Knowing how to repair a phone, sew clothes, or design a website can provide a starting point for earning money. However, a skill alone does not guarantee an income. A young person must also find customers, set fair prices, control spending, and deliver good work. For Afghan youth, business education should connect practical skills with these everyday responsibilities.
Small businesses offer one possible path into work. They can serve local needs and sometimes create jobs for others. Yet encouraging every unemployed person to open a business would be unrealistic. Young people need support to judge whether their idea has enough customers before risking their savings.
Begin with a Customer
Business training should start with a local problem. A neighborhood may need reliable clothing repairs, affordable tutoring, or better delivery services. Young people can speak with possible customers and ask what they need, what they currently pay, and what disappoints them.
For example, someone trained in phone repair could begin by offering a few services using available tools. Renting an expensive shop immediately may create costs before enough customers arrive. Starting small gives the owner time to test demand and improve the service.
Training centres could include this process in their lessons. Students could prepare a sample product, collect feedback, and calculate whether selling it would cover the costs.
Learn to Manage the Money
A business can make sales and still lose money. New owners need to understand the difference between money received and profit earned.
A tailor, for instance, must consider thread, electricity, transport, equipment repairs, and working time when setting a price. Ignoring these costs may make the service look affordable while leaving little income.
A notebook can help record daily sales and expenses. Business money should also be kept separate from household spending where possible. These habits make it easier to identify losses and plan purchases.
Loans require care. Borrowing before testing an idea can leave a young person with debt and unsold goods. Small grants, shared equipment, or savings may provide a more manageable beginning, depending on the situation.
Keep Support Close to the Work
A short course cannot answer every problem that appears after opening. Young business owners may need guidance when customers complain, suppliers raise prices, or sales fall.
Experienced local owners could provide regular mentoring. Meetings should focus on actual records and decisions rather than general advice about success. A mentor might help compare suppliers, improve a price list, or explain why customers are not returning.
Support must also reach young women, rural youth, and people with disabilities. Affordable training, accessible locations, and suitable learning arrangements can reduce some barriers. Wider restrictions on education, movement, and work also need attention.
Programmes should assess results after training ends. Useful measures include whether businesses remain open, owners earn income, and customers receive dependable services.
Conclusion
Turning skills into jobs requires practice in both producing something useful and running the business around it. Afghan youth need opportunities to test ideas, understand costs, and receive guidance while gaining experience. A sensible programme could help each participant find a first customer, complete a small order, and review the result before expanding. This would give young people evidence for their next decision.
Author: Mohammad Saleh Nazari
References
International Labour Organization. Start and Improve Your Business.
https://www.ilo.org/si ybWorld Bank. (2025). Afghanistan Development Update—April 2025.
https://thedocs.worldbank.org/en/doc/71dd45bbb425564ee41e22e1dc2c2f57-0310012025/original/Afghanistan-Development-Update-April-2025-Final.pdf