helps to ensure the reliability and quality of the products in this growing market. This FCR/MCR network is coordinated by SKAT/RAS.
A programme for the development, promotion and application of appropriate building technologies suitable for low-cost construction is currently being implemented by the Micro-enterprise and Informal Sector Section of the Entrepreneurship and Management Development Branch of ILO.
The objectives of this programme are to minimise construction costs, maximise the use of locally-available raw materials and generate productive employment. The program also aims at developing small and micro-enterprises in this sector and at demonstrating their commercial viability. It makes use of an innovative approach whereby some of the activities are carried out in on-going technical cooperation projects for the development of small and micro-enterprises. These projects are executed by ILO or other agencies such as UNDP, as multilateral or bilateral projects. Various approaches are used by this programme: research and development, dissemination of technological information, advisory services to governments and implementation of technical assistance projects.
This literature, as well as further information, is available from:
Roofing Advisory Service
c/o SKAT/RAS
Vadianstrasse 42
CH-9000 St. Gallen, Switzerland
Tel +41 (0) 71/23 74 75
Fax +41 (0) 71/23 75 45and
ILO
INSTEAD
Route des Morillions 4
CH-1211 Geneve, Switzerland
Tel +41 (0) 22/799 61 11
Fax +41 (0) 22/798 86 85
We would like to thank all the experts, technicians and producers who helped us with valuable comments and remarks based on their extensive experiences. Main resource persons were:
· Michel Gressot, ILO International Labour Organisation, Geneva, Switzerland
· John Grierson, SKAT, Switzerland
· Dr. Jürg Grütter, Swisscontact, Switzerland
· Paul Gut and Roland Stulz, INTEP, Zurich, Switzerland
Comments and feedback information are welcome and will help to further improve this guide. They may be sent to SKAT/RAS or ILO.
Doing good business is not just a question of using the appropriate technology. You must also be an ‘entrepreneur’ and have business skills to be successful. This guide is prepared especially to help you develop the business skills you will need to succeed in business. In a popular rather than in a scientific way the principles of business administration are explained. Moreover, a ready-to-use toolkit is provided.
It is not possible to make a business skills guide which would suit all the needs of all entrepreneurs all over the world. The present guide is designed as a reference source or teaching aid for the education of microentrepreneurs with no or very little knowledge about business administration.
The “Business Administration Basic Skills Guide” contains the following modules:
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Module 1 |
The Business: What is a business and how it works. |
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Module 2 |
Management: Decision-making, implementation and planning. |
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Module 3 |
Cash and Credit Management: Managing cash, cash book, cash budget, creditors’ and debtors’ records. |
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Module 4 |
Costing and Pricing: Calculating production costs and determining the best selling price. |
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Module 5 |
Profit and Loss Statement: Profit and loss statements and exercises. |
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Module 6 |
Financial Analysis: Analysis of profit and loss statements, controlling and managing for profitability and calculation of the breakeven point. |
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Module 7 |
Marketing: Distribution, promotion and selling. |
Module Structure
Each module is structured in the following way:
· Purpose or Definition,
· Introduction to the Topic,
· Basic Concept and Examples,
· Exercises with Answers.
Each section is a self-contained module which includes a cover, table of contents and appendices.
The “Business Administration Basic Skills Guide” covers the financial aspects of running a business. The production aspects are covered by other guides in this series.
The guide can be used as is or, if necessary, changed, adapted and expanded to suit local conditions and requirements. The modular structure allows to use only those sections which are appropriate and necessary. The order in which the modules are presented is not fixed. The modules should be rearranged to suit the demands in your specific situation.
As this toolkit will be used in a number of countries each with its own currency, a special currency called Local unit of currency (LU) has been used throughout this toolkit. Readers are asked to insert their own currencies and values when doing calculations based on their own businesses.
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