In CEDA’s view, training and mentoring are
interconnected as they all attempt to promote the right
entrepreneurial skills by CEDA beneficiaries, emphasizing business-related functions such as marketing
management, financial management, operations management, and human resources management. In doing
so, CEDA attempts to address either the lack of or inadequate business skills among entrepreneurs in Botswana
(Isaacs, 2007). Therefore, the sample for this study was
derived from SME operators who have ever sought
assistance from CEDA. The decision to use CEDA
SME operators was based on the fact that the number
of SMEs and their contacts in the region are not really
known. A significant number of registered companies
are not operational for a number of reasons.