Small scalebusinesses also known as small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) are generally regarded as the engine of economic growth and equitable development in developing economies. They are labour intensive, capital saving and capable of helping create most of the one billion new jobs the world will need by the end of the century (Agwu & Emeti, 2014). They are also perceived as the key to Nigeria’s economic growth, poverty alleviation and employment generation. But their unimpressive performance in employment generation in recent years has generated a lot of research interests on their challenges and prospects.
In recent years, particularly since the adoption of the economic reform programmed in Nigeria in 1986, there has been a decisive switch of emphasis from the grandiose, capital intensive, large scale industrial project based on the philosophy of import substitution to small scale industries with immense potentials for developing domestic linkages for rapid, sustainable industrial development. Apart from their potential for ensuring a self-reliant industrialization, in terms of ability to rely largely on local raw materials, small scale enterprises are also in a better position to boost employ raw materials, small and medium enterprise, are also in a better position to boost employment, guarantee a more even distribution of industrial development in the country, including the rural areas, and facilitate the growth of non-oil exports.
Internet, websites and web pages have become a huge source of information and also an easy medium of performing daily transactions, processing of information, storing and retrieving of information. With the presence of internet activities online such as e-banking, e-business, e-commerce, e-passport, e-learning the internet has grown rapidly, and is now global new technologies are continuously being developed to make the internet easier and more attractive to use. The therefore for many organizations, having internet access has become critical not only for communication, but also just for day-to-day operations.
The internet has created a wider audience and consumer base for whatever business that can be performed.
In the process of conducting this project e-booking is considered as the electronic transaction performed between individual and group of persons and a firm or organization whereby goods and services are booked online in time.
E-booking has become one of the easiest means of performing reservation of goods and services from far distance as long as there is access to Internet without visiting a particular firm or organization. Therefore by the means of e-booking one can easily make orders via Internet, which eliminates difficulties in dissemination of information, increase speed of processing information and reduces cost of transaction.
The project topic “Small Scale Business Website for Normat Pharmacy” will cover the development of a web application that will facilitates the features of e-commerce, which will allow transaction (online transaction) of drugs between the pharmacy (Normat Pharmacy) and individuals or group of persons without visiting the pharmacy, unless there is a difficult issue that cannot be solved online.
1.1 Background of the Study
Websites and web pages provide a lot of opportunities such as education, researching and sensitizing individuals, firm, organization and governmental bodies.
The background of this study is to view how web application can contribute to the Online drug ordering system; it is expected to solve the following problems:
1.2 Aims and Objectives
The aims and objectives of this study is to design a web application that would:
1.3 Statement of the Problem
Most SMEs in Nigeria die within their first five years of existence, a smaller percentage goes into extinction between the sixth and tenth year while only about five to ten percent survive, thrive and grow to maturity (Aremu, 2004). Many factors have been identified contributing to this premature death of SMEs. Key among them include: insufficient capital, irregular power supply, infrastructural inadequacies (water, roads etc.), lack of focus, inadequate market research, over-concentration on one or two markets for finished products, lack of succession plan, inexperience, lack of proper book keeping, lack of proper records or lack of any records at all, inability to separate business and family or personal finances, lack of business strategy, inability to distinguish between revenue and profit, inability to procure the right plant and machinery, inability to engage or employ the right caliber of staff, cut-throat competition, failure to harness ICT technologies like websites (Basil, 2005).
The major problems of SMEs as it relates to ICT include:
1.4 Justification
This project will create awareness that is necessary for a change in the manner of how things should be done. It will open market for the pharmaceutical company (Normat Pharmacy) as well as make the possibility of ordering by customer before reaching the pharmacy.
1.5 Definition of Terms
These are definition of technical terms used in this project, this include: