Relevance of entrepreneurial skills in the growth and development of small-scale enterprises

Abstract

This paper focused on the relevance of entrepreneurial skills in the growth and development of small-scale enterprises in Aba Metropolis of Abia State. A survey research design was employed in the study. The population for the study was 70 male and female entrepreneurs dealing on clothing and other textile materials. The entire population was used in the study because the population was small and manageable. Two research questions with 25 questionnaire items guided the study. Two hypotheses were formulated for the study. The mean with standard deviation was used to answer the research questions while the Z-test was used to test the two null hypotheses. The instrument was validated by three experts; two from department of Technology and vocational education and one from measurement and evaluation in Enugu state university of science and Technology. Cronbach alpha reliability method was used to determine the internal consistency of the instrument which yielded an overall coefficient of .68. Data analysis revealed that all the 25 items were agreed on by the respondents. The study revealed that entrepreneurial skills are needed by entrepreneurs for growth and development of small-scale enterprises. Based on the findings, it was recommended that the federal and state ministries of Trade, Commerce and Industry should organize workshop/seminars towards creating awareness on the relevance of entrepreneurial skills for all prospective entrepreneurs.