Starting a Business: Step 6 - Knowing where to get other help for your business

You may be needing help in creating your business plan, especially if you intend to borrow from a bank. So who should you go to?

The Department of Trade and Industry has SME counselors that are ready to help you on completing your business plan.

There are many freelance consultants out there that you could hire to help you prepare your business plan at a lower cost.

You can also seek help from some business schools that have small business extension office that is helping and giving advice to SMEs. There is, for example, the St. Louis University Extension Institute for Small Scale Industries. Angeles University has a branch in Pampanga that caters to small businesses. Even Notre Dame University in Cotabato has one.

Aside from these, you can ask help from professors from schools of business. In fact, a business plan can be made into thesis or practicum of the students especially those taking up master’s degree.

If ever you get to meet a fellow entrepreneur that is planning to enter on the same industry you’re in, why not work together and help each other on the expenses of creating a business plan.

If however, you need training on becoming an entrepreneur, go to Institute for Small Scale Industries (SSI) at the University of the Philippines (Diliman). They have many training programs for those wanting to start their own business. Included here are identifying and choosing the business you wanted, creating a business plan and preparing and running this business.

If you need training for your own workers, there is the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and Technology Resource Center (TRC) and other agencies of Department of Science and Technology (DOST)

With regards to designing and developing products, the Product Development and Design Center of the Philippines (PDDCP) of the DTI has designers you can approach.