Small business advisers
Small Business Adviser Roles
We need small business owners and managers to advise organisations in poor communities. You'll mainly be working with community-based organisations helping to develop all aspects of their business. You’ll advise them so they'll become more productive, more sustainable and most importantly, more prosperous to contribute to their local economy. You could be working in countries such as Zambia, Tanzania, Rwanda, Malawi, Nigeria or Sierra Leone.
Experience Required
You’ll have at least five years’ management with small business development experience, or experience in advising small businesses. Experience in consulting with small businesses and/or working with a range of small businesses is essential, and an MBA is preferred. You’ll bring with you experience in marketing, business planning, financial management, staff management and training. You'll also be confident in identifying and implementing new business opportunities.
Roles are generally longer term, ranging from one to two years, and we also have occasional short term assignments for up to six months. For short term roles, you will need at least six years' experience in your field and be available to depart within one year.
Support
In return, we'll give you comprehensive financial, personal and professional support. We'll provide you with extensive training prior to your placement, and our financial package includes a living allowance, return flights and visas, accommodation and full medical insurance. When you return home, we'll help and support you to resettle, and many of our returned volunteers stay involved with us long after their placement ends.
Example placements
Sales and marketing adviser for textiles products
Mongolia
What’s the Context and purpose of the role?
VSO is the world’s leading independent international development organisation that works through volunteers to fight poverty in developing countries. You role will improve the ability of disadvantaged people in the Ulaanbaatar of Mongolia to make a living. The textiles industry has been identified as a potential growth area for local small business owners. You’ll advise established manufacturers, specialising in products made of cashmere and yak, sheep and camel wool, on how to improve their marketing and sales processes and assist them in developing their international markets. The products range from knitted and woven clothing and accessories, textiles, carpets to some high-quality handicrafts. You’ll work to increase sales through accessing new markets. In this way, you’ll improve financial security for local communities, enabling them to meet their basic needs and reducing their vulnerability to external factors such as natural disaster, illness or economic instability.
What does the role involve?
What does the role involve?· Cooperating with the Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Wool and Cashmere Development Council to work with Small and Medium Sized Enterprises.
· Creating marketing and sales courses and delivering training sessions every 2 months.
· Establishing new retail market links in Europe, Asia and North America.
· Collaborating with program managers, designers, community marketing specialists and fiber laboratory technicians.
Skills, qualifications and experience required
What skills, experience and personal qualities are needed for the role?
You’ll be educated to degree in marketing, sales, fashion or a related field and have practical experience of value chain development (supply chain). Ideally you’ll have knowledge of international trade regulations and export standards. Links with retailers in the Western market: Europe and North America would come in useful as would contacts with Korea, Japan and Russia.
Good communication skills are essential and a willingness to work with interpreters. You’ll be experienced at motivating and training others. Adaptability, versatility and a willingness to live and adapt to a remote and rustic environment are all essential.
And the rest...
About this VSO volunteer position…
You’ll be based in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, with a population of 1.2 million people. We’ll ask you to commit to 9 months to make a long-term contribution tackling poverty. In return we’ll provide you with invaluable training before your placement, a furnished apartment (sometimes shared), language lessons, and a monthly allowance to cover your basic needs, as well as health insurance, and return flights. When you return to your home country, we’ll help you to resettle and we’ll invite you to stay involved with us through campaigning, development awareness raising and fundraising.
Marketing and Design Advisor
Kenya
The Vyulya Youth Polytechnic in Kenya provides training for young people who cannot attend secondary school due to academic ability, disability and poverty. Your role will be to support the training of young people, in particular with regard to leatherwork, to give them greater employment opportunities. To ensure its long-term sustainability, the youth polytechnic needs to diversify its income base and you’ll work with your colleagues to develop markets and marketing strategies for the products developed by the students. You’ll plan and implement a production unit with quality control processes. Your work will ensure that the youth polytechnic continues to train young people with disabilities by enhancing its resource base
What does the role involve?
- Train around 30 young people with disabilities in the leatherwork department in design, production and marketing skills.
- Work with the manager to develop a production unit within the youth polytechnic
- Develop business and marketing plans to create new revenue streams for the youth polytechnic through the sale of products created by the students
- Conduct market demand surveys with local colleagues
- Develop and implement an industry placement scheme for the students.
