Outlook Newsletter October 2013

You Are ReadingVol. 01 Issue. 13

October, 2013 Edition

In Focus

SBA PIONEER HONOURED Read more, pg 2

EIA YOUTH PROGRAMME GETS STARTED

MEMBERS’ MEETING OCTOBER 29

BARBADOS INVESTMENT &

FINANCIAL PRODUCTS SHOWCASE, GRAND

SALLE OCTOBER 30

IMPORTANT DATES - 2013 IMPORTANT DATES UPCOMING REACH THE SBAHEAD OFFICE

1 Pelican Industrial Park,

Bridgetown, Barbados

Phone: (246) 228-0162

Fax: (246) 228-0613

Email: [email protected]: www.sba.bb

13 Secondary schools are expected to take part in this year’s Enterprise in Action Youth Programme 2013-2014. The SBA since 2009 has implemented a programme called the Enterprise in Action Youth programme, which grew from nine schools initially to some 15 schools. This year the Association was able to host those schools at its annual Youth Forum and through a major career showcase, exposed our young minds to SBA members from the creative industries and to the world of work. The SBA’s focus on sensitising the youth to business is a part of its vision to be the agency for business and entrepreneurial development. Recognising that a culture of entrepreneurship is needed to allow Barbados to emerge from the current economic crisis, the youth represents

the catalyst to influence such a culture.First Citizens Bank, the strategic partner and Sol Caribbean Limited, will be working in harmony with the SBA in the expansion of our Enterprise in Action Youth programme. First Citizens understands the value of influencing the next generation of thinkers, creators and innovators, to ensure that our investment today will produce the human capital tomorrow capable of sustaining the standard of living we have enjoyed for the past four decades.

The SBA is issuing a challenge to corporate Barbados to join the programme, to strengthen the youth initiatives.

In his address at the Awards Ceremony and Dinner, SBA President Dalton Medford called on the Ministry of Education to place entrepreneurship central to the curriculum of our schools from primary – tertiary level. He stated that “If it is that Barbados will transition as an innovation economy based on the Global Competitiveness Index, we cannot pay lip service to entrepreneurial education. We have to be frontal and strategic in transforming the thinking of our young people today to be the innovators of tomorrow”.

Members’ MeetingDebt financing, the Credit Guarantee Scheme and the Factoring Programme will be the topics of discussion when the SBA convenes the next Members’ Meeting on October 29, 2013. Representatives of the Central Bank of Barbados and First Citizens Bank will be on hand to address the members and guests. The meeting takes place at Bagnall’s Point Gallery, Pelican Village at 6:00 pm, and all are invited. Come and get a better insight into what financial products are available for SMEs..

GROW YOUR BUSINESS WORKSHOP

NOVEMBER 20

WALK TO WELLNESS NOVEMBER 23

SBA Outlook Newsletter October, 2013

In a moving tribute to the legacy of SBA pioneer and founding father Senator John Watson, CEO Ms. Lynette Holder noted the immense and selfless contribution of the man whose work had championed the cause of the SME sector over the last 30 years.

Senator Watson was honoured for his life and contribution to the SME sector and for laying the foundation for what would become the Small Business Association. In detailing his life and work, the CEO lauded Senator Watson’s commitment to the sector noting that “it’s because of his work that many people are now aware of the contribution that SMEs make to Barbados”.

The Senator was presented with the 2013 Small Business Association President’s Award by SBA President Mr. Dalton Medford.

In accepting the award, a very humble and visibly emotional Senator Watson noted that he was never

in any doubt that the contribution by small businesses not only in Barbados but throughout the world was significant. He

went on to note that he was very impressed with the work that was being done by the Association to bring greater awareness to the sector and for the development of micro, small, and medium enterprises. He said that SMEs represented hope for the country pointing out

that small businesses were resilient and only used layoffs as a last resort even when things got particularly rough.

Senator Watson is the General Manager of Exstrawdinary, a manufacturing and craft operation which produces straw hand bags and table mats.

A LIFE OF SERVICE

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Contact them for further information by email: [email protected] or (246)-231-1276 or http://www.tcassistant.com

SBA MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

At the end of what was a keenly contested competition, Mr. Curtis Licorish of CSL Enterprises copped the People’s Entrepreneur Award having amassed the most votes by the public.

This competition began with 18 entrants and after two weeks of voting by the public via Facebook, 8 persons advanced to the next phase of the competition.

Through our partnership with LIME, the public was invited to vote via text messaging to a shortcode for their entrepreneur of the year. Once again this proved to be a close competition for the top two firms but in the end CSL Enterprises emerged the winner. It should be noted that even though the votes from the first leg of the competition did roll over to the second phase, when the two were combined, CSL would have emerged the victor regardless.

Well Done!

PEOPLE’S ENTREPRENEUR

All members of the SBA are invited to register on www.sba.bb. Association members will have unlimited access to exclusive member pages with content that is only available to

members. Non-members of the Association can also register on the site but will have limited access.Members will be able to access among other things documents and notices that are for their attention

only as well as being able to interact with the SBA electronically. If you require further information and need to register please contact [email protected] or by calling 228-0162.

