Business development services (BDS) refer to a wide range of non-financial services used by entrepreneurs to help them improve the performance of their businesses, access to markets, and ability to compete.

The definition of ’business development service’… includes an array of business services [such as training, consultancy, marketing, information, technology development and transfer, business linkage promotion, etc.], both strategic [medium to long term issues that improve performance] and operational [day-to-day issues]. BDS are designed to serve individual businesses, as opposed to the larger business community.”

This definition explicitly excludes services directed at the wider business environment. However, in practice, lobby and advocacy are often included in BDS. In any case, financial services are not in- cluded in BDS. Several organisations distinguish three types of programs related to business devel- opment:

• Financial services
• Enterprise Development or BDS
• Enabling Environment
Sometimes, these three are all integrated into Private Sector Development.

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