The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

AROUND 2,500 budding entrepreneurs are in the queue to access the Small Business Development Centre’s (SBDC) services, its executive director saying: “We are trying to set companies up for sustainable success.”

Speaking with Tribune Business at a recent SBDC Town Hall meeting, Davinia Blair said: “Out of the hundreds of people who showed up, most of them had not signed up. If they sign-up now they will see a November date now if they are a start-up, and I think September or October if you’re an existing business.

“It’s important for people to understand the process; that people who think they can walk in day one and walk out with a cheque a week later, that’s not the type of programme we have. We are trying to set companies up for sustainable success.”

Ms Blair continued: “We are happy to have announced a partnership with BICA (Bahamas Institute of Chartered Accountants) so that persons already in business, but who don’t quite have their financials together and are waiting to see us, can go and get that done.

“I don’t think people quite appreciate just how many people we are serving simultaneously. In the pipeline, meaning people who have already been trained or seeing advisors right now, there are hundreds of people. We also have another 2,500 or so waiting. I think people need to appreciate that and appreciate the hours involved. With free services sometimes there is a level of waiting that happens.”

The centre, which is designed to strengthen the Bahamian micro, small and medium-sized enterprise (MSME) sector, is a partnership between the Ministry of Finance, University of the Bahamas (UB) and the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers’ Confederation (BCCEC).

Ms Blair said the SBDC currently has about 15 advisors, and seven to eight full-time staff. “That doesn’t include the partners and agencies that are coming together on this. There is a massive team being mobilised to help small businesses. For me I stop looking at how overwhelming it is and I’m just reaching out for partners,” added Ms Blair.