EDITORIAL: Support local businesses
Barbadians are being encouraged to support local businesses when making their Christmas purchases for goods and services.
The call came recently from Minister of Energy, Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Kerrie Symmonds, as he spoke at the recent launch of the first Bajan Christmas Pop-up Marketplace. The event was designed to assist small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) which are being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and these businesses will have the opportunity to further market their products and services as time goes on.
The Bajan Christmas Pop-up Marketplace is meanwhile being held in conjunction with the Barbados Manufacturers’ Association, the Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Small Business Association, the Barbados Trust Fund Limited, the Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme, and the Barbados Investment and Development Corporation.
It has also been noted that school children participating in the Barbados Entrepreneurship Foundation’s $20 Challenge would be a part of the pop-up marketplace and this outlet for SMEs is also scheduled to continue next year, during the Easter and Summer periods.
Businesses must produce quality products and services
Now this call to support SMEs is a commendable one. What we want to see is more Barbadians supporting small businesses, so that they can thrive. This means however that these businesses must produce quality products and services at reasonable prices, to ensure that Barbadians can truly benefit from what they do offer. We cannot have a situation where citizens prefer to shop online, because even after paying shipping costs and duties, the item they desire is still cheaper than if they purchased it locally.
What we want to see as well is more creativity and innovation put into the packaging and labelling and even the marketing of certain products, because all this is a good mix for those truly seeking to capture a good segment of the market. We cannot have small businesses taking these things for granted and yet, expecting a great response from customers. What you put in, is what you get out.
All will agree that as we usher in the Christmas period, we do need to have some money circulating to boost our economy and given the impact of COVID-19 on the local business community, we can be sure that SMEs will welcome all the business they can get. That does not mean that the bigger businesses do not wish to see as many customers as possible, but we have to acknowledge that the small man suffers the most at times.
Therefore, as Christmas rolls around and Barbadians engage more in their Yuletide shopping, they can perhaps visit a few of these pop-up marketplaces, and see whether the craft, clothing, local food and drinks, natural wines, hair and body care items match their fancy. They should also seek to support other SMEs in Barbados by purchasing what they can from them this Yuletide season, so we can perhaps hear of “better business” where the SMEs sector is concerned.