In Focus

EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS ACT HR CLINICS Read more, pg 2

You Are ReadingVol. 01 Issue. 12 September, 2013

Edition

SMALL BUSINESS WEEK STARTS ON HIGH NOTE

SMALL BUSINESS WEEK SEPT 21 - 28

ENTREPRENEURIAL TRAINING SERIES

OCTOBER 7 START

IMPORTANT DATES - 2013 UPCOMING REACH THE SBAHEAD OFFICE

1 Pelican Industrial Park,

Bridgetown, Barbados

Phone: (246) 228-0162

Fax: (246) 228-0613

Email: theoffice@sba.bbWebsite: www.sba.bb

Small Business Week 2013 was officially declared open by the Hon. Donville Inniss, M.P., Minister of Industry, International Business, Commerce & Small Business Development on Sunday September 22, 2013.

SBA President, Mr. Dalton Medford in delivering the welcome remarks stated that “fear” was playing a major role in magnifying the current economic crisis in Barbados. He went on to add that this fear of the future only served to paralyse small operators and prevented them from taking practical steps to grow their businesses. He urged small business owners to join together to move beyond the fear and develop a more “productive and positive attitude”. He also implored the gathering to set aside 30% of their spending to support local small businesses. In his address, Minister Inniss noted the concert was a fitting way to commence the week and that the location was indeed apt since it was nestled between the Old City Hall and St. Mary’s Church representing the bastion of stability, commerce and Justice , and the more modern version of Bridgetown. The Minister reaffirmed government’s commitment to the

small business sector and pledged to bring “clarity to the sector” to ensure its survival. He joined with the President, Dalton Medford and urged attendees to continue to support local small businesses. Ms. Beverly Norville of First Citizens Bank, title sponsor for Small Business Week 2013, said they were happy and proud to partner with the SBA because they (First Citizens Bank) understood the need for support and quality financial solutions for the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector.

The partnership between the SBA and First Citizens will span 3 years. The Thanksgiving Concert was one of six activities planned for SBA First Citizens Small Business Week 2013. The well attended concert saw performances from some eleven (11)acts which graced the stage at Jubilee Gardens. Entertainers included The Alexandra Beacons, the Central Bank Choir, Haynesville Youth Group, Praise Academy, Light & Power Ready Panners, Notes of Praise, singers

Rashida Dixon, Yvette Marshall and DJ Simmons’ spoken word.

The Thanksgiving Concert has been the opening feature of the week of activities for the past six years. The other events planned for the week include, The SME Forum (Tuesday), The Youth Forum (Wednesday), The SME Seminar and Expo (Thursday), a 20/20 Cricket Match Friday and the curtain comes down on the week with the Annual Awards Ceremony and Dinner (Saturday).

SBA Outlook Newsletter September, 2013

The Small Business Association’s Entrepreneurial Training Series will resume in October with seven courses being offered including Customer Service, QuickBooks (basic, intermediate and advance), Supervisory Management, Maximising Social Media for Small Business and Strategic Planning.

The focus on training continues to be one of the major activities of the association as it moves to create a cadre of entrepreneurs that is knowledgeable in various areas of business management. Recently the SBA graduated over 270 persons from its training courses. For more details please click HERE

The Association is intent on ensuring that its members are able to efficiently and effectively manage their various operations and become more profitable in the process.Ms. Andrea Taylor, Business Operations Manager of the SBA, noted that the courses offered continued to be very attractive to members. “Members were taking the opportunity to be trained and to have their staff trained”. Ms. Taylor also said the emphasis will move

towards ensuring that the Association’s members were particularly trained in the use of technology and various software programmes.

Quickbooks Basic has had overwhelming response and an announcement will be made shortly whether there will be an additional class. Persons interested in taking any of the other courses are encouraged to register early to avoid disappointment. Registrations start at $50 for members and $75 for non-members, for basic courses.

Please go to ww.sba.bb to see the start dates and courses being offered or click HERE.

ENTREPRENEURIAL TRAINING SERIES STARTS

RMH Financial Consultants Inc. was founded by Robert Michael Homer in 2005 and was registered under the Company’s Act in Barbados under company No. 25324 on May 23, 2005. The Company is a member of the Small Business Association. Mr. Homer serves the company as its Managing Director. The Company provides financial, consultation and management services to organisations throughout the Caribbean region. It is their responsibility to identify opportunities to our clients through a close working relationship so we can fully understand your business objectives and goals, thereby providing a solution specifically tailored to your needs.The company has designed a unique training program aimed at equipping non financial managers with the basic knowledge and tools to compliment the strategic and financial planning process within the organisation and to develop a pro-active approach to budgeting. Services include: Developing Comprehensive Business Plans, Computerized Accounting, Payroll, Income Tax, Consultation & Management, and Web Publishing: Contact them for further information email: rmh@rmhfci.com 246-271-3229 or cel : 246-253-8447Website http://rmhfci.com/.

SBA MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Small Business Association members will get the opportunity to benefit from expert human resource assistance when the Association commences its

HR Clinics to enable members to become compliant. The Employment Rights Act, which was proclaimed in 2013, is one of the major pieces of legislation to affect small operators

(the other being the Safety, Health at Work -SHaW Act). Business enterprises were given until October 15 to become compliant and have their particulars in order.The clinics are being conducted to help operators prepare disciplinary proceedures, job descriptions, and employment contracts, among other things.

