An ICT agripreneurship guide: A path to success for young ACP entrepreneurs
This practical handbook (PDF) published by the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) provides a guide for young aspiring information and communication technologies (ICTs) entrepreneurs to help them set-up businesses that address challenges in the agricultural sector. Governments, private sector, non-governmental organisations, and especially young people, are increasingly viewing the intersection of ICTs and agriculture as a way to tackle global youth unemployment. This guide sets out to provide young people with the business skills and knowledge needed to launch successful start-ups. The handbook is also aimed at incubators and institutions that support young entrepreneurs to develop their skills. Taking a hands-on approach, the guide provides a number of case studies, as well as practical advice from young entrepreneurs. One of the case studies highlights a successful initiative to improve food and income security in Africa by pairing the owners of low-cost ‘smart tractors’ with farmers via an innovative SMS-based service. The report also presents common mistakes and ways to avoid them, and recommendations on how to scale up successful cases. A selection of business and product development tools and references for further reading are included. Topics covered include ICT business challenges and how to solve them, creating effective business plans and developing strategies to attract funding and capital.