By K.C. Soares, ContributorLAST WEEK I attended the exhibition put on by the Small Business Association of Jamaica (SBAJ) and was totally unimpressed.
The exhibition, entitled "SBAJ Caribbean Business Women Convention and Product Expo", ran from March 7-9 and was held at the Chinese Benevolent Association on Old Hope Road. I attended on days one and two.
There was poor attendance on day one and I thought to myself that this may have been due to the fact that it was the first day and people may still be making arrangements to attend. As I toured the exhibition on the first day, I noticed that some booths were still to be furnished. I decided then to return the next day.
I revisited the exhibition on day two (Saturday) arriving there at about noon. I spent about four hours on the second day and during that time noticed only a few people in attendance. I spoke with quite a few of the booth operators and they too were disappointed not only with the attendance but the level of interest showed by the few persons who stopped at their respective booths. From all indications, the exhibition was a failure. Why was it a failure? These are my thoughts.
The first two things that struck me about the expo were the naming of the exhibition and the venue chosen.
While I do appreciate that March 8 was designated International Women's Day, why should a business association encompassing so many men carry the name "Women Convention?" Why should the expo be held on one of the busiest, if not the busiest, dual carriageway in the capital city? Did the organisers think of men, women and children crossing this busy thoroughfare after parking on the opposite side? If the cost of the venue was a deciding factor then there must have been other affordably priced venues better located.
It appears to me, from the presentation quality, the variety of the booths and the attendance of the general public that the SBAJ is not really reaching out to the small businessman. This is a pity, as I consider this association to be a most relevant one in moving the small business sector forward.
The poor displays and poor turnout at this expo suggest to me that the small businessman is not attracted to the SBAJ. In speaking with a fair number of small business operators, it was made clear to me that persons operating in this sector do not consider it beneficial to join the SBAJ. They do not think that they receive anything in return for the fees that they pay. In light of this, many do not join the SBAJ and those who were already members tend not to support it.
Small businesses continue to be a conduit for economic opportunities for many workers displaced by redundancy. In light of the many lay-offs that have taken place over the past few years, one would have thought that the SBAJ would be bubbling with activity. Unfortunately, this does not appear to be the case. Instead, the SBAJ appears to be in a decline mode. This should not be and the SBAJ needs to have a close look at itself.
The SBAJ needs to provide direct benefits to its members so as to retain their membership and at the same time attract the interests of other small business operators who are not members. Thus, for example, the SBAJ should be looking at reducing the cost of raw materials to its members and at the same time lobby for the removal of, or at least a significant reduction in, duties on the importation of basic machinery and equipment for the small business sector. The revenue lost in duties will more than be compensated by the anticipated increased output to be generated by the sector. Additionally, there should be increased employment due to the multiplier effect.
The SBAJ should be co-ordinating with the Scientific Research Council (SRC) in research and development of products that can be produced by the small business sector. For example, the ackee can provide many different products. At the moment, only 25 per cent of the fruit is being used, while the remaining 75 per cent, which contains important oils, is being discarded. What about extraction of the oil from the seed or the oil from the outer part of the fruit?
These are the areas on which the SBAJ should be focusing at this time. The SBAJ can be, and should be, an important organisation. However, it would appear that there needs to be a re-focusing for the organisation to be effective.
K. C. Soares is a former banker and is now a business consultant with Soledad Financial Services Limited. E-mail: soledad@netcomm-jm.com.