Skills, qualifications and experience required
Ideally you’ll have a degree in marketing, design or business management. With at least three years’ experience in the area of design and production, you’ll have developed strong supervision and leadership skills. You’ll be able to draw up business plans and strategies and have the knowledge to advise in this area. You’ll have experience of using SWOT analysis and the ability to develop marketing plans for a variety of products. In addition you’ll need an outgoing and positive attitude, as you’ll be interacting with members of the community and local leaders. A sense of humour, patience and a willingness to become part of the community will ensure that you experience a warm welcome in Kenya.
And the rest...
Kenya is a wonderful country in which to live and work, and volunteers leave Kenya having thoroughly enjoyed their time and with a great appreciation of the kindness and generosity of the Kenyan people. It remains one of the most spectacularly beautiful countries in Africa where the savannah plains roll into the hills, which leap to the mountains. The flora and fauna attract thousands of tourists each year. The beaches and sea retain, in most areas, the reputation of being the cleanest and some of the richest in the world.
We’ll ask you to commit to 12 - 24 months to make a sustainable contribution to our development goals. In return, we’ll provide you with extensive training before your placement and our financial package includes a local salary, return flights, accommodation and insurance. When you return to your home country, we'll help you to resettle and many of our returned volunteers stay involved with us long after their placement ends.
Agribusiness adviser
The Philippines
The Philippines is an amazingly rich and diverse part of South East Asia, with more than 7,000 islands spread over 1,600 km. The Municipality of Hernani, on the Island of Samar, is struggling to ensure economic development and is trying to find ways to overcome this. This volunteer placement will focus on contributing to economic development though developing and improving various agriculturebased livelihood activities.
What does the role involve?
- Identifing agribusiness opportunities and developing these into viable livelihood opportunities for communities
- Mentoring communities who are involved in agribusiness projects
- Assisting in the accessing of resources/writing of fundraising proposals for small enterprise development projects
- Networking, coordinating and sharing expertise with the neighbouring municipalities
Skills, qualifications and experience required
You will need a degree qualification in agribusiness, or another relevant subject, with at least three years of professional experience working in commerce. You will need to be able to work fairly autonomously, and be confident in decision-making. Excellent communication skills and the ability to work with others are important traits for this role. Flexibility, patience and a sense of humour are essential qualities for all VSO placements, as they will help you to adapt to live and work in a different culture. You’ll also need to be happy to work in a multicultural environment and work creatively with limited resources.
Small business adviser
Malawi
Malawi continues to suffer from acute maize shortages and chronic under-nutrition, with small-scale farmers, female-headed households and people living with HIV and AIDS facing the greatest risks. VSO volunteers are working towards food security for these vulnerable groups, ensuring families can feed themselves and are able to earn an independent and sustainable income. As a small business adviser you’ll support a new local business development centre in Lilongwe. The centre provides business development training, advice and services to individual farmers, farmer associations and other small enterprises in all areas of small business development.
What does the role involve?
- Mentoring and supporting the centre manager in the development of services and management systems at the centre
- Providing business advice, training and support to small enterprises, through the development of business plans and proposals, bookkeeping and accounting services
- Identifying and extending information to new client groups that could benefit from the services offered by the centre
- Developing relationships with finance institutions and other relevant stakeholders
Skills, qualifications and experience required
You’ll need a degree level qualification in business, finance or other relevant subject with at lest three years’ small business experience. Ideally you will have been involved in a business start-up before and have experience in providing accounting services and/or business development advice to small enterprises. You’ll need to be a strong team player, able to work with others at all levels, from heads of finance institutions to small enterprises. Flexibility, patience and a good sense of humour are essential to help you adapt to a new cultural way of working.
And the rest...
Landlocked Malawi is situated in south-eastern Africa, bordering Tanzania, Mozambique and Zambia. Its area is one-fifth covered in water and magnificent Lake Malawi is Africa’s third largest lake with an astounding sub-aqua life. You’ll be based in Lilongwe, Malawi’s capital. There are two well-stocked supermarkets in town and several market areas with a wide range of fresh foods, clothes, second-hand shoes and household equipment. Lake Malawi is around 1-2 hours’ drive from Lilongwe, so it’s a popular option for weekends away.
We’ll ask you to commit to 12-24 months to make a sustainable contribution to our development goals. In return, we’ll give you comprehensive financial, personal and professional support. We'll provide you with extensive training before your placement, and our financial package includes a local living allowance, return flights, accommodation, insurance and more. When you return to your home country, we'll help you to resettle and many of our returned volunteers stay involved with us long after their placement ends.
