As part of the week of activities to mark its seventh anniversary celebrations this year, the Jamaica Business Development Centre (JBDC) will host the first one-day Small Business Expo, appropriately titled, 'Today's Business for Tomorrow's Growth'. The event is scheduled for April 2 at the Grande Ballroom of the Hilton Kingston hotel. It is aimed at providing a forum for small business owners who have a desire to improve their businesses, through better promotion and branding of their products and services, and to garner information on newer and more innovative ideas for marketing in the 21st century.

Additionally, the expo will provide an avenue for potential business owners to get information on the processes involved in setting up businesses in Jamaica.

According to chief executive officer at the JBDC, Valerie Veira, the Small Business Expo will further provide an opportunity for small businesses to forge and strengthen relationships with companies in keeping with the new cluster initiative created by partner programmes such as the Private Sector Development Programme.

"It is a proven fact that the small business sector fuels the world's economies. This Small Business Expo and seminars are just one of the vehicles that the JBDC is utilising to fulfil its mandate of ensuring that the small business sector is properly prepared and is sustainable for our overall economic development," she said. The Expo will feature more than 40 exhibitors from relevant sectors, all of whom come together to ensure the efficient start-up of successful businesses.

Workshops

Among the organisations approached for participation in the expo are: financial institutions, standards and regulating companies and educational institutions such as the HEART Trust/NTA. To add to the offerings of the expo, the JBDC will also present workshops throughout the day on different topics. Among the topics to be explored are: 'processes in business set-up', 'branding your products', 'managing customer relations' and 'marketing a small business from a big business perspective'. Presenters will include the JBDC team, in collaboration with industry specialists. A number of corporate companies have come on board to ensure the success of this inaugural event and will play a major role in the presentation of the day's activities. Among them are; the Bank of Nova Scotia, Private Sector Development Programme, RJR Communications Group and The Gleaner Company.