The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

The founder of a Bahamian e-commerce portal yesterday said he hopes to "bridge the divide" between Family island economies with the launch of an APP that will bring "new school innovation" to the mailboat system.

Omar Isaacs, chief marketing officer/founder of BUYBAHAMIAN.BIZ, an e-commerce site founded in 2013, yesterday announced the soft launch of an inter-island trade APP dubbed 'BAHAMIAN 2 BAHAMIAN - B2B'.

Mr Isaacs said that after nine months of research, his team had found there was no single platform where consumers or interested travellers could examine - or keep track of - the mail boat schedules.

He added that while Family Island business owners were eager to expand their domestic market reach, but shipping via the mailboat system was a 'cumbersome' process.

Mr Isaacs said the App not only centralises mail boat scheduling for easy access and viewing, but has also provided a booking and reservation solution for persons wanting to ship an average-size box or pallet, or pre-book one-way travel tickets from one island to their desired island destination using Nassau as the hub.

"We wanted to create a platform where you could book a ticket on the mailboat, view shipping times and buy a ticket to the Family Islands," he told Tribune Business. "We wanted to bring new school innovation to that industry. This is all part of our greater mission, which is to be that bridge that connects all of the micro-economies of our islands and foster inter-island trade."

Mr Isaacs added: "We haven't gone wholesale with the APP yet. Right now, it's really for the Bahamian entrepreneurs looking to expand their product reach domestically. We really believe in supporting our own and giving Bahamian entrepreneurs a platform to push their products."