The Tribune

The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) is celebrating October as Small Business Month to highlight the importance of its 8,000-plus clients in this category to the local economy.

The carrier said it will kick-off the month by hosting its second annual, ‘InKnowVation’ Conference virtually, under the theme Powerful, Real World Business Solutions. Other activities will follow.

Garry Sinclair, BTC's chief executive, said: “Small businesses are the lifeblood of the Bahamian economy. Over the years we’ve worked hand-in-hand with our small business customers to customise services and solutions to power their unique business needs.

"Given the unprecedented challenges businesses have had to deal with this year, BTC has had to create innovative solutions to enable our customers to respond to their clients’ evolving needs.”

The InKnowVation Conference will be hosted in a virtual environment, with two-hour webinars held every Friday throughout October. The free event will include a mixture of regional and international speakers, and will be hosted by BTC’s head of outdoor sales, K. Darron Turnquest.

Participants will have the opportunity to collaborate and share insights, lessons learned and best business practices. Topics include How to start and build your own YouTube Channel, Sustaining your business through the COVID-19 pandemic and How to think out of the box.

BTC has partnered with its sister companies, Flow Trinidad, Flow Barbados and Flow Turks and Caicos. for this year’s event. Jenson Sylvester, Barbados country manager and head of B2B (business to business) for the South Caribbean, and Vanessa Chong, service and market manager for Flow UTS in Curacao, will be presenters at the events. Small businesses from Trinidad, Barbados and Turks and Caicos will also be featured during the month.

Speakers include Dr Michelle Hoskins, founder and president of Michele Foods; Robert Morgan, owner of TESS full service production company; Tracey Moore, acting coach and lecturer; artist Joya Cousins; David Weintraub from Dwe Talent; LaToya Westbrooks, senior UX researcher at Facebook; celebrity make-up artist, Caroline Green; James Walker junior, managing partner of J. Walker & Associates LLC; and singer, songwriter, actor, entrepreneur and entertainer, Willie ‘Ray Jay’ Norwood.

The first session begins today with 33-year business veteran, Dr Hoskins, founder and president of Michele Foods, a manufacturer of specialty breakfast syrups based in Chicago. Her products are sold at many top retail chains in the US.

She is the first minority supplier for Denny’s and Wal-Mart, and has also partnered with companies including Sara Lee and General Mills. Dr Hoskins will speak on the topic, The evolution of family businesses from one generation to the next. BTC will also feature local business owner, Dr Renee Peet-Iferenta, of Family Dental at this virtual conference.

Registration is free, and persons can do this by visiting btcbahamas.com/inKnowVationconference.