EFFECT OF ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS ON SMALL AND MEDIUM SCALE ENTERPRISES (SMEs) PERFORMANCE: A STUDY OF REGISTERED BUSINESSES OPERATING IN SABON GARI MARKET KANO

Abstract

Entrepreneurial skills are a set of specific knowledge, abilities, skills, traits, motives, attitudes and values essential for the personal development and successful participation of each person in an organization. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of entrepreneurial skills on SMEs performance among owners/managers operating registered businesses in Sabon Gari Market Kano, Nigeria. Descriptive survey research design was used while a sample size of one hundred and seventy two (172) business owners/managers were drawn through the use of Yamane (1967) formula for sample size determination out of three hundred and three (303) owners/managers operating registered businesses in Sabon Gari Market, Kano, which constituted the study population. Probability sampling technique was used which involves simple random sampling. Closed-ended questionnaire served as a data collection tool for the study and Regression analysis was used to analyse the collected data through Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 21. Face validity and reliability test (Cronbach’s Alpha) were conducted. The findings indicate that entrepreneurial skills have significant effect on SMEs performance; it also shows that significant relationship exists between entrepreneurial skills and SMEs performance. The study recommends that business owners and managers should focus on improving entrepreneurship skills in order to improve the performance of small and medium scale enterprises. Future researchers should expand the scope of the study to incorporate more organizations; again the research used only one variable, future researchers should use more variables in order to better capture the opinion of the respondents.