If you own or manage a small or medium-sized enterprise producing garments, you are responsible for an important contribution to the national economy. People depend on you for jobs and for your products. The bulk of social and economic growth in most countries is expected to come from small or medium-sized enterprises.

In spite of their importance, many small or medium-sized clothing firms fail to grow or even to survive. It is not easy to succeed in the garment industry. Problems of finance, production and marketing lead many to bankruptcy every year.

This is a book about survival and growth through building a more effective enterprise. The ideas you will find in this book are practical and low cost: some of them may already be in use in your own enterprise or nearby. These practical ideas are the result of several years of ILO action, in cooperation with owners and managers just like you. In each case, the starting point was a concern for the enterprise's survival and growth.