Registration for the clinics start at $75 and members desirous of benefiting from these clinics are encouraged to call 228-0162 or emailing theoffice@sba.bb. Special Conditions apply.

HR CLINICS PROVIDE EXPERT FIX

Deciding what career to take will be made a whole lot easier when the Small Business Association in collaboration with First Citizens Bank, Sol and other sponsors host The Youth Forum on September 25, 2013.The Youth Forum will be held at Pelican Village and will showcase a range of career options for young people to consider. Andrea Taylor, Business Operations Manager of the Small Business Association stated that some eighteen (18) secondary schools were targeted

to attend the Forum and to date the response from the schools was very encouraging.She also noted that the attention would be placed on careers in the creative industries including film, dance, and music, among others. Attendees will be treated to various displays, presentations on career and startup issues and have an opportunity to interact with exhibitors to ask any questions they may have. The Forum runs from 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

STUDENTS TO BENEFIT FROM FORUM

SBA Outlook Newsletter September, 2013

The region will get the opportunity to focus on the development of SMEs when the Small Business Association hosts The SME Forum on Tuesday September 24, 2013 as part of the week of activities for Small Business Week 2013.

Small Business Week is being staged under the theme

“Renergising SMEs, Repositioning for Growth”. The Association will use this occasion to focus on how best to reposition SMEs not only nationally but across the region.

The Forum will be a live panel discussion which will be carried on Caribvision from the studios of the Caribbean Media Corporation. The broadcast will be carried in 23 countries across Caribvision’s network.

Panelists will include Mr. Ivor Carryl Programme Manager of the CSME Unit in Barbados, Mr. Felix Lewis, General Manager of the Centre for Enterprise Development Inc. in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Ms. Lynette Holder, CEO of the Small Business Association and moderated by Mr. Julius Gittens of CMC.

In explaining the need for such a forum, CEO of the SBA Ms. Lynette Holder noted that against the backdrop of the world’s worst global economic crisis since the 1930s, micro, small and medium enterprises must be repositioned as the catalyst for reenergising the economy. She noted that it was useful to include regional SMEs since “we need the help of the regional CSME to drive growth. The OECS is the only area where we still have a trade surplus and we have to include this knowledge in a regional strategy for local SMEs.”

The Association is hoping through this forum to assist members in forming and strengthening partnerships across the region and to draw on what the single market is able to offer the community.

The forum will also be available on www.sba.bb from 8:00 pm and members are will be sent a link to view the broadcast.

REGIONAL FOCUS ON SMES

As an association, we are always cognisant of the strength we have as a body. Numbers matter! Numbers enable us to lobby effectively on behalf of the SME sector and particularly our members. Numbers give us the loudness of voice that is required to be heard along the sometimes cloistered corridors of power.However, more and more we are finding that there is a pressing need to expand our numbers beyond the shores of Barbados. That is not to say that we are going to try to attract members from other Caribbean islands, but rather to leverage the existing Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) networks that are out there. SMEs, we know, face similar struggles

regardless of the jurisdiction; access to finance, lack of capacity, poorly enabled environments, oppressive taxes , regulations which are counterproductive to growth and small individual domestic markets.These several common factors have guided us in our planning for Small Business Week 2013 and convinced us to engage a panel to discuss what we think is a very important question - How do we Reposition SMEs across the region. Also how to take advantage of the opportunities that may exist and how do we get our SMEs to work together to expand their markets through

LAST WORD FROM THE CEO

networking for export.I have long argued that small businesses do not need handouts, rather they need ‘hand-ups’. I am also strongly against protectionist policies that do nothing to catapult businesses into the wider world

to expose their goods and services to larger markets with more

earning potential. I value competition because it energises us to be better. Sadly there is no utopia that we can aspire to but wouldn’t it be great if our local manufacturers network with local suppliers across the region for inputs and likewise have their products sold through various arrangements with their regional counterparts?Yes, I know some of this exists already, but I would challenge any small business operator to show me where this is

part of their long term or start up strategy. I would also question how many make it their business to look for regional counterparts with whom they can find synergies.The reality is that with the coming of the integrated CARICOM procurement system this will be the stark reality for many local small businesses and we may very well find that SME networks across the region may assume a more critical and urgent role both to central governments and to the owners of the various MSMEs.I therefore encourage you to pay special attention to THE SME Forum on Tuesday at 8:00 p.m on CARIBVISION as the very important topic of repositioning regional SMEs evolves.

UNITED WE STAND

Information Communication Technology, Export and Finance are among the subjects to be discussed at the SME Seminar and Expo to be held at the Savannah Hotel on September 26, 2013. The seminar and expo is another important feature of Small Business Week 2013 and part of the theme “Reenergising SMEs, Repositioning for Growth”.Small business operators have been invited to attend the seminar, which is not open to the general public. The association has also extended invitations to tertiary level students who are studying in areas of small business management and entrepreneurship.This will be an educational session with topics including How ICT is revolutionising the SME sector, Export strategies-

Challenges and opportunities, Improving Access to Finance, A Practical Approach.There will be displays showcasing various goods and services from sponsors, industry partners and members of the Association. The Seminar runs from 9: a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

SMES EDUCATIONAL SEMINAR & EXPO