REGISTER ON WWW.SBA.BB

SBA Outlook Newsletter October, 2013

Indoor Air Quality Solutions (IAQ) Inc. was adjudged the Small Business of the Year 2013 by a panel of judges comprising industry partners and experts. IAQ also captured the award for the best operation in the General Services Category.Dev Maharaj, founder of IAQ accepted the awards on behalf of the company at the SBA- First Citizens Bank Small Business Week 2013 Annual Awards Ceremony and Dinner recently held at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre.Minister of International Business, Industry, Commerce and Small Business Development, the Hon. Donville Inniss, delivered the feature address and presented the awards.The three and half year old

company came into the market to make a difference for the Barbadian consumer. The company is focused on providing the highest level of service possible all of the time. The company employs five persons and based on the nature of the project could employ up to 30 personsOther winners during the night included Medford Craft World (Arts & Craft), Advance Computer Services (ACS) – ICT; Drayton J Carter and Company Ltd - Professional Services; Loop Barbados - Tourism Related Services; C & G Star Trading - Manufacturing and Cricket Legends of Barbados in the wholesale and retail sector.

Congratulations!!

The Small Business Association (SBA) is the island’s non-governmental, non-profit representative body for micro, small and medium enterprises. The SBA seeks to expand business opportunities for its members, provide educational and developmental services and lobby to ensure an enabling environment

for the growth and sustainability of the SME sector. For more information on the work of the Small Business Association, please visit our website: http://www.sba.bb

IAQ: Small Business of the Year Award

This column is usually limited to roughly 600 words. Normally, this is enough to convey my thoughts each month succinctly and effectively. However, when I sat to write this article I realised that those six hundred words were hardly sufficient to allow me to convey the immense feelings of accomplishment and happiness that I felt throughout the staging of Small Business Week 2013. I knew that I would be unable to single out every person or organisation that contributed to the excellent production of the week but I still had to convey my gratitude.

Foremost at the top of my list is First Citizens Bank, our title sponsor for Small Business Week and the Enterprise in Action (EIA) Youth Programme for the next three years. Now one must recognise that Barbados is going through a challenging economic period, and companies are cutting back on sponsorship in various areas including some (for lack of a better word) institutionalised

sponsors. So you can imagine our pride for the SBA to have found a partner who said quite willingly, ‘we like what you are doing and we want to be a partner of this success’, for the long haul.

In First Citizens Bank, we are proud to have found a partner whose focus on the SME sector is not shrouded in capitalistic greed but in nurturing and developing the sector. We have found a partner that is willing to sit with us and deconstruct their view of the sector in order to create products and service offerings that are more beneficial and impactful to small operators. Finally, we are blessed to have them extend that nurturing hand to the development of the entrepreneurial mindset of our secondary school children.

However, I must also say a big thank you to all of our other supporters and sponsors who

LAST WORD FROM THE CEO

gave of their time, money and expertise. I say thank you to the many performers and behind-the-scenes personnel at our various events. We could not have done it without you.

Coming out of our week, we recognised the need

to continue the efforts to educate young people about entrepreneurship and to

further strengthen our EIA programme. To this end, the SBA is please to have Sol Caribbean Limited, as well, to assist with the build out of our youth programme.

We also recognise more and more that we can no longer pay lip service to the notion of regional integration. The courts have ruled on the free movement of CARICOM nationals. Now we need the same zeal applied to the facilitation of export opportunities, and incentives to assist the regional SMEs to grow. The SBA will continue the push to create that regional web where our members can network and collaborate with other operators in CARICOM. This level of networking has truly exciting possibilities

and to continue the journey we will be hosting Barbados’ Ambassador to CARICOM, the Hon. Robert ‘Bobby’ Morris, CHB, GCM, at our upcoming Annual General Meeting in November 2013. This is too important a regional debate to delay.

Throughout Small Business Week 2013 we introduced the theme “Reenergising SMEs, Repositioning for Growth”. We intend to continue to push this theme because we know that the way forward for the sector is by refocusing our energies and reassessing the growth strategies needed to enable small businesses to grow and be sustainable.

Finally, but by no means least I want to thank GOD, through Him all things are possible; for allowing us to continue to serve the community that is our members and to be able to find or create partnerships that assist in their development. We will continue to put Him first in our endeavours as we press ahead, with your help and support, in our efforts to contribute to the economic and social development of our nation.

Not Enough Words!

A new feature on the SBA’s website is the “Jobs Board”. Members of the Small business Association and other interested businesses will be given the opportunity to advertise for free on this section of the site any jobs they have available. This promotion will last for 3 months starting November 2013 until January 2014.

Interested persons and businesses should contact the Association at the earliest opportunity to take advantage of the offer.

In explaining this additional service being offered Business Operations Manager Andrea Taylor stated that SBA members continued to expand their businesses and were always looking for new employees. The Jobs Board would allow them to post available jobs for the general public and would be offered eventually at a very reasonable cost to members and partners.” She noted that eventually the Association would include additional features to this section including the ability for members of the public

to upload CVs and job letters which would be sent directly to the employer.

Ms. Taylor also noted that sometimes companies did not want to be bombarded with phone calls based on advertised openings and “we will be moving very quickly to offer a service which protects the identity of the advertiser if this was required”.

The SBA website (www.sba.bb) is quickly growing in audience and already a number of persons are using the site for research purposes.

ADVERTISE JOBS FREE