What does it mean?
Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) is a small business management training programme developed by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and used in more than 100 countries. It focuses on practical skills such as marketing, pricing, costing and planning, in plain language suited to owners of small and medium enterprises.
How does it work?
The programme has four packages, each matching a different stage of a business:
Generate Your Business (GYB) for people thinking of starting who want to choose a sound idea. Start Your Business (SYB) for those with an idea who want to turn it into a business plan and a running business. Improve Your Business (IYB) for owners of running businesses who want better management, sales and bookkeeping. Expand Your Business (EYB) for owners of successful businesses who want to grow.
Why does it matter?
The ILO delivers SIYB through certified trainers working with local partner organisations, which lets it reach many people at low cost. It also gives a useful way to group ventures by stage and see what kind of support each stage needs.
In the Syrian context
The Entrepreneurship Observatory (October 2026) used the SIYB stages to place everyone with a project or idea, based on how they described themselves. The approximate shares were 30% at Generate Your Business, 4% at Start Your Business and 66% at Improve Your Business, while 71% of running businesses want to expand, which is how the Observatory measures Expand Your Business.
The Observatory concludes that most entrepreneurs in its data are past the start-up stage, and that real demand is for programmes that help them improve and expand.
Example
The owner of a sweets shop in Sweida has traded for four years but does not know which products actually make a profit. She joins an Improve Your Business (IYB) course, learns to cost each item, and drops two best-sellers that were losing money.
Common questions
What are the stages of SIYB?
Four: Generate Your Business (GYB), Start Your Business (SYB), Improve Your Business (IYB) and Expand Your Business (EYB). Owners can join at the stage that fits their situation.
Who delivers SIYB?
It is developed by the International Labour Organization and delivered by ILO-certified trainers working with local partner organisations in each country.
Is SIYB suitable for tech startups?
It was designed mainly for small and medium enterprises, and its core skills in marketing, costing and planning help any business. Tech startups seeking venture capital may also need dedicated investment readiness support.