Business Planning Basics for MSMEs
Test your business idea, research your market cheaply, work out the numbers and write a clear business plan you can take to a bank, an investor or a grant panel in Ghana.
What you'll learn
- Decide why you need a business plan and shape it for yourself, a bank, an investor or a grant panel
- Test a business idea by checking the problem, the customer and the competition before you spend big money
- Carry out useful market research on a small budget and turn it into a sales forecast you can defend
- Summarise your business model on a lean canvas or business model canvas
- Write the marketing, operations and management sections of a business plan in plain, specific language
- Build a start-up budget, sales forecast, profit and loss, cash flow forecast and break-even calculation
- Identify the main risks to your business and plan practical ways to reduce them
- Outline the steps to register and formalise a business in Ghana, then write and pitch a strong executive summary
Who this course is for
- Aspiring entrepreneurs in Ghana who want to start a business the right way
- Owners of micro and small businesses who need a plan for a loan, investor or grant application
- Artisans, traders and service providers who want to grow from informal to formal
- Business advisers, NGO staff and enterprise programme officers who coach small businesses
Course content
8 sections · 39 lessons · 6h 44mStart here: welcome to Business Planning Basics 3 lessons · 14 min
Module 1: Why plan, and is your idea any good? 5 lessons · 48 min
Module 2: Market research on a small budget and your business on one page 5 lessons · 47 min
Module 3: The parts of a plan, marketing, operations and management 5 lessons · 49 min
Module 4: Financial projections you can explain 6 lessons · 1h 1m
Module 5: Risks, and making your business formal 6 lessons · 56 min
Module 6: The executive summary and pitching your plan 6 lessons · 59 min
Final module: put your plan together 3 lessons · 1h 10m
Before you start
- No business or accounting training needed; basic arithmetic (adding, multiplying, percentages) is enough
- A business idea or an existing small business you want to plan for
- A notebook or spreadsheet for your own numbers, and about one hour per module
About this course
Many small businesses in Ghana start with energy, savings and a good product, then run into trouble in the first year. The money runs out before the customers arrive. The loan officer asks for a cash flow forecast and nobody knows what that is. A cheaper competitor opens two doors away. A business plan will not stop all of this, but writing one forces you to see most of it coming.
This course is for people who are about to start a business and for owners who have been trading for a while and now need a proper plan, usually because a bank, a microfinance company, an investor or a grant programme has asked for one. It is written by someone who has sat on both sides of the table: helping owners prepare plans and reading them as a lender and programme reviewer.
You will follow one business from idea to finished plan: Nhyira Bakes, a small bakery in Kasoa owned by Esi Boateng. You will see how Esi tests her idea, researches her market with less than GH₵ 500, fills in a lean canvas, writes her marketing and operations sections, and builds her start-up budget, sales forecast, profit and loss, cash flow and break-even point. Every figure is worked through so you can copy the method for your own business.
We also cover how to register and formalise a business in Ghana, how to think about risk, how to write an executive summary that gets read, and how to pitch your plan in a few minutes to a loan officer or panel.
You finish with a downloadable action plan and the working parts of your own business plan.
Your instructor
SkillsPillar Faculty
Practitioners and trainers in strategy, public service, enterprise and workplace compliance
SkillsPillar courses are written by practitioners who have trained graduates, managers, public servants and business owners across Ghana. Every course is built around real situations, practical tools and activities that test judgement, not memory.
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Frequently asked
How do I pay for a course?
Pay securely with MTN MoMo, Telecel Cash, AT Money, Visa or Mastercard through Hubtel. You get access straight after payment.
How long do I have access?
For life. Once you enrol, the course stays in your account and you can learn at your own pace, including any updates we make.
Do I get a certificate?
Yes. Finish every lesson in a course and a certificate is issued automatically. Each one has a QR code and a public link employers can use to check it.
Can I learn on my phone?
Yes. Everything works on a phone, tablet or computer, and your progress follows you between devices.
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