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Small retailer business advisory and training programme to launch
The South African Council of Shopping Centres, out of concern for the scarcity of dedicated and subsidised support or training to assist retailers in SMEs, has devised a strategy and launched a business skills and professional business support programme. Comments SACSC executive chairman George Skinner, "In essence, we will create a team of licensed lead retail business advisors and a network of specialists to support them who will train these retailers to bring them up to world-class standards through providing accessible, affordable and relevant training."
To kickstart the programme, the SACSC is to run a pilot programme involving 13 shopping centres situated in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. The first team of 26 lead advisors will be screened, appointed and trained by the SACSC and Red Dot Business Learning (RDBL), in co-operation with the management of the particular shopping centres.
Skinner adds: "The SACSC and RDBL will provide the training documents and other necessary material, administration of the project and the majority of funding for the pilot study. Having identified and adopted the necessary standards, the SACSC will mandate the retail business advisors and will, as part of the education process, also determine the standards of the business advisory activities conducted by the licensed advisors.
"Networking, registration and accreditation of all advisors and training will be controlled and managed through RDBL and the SACSC according to strict business criteria and codes of conduct."
The SACSC envisages that the pilot programme could involve screening up to 600 retailers over a period of 6 - 12 months. Business development and performance improvement are key issues and it is expected that some 260 assignments will be undertaken at an average of ten assignments per advisor and each is expected to take around six months.
Skinner reckons there are distinct advantages in becoming a retail business advisor. These include:
- SACSC accreditation
- Exclusive mandates to provide business advice to selected shopping centres.
- The opportunity to acquire consultancy skills development through the SACSC and RDBL with access to well-developed and proven methods.
- Networking access to other accredited and specialist retail business advisors with on-line coaching and support through the SACSC and RDBL.
- A fee-earning opportunity to earn consultancy fees from clients in shopping centres to which they are appointed.
Skinner believes that one of the major advantages of the project is that at least 75% of the businesses in the programme will obtain a 100% return on their investment.
The SACSC is keen to start the programme without delay and hopes to have the recruitment and training of its first advisors completed by December 2006, with the pilot programme to start in January 2007.
For retailers wanting to comply with the Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment Act of 2003, the training offered in terms of the project will be invaluable.
Skinner believes that there are many retired retailers who would be keen to become involved as retail business advisors to earn what could be useful income and to plough back into the industry what they have learnt over the years.
