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MSME Clearinghouse: Newsletter |
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June 2019:
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Announcements
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JBDC Signs Three MOUs to Roll Out SBDC Business Model
Post MOU Signing, the parties from the partner organizations posed for a
photo opportunity. From left to right: Deputy CEO of the JBDC - Harold Davis,
President of NCU - Dr. Lincoln Edwards, JBDC CEO - Valerie Veira,
Vice President of CMU - Professor Ibrahim Ajagunna , CEO of RADA - Peter
Thompson and Business Advisory Services Manager at JBDC - Althea West-Myers.
The signing took place at JBDC's recently held Breakfast with the CEO event.
In an effort to expand the availability of business development services to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs)
across the island, the Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC) has signed three Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs)
to improve the level of competitiveness among MSMEs as well as the competences of business support organizations (BSOs).
The MOUs which were signed with the Northern Caribbean University (NCU), Rural Agricultural Development Agency (RADA)
and the Caribbean Maritime University (CMU) will facilitate expansion of a network of business development centers
utilizing the American Small Business Development Center (SBDC) model. The MOUs with the three partners are the first
to be signed. JBDC is still in negotiation with other institutions to establish more centers.
The SBDC model which has been in use by the JBDC since its launch in 2015 will also seek to generate new trade
opportunities and promote economic integration.
Chief Executive Officer of the JBDC, Valerie Veira notes that the signing of the MOUs with the three entities is
significant at this time as the JBDC seeks to strengthen its reach throughout the island. “JBDC is very intentional
about our purpose and our role in the development of businesses in Jamaica and our partnership with these particular
organizations at this time, is evidence that we are serious about touching every potential and existing entrepreneur
with our support.”
To this end, JBDC will establish small business development centers at each of the named organizations and facilitate
the training of business development officers who will in turn provide technical and capacity building support to MSMEs.
The SBDC model was introduced to the CARICOM region by the Organization of American States and Jamaica was one of the five
CARICOM countries that participated in the first phase of the program. At the time of the launch, JBDC was used as
a single pilot for the program in Jamaica.
The model focuses on providing technical and managerial assistance to small businesses. Its mission is to promote
growth, innovation, productivity and revenue for small businesses through improvements to their business administration.
The SBDC network is the largest and most successful network of assistance to the small and medium-sized enterprises in
the United States with more than 1,100 centers which are housed primarily on University campuses.
Launching of the SBDC Model in Guyana
Minister of Business The Honourable Haimraj Rajkumar
addressing participants at the opening of the Caribbean
SBDC Director and Advisor Certificate Training
on May 20-23, 2019, “Ballet Room”,
Cara Lodge Hotel, Georgetown, Guyana
The "Certificate Training for Future SBDC Counselors and Directors" designed to prepare MSME support professionals
in the fundamentals of operating and managing an SBDC was completed on May 23, 2019 in Guyana. The four-day
training which was held at the Cara Lodge Hotel in Georgetown was attended by stakeholders from several key
institutions integral to the MSME support ecosystem in Guyana including the Ministry of Business, the Small Business
Bureau, the University of Guyana, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and the Small Business Council to name a few.
The Ministry of Business is currently engaged in the third phase of the OAS Caribbean SBDC program that aims to
assist Guyana in the adaptation of the US SBDC model structure towards the improvement of the country’s MSME support
framework.
VI Inter-American Dialogue of High-Level MSME Authorities:
KOLAU Will Support the Digitization of 40,000 MSMEs in El Salvador
Banco Hipotecario of El Salvador and Kolau join efforts to digitize more than 40,000 micro, small and medium-sized
Salvadoran companies, opening a commercial market through the Internet.
With the support of the Organization of American States (OAS), the financial institution and this tech Company from
Silicon Valley signed a cooperation agreement that seeks to make MSMEs in the country more visible, through the most
used search engine on the web: Google.
https://elmundo.sv/banco-hipotecario-y-kolau-apoyaran-a-40000-mipymes/
https://vimeo.com/337317131/8304f98e93
VI Inter-American Dialogue of High-Level MSME Authorities:
Paraguay’s Vice Ministry of MSMEs launches digitization plan
As a result of the VI Inter-American Dialogue of High-Level MSME Authorities, held in El Salvador in April of this year,
Paraguay’s Vice Ministry of MSMEs launches a Digitization Plan in partnership with the digital platform KOLAU.
This company from Silicon Valley, a Strategic Partner of Google, offers a technology that will allow the digitization
of 30,000 MSMEs in Paraguay.
https://twitter.com/MIC_PY/status/1132397985491509248/photo/1
VI Inter-American Dialogue of High-Level MSME Authorities:
Plan to Digitize 80,000 MSMEs in Chile
Within the context of the VI Inter-American Dialogue of High-Level MSME Authorities, organized by the OAS in
El Salvador, the National Director of Sercotec, met with Kolau’s CEO, Daniel Sánchez, to reach an agreement that
resulted in the recent signing of the Memorandum of Understanding to digitize Chilean MSMEs.
On Wednesday, May 22, in the offices of Sercotec Nuñoa Business Center in Santiago, this important agreement was
signed with the participation of various entrepreneurs from the region, who were able to launch their web pages
live and learn about the benefits of technology.
Also, on May 23, at the Sercotec Valparaíso Business Center, a training workshop was organized to give
entrepreneurs the opportunity to know the platform and learn about the benefits that the partnership with Kolau
provides.
https://www.sercotec.cl/sercotec-presenta-a-kolau-herramienta-asociada-a-google-para-que-todos-los-emprendedores-de-chile-puedan-obtener-su-primera-pagina-web/
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Publications
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Events
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- Caribbean Export: National Capacity Building Workshop on the Protection of Intellectual Property for Small and Medium
Sized Enterprises, June 20, 2019, Nassau, The Bahamas
- OAS: Preparatory Meeting for the Eighth Inter-American Meeting of Ministers of Culture and Highest Appropriate Authorities,
July 15-16, 2019, Washington, D.C.
- Americas Competitiveness Forum, July 25, 2019, Buenos Aires
http://riacnet.org/home/en/
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