Manager of the Business Advisory Services Unit at the Jamaica Business Development Corporation, Melissa Barrett.
The Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC) continues to fuel the economy through its business centres that support the growth and development of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) operating outside of Kingston.
Kingston houses the headquarters for the JBDC, but the entity has acknowledged that “good business” is not centralised to the Kingston and St. Andrew metropolitan area. In other parishes, there are skilled small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs in manufacturing, tourism, agriculture and fisheries who need support and assistance.
In response to this need, the JBDC has established five business centres outside of Kingston, which are “outfitted with professional Business Development Officers (BDOs) that have expertise, technical know-how and knowledge of the business realities in each parish,” noted Manager of the Business Advisory Services Unit at the JBDC, Melissa Barrett.
The business centres are located in Manchester, Westmoreland, St. James, St. Ann and St. Thomas and offer business development services to neighbouring parishes as well.
Mrs. Barrett shared that “the centres were developed to enable the JBDC to reach entrepreneurs that are operating or seeking to operate businesses outside of Kingston and to make our services accessible to them”.
She added that each of the business centres has a Client Registration/Junior Officer and a Business Development Officer. “The Junior Officer onboards the client and provides support to those [businesses] that are at the unregistered stage while the BDO works with those that have already been established and are seeking to expand”.
Business owners who operate outside of Kingston are being encouraged to visit and begin a beneficial partnership with professionals in the business centres, who are prepared to take them “from concept to market”.
Interested persons may visit the JBDC website at www.jbdc.net or call (876) 928-5161 for further information.