Mobile for Business Knowledge and Skills Guide

Mobile phones can be a powerful tool for micro-entrepreneurs in low- and middle-income countries, helping them save time and money, operate more efficiently and grow their businesses. Yet many micro-entrepreneurs, particularly women, do not use mobile to its full potential for business, often due to limited awareness, digital skills and confidence. 

The Mobile for Business Knowledge and Skills Guide is a practical resource for organisations supporting micro-entrepreneurs, including mobile network operators, governments, NGOs and other development organisations. It identifies the key knowledge and skills micro-entrepreneurs need to use mobile for business effectively, safely and confidently. 

The guide provides a comprehensive table of knowledge and skills that organisations can use to develop, adapt or strengthen training and support programmes, as well as to inform the design of marketing and communications for mobile products and services. The knowledge and skills are organised around four key business needs: 

• Communicating and coordinating with customers, suppliers and employees, and building connections to support your business.  
• Marketing and promoting your business online to showcase your products and reach new customers.  
• Gaining knowledge and learning new skills to improve your business, find new ideas and solve problems.  
• Managing your finances, including sending and receiving money safely and using mobile money or banking apps with ease. 

To support organisations in translating these knowledge and skills into practical training, we will soon be publishing new content in the GSMA’s Mobile Internet Skills Training Toolkit (MISTT). These new modules will focus specifically on mobile for business, providing guidance to help micro-entrepreneurs put these skills into practice and use mobile to support their businesses.